Why Can’t Floridians Spell This Word?

On the heels of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, we are reviewing a state-by-state analysis of words that people from different states can't spell, specifically Floridians.

Dev Shah from Largo, Florida won the Scripps National Spelling Bee this year. He won by spelling the word psammophile. Wow! I can't even pronounce this word or define it, much less spell it. Congrats to Dev!

So how is our spelling in the Sunshine State? What word do Floridians seem to flub up more often than people in other states? You might be surprised to find out that the word is jewelry. Wait, did I spell that correctly? I think so. Well, why is it so difficult for people in Florida to spell jewelry. It's "jewel," as in a precious stone, and add an "ry." How difficult is that?

And more importantly, who unearthed this information about Floridians? Here's the short answer: WordTips came up with a list of words that are often misspelled and then used Twitter to analyze these frequently misspelled words. Then they looked at how often they could find these misspelled on the social media platform and traced the tweets to see which state they originated from.

Do you need tips to help you or your children avoid pesky mosquito bites in Florida?

In the rainier seasons in Tampa Bay, mosquitoes thrive. My first piece of advice is "don't be an adult," because mosquitos love larger people. That's why they prefer adults to children. (But tell that to my poor six-year-old who seems to get attacked by them when we're outside at dusk for even two minutes.)

For some people, mosquitoes are just annoying, but for others who are prone to their attacks, it can be scary worrying that they are spreading a mosquito-borne illness.

If you do get bitten, treating them with calamine lotion or baking soda is the way to go. It makes the itchiness subside.

Here are some ideas if you want to avoid getting bitten, altogether.

A nice, cold beer on a hot summer day sounds appealing, but for some reason, mosquitos are attracted to the blood and scent of someone who has been consuming alcohol.

It just comes down to a mosquito's sense of sight. They can see dark colors more easily and hone in on their target.

Don't pass the chips if you want to avoid getting bit. And skip on the bananas, too. Mosquitoes love the way these chemicals release lactic acid in your body.

Maybe you were dabbing on some perfume to attract your love, but mosquitos go for sexy scents, too. Save the spray for a night out to dinner but skip it if you're going to an outdoor barbeque.