Five Hard Words Play today

Tier one of five

How to spell surprise

What it means

an unexpected event

How it sounds

/sərˈpraɪz/

Why it catches people out

Sur + prise, two r's. Careful pronunciation restores the first.

The spellings people reach for

In a sentence

The announcement came as a surprise.

First appeared in

Puzzle #17 — August 10, 2026