Identify the misspelt word

Correct — D. The correct spelling is obfuscate, with a u: o-b-f-u-s-c-a-t-e. It means to make something unclear or confusing.

The u comes from its Latin source, obfuscare, 'to darken', built on fuscus, 'dark'. The printed Obfescate swaps that u for an e.

So Obfescate is the misspelt word → option (d).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  Antediluvian — Antediluvian is spelt correctly: ante-, 'before', plus diluvian, from Latin diluvium, 'flood'. It means from the time before the biblical Flood, and so extremely old-fashioned.
• (b)
  Infinitesimal — Infinitesimal is spelt correctly, ending -esimal. It means immeasurably or vanishingly small, as in an infinitesimal difference.
• (c)
  Persiflage — Persiflage is spelt correctly. It is a French borrowing, from persifler, 'to tease, mock', and means good-natured banter or light, frivolous talk.

A misspelt-word item hides one error among hard but correct words. The rare words are there to make you doubt spellings that are right.

Work by roots. Antediluvian is ante + diluvium, Infinitesimal is built on infinite, and Persiflage is a French borrowing. All three check out.

Obfuscate keeps the fusc- of Latin fuscare, 'to make dark', and that root fixes the u.

Key facts

• Obfuscate means to make unclear or confusing, and it is spelt with a u.
• It comes from Latin obfuscare, 'to darken', from fuscus, 'dark'.
• Antediluvian means from before the biblical Flood, or extremely old-fashioned.
• Persiflage means good-natured banter or light, frivolous talk.

Common traps

• Doubting a correct rare word, such as Persiflage, because it looks foreign
• Letting the three unfamiliar words draw the eye away from the misspelt one

No directly related past PYQ was found.