Question

Choose the correct spelling of-
a) Gratuitous
b) Gratuitus
c) Gratitious
d) Gratetious

Answer 1

Hint: The word ‘gratuitous’ means – done without good reason; uncalled for. For example: During his gratuitous nature, he adopted two orphans.

Complete answer:
 In any spelling, if two vowels are next to each other in a word, the second vowel is silent. For example, in the word coat, you only hear the "O" pronounced. Similarly, the given word ‘gratuitous' is pronounced as /gre'tju:ies/
This word is an adjective and may also mean – given or done free of charge. For example : Solicitors provide a form of gratuitous legal advice. This word comes from the word ‘gratitude’, which also means the same.
Now, let us examine all the given options to find out the correct answer-
Option ‘a’ is Gratuitous. It is the correct spelling as it aligns with the pronunciation. Sound out words. This method won’t always work. However, it’ll at least put you on a pathway to the proper spelling.
Option ‘b’ is Gratuitus. This is a completely wrong spelling as there won’t be any ‘us’ after ‘t’. No word like this exists.
Option ‘c’ is Gratitous. It is also a grammatically incorrect spelling as there would be ‘ui’ after ‘t’, rather than ‘i’. No word like this exists.
Option ‘d’ is Gratetious. It is also a grammatically incorrect spelling. No word like this exists.
As we have analyzed all the given options, we can easily figure out the correct answer. Hence, option ‘a’ is the correct option. The correct spelling is – gratuitous.

Note:
All the other options are plausible distractions. When you come upon a word you’re not familiar with, look it up. That simple act is likely to make it stick somewhere in your memory bank.