A new survey has it all spelled out: Most adults can't spell everyday words, and they blame their cell phones and other technology.

As Scripps National Spelling Bee competitors prepare to gather in Washington, D.C., on May 29, the 81st national competition is drawing attention to the fact that many adults can't spell well.

Such words as "calendar," "embarrass" and "questionnaire" stumped many adults in a random survey and spelling test conducted by WhiteSmoke Inc., developers of a writing engine that checks spelling, grammar and punctuation in context.

Among the 20 words in the survey, "questionnaire" stumped 40 percent of participants, while "accommodate" and "definitely" were both misspelled 38 percent of the time.

Nevertheless, nearly a third of the 18- to 60-year-old respondents claimed their spelling was excellent, while 46 percent considered it good.

"It's surprising to learn that despite getting basic words wrong, a huge majority of adults regard their spelling skills as excellent or good and that only about 60 percent take full advantage of the very technology that can virtually eliminate this flaw from their writing," Amit Greener, WhiteSmoke's vice president of sales and marketing, said in a news release.

Spell-checking technology has been around for decades, yet it is not always used, according to a news release on the survey.

The survey found that two-thirds of respondents blamed technology for their poor spelling ability, especially predictive spelling on mobile phones and text speak abbreviations such as CUL8TR, which means see you later. In addition, 59 percent said they rely heavily on computer spell-checkers.

The study also found that one in five respondents admitted to avoiding handwriting letters or notes because of poor spelling. Six percent said under-par spelling caused them to lose a job, while another 8 percent said they think they had been passed over for a promotion because of it.

Despite the findings, 86 percent of the participants said though their spelling may be deficient, they think correct spelling is important, and 89 percent said spelling errors by colleagues bother them.

Said Greener: "Fortunately, broadcasting the annual National Spelling Bee on prime-time network TV with popular personalities hosting the event focuses attention on the importance of spelling. It's really an opportunity for parents to learn from their children."