Citing from a source that contains a misspelled word can sometimes be a dilemma. You can't change the wording of the original source material if you are using a direct quotation. However, you don't want your professor to think that you're sloppy or don't put care into your work. The solution is to insert the Latin word "sic" into the quotation. The word means "thus" and is short for the Latin phrase "sic erat scriptum" which means "thus was it written." This allows you to quote the original source material as is, and also indicates to reader that you have not misspelled the word.
Instructions
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1
Cite the original material exactly as it appears in the source. For example: Smith explained that "there were two many potholes to drive even a mile down the road."
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2
Insert the word sic, enclosed in brackets, directly after the misspelled word. For example: Smith explained that "there were two [sic] many potholes to drive even a mile down the road."
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3
Italicize the word "sic," but do not italicize the brackets which enclose it. Never capitalize any letter of "sic" -- all three letters should be lowercase.