diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
index 8fc2ee8eeb..99076e3acd 100644
--- a/.golangci.yml
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ linters:
     - govet
     - importas
     - ineffassign
+    - misspell
     - noctx
     - staticcheck
     - structcheck
diff --git a/pkg/engine/utils.go b/pkg/engine/utils.go
index 4f9a732f72..3605b60a86 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/utils.go
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ func MatchesResourceDescription(resourceRef unstructured.Unstructured, ruleRef k
 			reasonsForFailure = append(reasonsForFailure, fmt.Errorf("no resource matched"))
 		}
 	} else if len(rule.MatchResources.All) > 0 {
-		// include object if ALL of the criterias match
+		// include object if ALL of the criteria match
 		for _, rmr := range rule.MatchResources.All {
 			reasonsForFailure = append(reasonsForFailure, matchesResourceDescriptionMatchHelper(rmr, admissionInfo, resource, dynamicConfig, namespaceLabels)...)
 		}
@@ -305,12 +305,12 @@ func MatchesResourceDescription(resourceRef unstructured.Unstructured, ruleRef k
 	}
 
 	if len(rule.ExcludeResources.Any) > 0 {
-		// exclude the object if ANY of the criterias match
+		// exclude the object if ANY of the criteria match
 		for _, rer := range rule.ExcludeResources.Any {
 			reasonsForFailure = append(reasonsForFailure, matchesResourceDescriptionExcludeHelper(rer, admissionInfo, resource, dynamicConfig, namespaceLabels)...)
 		}
 	} else if len(rule.ExcludeResources.All) > 0 {
-		// exlcude the object if ALL the criterias match
+		// exclude the object if ALL the criteria match
 		excludedByAll := true
 		for _, rer := range rule.ExcludeResources.All {
 			// we got no errors inplying a resource did NOT exclude it
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ func MatchesResourceDescription(resourceRef unstructured.Unstructured, ruleRef k
 			}
 		}
 		if excludedByAll {
-			reasonsForFailure = append(reasonsForFailure, fmt.Errorf("resource excluded since the combination of all criterias exclude it"))
+			reasonsForFailure = append(reasonsForFailure, fmt.Errorf("resource excluded since the combination of all criteria exclude it"))
 		}
 	} else {
 		rer := kyverno.ResourceFilter{UserInfo: rule.ExcludeResources.UserInfo, ResourceDescription: rule.ExcludeResources.ResourceDescription}
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ func matchesResourceDescriptionExcludeHelper(rer kyverno.ResourceFilter, admissi
 		excludeErrs := doesResourceMatchConditionBlock(rer.ResourceDescription, rer.UserInfo, admissionInfo, resource, dynamicConfig, namespaceLabels)
 		// it was a match so we want to exclude it
 		if len(excludeErrs) == 0 {
-			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("resource excluded since one of the criterias excluded it"))
+			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("resource excluded since one of the criteria excluded it"))
 			errs = append(errs, excludeErrs...)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/openapi/validation.go b/pkg/openapi/validation.go
index 8382a38d18..ce84098212 100644
--- a/pkg/openapi/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/openapi/validation.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ type Controller struct {
 	kindToAPIVersions concurrentMap
 }
 
-// apiVersions stores all available gvks for a kind, a gvk is "/" seperated string
+// apiVersions stores all available gvks for a kind, a gvk is "/" separated string
 type apiVersions struct {
 	serverPreferredGVK string
 	gvks               []string
diff --git a/pkg/policy/validate.go b/pkg/policy/validate.go
index b9e8354075..68fd42e66f 100644
--- a/pkg/policy/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/policy/validate.go
@@ -926,7 +926,7 @@ func validateImageRegistry(entry kyverno.ContextEntry) error {
 	// Replace all variables to prevent validation failing on variable keys.
 	ref := variables.ReplaceAllVars(entry.ImageRegistry.Reference, func(s string) string { return "kyvernoimageref" })
 
-	// it's no use validating a refernce that contains a variable
+	// it's no use validating a reference that contains a variable
 	if !strings.Contains(ref, "kyvernoimageref") {
 		_, err := reference.Parse(ref)
 		if err != nil {