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EspañolLIST OF COMMONLY MISUSED ENGLISH LANGUAGE PHRASES
(Redirected from List of frequently misused English words)
This is a 'list of commonly misused English language phrases'. It is meant to include only words whose ''misuse'' is deprecated by most usage writers, editors, and other arbiters of so-called "correct" English. It is possible that some of the meanings marked ''Non-standard'' will pass into ''Standard'' English in the future, but at this time all of the following ''Non-standard'' phrases are likely to be marked as ''incorrect'' by English teachers or changed by editors if used in a work submitted for publication. Several of the examples are homonyms or pairs of similarly spelled words which are often confused.
The words listed below are consistently used in ways that major English dictionaries do not condone in any definition. See list of English words with disputed usage for words that are used in ways that are deprecated by some usage writers but are condoned by some dictionaries. There may be regional variations in grammar, spelling and word-use, especially between different English-speaking countries. Such differences are not seen as incorrect once they have gained widespread acceptance in a particular country.
★ '', '' and ''. To abdicate is to resign from the throne, or more loosely to cast off a responsibility. To abrogate is to repeal a law or abolish an arrangement. To arrogate is to attempt to take on a right or responsibility to which one is not entitled.
★
★ ''Standard'': Edward VIII abdicated from the throne of the United Kingdom
★
★ ''Standard'': Henry VIII abrogated Welsh customary law.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': John abrogated all responsibility for the catering arrangements (should be "abdicated")
★
★ ''Non-standard'': You shouldn't abrogate to yourself the whole honour of the President's visit (should be "arrogate")
★ '' and ''. While they sound similar, ''except'' is a preposition that means "apart from", while ''accept'' is a verb that means "agree with", "take in" or "receive". Except is also rarely used as a verb, meaning to leave out.
★
★ ''Standard'': We accept all major credit cards, except Diners Club.
★
★ ''Standard'': Men are fools... present company excepted! (Which means "present company excluded")
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I had trouble making friends with them; I never felt excepted.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': We all went swimming, accept for Jack.
★ '' and ''. Acute means "sharp", as an acute illness is one that rapidly worsens and reaches a crisis. A chronic illness may also be a severe one, but it is long-lasting or lingering.
★
★ ''Standard'': She was treated with epinephrine during an acute asthma attack.
★
★ ''Standard'': It is not a terminal illness, but it does cause chronic pain.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I have suffered from acute asthma for twenty years.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I just started feeling this chronic pain in my back.
★ '' and ''. The verb ''affect'' means "to influence something," and the noun ''effect'' means "the result of." ''Effect'' can also be a somewhat formal verb that means "to cause [something] to be," while ''affect'' as a noun has a technical meaning in psychology: an emotion or subjectively experienced feeling.
★
★ ''Standard''. This poem affected me so much that I cried.
★
★ ''Standard''. Temperature has an effect on reaction spontaneity.
★
★ ''Standard''. The dynamite effected the wall's collapse.
★
★ ''Standard''. He seemed completely devoid of affect.
★
★ ''Non-standard''. The rain effected our plans for the day.
★
★ ''Non-standard''. We tried appeasing the rain gods, but without affect.
★ '' and ''. "Aggravate" means to make worse. "Mitigate" means to make less bad. "Mitigating factor" refers to something that affects someone's case by lessening the degree of blame, not anything that has any effect at all.
★ '', '' and ''. An allusion is an indirect or metaphorical reference to something; an illusion is a false picture of something that is there; a hallucination is the seeing of something that is not there.
★ '': to suppose to be true, especially without proof, and '': to take for granted as being true in the absence of proof to the contrary. "Presume" can also mean "take excessive liberties", as in the adjective form "presumptuous".
★
★ ''Standard''. They had assumed that they were alone, so they were surprised when they heard a third voice join their song.
★
★ ''Standard''. Doctor Livingstone, I presume?
★ '' and ''. ''Brought'' is the past tense and past participle of the verb ''to bring'', and ''bought'' is the past tense and past participle of the verb ''to buy''. Confusion of the two occurs particularly in speech.
★ '' and '.' A ''cache'' (pronounced ''kash'') is a storage place from which items may be quickly retrieved. A ''cachet'' (pronounced ''kash-AY'') is a seal or mark, like a wax seal on an envelope or a mark of authenticity on a product. Note that ''cachet'' is almost always used figuratively to mean "marked by excellence, distinction or superiority".
★
★ ''Standard'': The pirates buried a cache of jewels near the coast.
★
★ ''Standard'': Living in New York City definitely has a certain cachet.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': If your web browser is running slowly, try emptying the cachet.
★ '' and ''. There are several meanings for the word ''cant'' (without an apostrophe); however, none of them is "unable to". One meaning of ''cant'' is "a kind of slang or jargon spoken by a particular group of people". ''Can't'' is a contraction of ''cannot''.
★
★ ''Standard'': I can't understand the dialogue in this book because it's written in cant.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I cant swim; I've never taken lessons.
★ '' To comprise means "to contain", "to consist of" or "to include". One sometimes meets the redundant usages "to comprise of" or "to be comprised of". (These may arise by confusion with the correct forms "to consist of" and "to be composed of"). In addition ''Fowler'' (1931) cites examples of ''comprise'' used (transitively) to mean 'to constitute, make up, form' which he disputes. However, the 1998 edition notes that 'the sheer frequency of this construction seems likely to take it out of the disputed area before long'.The New Fowler's Modern English Usage (revised 3rd edition) (1998) ISBN 0-19-860263-4 Fowler sums up prescribed usage thus: The whole comprises the parts; the parts constitute the whole.
★
★ ''Standard'': The English Wikipedia comprises more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The English Wikipedia comprises of more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The English Wikipedia is comprised of more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Documents, declarations and resolutions, which comprise the American Constitution ... (cited in ''Fowler'', 1931.)
★
★ ''Standard, alternative'': The English Wikipedia is composed of more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Standard, alternative'': The English Wikiprdia contains more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Standard, alternative'': The English Wikipedia includes more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Standard, alternative'': The English Wikipedia consists of more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Standard, alternative'': Documents, declarations and resolutions, which constitute the American Constitution ...
★
★ ''Standard, alternative'': The American Constitution comprises documents, declarations and resolutions.
★ '', '' and ''. Contiguous means "touching" or "adjoining in space"; continual means "repeated in rapid succession"; continuous means "uninterrupted" (in time or space).
★
★ ''Standard'': The forty-eight contiguous states
★
★ ''Standard'': The field was surrounded by a continuous fence.
★
★ ''Standard'': The continuous murmur of the stream.
★
★ ''Standard'': His continual interruptions are very irritating.
★ '' and ''. Crutch is often incorrectly used to refer to the persons crotch. However, the reverse of this is rarely heard.
★ '' and ''. "Dawn" is frequently used to mean "sunrise", but technically it means the period immediately before sunrise.
★ '' and ''. "To Diffuse" is to disperse randomly, whereas "to defuse" is to remove the fuse from a bomb, or in general to render a situation less dangerous. "Diffuse" can also be used as an adjective, meaning not concentrated.
★
★ ''Standard'': The situation was defused when Sandy explained that he was gay, and had no interest in Frank's wife.
★
★ ''Standard'': The smell of urine slowly diffused into the still air of the hall.
★
★ ''Standard'': The spotlights were turned off, leaving the stage lit by the diffuse glow of the lanterns.
★ '' and ''. "Discrete" means "having separate parts", as opposed to contiguous. "Discreet" means "circumspect".
★ '' and ''. "Bisect" means to cut into two; "Dissect" means to cut apart, both literally and figuratively. "Disect" is an archaic word meaning "to separate by cutting", but has not been in current use since the 17th century.
★
★ ''Standard'': We dissected the eye of a bull in biology class today.
★
★ ''Standard'': She dissected Smith's dissertation, pointing out scores of errors.
★
★ ''Standard'': The Americas are bisected by the Panama canal.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': We disected the eye of a bull in biology class today.
★ '' and ''. To be disinterested in something means to not be biased about something (i.e. to have no personal stake in a particular side of an issue). To be uninterested means to not be interested in or intrigued by something.
★
★ ''Standard'': As their mutual best friend, I tried to remain disinterested in their argument so as not to anger either.
★
★ ''Standard'': Though his initial reaction suggested otherwise, he maintains that he remains uninterested in the business proposition.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The key to attracting a member of the opposite sex is to balance between giving attention to him or her and appearing disinterested.
★ '' and ''. To dissassemble means to dismantle (e.g. to take a machine code program apart to see how it works); to dissemble means to tell lies.
★ '' and 'economical'. "Economic" means "having to do with the economy". "Economical" means "financially prudent, frugal" and also figuratively in the sense "sparing use" (of time, language, etc.)
★
★ ''Standard'': Buying in bulk can often be the most economical choice.
★
★ ''Standard'': The actor should be economical in his use of movement.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Leading economical indicators suggest that a recession may be on the horizon.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The actor should be economic in his use of movement.
★ '' and ''. The abbreviation "e.g." stands for the Latin ''exempli gratiā'' "for example", and should be used when the example(s) given are just one or a few of many. The abbreviation "i.e." stands for the Latin ''id est'' "that is", and is used to give the only example(s) or to otherwise qualify the statement just made.
★
★ ''Standard'': A Briton is a British citizen, e.g. John Lennon.
★
★ ''Standard'': Tolkien's ''The Hobbit'' is named after its protagonist, i.e. Bilbo Baggins.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': A Briton is a British citizen, i.e. Paul McCartney ''(at the last count, there were about 60 million Britons — Sir Paul is far from being the only one)''
★ '' and ''. Eminent, originally meaning "emerging", means illustrious or highly-regarded. Imminent means "about to occur".
★
★ ''Standard'': The eminent doctor Jones testified on behalf of the defence.
★
★ ''Standard'': Rumours that war was imminent soon spread through the population.
★ '' and ''. "Exacerbate" means to make worse. "Exasperate" means to exhaust, usually someone's patience.
★
★ ''Standard'': Treatment by untrained personnel can exacerbate injuries.
★
★ ''Standard'': Don't let Jack talk to the state trooper; he is tactless and will just exasperate her.
★ '' and ''. To ''flesh out'' is to put flesh to a skeleton, or to add substance to an incomplete rendering. To ''flush out'' is to cause game fowl to take to flight, or to frighten any quarry from a place of concealment.
★
★ ''Standard'': The forensic pathologist will flesh out the skull with clay.
★
★ ''Standard'': The beaters flushed out the game with drums and torches.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': This outline is incomplete and must be flushed out.
★ '' and ''. To ''flounder'' is to be clumsy, confused, indecisive or to flop around like a fish out of water. A ''flounder'' is also a type of flatfish. To ''founder'' is to fill with water and sink.
★
★ ''Standard'': The ship is damaged and may founder.
★
★ ''Standard'': She was floundering on the balance beam.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The ship is damaged and may flounder.
★ '' and ''. One ''flouts'' a rule or law by flagrantly ignoring it. One ''flaunts'' something by showing it off.
★
★ ''Standard'': If you've got it, flaunt it.
★
★ ''Standard'': He continually flouted the speed limit.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': If you've got it, flout it.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': He continually flaunted the speed limit.
★ '' and ''
★ '' and ''. In strict usage, ''historic'' describes an event of importance – one that shaped history or is likely to do so. ''Historical'' merely describes something that happened in the past.
★
★ ''Standard'': The president made a(n) historic announcement. (The announcement was of historical importance.)
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The office kept an archive of historic records. (The records are not necessarily of historical importance – they are simply records from the past.)
★ '' and ''. A ''hoard'' is a store or accumulation of things. A ''horde'' is a large group of people.
★
★ ''Standard'': A horde of shoppers lined up to be the first to buy the new gizmo.
★
★ ''Standard'': He has a hoard of discontinued rare cards.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Don't horde the candy, share it.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The hoard charged when the horns sounded.
★ '' and ''. ''Homogeneous'' means formed of parts that are all the same kind. ''Homogenous'' (in Biology means 'having a common descent'.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': ... a much more homogenous and orthodox form of narrative - ''Essays & Studies'' (1991)
★
★ ''Standard'': ... a much more homogeneous and orthodox form of narrative
★ 'Immaculate Conception'. This is the Catholic doctrine that the Virgin Mary was born without original sin. Often misused to mean the Virgin Birth.
★ '' and ''. Something is ''implied'' if it is a suggestion intended by the person speaking, whereas a conclusion is ''inferred'' if it is reached by the person listening.
★
★ ''Standard'': When Tony told me he had no money, he was implying that I should give him some.
★
★ ''Standard'': When Tony told me he had no money, I inferred that I should give him some.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': When Tony told me he had no money, he was inferring that I should give him some.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': When Tony told me he had no money, I implied that I should give him some.
★ '' and ''. A part ''inherent in'' X is logically inseparable from X. ''To inherit'' is a verb, meaning "pass down a generation".
★
★ ''Standard'': Risk is inherent in the stock market.
★
★ ''Standard'': The next president inherits a legacy of mistrust and fear.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': There is violence inherit in the system.
★ '' and ''. ''It's'' is a contraction that replaces ''it is'' or ''it has'' (see apostrophe). ''Its'' is the possessive pronoun corresponding to ''it'', in the same way that ''his'' corresponds to ''he''. In standard written English, possessive 'nouns' take an apostrophe, but possessive 'pronouns' do not.
★
★ ''Standard'': It's time to eat!
★
★ ''Standard'': My cell phone has poor reception because its antenna is broken.
★
★ ''Standard'': It's been nice getting to meet you.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Its good to be the king.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The bicycle tire had lost all it's pressure.
★ '' (''lay'', ''laid'', ''laid'', ''laying'') and '' (''lie'', ''lay'', ''lain'', ''lying'') are often used synonymously. ''Lay'' is a transitive verb, meaning that it takes an object. "To lay something" means to place something. ''Lie'', on the other hand, is intransitive and means to recline (and also to tell untruths, but in this case the verb is regular and causes no confusion). The distinction between these related verbs is further blurred by the fact that past tense of ''lie'' is ''lay''. A quick test is to see if the word in question could be replaced with ''recline''; if it can, Standard English requires ''lie''.
★
★ ''Standard'': I lay my husband's work clothes out for him every morning. Yesterday I decided to see if he paid attention to what I was doing, so I laid out one white sock and one black. He didn't notice!
★
★ ''Standard'': You should not lie down right after eating a large meal. Yesterday I lay on my bed for half an hour after dinner, and suffered indigestion as a result. My wife saw me lying there and made me get up; she told me that if I had waited for a couple of hours I could have lain down in perfect comfort.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Is this bed comfortable when you lay on it? (Should be ''lie'')
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Yesterday I lied down in my office during the lunch hour. (Should be ''lay'')
★
★ ''Non-standard'': There was no reason for him to have laid down in the middle of the path, it unnerved me to see him laying there saying nothing. (Should be "have lain down" and "him lying there")
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Lie the baby down, and change his diaper (Should be "lay", as "lie" is intransitive)
★ '' and '.' A ''levee'' is a structure built along a river to raise the height of its banks, thereby preventing nearby land from flooding (see: ). ''To levy'' is to impose (1) a tax, fine or other assessment, or (2) a military draft; as a noun, a ''levy'' is an assessment or army thus gathered. The two words share a common root, but they are not considered interchangeable in Standard English. Because they are homophones, misuse is usually only apparent when observed in writing.
★
★ ''Standard'': The Netherlands is well known for its elaborate system of levees.
★
★ ''Standard'': This statute allows the state to levy a 3% tax.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Recent storms have weakened the levy.
★ '' and loath or '': ''Loathe'' is a verb meaning "to strongly dislike", and "loath" or "loth" means "unwilling" or "reluctant"
★
★ ''Standard'': I loathe arrogant people.
★
★ ''Standard'': I was loath to concede defeat.
★
★ ''Standard'': I was loth to submit to a body-cavity search until I saw who would be administering it.
★ '' and '.' ''Lose'' can mean 'fail to win', 'misplace', or 'cease to be in possession'. ''Loose'' can mean the opposite of tight, or the opposite of tighten. ''Lose'' is often misspelled ''loose'', likely because of the fact that ''lose'' has an irregular rhyme for the way it is spelled: it is more common for words ending ''-ose'' to rhyme , like ''nose'', or ''rose'', but ''lose'' rhymes , like ''news'' or ''confuse''. This may cause poor spellers to guess the correct spelling should match another -uːz rhyming word like ''choose'', however ''choose'' is itself also an exception to the regular rhyme for words ending ''-oose'' (typically such words, including ''loose'', rhyme , like ''goose'' or ''caboose'').
★
★ ''Standard'': We cannot afford to lose customers to our competitors.
★
★ ''Standard'': A screw is loose and I need a wrench to tighten it.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': If the team cannot score any points, they will loose the game.
★ '', '' and ''. (From post-classical Latin ''marina'' brine, short for classical Latin ''aqua marina'' sea water.)Oxford English Dictionary, (1933) In Standard English, "marinade" is a noun. "Macerate" means to soften by steeping in a liquid and in culinary terminology is used for non-protein items, specifically ''fruit''. The word ''macerate'' is also used in science 'to soften bone, rock etc. in a liquid'.
★
★ ''Standard'': The meat will taste better if you marinate it in olive oil before cooking.
★
★ ''Standard'': Prepare the marinade by mixing vinegar and soy sauce.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Marinade the meat in wine for half an hour.
★
★ ''Standard'': Macerate the fruit in wine for half an hour.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Marinate the fruit in wine for half an hour.
★ '', '' and ''. In a traditional prescriptive grammar, ''I'' is used only as a subject, ''me'' is used only as an object, and ''myself'' is used only as a reflexive object, that is to say when the subject is I and the object would otherwise be ''me''. ''Myself'' is often used in a way that makes usage writers bristle, particularly when someone is trying to be "extra correct". Like the other reflexive pronouns, in prescriptive usage, ''myself'' should be used only when both the subject and object of the verb are the speaker, or as an emphatic pronoun (intensifier).
★
★ ''Standard'': Jim and I took the train.
★
★ ''Standard'': He lent the books to Jim and me.
★
★ ''Standard'': That is I in the picture. (This is very formal, and seldom found in speech.)
★
★ ''Acceptable'': That is me in the picture. (This is typical in infomal English.)
★
★ ''Standard'' (intensifying): I myself have seen instances of that type.
★
★ ''Standard'' (reflexive): I hurt myself. I did it to myself. I played by myself. I want to enjoy myself.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Me and Jim went into town.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': It was clear to Jim and I that the shop was shut.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': As for myself, I prefer the red. (Just use ''me'' here)
★
★ ''Non-standard'': He is an American like myself. (Just use ''me'')
★
★ ''Non-standard'': He gave the paper to Jim and myself. (Just use ''me'')
★
★ ''Non-standard'': My wife and myself are not happy with all the development going on in town. (Just use ''I'')
★ '' and ''. To mitigate is to make something milder. To militate is to fight or exert pressure for something to happen or not to happen.
★
★ ''Standard'': The seriousness of your crime was mitigated by the provocation you were under
★
★ ''Standard'': Over-protective practices in this factory militate against increased efficiency
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Over-protective practices in this factory mitigate against increased efficiency
★ '' and ''. A novice is a prospective or trainee member of a religious order. The novitiate is the state of being a novice, or the time for which one is a novice. A novice monk or nun is frequently described in error as "a novitiate", in the belief that this sounds more impressively Catholic.
★ '' and ''. In some dialects of spoken English, ''of'' and the contracted form of ''have'', '' 've'', sound somewhat alike. However, in standard written English, they aren't interchangeable.
★
★ ''Standard'': Susan would have stopped to eat, but she was running late.
★
★ ''Standard'': You could've warned me!
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I should of known that the store would be closed. (Should be "I should've known")
★ '' and ''. "Past" refers to events that have previously occurred, while "passed" is the past tense of "to pass" whether in a congressional action or a physical occurrence.
★
★ ''Standard'': Congress passed the bill limiting the powers of the President.
★
★ ''Standard'': History is mainly concerned with the events of the past.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': He past my house on his way to the store.
★ '' does not mean useless or unable to perform its function. It means that there is an excess of something, that something is "surplus to requirements" and no longer needed, or that it is obsolete.
★
★ ''Standard'': A new pill that will instantly cure any illness has made antibiotics redundant. (Antibiotics could still be used to cure illnesses, but they are no longer needed because a better pill has been invented)
★
★ ''Standard'': The week before Christmas, the company made 75 workers redundant.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Over-use of antibiotics risks making them redundant. (This should read: over-use of antibiotics risks making them worthless)
★ '' and ''
★ '' and ''. When used as a verb, "to set" means "to place" or "to adjust to a value", whereas "to sit" means "to be seated".
★
★ ''Standard'': Set the pot upon the stove.
★
★ ''Standard'': Set the temperature-control to 100 °C
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Set down over there.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Sit the pot on the stove.
★
★ ''Standard'': Sit on the chair.
★ '' and ''. To shirk means "to consistently avoid", "to neglect", "to be too afraid to engage". To shrink means "to contract", "to become physically smaller in size"; also to 'shrink away' means "to suddenly jerk away from something in horror". However, to 'shrink from' may also mean "to hesitate or show reluctance toward".
★
★ ''Standard'': I won't shirk discussion.
★
★ ''Standard'': I won't shrink from discussion.
★
★ ''Standard'': She shrank away from me.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I won't shrink discussion.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I won't shirk from discussion.
★ '', '' and ''. A site is a place; a sight is something seen. To cite is to quote or list as a source.
★
★ ''Standard'': You're a sight for sore eyes.
★
★ ''Standard'': I found a list of the sights of Rome on a tourist site.
★
★ ''Standard'': Please cite the sources you used in your essay.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': One must be careful on a construction sight.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I will site the book I saw the statistics in.
★ '' and ''. A ''temblor'' is an earthquake. A ''trembler'' is something that trembles.
★ '' and ''. ''Than'' is a grammatical particle and preposition associated with comparatives, whereas ''then'' is an adverb and a noun. When spoken, the two words are usually homophones because they are function words with reduced vowels, and this may cause speakers to confuse them.
★
★ ''Standard'': I like pizza more than lasagne.
★
★ ''Standard'': We ate dinner, then went to the movies.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': You're a better person then me.
★ '', '', '' and ''. ''There'' refers to the location of something. ''Their'' means "belonging to them". ''They're'' is a contraction of "They are". ''There're'' is a contraction of "There are".
★
★ ''Standard'': There're five of them and they're all coming to the restaurant for their dinner; we'll meet them there.
★ '', '', etc. A common spoken mistake is using a singular contraction when it should be plural in words like "there's" and "where's."
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Where's the cars? (Should be ''Where're'')
★
★ ''Non-standard'': There's many types of cars. (Should be ''There're'')
★ '' and '' — These words are sometimes confused; "venal" means "corrupt" or "able to be bribed" or ; ''venial'' means 'pardonable, not serious'. [1]
★
★ ''Standard'': According to Catholic doctrine, eating meat on a Friday is a venial sin, but murder is a mortal sin.
★
★ ''Standard'': All ages have examples of venal politicians.
★ '' and '' Won't is a contraction for "will not", while wont is a rare, slightly archaic word meaning "accustomed" or "inclined to" (as an adjective) or "habit or custom" (as a noun).
★
★ ''Standard'': He won't let me drive his car.
★
★ ''Standard'': He spent the morning reading, as he was wont to do.
★
★ ''Standard'': He took a walk in the evening, as was his wont.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I wont need to go to the supermarket after all.
★ '', '', '' and ''. While they sound the same in many dialects, in standard written English they all have separate meanings. ''You're'' is a contraction for "you are", and ''your'' is a possessive pronoun meaning "belonging to you". When in doubt, just see whether you can logically expand it to "you are". The third homophone, ''yore'', is an archaism meaning in the distant past, and is almost always used in the phrase "in days of yore". The fourth is the name of a once common piece of household equipment made obsolete by indoor plumbing: the large jug holding washing water.
★
★ ''Standard'': When driving, always wear your seatbelt.
★
★ ''Standard'': If you're going out, please be home by ten o'clock.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': You're mother called this morning.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Your the first person to notice my new haircut today!
★ List of commonly confused homonyms
★ Homonym, Synonym, Antonym
★ List of English homographs
★ Malapropism
★ Eggcorn
★ Misspelling,
★ English language, English grammar, Disputed English grammar
★ List of dialects of the English language
★ List of words having different meanings in British and American English
★ Engrish, Franglais, Spanglish, Yinglish
★
;Wiktionary appendices
★
★
1. Oxford American Dictionary (1980) ISBN 0-19-502795-7
★ Words @ Random
★ The American Heritage® Book of English Usage.
★ Brians, Paul (March 1993). ''Common Errors in English Usage'' (Web version), William James & Company. ISBN 1887902899
★ Department of English, The University of Victoria (August 25, 1997). ''The University of Victoria's Hypertext Writer's Guide''.
★ Larson, Gary B. (January 9, 2007). ''Garbl's Editorial Style Manual''
★ An opinion piece by John Humphrys
★ Grammar Puss by Steven Pinker. Argues against prescriptive rules. (A revised draft of this article became the chapter "The Language Mavens" in ''The Language Instinct''.)
This is a 'list of commonly misused English language phrases'. It is meant to include only words whose ''misuse'' is deprecated by most usage writers, editors, and other arbiters of so-called "correct" English. It is possible that some of the meanings marked ''Non-standard'' will pass into ''Standard'' English in the future, but at this time all of the following ''Non-standard'' phrases are likely to be marked as ''incorrect'' by English teachers or changed by editors if used in a work submitted for publication. Several of the examples are homonyms or pairs of similarly spelled words which are often confused.
The words listed below are consistently used in ways that major English dictionaries do not condone in any definition. See list of English words with disputed usage for words that are used in ways that are deprecated by some usage writers but are condoned by some dictionaries. There may be regional variations in grammar, spelling and word-use, especially between different English-speaking countries. Such differences are not seen as incorrect once they have gained widespread acceptance in a particular country.
| Contents |
| List |
| A |
| B to D |
| E to H |
| I to J |
| K to L |
| M |
| N to R |
| S to T |
| U to Z |
| See also |
| Notes |
| References |
| External links |
List
A
★ '', '' and ''. To abdicate is to resign from the throne, or more loosely to cast off a responsibility. To abrogate is to repeal a law or abolish an arrangement. To arrogate is to attempt to take on a right or responsibility to which one is not entitled.
★
★ ''Standard'': Edward VIII abdicated from the throne of the United Kingdom
★
★ ''Standard'': Henry VIII abrogated Welsh customary law.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': John abrogated all responsibility for the catering arrangements (should be "abdicated")
★
★ ''Non-standard'': You shouldn't abrogate to yourself the whole honour of the President's visit (should be "arrogate")
★ '' and ''. While they sound similar, ''except'' is a preposition that means "apart from", while ''accept'' is a verb that means "agree with", "take in" or "receive". Except is also rarely used as a verb, meaning to leave out.
★
★ ''Standard'': We accept all major credit cards, except Diners Club.
★
★ ''Standard'': Men are fools... present company excepted! (Which means "present company excluded")
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I had trouble making friends with them; I never felt excepted.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': We all went swimming, accept for Jack.
★ '' and ''. Acute means "sharp", as an acute illness is one that rapidly worsens and reaches a crisis. A chronic illness may also be a severe one, but it is long-lasting or lingering.
★
★ ''Standard'': She was treated with epinephrine during an acute asthma attack.
★
★ ''Standard'': It is not a terminal illness, but it does cause chronic pain.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I have suffered from acute asthma for twenty years.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I just started feeling this chronic pain in my back.
★ '' and ''. The verb ''affect'' means "to influence something," and the noun ''effect'' means "the result of." ''Effect'' can also be a somewhat formal verb that means "to cause [something] to be," while ''affect'' as a noun has a technical meaning in psychology: an emotion or subjectively experienced feeling.
★
★ ''Standard''. This poem affected me so much that I cried.
★
★ ''Standard''. Temperature has an effect on reaction spontaneity.
★
★ ''Standard''. The dynamite effected the wall's collapse.
★
★ ''Standard''. He seemed completely devoid of affect.
★
★ ''Non-standard''. The rain effected our plans for the day.
★
★ ''Non-standard''. We tried appeasing the rain gods, but without affect.
★ '' and ''. "Aggravate" means to make worse. "Mitigate" means to make less bad. "Mitigating factor" refers to something that affects someone's case by lessening the degree of blame, not anything that has any effect at all.
★ '', '' and ''. An allusion is an indirect or metaphorical reference to something; an illusion is a false picture of something that is there; a hallucination is the seeing of something that is not there.
★ '': to suppose to be true, especially without proof, and '': to take for granted as being true in the absence of proof to the contrary. "Presume" can also mean "take excessive liberties", as in the adjective form "presumptuous".
★
★ ''Standard''. They had assumed that they were alone, so they were surprised when they heard a third voice join their song.
★
★ ''Standard''. Doctor Livingstone, I presume?
B to D
★ '' and ''. ''Brought'' is the past tense and past participle of the verb ''to bring'', and ''bought'' is the past tense and past participle of the verb ''to buy''. Confusion of the two occurs particularly in speech.
★ '' and '.' A ''cache'' (pronounced ''kash'') is a storage place from which items may be quickly retrieved. A ''cachet'' (pronounced ''kash-AY'') is a seal or mark, like a wax seal on an envelope or a mark of authenticity on a product. Note that ''cachet'' is almost always used figuratively to mean "marked by excellence, distinction or superiority".
★
★ ''Standard'': The pirates buried a cache of jewels near the coast.
★
★ ''Standard'': Living in New York City definitely has a certain cachet.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': If your web browser is running slowly, try emptying the cachet.
★ '' and ''. There are several meanings for the word ''cant'' (without an apostrophe); however, none of them is "unable to". One meaning of ''cant'' is "a kind of slang or jargon spoken by a particular group of people". ''Can't'' is a contraction of ''cannot''.
★
★ ''Standard'': I can't understand the dialogue in this book because it's written in cant.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I cant swim; I've never taken lessons.
★ '' To comprise means "to contain", "to consist of" or "to include". One sometimes meets the redundant usages "to comprise of" or "to be comprised of". (These may arise by confusion with the correct forms "to consist of" and "to be composed of"). In addition ''Fowler'' (1931) cites examples of ''comprise'' used (transitively) to mean 'to constitute, make up, form' which he disputes. However, the 1998 edition notes that 'the sheer frequency of this construction seems likely to take it out of the disputed area before long'.The New Fowler's Modern English Usage (revised 3rd edition) (1998) ISBN 0-19-860263-4 Fowler sums up prescribed usage thus: The whole comprises the parts; the parts constitute the whole.
★
★ ''Standard'': The English Wikipedia comprises more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The English Wikipedia comprises of more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The English Wikipedia is comprised of more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Documents, declarations and resolutions, which comprise the American Constitution ... (cited in ''Fowler'', 1931.)
★
★ ''Standard, alternative'': The English Wikipedia is composed of more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Standard, alternative'': The English Wikiprdia contains more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Standard, alternative'': The English Wikipedia includes more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Standard, alternative'': The English Wikipedia consists of more than 1 million articles.
★
★ ''Standard, alternative'': Documents, declarations and resolutions, which constitute the American Constitution ...
★
★ ''Standard, alternative'': The American Constitution comprises documents, declarations and resolutions.
★ '', '' and ''. Contiguous means "touching" or "adjoining in space"; continual means "repeated in rapid succession"; continuous means "uninterrupted" (in time or space).
★
★ ''Standard'': The forty-eight contiguous states
★
★ ''Standard'': The field was surrounded by a continuous fence.
★
★ ''Standard'': The continuous murmur of the stream.
★
★ ''Standard'': His continual interruptions are very irritating.
★ '' and ''. Crutch is often incorrectly used to refer to the persons crotch. However, the reverse of this is rarely heard.
★ '' and ''. "Dawn" is frequently used to mean "sunrise", but technically it means the period immediately before sunrise.
★ '' and ''. "To Diffuse" is to disperse randomly, whereas "to defuse" is to remove the fuse from a bomb, or in general to render a situation less dangerous. "Diffuse" can also be used as an adjective, meaning not concentrated.
★
★ ''Standard'': The situation was defused when Sandy explained that he was gay, and had no interest in Frank's wife.
★
★ ''Standard'': The smell of urine slowly diffused into the still air of the hall.
★
★ ''Standard'': The spotlights were turned off, leaving the stage lit by the diffuse glow of the lanterns.
★ '' and ''. "Discrete" means "having separate parts", as opposed to contiguous. "Discreet" means "circumspect".
★ '' and ''. "Bisect" means to cut into two; "Dissect" means to cut apart, both literally and figuratively. "Disect" is an archaic word meaning "to separate by cutting", but has not been in current use since the 17th century.
★
★ ''Standard'': We dissected the eye of a bull in biology class today.
★
★ ''Standard'': She dissected Smith's dissertation, pointing out scores of errors.
★
★ ''Standard'': The Americas are bisected by the Panama canal.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': We disected the eye of a bull in biology class today.
★ '' and ''. To be disinterested in something means to not be biased about something (i.e. to have no personal stake in a particular side of an issue). To be uninterested means to not be interested in or intrigued by something.
★
★ ''Standard'': As their mutual best friend, I tried to remain disinterested in their argument so as not to anger either.
★
★ ''Standard'': Though his initial reaction suggested otherwise, he maintains that he remains uninterested in the business proposition.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The key to attracting a member of the opposite sex is to balance between giving attention to him or her and appearing disinterested.
★ '' and ''. To dissassemble means to dismantle (e.g. to take a machine code program apart to see how it works); to dissemble means to tell lies.
E to H
★ '' and 'economical'. "Economic" means "having to do with the economy". "Economical" means "financially prudent, frugal" and also figuratively in the sense "sparing use" (of time, language, etc.)
★
★ ''Standard'': Buying in bulk can often be the most economical choice.
★
★ ''Standard'': The actor should be economical in his use of movement.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Leading economical indicators suggest that a recession may be on the horizon.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The actor should be economic in his use of movement.
★ '' and ''. The abbreviation "e.g." stands for the Latin ''exempli gratiā'' "for example", and should be used when the example(s) given are just one or a few of many. The abbreviation "i.e." stands for the Latin ''id est'' "that is", and is used to give the only example(s) or to otherwise qualify the statement just made.
★
★ ''Standard'': A Briton is a British citizen, e.g. John Lennon.
★
★ ''Standard'': Tolkien's ''The Hobbit'' is named after its protagonist, i.e. Bilbo Baggins.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': A Briton is a British citizen, i.e. Paul McCartney ''(at the last count, there were about 60 million Britons — Sir Paul is far from being the only one)''
★ '' and ''. Eminent, originally meaning "emerging", means illustrious or highly-regarded. Imminent means "about to occur".
★
★ ''Standard'': The eminent doctor Jones testified on behalf of the defence.
★
★ ''Standard'': Rumours that war was imminent soon spread through the population.
★ '' and ''. "Exacerbate" means to make worse. "Exasperate" means to exhaust, usually someone's patience.
★
★ ''Standard'': Treatment by untrained personnel can exacerbate injuries.
★
★ ''Standard'': Don't let Jack talk to the state trooper; he is tactless and will just exasperate her.
★ '' and ''. To ''flesh out'' is to put flesh to a skeleton, or to add substance to an incomplete rendering. To ''flush out'' is to cause game fowl to take to flight, or to frighten any quarry from a place of concealment.
★
★ ''Standard'': The forensic pathologist will flesh out the skull with clay.
★
★ ''Standard'': The beaters flushed out the game with drums and torches.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': This outline is incomplete and must be flushed out.
★ '' and ''. To ''flounder'' is to be clumsy, confused, indecisive or to flop around like a fish out of water. A ''flounder'' is also a type of flatfish. To ''founder'' is to fill with water and sink.
★
★ ''Standard'': The ship is damaged and may founder.
★
★ ''Standard'': She was floundering on the balance beam.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The ship is damaged and may flounder.
★ '' and ''. One ''flouts'' a rule or law by flagrantly ignoring it. One ''flaunts'' something by showing it off.
★
★ ''Standard'': If you've got it, flaunt it.
★
★ ''Standard'': He continually flouted the speed limit.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': If you've got it, flout it.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': He continually flaunted the speed limit.
★ '' and ''
★ '' and ''. In strict usage, ''historic'' describes an event of importance – one that shaped history or is likely to do so. ''Historical'' merely describes something that happened in the past.
★
★ ''Standard'': The president made a(n) historic announcement. (The announcement was of historical importance.)
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The office kept an archive of historic records. (The records are not necessarily of historical importance – they are simply records from the past.)
★ '' and ''. A ''hoard'' is a store or accumulation of things. A ''horde'' is a large group of people.
★
★ ''Standard'': A horde of shoppers lined up to be the first to buy the new gizmo.
★
★ ''Standard'': He has a hoard of discontinued rare cards.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Don't horde the candy, share it.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The hoard charged when the horns sounded.
★ '' and ''. ''Homogeneous'' means formed of parts that are all the same kind. ''Homogenous'' (in Biology means 'having a common descent'.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': ... a much more homogenous and orthodox form of narrative - ''Essays & Studies'' (1991)
★
★ ''Standard'': ... a much more homogeneous and orthodox form of narrative
I to J
★ 'Immaculate Conception'. This is the Catholic doctrine that the Virgin Mary was born without original sin. Often misused to mean the Virgin Birth.
★ '' and ''. Something is ''implied'' if it is a suggestion intended by the person speaking, whereas a conclusion is ''inferred'' if it is reached by the person listening.
★
★ ''Standard'': When Tony told me he had no money, he was implying that I should give him some.
★
★ ''Standard'': When Tony told me he had no money, I inferred that I should give him some.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': When Tony told me he had no money, he was inferring that I should give him some.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': When Tony told me he had no money, I implied that I should give him some.
★ '' and ''. A part ''inherent in'' X is logically inseparable from X. ''To inherit'' is a verb, meaning "pass down a generation".
★
★ ''Standard'': Risk is inherent in the stock market.
★
★ ''Standard'': The next president inherits a legacy of mistrust and fear.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': There is violence inherit in the system.
★ '' and ''. ''It's'' is a contraction that replaces ''it is'' or ''it has'' (see apostrophe). ''Its'' is the possessive pronoun corresponding to ''it'', in the same way that ''his'' corresponds to ''he''. In standard written English, possessive 'nouns' take an apostrophe, but possessive 'pronouns' do not.
★
★ ''Standard'': It's time to eat!
★
★ ''Standard'': My cell phone has poor reception because its antenna is broken.
★
★ ''Standard'': It's been nice getting to meet you.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Its good to be the king.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': The bicycle tire had lost all it's pressure.
K to L
★ '' (''lay'', ''laid'', ''laid'', ''laying'') and '' (''lie'', ''lay'', ''lain'', ''lying'') are often used synonymously. ''Lay'' is a transitive verb, meaning that it takes an object. "To lay something" means to place something. ''Lie'', on the other hand, is intransitive and means to recline (and also to tell untruths, but in this case the verb is regular and causes no confusion). The distinction between these related verbs is further blurred by the fact that past tense of ''lie'' is ''lay''. A quick test is to see if the word in question could be replaced with ''recline''; if it can, Standard English requires ''lie''.
★
★ ''Standard'': I lay my husband's work clothes out for him every morning. Yesterday I decided to see if he paid attention to what I was doing, so I laid out one white sock and one black. He didn't notice!
★
★ ''Standard'': You should not lie down right after eating a large meal. Yesterday I lay on my bed for half an hour after dinner, and suffered indigestion as a result. My wife saw me lying there and made me get up; she told me that if I had waited for a couple of hours I could have lain down in perfect comfort.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Is this bed comfortable when you lay on it? (Should be ''lie'')
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Yesterday I lied down in my office during the lunch hour. (Should be ''lay'')
★
★ ''Non-standard'': There was no reason for him to have laid down in the middle of the path, it unnerved me to see him laying there saying nothing. (Should be "have lain down" and "him lying there")
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Lie the baby down, and change his diaper (Should be "lay", as "lie" is intransitive)
★ '' and '.' A ''levee'' is a structure built along a river to raise the height of its banks, thereby preventing nearby land from flooding (see: ). ''To levy'' is to impose (1) a tax, fine or other assessment, or (2) a military draft; as a noun, a ''levy'' is an assessment or army thus gathered. The two words share a common root, but they are not considered interchangeable in Standard English. Because they are homophones, misuse is usually only apparent when observed in writing.
★
★ ''Standard'': The Netherlands is well known for its elaborate system of levees.
★
★ ''Standard'': This statute allows the state to levy a 3% tax.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Recent storms have weakened the levy.
★ '' and loath or '': ''Loathe'' is a verb meaning "to strongly dislike", and "loath" or "loth" means "unwilling" or "reluctant"
★
★ ''Standard'': I loathe arrogant people.
★
★ ''Standard'': I was loath to concede defeat.
★
★ ''Standard'': I was loth to submit to a body-cavity search until I saw who would be administering it.
★ '' and '.' ''Lose'' can mean 'fail to win', 'misplace', or 'cease to be in possession'. ''Loose'' can mean the opposite of tight, or the opposite of tighten. ''Lose'' is often misspelled ''loose'', likely because of the fact that ''lose'' has an irregular rhyme for the way it is spelled: it is more common for words ending ''-ose'' to rhyme , like ''nose'', or ''rose'', but ''lose'' rhymes , like ''news'' or ''confuse''. This may cause poor spellers to guess the correct spelling should match another -uːz rhyming word like ''choose'', however ''choose'' is itself also an exception to the regular rhyme for words ending ''-oose'' (typically such words, including ''loose'', rhyme , like ''goose'' or ''caboose'').
★
★ ''Standard'': We cannot afford to lose customers to our competitors.
★
★ ''Standard'': A screw is loose and I need a wrench to tighten it.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': If the team cannot score any points, they will loose the game.
M
★ '', '' and ''. (From post-classical Latin ''marina'' brine, short for classical Latin ''aqua marina'' sea water.)Oxford English Dictionary, (1933) In Standard English, "marinade" is a noun. "Macerate" means to soften by steeping in a liquid and in culinary terminology is used for non-protein items, specifically ''fruit''. The word ''macerate'' is also used in science 'to soften bone, rock etc. in a liquid'.
★
★ ''Standard'': The meat will taste better if you marinate it in olive oil before cooking.
★
★ ''Standard'': Prepare the marinade by mixing vinegar and soy sauce.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Marinade the meat in wine for half an hour.
★
★ ''Standard'': Macerate the fruit in wine for half an hour.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Marinate the fruit in wine for half an hour.
★ '', '' and ''. In a traditional prescriptive grammar, ''I'' is used only as a subject, ''me'' is used only as an object, and ''myself'' is used only as a reflexive object, that is to say when the subject is I and the object would otherwise be ''me''. ''Myself'' is often used in a way that makes usage writers bristle, particularly when someone is trying to be "extra correct". Like the other reflexive pronouns, in prescriptive usage, ''myself'' should be used only when both the subject and object of the verb are the speaker, or as an emphatic pronoun (intensifier).
★
★ ''Standard'': Jim and I took the train.
★
★ ''Standard'': He lent the books to Jim and me.
★
★ ''Standard'': That is I in the picture. (This is very formal, and seldom found in speech.)
★
★ ''Acceptable'': That is me in the picture. (This is typical in infomal English.)
★
★ ''Standard'' (intensifying): I myself have seen instances of that type.
★
★ ''Standard'' (reflexive): I hurt myself. I did it to myself. I played by myself. I want to enjoy myself.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Me and Jim went into town.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': It was clear to Jim and I that the shop was shut.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': As for myself, I prefer the red. (Just use ''me'' here)
★
★ ''Non-standard'': He is an American like myself. (Just use ''me'')
★
★ ''Non-standard'': He gave the paper to Jim and myself. (Just use ''me'')
★
★ ''Non-standard'': My wife and myself are not happy with all the development going on in town. (Just use ''I'')
★ '' and ''. To mitigate is to make something milder. To militate is to fight or exert pressure for something to happen or not to happen.
★
★ ''Standard'': The seriousness of your crime was mitigated by the provocation you were under
★
★ ''Standard'': Over-protective practices in this factory militate against increased efficiency
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Over-protective practices in this factory mitigate against increased efficiency
N to R
★ '' and ''. A novice is a prospective or trainee member of a religious order. The novitiate is the state of being a novice, or the time for which one is a novice. A novice monk or nun is frequently described in error as "a novitiate", in the belief that this sounds more impressively Catholic.
★ '' and ''. In some dialects of spoken English, ''of'' and the contracted form of ''have'', '' 've'', sound somewhat alike. However, in standard written English, they aren't interchangeable.
★
★ ''Standard'': Susan would have stopped to eat, but she was running late.
★
★ ''Standard'': You could've warned me!
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I should of known that the store would be closed. (Should be "I should've known")
★ '' and ''. "Past" refers to events that have previously occurred, while "passed" is the past tense of "to pass" whether in a congressional action or a physical occurrence.
★
★ ''Standard'': Congress passed the bill limiting the powers of the President.
★
★ ''Standard'': History is mainly concerned with the events of the past.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': He past my house on his way to the store.
★ '' does not mean useless or unable to perform its function. It means that there is an excess of something, that something is "surplus to requirements" and no longer needed, or that it is obsolete.
★
★ ''Standard'': A new pill that will instantly cure any illness has made antibiotics redundant. (Antibiotics could still be used to cure illnesses, but they are no longer needed because a better pill has been invented)
★
★ ''Standard'': The week before Christmas, the company made 75 workers redundant.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Over-use of antibiotics risks making them redundant. (This should read: over-use of antibiotics risks making them worthless)
★ '' and ''
S to T
★ '' and ''. When used as a verb, "to set" means "to place" or "to adjust to a value", whereas "to sit" means "to be seated".
★
★ ''Standard'': Set the pot upon the stove.
★
★ ''Standard'': Set the temperature-control to 100 °C
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Set down over there.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Sit the pot on the stove.
★
★ ''Standard'': Sit on the chair.
★ '' and ''. To shirk means "to consistently avoid", "to neglect", "to be too afraid to engage". To shrink means "to contract", "to become physically smaller in size"; also to 'shrink away' means "to suddenly jerk away from something in horror". However, to 'shrink from' may also mean "to hesitate or show reluctance toward".
★
★ ''Standard'': I won't shirk discussion.
★
★ ''Standard'': I won't shrink from discussion.
★
★ ''Standard'': She shrank away from me.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I won't shrink discussion.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I won't shirk from discussion.
★ '', '' and ''. A site is a place; a sight is something seen. To cite is to quote or list as a source.
★
★ ''Standard'': You're a sight for sore eyes.
★
★ ''Standard'': I found a list of the sights of Rome on a tourist site.
★
★ ''Standard'': Please cite the sources you used in your essay.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': One must be careful on a construction sight.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I will site the book I saw the statistics in.
★ '' and ''. A ''temblor'' is an earthquake. A ''trembler'' is something that trembles.
★ '' and ''. ''Than'' is a grammatical particle and preposition associated with comparatives, whereas ''then'' is an adverb and a noun. When spoken, the two words are usually homophones because they are function words with reduced vowels, and this may cause speakers to confuse them.
★
★ ''Standard'': I like pizza more than lasagne.
★
★ ''Standard'': We ate dinner, then went to the movies.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': You're a better person then me.
★ '', '', '' and ''. ''There'' refers to the location of something. ''Their'' means "belonging to them". ''They're'' is a contraction of "They are". ''There're'' is a contraction of "There are".
★
★ ''Standard'': There're five of them and they're all coming to the restaurant for their dinner; we'll meet them there.
★ '', '', etc. A common spoken mistake is using a singular contraction when it should be plural in words like "there's" and "where's."
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Where's the cars? (Should be ''Where're'')
★
★ ''Non-standard'': There's many types of cars. (Should be ''There're'')
U to Z
★ '' and '' — These words are sometimes confused; "venal" means "corrupt" or "able to be bribed" or ; ''venial'' means 'pardonable, not serious'. [1]
★
★ ''Standard'': According to Catholic doctrine, eating meat on a Friday is a venial sin, but murder is a mortal sin.
★
★ ''Standard'': All ages have examples of venal politicians.
★ '' and '' Won't is a contraction for "will not", while wont is a rare, slightly archaic word meaning "accustomed" or "inclined to" (as an adjective) or "habit or custom" (as a noun).
★
★ ''Standard'': He won't let me drive his car.
★
★ ''Standard'': He spent the morning reading, as he was wont to do.
★
★ ''Standard'': He took a walk in the evening, as was his wont.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': I wont need to go to the supermarket after all.
★ '', '', '' and ''. While they sound the same in many dialects, in standard written English they all have separate meanings. ''You're'' is a contraction for "you are", and ''your'' is a possessive pronoun meaning "belonging to you". When in doubt, just see whether you can logically expand it to "you are". The third homophone, ''yore'', is an archaism meaning in the distant past, and is almost always used in the phrase "in days of yore". The fourth is the name of a once common piece of household equipment made obsolete by indoor plumbing: the large jug holding washing water.
★
★ ''Standard'': When driving, always wear your seatbelt.
★
★ ''Standard'': If you're going out, please be home by ten o'clock.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': You're mother called this morning.
★
★ ''Non-standard'': Your the first person to notice my new haircut today!
See also
★ List of commonly confused homonyms
★ Homonym, Synonym, Antonym
★ List of English homographs
★ Malapropism
★ Eggcorn
★ Misspelling,
★ English language, English grammar, Disputed English grammar
★ List of dialects of the English language
★ List of words having different meanings in British and American English
★ Engrish, Franglais, Spanglish, Yinglish
★
;Wiktionary appendices
★
★
Notes
1. Oxford American Dictionary (1980) ISBN 0-19-502795-7
References
★ Words @ Random
★ The American Heritage® Book of English Usage.
★ Brians, Paul (March 1993). ''Common Errors in English Usage'' (Web version), William James & Company. ISBN 1887902899
★ Department of English, The University of Victoria (August 25, 1997). ''The University of Victoria's Hypertext Writer's Guide''.
★ Larson, Gary B. (January 9, 2007). ''Garbl's Editorial Style Manual''
External links
★ An opinion piece by John Humphrys
★ Grammar Puss by Steven Pinker. Argues against prescriptive rules. (A revised draft of this article became the chapter "The Language Mavens" in ''The Language Instinct''.)
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