Common Errors in English
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* 100s * 360 degrees * a/an * A.D. * AM/PM * abject * able to * about * absorbtion * abstruse/obtuse * academia * accede/exceed * accent marks * access * accessory * accept/except * accidently * accurate/precise * acronyms and apostrophes * acrossed * actionable/doable * actual fact/actually * ad/add * ad nauseum * addicting * adapt/adopt * administer/minister * administrate * adultry * advance/advanced * adverse/averse * advice/advise * adviser/advisor * advocate for * aesthetic/ascetic * affect/effect * affluence/effluence * African-American * afterall * afterwards/afterwords * agnostic/atheist * agreeance/agreement * ahold/hold * ain’t * aisle/isle * all * all and all * all be it * all for not * all goes well/augurs well * all of the sudden * all the farther * alleged, allegedly * alliterate/illiterate * alls * allude/elude * allude/refer * allusion/illusion * allusive/elusive/illusive * almost * along the same line * alot * aloud/allowed * already/all ready * alright * altar/alter * alterior * alternate/alternative * altogether/ all together * alumnus/alumni * amature * ambiguous/ambivalent * ambivalent/indifferent * American * amongst/among * amoral/immoral * amount/number * ampitheater * ancestor * and also * and/or * anecdote/antidote * angel/angle * another words * antihero * anxious/eager * any more * anytime * anyways * anywhere * apart/a part * apiece/a piece * apostrophes * appauled * appraise/apprise * apropos/appropriate * around/about * arthuritis * artic * artisanal/artesian * ascribe/subscribe as best as * as far as * as follow * as of yet * as per * as such * as time progressed * ascared * asocial * aspect/respect * assure/ensure/insure * asterick * astrology/astronomy * aswell * at all * ATM machine * athlete * athiest * attain/obtain * attribute/contribute * aural/oral * auger/augur * autobiography/biography * avaidable * avenge/revenge * avocation/vocation * away/a way * awe, shucks * awhile/a while * ax * axel/axle *
back/forward/up in time * backslash/slash * backward/backwards * bail/bale * baited breath * baldfaced, boldfaced * ball/bawl * barb wire, bob wire * bare/bear * barter/haggle * base * based around, based off of * basicly * basises * bazaar/bizarre * beat/bead * beaurocracy * beckon call * begs the question * behaviors * being that * belief/believe * belief toward * below table * bemuse * benefactor/beneficiary * beside/besides * better * between * between you and I * beyond the pail * bias/biased * bible * bicep * biweekly/semiweekly * blatant * block/bloc * boarders/borders * bonafied * bored of * born/borne * born out of * borrow/loan * borrow off * both/each * bought/brought * boughten * bounce/bounds * bourgeois * bouyant * brainchild * brake/break * brand names * brang, brung * breach/breech * breath/breathe * bring/take * Britain/Briton * broach/brooch * broke/broken * brunt/butt * brussel sprout * build off of * bullion/bouillon * bully pulpit * bumrush * butt naked * buttox * by/’bye/buy * by far and away *
cache/cachet * caddy-corner * call the question * callous/callused * cheese quesadilla * calm, cool, and collective * Calvary/cavalry * can goods * Canadian geese * cannot/can not * canon/cannon * capital/capitol * caramel/carmel * carat/caret/carrot/karat * careen/career * caring * cast in stone * Catch 22 * CD-ROM disk * ceasar * celibate/chaste * celtic * cement/concrete * censor/censure/sensor/censer * center around * center of attraction * cents * chai tea * chaise longue * chalk-full * Champaign/Champagne * chauvinist * Check * chemicals * Chicano/Latino/Hispanic * chrispy * chose/choose * chuck/chunk * Church * cite/site/sight * classic/classical * cleanup/clean up * cliché/clichéd * click/clique * close/clothes * close proximity * closed-minded * coarse/course * cold slaw * collaborate/corroborate * collage/college * collective plural * Colombia/Columbia * colons/semicolons * come with * commas * company names with apostrophes * compare and contrast * compare to/compare with * complement/compliment * complementary/complimentary * comprised of * concensus * concerning * concerted effort * conflicted/conflicting feelings * confusionism * congradulations * connote/denote * conscience, conscious, consciousness * conservativism * contaminates/contaminants * continual/continuous * contrary/contrast * contrasts/contrasts with * conversate * copywrite/copyright * core/corps/corpse * costumer/customer * could care less * could of/should of/would of * council/counsel/consul * couple/couple of * cowtow * Crackerjacks * crafts * credible/credulous * crescendo/climax * crevice/crevasse * crick/creek * criteria/criterion * criticism * critique/criticize * croissant * crowbar/wrecking bar * crucifiction * crucifix/cross * cue/queue * currant/current * curve your appetite * cut and dry * cut and paste/copy and paste * cut of tea *
damped/dampened * damp squid * dangling and misplaced modifiers * daring-do * data * dateline/deadline * daylight savings time * debrief * deceptively * decimate * deep-seeded * defence * definate * deformation/defamation * defuse/diffuse * degrade/denigrate/downgrade * degree names * deja vu * democrat/democratic * denied of * depends * depreciate/deprecate * derisory/derisive * desert/dessert * deviant/deviate * device/devise * dew/do/doo/due * dialogue/discuss * dieties * differ/vary * different than * dilemma/difficulty * dire straights * disburse/disperse * disc/disk * disconcerning * discreet/discrete * discussed/disgust * disease names * disgression * disinterested/uninterested * disrespect * dissemble/disassemble * do respect * do’s and don’ts * doctorial/doctoral * doesn’t supposed to * dolly/handcart * dominate/dominant * done/did * double negatives * doubt that/doubt whether/doubt if * doubtlessly/doubtless * dove/dived * downfall/drawback * drank/drunk * drastic/dramatic * dredge/drudge/trudge * drier/dryer * dribble/drivel * drips and drabs * drive/disk * drug/dragged * dual/duel * duck tape * due to the fact that * dyeing/dying *
e.g./i.e. * each * early adapter * earth, moon * easedrop * ecology/environment * economic/economical * ecstatic * ect. * -ed/-t * needs -ed/-ing * efforting * ei/ie * either/or, neither/nor * either are/either is * eighteen hundreds/nineteenth century * electrocute * elicit/illicit * ellipses * email * embaress * emergent/emergency * emigrate/immigrate * eminent/imminent/immanent * empathy/sympathy * emphasize on * emulate/imitate * end result * enamored by * endemic/epidemic * engine/motor * English/British * enjoy to * enormity/enormousness * enquire/inquire * ensuite * ensure/insure * enthuse * entomology/etymology * envelop/envelope * envious/jealous * enviroment * epic/epoch * epicenter * epigram/epigraph/epitaph/epithet * epitomy * eponymous * error/err * -es * et al. * ethics/morals/morale * ethnic * ever so often * every * every since * everyday * everyone/every one * everytime * evidence to * evoke * exact same * exalt/exult * exasperate/exacerbate * excape/escape * exceptional/exceptionable * excrable * exhileration * exorcise/exercise * exponential * expressed/express * expresso * expresses that/says that * extend/extent * extract revenge *
factoid * fair/fare * far be it for me * farther/further * fastly * fatal/fateful * faze/phase * fearful/fearsome * Febuary * feelings for/feelings about * feint/faint * female/woman * 50’s * fiance/fiancee * finalize * fine toothcomb * firey * first annual * firstable * fiscal/physical * fit the bill * fittest * fixing * flair/flare * flak/flack * flaunt/flout * flesh out/flush out * floppy disk/hard disk * flounder/founder * fluke * flys * focus around * followup * font/typeface * foot/feet * footnotes/endnotes * for/fore/four * for all intensive purposes * for free * for goodness’ sakes * for one/for one thing * for sale/on sale * for sell * for sure/sure * forbidding/foreboding/formidable * forceful/forcible/forced * forego/forgo * foresee/forsee * forever/for ever * formally/formerly * forward/forwards * fortuitous/fortunate * foul/fowl * fourty * fowl swoop * framework/groundwork * Frankenstein * frankly * French dip with au jus * freshman/freshmen * from . . . to * from the beginning of time * fully well * fulsome * -fuls/-ful * full proof/foolproof * functionality * furl/furrow * fushia *
GP practice * gaff/gaffe * gamut/gauntlet * gander/dander * gaurd * genius * gender * get me * Ghandi * gibe/jibe/jive * gift/give * gig/jig * gild/guild * goal/objective * god * goes * gone/went * gonna * good/well * got/gotten * government * graduate * grammer * gratis/gratuitous * gray/grey * greatful * grevious * grill cheese * grisly/grizzly * group (singular vs. plural) * ground zero * grow * guess who? * gyp *
had ought * hadn’t have * hail/hale * hairbrained * hand and hand * handicap/disability * hangar/hanger * hanged/hung * hanging indents * Hanukkah, Chanukah * hardly * hardly never * hardy/hearty * hark/hearken * HIV virus * he don’t * heading/bound * heal/heel * hear/here * hearing-impaired * heavily * heighth * help the problem * hence why * herbs/spices * hero/protagonist * heroin/heroine * highly looked upon/highly regarded * him, her/he, she * Hindi/Hindu * hippie/hippy * hisself * historic/historical * an historic * hoi polloi * hoard/horde * hold your peace/say your piece * hole/whole * holocaust * homophobic * home page * hone in * hors d’oeuvres * how to * hundreds/century * hyphenation * hyphens & dashes * hypocritical * hysterical/hilarious *
I me myself * -ic * idea/ideal * if/whether * if not * if I was/if I were * ignorant * Illinois * immaculate conception/virgin birth * impact * impactful * impertinent/irrelevant * imply/infer * in regards to * in route * in spite of/despite * in store * in terms of * in the fact that * in the mist * incase * incent, incentivize * incidences/incidents/instances * incredible * incredulous/incredible * indepth * Indian/Native American * individual * infact * infamous/notorious * infinite * inflammable * influencial * ink pen * input * in route * in shambles * in spite of/despite * insight/incite * install/instill * instances/instants * insundry * intend on * intense/intensive * intensifiers * intercession * interment/internment * Internet/intranet * interface * intergrate * intermural/intramural/extramural * interpretate * into/in to * intricate/integral * intrigue * invite/invitation * Iraq * ironically * irregardless * is, is * islams * isn't it, innit * Isreal * issues * itch/scratch * it’s/its *
jack/plug * jam/jamb * jerry-built/jury-rigged * Jew/Jewish * jewelry * job titles * John Henry * John Hopkins * joint possessives * judgement * just assume *
key * kick-start * kindergarden * koala bear *
l/1 * LCD Display * laissez-faire * land lover * languish/luxuriate * large * last name/family name * late/former * later/latter * laundry mat * lay/lie * leach/leech * lead/led * least/lest * leave/let * legend/myth * lense * less/fewer * lessen/lesson * let alone * lets/let’s * liable, libel * liaise * libary * light-year * lighted/lit * like * like for * likker * listserv * “lite” spelling * literally * little own * little to none * lived * loath/loathe * login * logon * lol * long story short * loose/lose * loser/looser * lozenger * lustful/lusty * luxuriant/luxurious *
MAC/Mac * macabre * majority are/majority is * majorly * make due * make pretend * mantle/mantel * manufacture * marital/martial * marshall * marshmellow * mash potatoes * mass * masseuse/masseur * material/materiel * mauve * may/might * maybe/may be * me either * mean/median * meantime/meanwhile * medal/metal/meddle/mettle * media * Medieval Ages * mediocre * medium/median * methodology/method * memorium * mfr./mfg. * mic * midrift * might could * might has well * might ought * militate/mitigate * mind of information * miner/minor * minority * minus * minus well * mischievious * misnomer * misplaced stress * mixed-up media * money is no option * mono e mono * moral/morale * morays * more importantly * moreso * most always * motherload * motion/move * Mount Fujiyama * much differently * muchly * mucus/mucous * music/singing * must of * mute point * myriad of * myself *
n’ * name, pronoun * nauseated/nauseous * naval/navel * near * neck in neck * needs -ed/-ing * neice * Nevada * nevermind * new lease of life * next, this * next store * nieve * niggard * ninty * nip it in the butt * no sooner when * Noble Prize * none * nonplussed * noone * not * not all * not all that * not hardly * notate/note * notorious * now and days * nuclear * number of verb * numbers * nuptual *
O/zero * obsolescent/obsolete * of * of ___’s * offense * often * oggle * OK * old fashion * old-timer’s disease * old wise tale * on accident * on the lamb * on tomorrow * once * once and a while * one of the (singular) * one-dimensional * one in the same * one of the only * ongoingly * online/on line/in line * only * onto/on to * op-ed * open * oppress/repress * oral/verbal * orders of magnitude * ordinance/ordnance * Oregon * organic * oriental * orientate * ostensively * over-exaggerated * oversee/overlook * overtake/take over *
page/site * pair (number) * palate/palette/pallet * par excellance * parallel * parallelled/paralleled * parallelism in a series * paralyzation * parameters/perimeters * paramount/tantamount * paranoid * parentheses * parliment * partake/participate * passed/past * past time * pastorial * passive voice * patience/patients * pause for concern * pawn off/palm off * payed/paid * peace/piece * peak/peek/pique * peal out/peel out * peasant/pheasant * pedal/peddle * pedal to the medal * pen/pin * penultimate/next to last * peoples * per * percent, per cent * percent decrease * percipitation * pernickety/persnickety * perogative/prerogative * perpetrate/perpetuate * persay * persecute/prosecute * personal/personnel * personality * perspective/prospective * peruse * perverse/perverted * phenomena/phenomenon * Philippines/Filipinos * physical * picaresque/picturesque * pickup/pick up * picture * PIN number * pinned up * pit in my stomach * pith and vinegar * plain/plane * plays a factor * playwrite * plead innocent * please RSVP * plug-in * plus/add * podium/lectern * poinsetta * poisonous/venomous * point being is that * point in time * point of you * pole/poll * pompom/pompon * poo-poo * populace/populous * pore/pour * possessed of, by, with * practice/practise * practicle * pray/prey * precede/proceed * precedence/precedents * precipitate/precipitous * precurse * predominant/predominate * predominately * preemptory * preferably * prejudice/prejudiced * pre-Madonna * premier/premiere * premise/premises * prepone * prepositions (repeated) * prepositions (wrong) * prescribe/proscribe * presently * pretty * primer * primevil * principal/principle * prioritize * priority * proactive * probably * prodigy, progeny, protégé * proof is in the pudding * prone * pronounciation * prophecy/prophesy * prostate/prostrate * protray * proved/proven * psychologist/psychiatrist/psychotherapist/psychoanalyst * pundint * purposely/purposefully *
Q/G * quantum leap * question/ask * queue * the quick and the dead * quiet/quite * quote * quotation marks *
RBIs * RPMs * racism * rack/wrack * raise/raze * ran/run * random * rapport * rate of speed * ratio * rational/rationale * rationale/rationalization * ravaging/ravishing/ravenous * recreate * reactionary/reactive * readably * real/really * realtor * reap what you sew * reason because * rebelling/revolting * rebut/refute * recent/resent * rediculous * redo it over * redundancies * reeking havoc * refrain/restrain * refridgerator * refute/reject * regard/regards * regretfully/regrettably * reign/rein * reknown * religion * religion believes * religiosity * reluctant/reticent * remotely close * remuneration/renumeration * reoccurring * repel/repulse * replete/complete * reply back * report into * repungent * request/ask * resignate * resister/resistor * respiratory * respond back * restive * retch/wretch * reticent/hesitant * retrospective/retroactive * return back * revelant * revert/reply * revolve/rotate * revue/review * rhetorical questions * riffle/rifle * right of passage * ring its neck * Rio Grande River * risky/risqué * road to hoe * rob/steal * role/roll * rollover/roll over * romantic * rondezvous * root/rout/route * rouge/rogue * rubbage * Rueben * ruff * rural * rye/wry *
sacred/scared * sacreligious * safety deposit box * sail/sale/sell * salsa sauce * same difference * sarcastic/ironic * satellite * say/tell * sceptic/skeptic * schizophrenic * sci-fi * scone/sconce * Scotch * scotch free * scrapegoat * sea change * seam/seem * second of all * seen/saw * segway * select/selected * self-worth * sense/since * sensual/sensuous * sentence fragments * sergeant of arms * service/serve * set/sit * setup/set up * shall/will * shear/sheer * sheath/sheaf * sherbert * shimmy/shinny * shoe-in * shook/shaken * shrunk/shrank * shutter to think * sick/sic * Sierra Nevada Mountains * signaled out * silicon/silicone * simplistic * single quotes * sister-in-laws * skiddish * slight of hand * slog it out * slow gin * sluff off * snuck * so/very * so fun * soar/sore * social/societal * sojourn/journey * sole/soul * sometime/some time * sometimes not always * somewhat of a * song/work or composition * sooner * sooner than later * sort after * sort of * soup du jour of the day * sour grapes * sowcow * spaces after a period * spaded/spayed * span * spare of the moment * specially/especially * specie/species * spicket * spiritualism * spoke/said * spree * squash/quash * staid/stayed * stalactites/stalagmites * stand/stance * states/countries * stationary/stationery * statue of limitations * steep learning curve * step foot * stereo * stint/stent * stock and trade * stomp * straight/strait * straightjacket * straight-laced * stress on * stricken/struck * strong suite * submittal/submission * substance-free * substitute with * suffer with * suit/suite * sulking/skulking * summary/summery * suped up * supercede * supposably, supposingly, supposively * suppose to * supremist * suspect/suspicious * surfing the Internet * swam/swum *
table * tad bit * take a different tact * taken back/taken aback * tattle-tail * taught/taut * taunt/taut/tout * tenant/tenet * tender hooks * tentative * than/then * thanks God * thankyou * that/than * that/which * that kind * theirselves * them * theory * there’s * they’re/their/there * therefor/therefore * these are them * these kind * these ones * they/their (singular) * think on * though/thought/through * threw/through * throne/thrown * through a mirror, darkly * throws of passion * thusfar * thusly * tick/tic * timber/timbre * time period * times smaller * tirimisù * today’s day and age * to/too/two * toe-headed * to home * to the manor born * to where * today’s modern society * tolled/told * tooken/took/taken * tounge * tongue and cheek * torturous/tortuous * touch bases * tow the line * toward/towards * track home * tradegy * tragedy/travesty * transition * tripple * trite and true * troop/troupe * try and * tussled/tousled * two to tangle *
UFO * ugly American * The Ukraine * unchartered/uncharted * unconscience * under the guise that * undermind * under weigh * underestimated * underlining * undo/undue * undoubtably * unkept * University of Indiana * unrest * unthaw * untracked * upmost * upto * urine analysis * use/usage * use to * used to could * utilize *
vague reference * vain/vane/vein * various * vary/very * veil of tears * vendor * veracious/voracious * verbage * verb tense * verse/play against * verses/versus * very unique * vicious/viscous circle/cycle * video * vinegarette * vintage point * virii * vitae * viola/voila * volumptuous *
wail/whale * wait on * walk the talk * wander/wonder * warmongerer * warrantee/warranty * wary/weary/leery * was/were * wash * wax * way * ways * weak/week * weather/wether/whether * weather forecast calls for * weiner * Wensday * went/gone * we’re/were * were/where * wet your appetite * whacky/wacky * what * wheat * wheelbarrel * whenever/when * whereabouts are * where it’s at * wherefore * whether/whether or not * whilst/while * whim and a prayer * whimp * whip cream * whisky/whiskey * who/whom * who’s/whose * a whole ’nother * whole-hardily * whose-ever * wile away * -wise * within/among * woman/women * wonderkind * wont/won’t * World Wide Web * worse comes to worse * would have * wrangle/wangle * wrapped/rapt * wreckless * write me * writting *
ya’ll * ye * yea/yeah/yay * ying and yang * yoke/yolk * you can’t have your cake and eat it too * your/you * your guys’s * yourself * your/you’re * youse * you’ve got another thing coming * zeroscape * zero-sum gain * zoology *
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Supplementary Pages
- The home page for this site. If you missed it, please start here.
- Non-Errors Those usages people keep telling you are wrong but which are actually standard in English.
split infinitives * ending a sentence with a preposition * beginning a sentence with a conjunction * between vs. among * over vs. more than * gender vs. sex * who vs. that * since vs. because * hopefully * momentarily * lend vs. loan * near miss * “none’singular vs. plural * scan vs. skim * regime vs. regimen * off of * gotten vs. got * till’ vs. ’til * teenage vs. teenaged * reference vs. cite * endquote vs. unquote * feeling bad * persuade vs. convince * You shouldn’t pronounce the “e” in “not my forte.” * normalcy vs. normality * aggravate vs. irritate * preventive vs. preventative * entitled vs. titled * People are healthy; vegetables are healthful. * Dinner is done; people are finished. * Crops are raised; children are reared. * “You’ve got mail” should be “you have mail.” * it’s “cut the muster,” not “cut the mustard.” * it’s “carrot on a stick,” not “carrot or stick.” * spitting image * “Lion’s share” means all of something, not the larger part of something. * connoisseur
- More errors Other strange and amusing word confusions
- Commonly misspelled words.
- The whole site on one page (ASCII text; the easiest option if you’re reading through all the entries in order)
- List of commonly made suggestions. Check this before writing.
- List of recent additions
- Sean Igo’s “Garbage In, Garbage Out: Errors Caused by Over-Reliance on Spelling Checkers”
Other Good Resources
- American Heritage Book of English Usage
- AskOxford: An excellent dictionary with many other resources on British English.
- Worldwide Words: Michael Quinion investigating International English from a British Viewpoint
- Daniel Kies’ Modern English Grammar
- Jack Lynch’s Grammar and Style Notes
- Charles Darling’s Guide to Grammar and Writing
- Dr. NAD’s Prig Page
- Ronald B. Standler’s Technical Writing Guide
- Garbl’s Writing Resources On-Line
- UsingEnglish.com: useful resources for those studying English as a second language
- English as a Second Language Help Desk at Washington State University
- WWWebster Dictionary (Merriam Webster) provides recorded pronunciations
- Grammar Girl’s Quick & Dirty Tips for Better Writing Detailed discussion of individual points.
- Heteronyms
- Antagonyms
- Hazel Tank’s Word Lists - The Way Doctors Talk
- Mindy McAdams’s Spelling Test
- William Safire’s self-violating “Rules for Writers”
- The Eggcorn Database Great collection of misheard words and phrases.
- Demi-Entendres Mixed-up expressions
- The Word Detective interesting essays on word origins
- Reviews of Common Errors in English Usage
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