Admire. Do not use admire in the sense of like.

Wrong: I should admire to be able to do that.

Right: I should like to be able to do that.
Aggravate. Do not use aggravate in the sense of irritate or disturb. Aggravate means to make worse.
Wrong: His impudence aggravates me.
Right: His impudence irritates me.
Ain't. Ain't and hain't are never proper as contractions of am not is not or are not.
Allow. Do not use allow in the sense of assert sa! or intend.
Wrong: He allowed that he had better start. I allow to be back before noon.
Right: He said that he had better start. I intend to be back before noon.
Allude. Do not use allude in the sense of refer. "o allude to a thing means to refer to it in an indirect wa!.
Wrong: He alluded b! name to #ohn $ilton.
Right: He alluded to $ilton b! the term %&lind 'oet.%
An!. Do not use an! in the sense of at all or to an! degree.
Wrong: &ecause of the in(ur! he can not see an!.
As. Do not use as for the relative pronouns who and that.
Wrong: I am the man as digs !our garden. )ot as I remember.
Right: I am the man who digs !our garden. )ot that I remember.
'age *** As. Do not use as in the sense of since or because.
Wrong: I cannot come as I am sick now.
Right: I cannot come+ I am sick now.
Right: I cannot come because I am sick now.
At. Do not use at for in with the names of large cities
Wrong: He lives at 'hiladelphia.
Right: He lives in 'hiladelphia.
Attackted. Do not use this form for attacked.
Awful awfull!. "hese are two ver! much overworked words. ,ubstitute other and more accurate
e-pressions.
Wrong: We have had an awfull! good time. "hat is an awfull! prett! dress.
Right: We have had an e-ceedingl! nice time. "hat is a ver! prett! dress.
&adl!. Do not use badl! in the sense of ver! much.
Wrong: ,he wanted badl! to come.
Right: ,he wanted ver! much to come.
&eside besides. &eside means ne-t to. &esides means in addition to.
Right: #ohn lives beside his mother.
Right: &esides the daughters there are three sons.
&etween. Do not use between when referring to more than two ob(ects.
Wrong: "here is bad feeling between the members of the class.
Right: "here is bad feeling among the members of the class.
&lowed. Do not use blowed for blew or blown. "here is no such word.
'age **. &est. Do not use best when onl! two ob(ects are referred to. /se better. &est should be used
onl! when more than two are referred to.
Wrong: He is the best of the two brothers.
Right: He is the better of the two brothers.
Right: He is the best of the three brothers.
&ound. Do not use bound for determined.
Wrong: He was bound to go skating.
Right: He was determined to go skating.
Right: He bound himself to pa! three hundred dollars.
&ut. Do not use but after a negative in the sense of onl!. ,ee 012.
Wrong: "here isn't but one apple left.
Right: "here is but one apple left.
3alculate. Do not use calculate in the sense of think e-pect or intend.
3an. Do not use can to denote permission. It denotes abilit! or possibilit!. $a! denotes permission.
Wrong: 3an I speak to !ou for a minute4
Right: $a! I speak to !ou for a moment4
3haracter reputation. Do not confuse these two words. 3haracter means one's moral condition.
Reputation means the moralit! that others believe one to possess.
3lum. "here is no such form of the verb climb.
3omplected. Do not use complected for comple-ioned. ,ee 015.
3onclude. Do not use conclude in the sense of forming an intention.
Right: 6inall! I decided to go home.
Right: I was forced to conclude that I had made an error.
'age **1 3onsiderable. Do not use considerable in the sense of ver! much.
Wrong: "his lesson is considerable better than !esterda!'s.
3ute. A much overworked word. /se some e-pression that is more accurate+ as prett! amusing etc.
Decease disease. Do not confuse decease and disease. "he first means death the second sickness. "he
deceased means a person who is dead.
Wrong: "he diseased will be buried at four o'clock.
Wrong: "he propert! of the diseased will be sold at auction.
Decease. Do not use decease as a verb in the sense of die.
Wrong: His father deceased last !ear.
Demand. Demand should not have a person as its ob(ect.
Wrong: He demanded #ohn to pa!.
Right: He demanded pa!ment from #ohn. He demanded that #ohn pa!.
Different. /se the preposition from after different not than.
Don't. Do not use don't with a sub(ect in the third person singular. ,ee 021.
Down. Do not use down as a verb in the sense of defeat or overthrow.
Wrong: 7ur football team has downed ever! other team in the state.
Right: 7ur football team has defeated ever! other team in the state.
Drownded. Drownded is not a proper form of the verb drown. ,a! drowned. 8'ronounced drownd.9
:ach other. Do not use each other to refer to more than two ob(ects. ,ee 011.
Wrong: "he members of the regiment helped each other.
Right: "he members of the regiment helped one another.
'age **; :ffect affect. Do not confuse effect and affect. :ffect means a result or to cause a thing to be
done. Affect means to disturb or have an influence on.
Wrong: "he news effected him seriousl!.
Right: "he news affected him seriousl!.
Wrong: "he affect of this news was to cause war.
Right: "he effect of this news was to cause war.
:ither. Do not use either with reference to more than two ob(ects nor follow it b! a plural verb. ,ee 01..
Wrong: :ither of the three will do. :ither !ou or #ohn have done it.
Right: An! one of the three will do. :ither !ou or #ohn has done it.
:migrate immigrate. Do not confuse emigrate and immigrate. "o emigrate means to go out of a place to
immigrate means to come into a place.
Right: "he Italians emigrate from their countr!.
Right: 7f those who immigrate to America a large number are Italians.
:nough. Do not follow enough b! a clause beginning with that or so that.
Wrong: I studied enough that I could recite the lesson.
Right: I studied enough to recite the lesson.
:nthuse. Do not use enthuse in the sense of to create enthusiasm.
Wrong: He tried to enthuse his audience.
Right: He tried to arouse enthusiasm in his audience.
:tc. :tc. stands for et cetera and means and so forth. Do not spell it ect. Do not use it in composition that
is intended to be elegant.
:ver!bod!. :ver!bod! should not be followed b! a plural verb or a plural pronoun. ,ee 0*<.
'age **2 :-cept accept. Do not confuse these two words. Accept means to acknowledge. :-cept means
to e-clude.
Right: I cannot accept such slovenl! work.
Wrong: I e-cept !our apolog!.
:-cept. Do not use e-cept for unless. ,ee 0=;.
Wrong: I can not sleep e-cept it is >uiet.
:-pect. Do not use e-pect in the sense of suppose or think.
Wrong: I e-pect !ou have read that book.
Right: I suppose !ou have read that book.
6ine. Do not use fine in place of some more definite word. 6ine is a much over?worked word.
Wrong: "he book is fine for class?room work.
Right: "he book is well adapted for class?room work.
6irstl!. 6irstl! should never be used. ,a! first. ,ee 015.
6irst?rate. Do not use first?rate as an adverb in the sense of ver! well.
Wrong: "hat does first?rate.
Right: "hat does ver! well.
Right: He is a first?rate fellow.
6ormer. Do not use former when more than two are referred to. ,a! first. ,ee 01<.
6rom. Do not use from with whence hence and thence.
Wrong: 6rom whence have !ou come4
Right: Whence have !ou come4 6rom where have !ou come4
6unn!. Do not use funn! for singular or strange. 6unn! is an overworked word.
Wrong: It is funn! that he died.
Right: It is singular that he died.
@ent. Do not use the word at all. ,a! gentleman or man.
'age **A @entleman. Do not use gentleman to denote se- onl!. ,a! man. @entleman is properl! used
however to denote a person of refinement.
Wrong: 7nl! gentlemen are allowed to vote in 'enns!lvania.
Right: $r. Bincoln was a gentleman in the true sense of the word.
@ot. Do not use got with have or had to indicate merel! possession or obligation. @ot means ac>uired
through effort.
Wrong: I have got the measles. Cou have got to do it.
Right: I have the measles. Cou must do it.
Right: After much stud! I have got m! lesson.
@rand. Do not use grand in place of some more definite and accurate e-pression. It is another over?
worked word.
Wrong: We have had a grand time this afternoon.
Right: We have had a ver! pleasant time this afternoon.
@uess. Do not use guess in the sense of think or suppose.
Wrong: I guess the trains are late to?da!.
Right: I suppose the trains are late to?da!.
Right: 3an !ou guess the riddle4
Had ought. Do not use had with ought. ,ee 0;1.
Hardl!. Do not use hardl! after a negative. ,ee 012.
Wrong: I can not hardl! believe that.
Right: I can hardl! believe that.
Have. Do not use have after had.
Wrong: If I had have been able to go.
Right: If I had been able to go.
Heighth. Do not use heighth for height.
'age **= Hung. Do not confuse hung and hanged. Hanged is the proper word to use in reference to
e-ecutions.
Wrong: He was condemned to be hung.
Right: He was condemned to be hanged.
Right: "he picture was hung in the parlor.
Humbug. Do not use humbug as a verb.
Wrong: He has humbugged the people for !ears.
Ill!. Do not use ill! for the adverb ill. ,ee 015.
In into. Do not confuse in and into.
Wrong: He went in the house.
Right: He went into the house.
Right: He e-ercised in a g!mnasium.
Dind. Do not precede kind b! those or these.
Wrong: I do not like those kind of pla!s.
Right: I do not like that kind of pla!.
Dind of a. Do not use a or an after kind of. ,ee 01A.
Wrong: It is one kind of a mistake.
Right: It is one kind of mistake.
Bad!. Do not use lad! to designate se- onl!. It is properl! used to indicate persons of refinement.
Wrong: Is $rs. #ohnson a colored lad!4
Right: Is $rs. #ohnson a colored woman4
Right: $rs. #ohnson is a colored woman and a lad!.
Batter. Do not use latter to refer to more than two ob(ects. /se last. ,ee 01<.
Ba!. Do not confuse la! and lie. ,ee 0;A.
Bearn. Do not confuse learn and teach. Bearn means to ac>uire knowledge. "each means to impart
knowledge.
Wrong: He can learn !ou as much as an! one can.
Right: He can teach !ou as much as an! one can.
'age **E Beave. Do not confuse leave and let. Beave means to let remain. Bet means to give permission.
Wrong: Will !our mother leave !ou go4
Right: Will !our mother let !ou go4
Right: I shall leave m! trunk in m! room.
Biable. Do not use liable for likel!.
Wrong: It is liable to rain to?da!.
Right: It is likel! to rain to?da!.
Right: He is liable for all that he has agreed to pa!.
Bightning. Do not use lightning as a verb in place of lightens.
Wrong: During the storm it lightnings fre>uentl!.
Right: During the storm it lightens fre>uentl!.
Bike. Do not use like for as. Bike is a preposition. As is a con(unction.
Wrong: He doesn't talk like he did !esterda!.
Right: He doesn't talk as he did !esterda!.
Right: It looks like a mahogan! chair.
Bit on. Do not use lit on in the sense of met with or discovered.
Wrong: I at last lit on this plan.
Bot. Do not use lot in the sense of a great number or a great deal.
Wrong: A lot of people were there ,he talks a lot.
$ost. Do not use most for almost.
Wrong: I have most completed the book.
Right: I have almost completed the book.
Right: He has done the most of the work.
$rs. Do not use $rs. before titles+ as $rs. 'resident $rs. 'rofessor $rs. Doctor.
'age *.5 $uch. Do not use much for man!. $uch refers to >uantit!. $an! refers to number.
Wrong: As much as five hundred people were present.
Right: As man! as five hundred people were present.
$utual. Do not confuse mutual and common. $utual means interchanged.
Wrong: #ohn and William had a mutual liking for $ar!.
Right: #ohn and William had a common liking for $ar!.
Right: #ohn and William had a mutual liking for each other.
)ear. Do not use near for nearl!.
Wrong: He ran near all the wa! to the station. I came nearl! making the same mistake.
Right: He ran nearl! all the wa! to the station. I came near making the same mistake.
)erve. Do not use nerve in the sense of impudence.
)ews!. Do not use news! in the sense of full of news.
)either. Do not use neither with reference to more than two ob(ects nor follow it b! a plural verb.
Wrong: )either of the three could come. )either of the two are here.
Right: )o one of the three could come. )either of the two is here.
)o good. Do not use no good in the sense of worthless or not good.
Wrong: "he book is no good.
)o place. Do not use no place after a negative. ,ee 012.
Wrong: I am not going no place.
Right: I am not going an!where. I am going nowhere.
)otorious. Do not use notorious in the sense of famous or noted. )otorious means of evil reputation.
Wrong: @ladstone was a notorious statesman of :ngland.
Right: ,everal notorious thieves were arrested.
'age *.< )owhere near. Do not use nowhere near for not nearl!. ,ee 015.
Wrong: )owhere near so man! people came as were e-pected.
Right: )ot nearl! so man! people came as were e-pected.
Right: #ames was nowhere near the scene of the fire.
7f. Do not use of for have in such e-pressions as could have might have should have etc.
Wrong: If I could of been there.
Right: If I could have been there.
7nl!. @uard against the improper use of onl! after a negative. ,ee 012.
Wrong: "here are not onl! four books on that sub(ect.
Right: "here are onl! four books on that sub(ect.
7utside of. Do not use outside of for aside from.
Wrong: 7utside of #ames all had a good time.
Right: Aside from #ames all had a good time.
7ver with. Do not use over with for over.
Wrong: I must write the letter and have it over with.
'ants. Do not use the word pants for trousers.
'hoto. Do not use photo for photograph.
'iece. Do not use piece in the sense of wa! or distance.
Wrong: I shall walk a little piece with !ou.
Right: I shall walk a little wa! with !ou.
'lace. Do not use place after an! ever! no etc. in the sense of an!where ever!where nowhere etc.
Wrong: I can not find it an! place.
Right: I can not find it an!where.
'lent!. Do not use plent! as an ad(ective or an adverb.
Wrong: $one! is plent!. He is plent! able to do it.
Right: $one! is plentiful. He is >uite able to do it.
'age *.* 'oorl!. Do not use poorl! for ill or bad.
Wrong: He feels ver! poorl!.
'rinciple principal. Do not confuse principle and principal. 'rinciple means a rule or truth. 'rincipal
means leader chief the most important.
'ropose. Do not use propose in the sense of intend.
Wrong: I propose to tell all I know.
Right: I intend to tell all I know.
'roviding. Do not use providing for if or on the condition.
Wrong: I will go providing !ou can get tickets for three.
Right: I will go on the condition that !ou get the tickets.
Raise rise. Do not confuse raise with rise. ,ee 0;A.
Recommend recommendation. Do not use recommend as a noun. Recommendation is the noun.
Wrong: Her emplo!er gave her a good recommend.
Right: Her emplo!er gave her a good recommendation.
Right awa! right off. Do not use right awa! or right off in the sense of immediatel!.
Wrong: After the pla! we will come right off.
Right: After the pla! we will come at once.
,ame. Do not use same as a pronoun.
Wrong: I will write the letter and mail same at once.
Right: I will write the letter and mail it at once.
,a!. Do not use sa! in the sense of order or command.
Wrong: Cour mother said for !ou to come home at once.
Right: Cour mother said that !ou should come home at once.
,carcel!. Do not use scarcel! after a negative. ,ee 012.
Wrong: "here was not scarcel! a pound of meat for us all.
Right: "here was scarcel! a pound of meat for us all.
'age *.. ,eldom ever. Do not use seldom with ever. ,a! instead seldom or seldom if ever.
Wrong: 6ires seldom ever occur.
Right: 6ires seldom occur. 6ires seldom if ever occur.
,hut of. Do not use shut of in the sense of rid of.
Wrong: We are shut of him at last.
,ight. Do not use sight in the sense of man! or much.
Wrong: A great sight of people flocked to hear him.
Right: A great man! people flocked to hear him.
,it set. Do not confuse these two words. ,ee 0;A.
,o. Do not use so alone as a con(unction. ,a! so that.
Wrong: He spoke in the open air so more could see and hear him.
Right: He spoke in the open air so that more could see and hear him.
,ome. Do not use some as an adverb in the sense of somewhat or a little.
Wrong: He pla!s the violin some.
Right: He pla!s the violin a little.
,ort of a. Do not use a after sort of. ,ee Dind of a.
,ort. Do not precede sort b! these or those. ,ee Dind.
,uch. Do not follow such b! who which or that as relatives.
Wrong: All such persons who think so will soon see their mistake.
Right: All such persons as think so will soon see their mistake.
Right: He spoke with such force that we were compelled to listen. 8"hat is not a relative here.9
"ast!. Do not use tast! in the sense of tasteful.
"hat. Do not use that as an adverb.
Wrong: I did not think the book was that small.
Right: I did not think that the book was so small.
'age *.1 "hat there this here these here those there. "here and here in all these e-pressions are worse
than unnecessar!.
"hem there. Do not use them there for those.
Wrong: &ring me them there books.
Right: &ring me those books.
"hree first two first etc. Do not sa! three first but first three. "here can be onl! one first.
"oo. Do not use too alone before a verb or a participle.
Wrong: He is too e-cited to listen to !ou.
Right: He is too much e-cited to listen to !ou.
Fer!. Do not use ver! alone before a verb or a participle.
Wrong: Cou are ver! mistaken.
Right: Cou are ver! much mistaken.
Wait on wait for. Do not confuse these two e-pressions. Wait on means to serve. Wait for means to await.
Wrong: Do not wait on me if I do not come at noon.
Right: Do not wait for me if I do not come at noon.
Wake awake. Do not confuse wake and awake. ,ee 0;A.
'age *.;