Commonly Misused Words and Expressions Even People with Huge

Vocabularies Get Wrong

1) “Skim” and “scan”
“Skimming” and “scanning” are two different reading techniques. If you’re trying to get the gist of
something, you “skim” it by quickly looking over the main sections and keywords.
If you’re trying to find a specific detail, on the other hand, you “scan” the document.
In a Sentence:
“I skimmed your company’s SEC filings to get a better sense of your financial history.”
“I scanned the meeting notes to find where we discussed payment.”
2) “Proceed” and “precede”
To “proceed” is “to continue,” whereas “precede” means “to go before.”
In a Sentence:
“Thanks for pausing -- we can proceed.”
“Can we go back to the preceding point?”
3) “Due diligence”
“Due diligence” is a legal term for the investigation into a company or person before signing a contract or
entering a business agreement.
The expression can also mean “doing research.” Just make sure you say “do due diligence,” not “do
diligence” (which doesn't mean anything).
In a Sentence:
“I did some due diligence to make sure her company checks out.”
“After doing some due diligence, I don’t think they’re a good fit.”
4) “Rein” and “reign”
“Rein” refers to the straps you use to guide a horse -- which explains its second meaning, "to keep under
control or restrict."
To “reign,” on the other hand, is "to rule or command a kingdom."
In a Sentence:
“Let’s pull in the reins on the spending -- we’ve already blown through half our monthly budget, and it’s
only June 5.”
“She reigns over the HR department.”
5) “Supposably”
“Supposably” isn’t a real word: It’s a cross between “presumably” and “supposedly.” Letting this one slip
can make you sound silly.
In a Sentence:
“Supposedly, they’re acquiring Pied Piper next month.”
“Richard will presumably continue as CEO.”
6) “Ensure” and “insure”
They might sound similar, but “ensure” means "to make certain," while “insure” refers to buying
insurance.
In a Sentence:
“We ensure all of our suppliers meet OSHA regulations.”
“My company insures its most expensive equipment.”
7) “Deep-seeded”
According to typo-proofing tool Correctica, even the Washington Post and White House have gotten this
one wrong. The correct version is “deep-seated,” as in “firmly established” or “ingrained.”
In a Sentence:
“Your deep-seated presence in the local community is impressive.”
8) “Piece of mind” and “peace of mind”
When you give someone a “piece of your mind,” you’re letting them know why you’re angry.
“Peace of mind” is very different: It’s a calm, relaxed state you enter when you know nothing’s wrong.
In a Sentence:
“If Jane still can’t get a sales engineer for the call, she’s going to give Sarah a piece of her mind.”
“Mind if I look over the deck for typos one last time? It’ll give me peace of mind.”
9) “Sneak peak”
“Peak” and “peek” might only be one letter off, but the former refers to the top of a mountain, while the
latter means “to look quickly.”
Unless you have a mountain range stashed away, you can’t give people a “sneak peak” -- you can only
give them a “sneak peek.”
In a Sentence:
“We just rolled out a new feature. Want a sneak peek?”
10) “For all intensive purposes”
People use this phrase all the time to say “virtually” or “for all practical purposes.” It’s actually “for all
intents and purposes” -- you can blame faulty hearing for the confusion.
In a Sentence:
“I’ll follow up today, but for all intents and purposes, the deal is dead.”
11) “Tongue-and-cheek”
No, the joke your prospect just told wasn’t “tongue-and-cheek” -- it was “tongue-in-cheek.” The
difference is subtle, but it's an important one to get right.
In a Sentence:
“They were pretty serious when we started the call, but being tongue-in-cheek helped them loosen up.”
12) “Slight” versus “sleight”
You “slight” someone when you insult or snub them. However, “sleight” means “deceitful craftiness.”
In a Sentence:
“Jan slighted Michael by not inviting him to the corporate dinner.”
“The pickpocket managed to grab my wallet by sleight of hand.”
13) “By in large”
When you want to say “on the whole,” or “everything considered,” make sure you don’t accidentally say
“by in large.” The correct phrase is “by and large.”
In a Sentence:
“By and large, the discovery call went well.”
14) “Principle” and “principal”
A “principle” is a belief, philosophy, or fundamental truth. Hopefully, you’re a person of principle.
“Principal” can mean many things. First, it can mean “main,” or “major.” It can also refer to capital
before interest. Finally, “principal” is the title of the primary (sometimes the only) investor in a business.
In a Sentence:
“The offer was tempting, but I had to reject it based on principle.”
“The principal returned my email, but I think her agency might be too small to use our services.”
15) "Adverse" and "averse"
An "adverse" effect prevents your success or progress toward a goal, while "averse" means something
you're strongly opposed to.
In a Sentence:
"I just got adverse news from my customer champion."
"I'm not averse to offering her a free trial."
16) "Appraise" and "apprise"
To determine the value of an item, you "appraise" it. To inform someone, you "apprise" them.
In a Sentence:
"According to the firm who appraised the property, it will be worth more once the community playground
is finished."
"I'll apprise you as soon as I hear back from my finance director."
17) "Begs the question"
People commonly use "begs the question" to mean "clearly makes you wonder" or "obviously leads to
this next question." However, it actually means "assumes what it should be proving. Use it to refer to
circular reasoning.
In a Sentence:
"The website says their product boosts productivity by making you more efficient, but that begs the
question."
18) "Dichotomy," "discrepancy," and "disparity"
There is a "dichotomy" between two different or entirely opposite things. There is a "discrepancy"
between two things that should be identical -- but are not. A "disparity" means a significant difference for
something you can measure, like salary, age, or access to a resource.
In a Sentence:
"There's a dichotomy between your recruiting and retention goals."
"I noticed a discrepancy between the numbers you forwarded me versus the ones you told me on the
phone."
"The pricing disparity for your North American customers compared to your European customers is
troubling."
19) "New age"
Beware of calling your solution "New Age" -- in general, this term means "mystical" or "spiritual" and
stems from the New Age movement that spread through niche communities in the 1970s and '80s.
It doesn't mean "modern," "cutting-edge," or "futuristic."
In a Sentence:
"Some scholars say the New Age movement hit its apex in the '80s."
20) "Opportunistic"
Are you opportunistic? Perhaps, but you might not want to brag about that. An opportunistic person will
exploit any opportunity that arises even if it's immoral, unfair, or unplanned.
In a Sentence:
"Keenan opportunistically took Hooli's acquisition offer, even though he'd already committed to a merger
with a Dutch VR startup."
What are your biggest language pet peeves?
Stay vs. Live
Stay
Verb 
 To remain through or during (a period of time):  "We stayed a week in New York."
Noun 
  A sojourn or temporary residence:  "A week’s stay in Melbourne." 
Live 
Verb 
 To dwell or reside:  "She lives in a cottage." 
Noun 
 To cohabit (usually followed by with):  "I live with my brother." 
You use the word “live” when referring to your home, somewhere permanent and where all your things
are. However, if you go on a holiday or a business trip, you’ll most likely stay in a hotel or family or
friend’s home. You use the word “stay”, as it refers to a continuous action, which only takes place for a
short period of time.
Chop vs. stamp
Chop 
Verb 
 to cut into pieces with short vigorous cutting motions: “She chopped an onion to make soup.” 
 to cut or sever with a quick, heavy blow or a series of blows, using an axe or hatchet, etc. (often
followed by down, off, etc.): “He loves to chop wood.” 
Noun 
 a cut of meat, usually one containing a rib: “I like lamb chops served with chips.” 
 a short irregular broken motion of waves; choppiness: “There’s too much chop for rowing
today.” 
Stamp 
Verb 
 Bring down (one’s foot) heavily on the ground or on something on the ground: “Jason stamped
his foot and screamed at his friends.” 
 Crush, flatten, or remove with a heavy blow from one’s foot: “Daisy stamped the dirt from her
new shoes.” 
 Walk with heavy, forceful steps: “Chin Wei stamped out of the room, muttering under his
breath.” 
 Impress a pattern or mark on (a surface, object, or document) using an engraved or inked block:
“The officer stamped my passport.” 
 Fix a postage stamp or stamps on to (a letter): “I offered to stamp the envelope for her.” 
Noun 
 An instrument for stamping a pattern or mark, in particular an engraved or inked block: “All
passport holders with visa stamps were allowed in first.” 
  A characteristic or distinctive impression or quality: “We can proceed with the project, as Oscar
as given his stamp of approval.” 
 A small adhesive piece of paper stuck to something to show that an amount of money has been
paid, in particular a postage stamp.
 An act or sound of stamping with the foot. 
In the business world of some Asian countries, it’s not uncommon for one to ask for a “chop”. What they
are actually referring to is a “seal” or “stamp”. The reason for this is probably because they have adopted
a version of the Hindi & Malay word – “Chhaap” and “cop”, which means “date stamp”.
Go to bed vs. sleep
Go to bed 
Idiom 
 To retire, especially for the night:  "I go to bed at 11:00pm every night." 
Sleep
Verb 
 To rest in a state or reduced consciousness; cease being awake:  "I sleep five hours a day." 
“Sleep” is used to describe how long you rest for. You use “go to bed” when you specify the time at
which you start to rest (sleep). 
It’s incorrect for one to say, “I always sleep late”, when they actually mean to say “It’s always late, when
I go to sleep” or “I always go to bed late”. “I always sleep late” in fact means “I always sleep for a long
time” (meaning you don’t get up until the late morning and early afternoon). 
Fill in vs. fill out vs. fill up
Fill in 
Verb
 To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information: “Fill in the details of your
business experience.“ 
 To complete by adding detail, as a design or drawing: “Fill in a sketch with shadow.” 
 To substitute for: “I am filling in for a colleague who is ill.” 
 To fill with some material: “Brian filled in a crack with putty.” 
 (Informal) to supply (someone) with information: “Please fill me in on the morning news.” 
Fill out
Verb
 To complete (a document, list, etc.) by supplying missing or desired information. 
 To become larger, fuller, or rounder, as the figure: “James has begun to fill out since I saw him
last.” 
Fill up 
Verb . To fill completely: “I filled up a glass with orange juice.” 
 To become completely filled: “The open water tank filled up as a result of the steady rain.” 
These expressions are commonly confused by non-native speakers. “Fill in” and “fill out” are used when
you want someone to complete a questionnaire, survey or form. However, the term “fill up” can’t be used
to “complete a form” as it means to make something full, generally with liquid. 
You and me vs. you and I
You and I 
If “you and I” are performing the action, it should be “you and I”: 
 Today, you and I are running 5km. 
 You and I should work together. 
 Oh wow! You and I both love ice cream. 
You and me 
If “you and I” are receiving the action, it should be “you and me”: 
 John wanted you and me to lead the group. 
 They will give you and me a gift today. 
 My dad promised to take you and me to Paris. 
If you’re not sure when to use “me” or “I”, just read the sentence without the other person in it and see if
it sounds right. 
Example:  “The teacher sent copies of this week’s assignment to James and I”. If you remove James from
this sentence, you’re left with “The teacher sent copies of this week’s assignment to I” and this will
confirm that “me” should have been used instead of “I”. 
As regards vs. In regards to
“With regards to” and “In regards to” is usually misused. It should either be: 
As regards 
Preposition 
 Concerning; in respect of 
 As regards the war, we believed it was unnecessary. 
With regard to/In regard to 
Idiom 
 Referring to; concerning 
 With regard to the new employee, we need to discuss further.

Irregardless vs. Regardless

Irregardless is a perfect example of a word that is used regularly, but in fact, this word doesn’t even exist.
Regardless means “without regard”, so the -ir prefix that contradicts the phrase that comes before it is
redundant in this instance.
Good vs. well 
Good 
Good is an adjective, which means it modifies a noun. 
 It’s a good idea. 
 You are a good boy. 
 You’ve done a good job. 
Well 
Well is an adverb, which means it modifies verbs, adjectives and adverbs. 
 The girls are doing well. 
 His promotion was well deserved. 
 You’ve done your job well. 
Get off vs. get down from 
You get out of a car, but you don’t get off or down from a car unless you have climbed onto its roof. 
You get off a bus/train/plane or get down a bus/train/plane if it has a high passenger platform or a long
step down. 
Who vs. whom 
“Who” should be used to refer to the subject of a sentence, whereas “whom” should be used to refer to the
object of a verb or preposition. 
There’s a simple trick you can use when you are unsure which word to use in a sentence. If you can
replace the word with “he” or “she” in a sentence, use who. If “him” or “her” fits, you should use
whom. You can temporarily rearrange the sentence to test it: 
Who/whom left me this message? 
 He left me this message (correct) 
 Him left this message (incorrect) 
The example above shows that “he” works and “him” doesn’t, so the right word to use is “who”. 
Who/whom should I call for more information? 
 I should call her (correct) 
 I should call she (incorrect) 
The example above shows that “she” doesn’t work, and “her” works, so the right word to use is “whom”. 
Emigrate vs. Immigrate
Emigrate 
Verb 
 Leave one’s own country in order to settle permanently in another:  "My family emigrated from
India to Australia."  "Ahmad is planning on leaving Pakistan and emigrate." 
Immigrate 
Verb 
 Come to live permanently in a foreign country:  "Sandra immigrated to Australia in 1980."  "She
had to wait for years to have her family immigrate to Canada." 
To help you remember, associate the “I” of immigrate with 'in' to remember that the word means moving
into a new country. And the “e” of emigrate with 'exit', meaning to leave your home country. 
Disinterested vs. uninterested
Disinterested 
Adjective 
 Not influenced by consideration of personal advantage. Unbiased or impartial. 
"The teacher is under obligation to give disinterested advice." 
Uninterested 
Adjective 
 Having or feeling no interest in something. 
"They seemed uninterested in our offer." 
Borrow vs. lend
Borrow 
Verb 
 get something from someone, intending to give it back after a short time. 
"Raj borrowed my car to go on a date." 
Lend 
Verb 
 give something to someone for a short time, expecting that you will get it back. 
"I can lend you my pen." 
"I lent Wee San $30.00." 
Few vs. Less
Few 
Determiner, pronoun and adjective 
 A small number of. 
 Used to emphasise how small a number of people or things are. 
"She asked me a few questions." 
"I only had a few drinks." 
Less 
Determiner and pronoun 
 A smaller amount of; not as much. 
 Fewer in number. 
"The less time spent in the pub, the better." 
"My teacher was less than happy when she heard the news." 

INSURE VS. ENSURE

“Insure” relates to insurance (what you rely on when you crash your car or when your apartment floods),
while “ensure” just means to make sure that something happens.
I ensured my mother I had renters insurance before I moved into my new apartment.
ITS VS. IT’S
To avoid confusing these two words, you just have to commit them to memory.
“Its” implies possession.
“It’s” is a contraction of “it is.” The apostrophe in a contraction is a visual cue that a word was left out.
The apostrophe in “it’s” visually highlights that the word “is” has been removed for the sake of brevity.
It’s a beautiful neighborhood. Every street has its own unique look.

List of commonly misused English words

A

 a lot and allot. A lot means "many" or "much"; allot means to distribute something.
 abdicate, abnegate, abrogate, and arrogate.[1][2] To abdicate is to resign from the
throne, or more loosely to cast off a responsibility. To abnegate is to deny oneself
something. To abrogate is to repeal (do away with) a law or abolish (put an end to) an
arrangement, also to evade a responsibility. To arrogate is to attempt to take on a right or
responsibility to which one is not entitled.
o Standard: Edward VIII abdicated the throne of the United Kingdom.
o Standard: Henry VIII abrogated Welsh customary law.
o Non-standard: You should not abrogate to yourself the whole honour of the
President's visit (should be "arrogate").
 accept and except. While they sound similar (or even identical in parts of the US),
except is a preposition that means "apart from", while accept is a verb that means "agree
 with", "take in", or "receive". Except is also occasionally used as a verb, meaning to take
out or to leave out.[3][4]
o Standard: We accept all major credit cards, except Diners Club.
o Standard: People are fools... present company excepted! (Which means, "present
company excluded")
o Non-standard: I had trouble making friends with them; I never felt excepted.
o Non-standard: We all went swimming, accept for Jack.
 acute and chronic. 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,
lingering, or having a long history.[5]
o Standard: She was treated with epinephrine during an acute asthma attack.
o Standard: It is not a terminal illness, but it does cause chronic pain.
o Non-standard: I have suffered from acute asthma for twenty years.
o Non-standard: I just started feeling this chronic pain in my back.
 adverse and averse. Adverse means unfavorable, contrary or hostile. Averse means
having a strong feeling of opposition, antipathy, or repugnance. Merriam-Webster notes
that adverse is commonly used as an attributive adjective (before the noun), while averse
is rarely used in this situation.[6][7][8]
o Standard: They sailed despite adverse weather conditions.
o Standard: He was averse to taking his medicine.
o Non-standard: He is not adverse to having a drink now and then.
 aesthetic and ascetic. Aesthetic relates to an appealing or unappealing visual look or
atmosphere. Ascetic is used to express the avoidance of pleasure due to self-discipline.[9]
o Standard: The aesthetics of the building were beautiful.
o Standard: Some religions support ascetic practices.
 affect and effect. The verb affect means "to influence something", and the noun effect
means "the result of". Effect can also be a verb that means "to cause [something] to be",
while affect as a noun has technical meanings in psychology, music, and aesthetic theory:
an emotion or subjectively experienced feeling.[10][11] A device to remember when trying
to decide which is the right choice: If something affects you it usually has an effect on
you.
o Standard: The other benefit of class and collective actions is that they effect
social and economic change.[12]
o Standard: This poem affected me so much that I cried.
o Standard: Temperature has an effect on reaction spontaneity.
o Standard: The dynamite effected the wall's collapse.
o Standard: He seemed completely devoid of affect.
o Non-standard: An IOC spokesman told Press Association Sport: "We were aware
that FIFA might consider changing the dates for the 2022 World Cup. We are
confident that FIFA will discuss the dates with us so as to co-ordinate them and
avoid any affect on the Winter Games."[13]
o Non-standard: Some neighbors complain about Romney's new presidential
entourage—including dozens of Secret Service agents who now guard the
candidate 24 hours a day—and its affect on their quiet street.[14]
o Non-standard: His teammate Steve Nash can see how the time off had an affect
on Gasol.[15]
 o Non-standard: Seneca Jones Timber Co. executives say the pipe will effect 2,000
acres of their timberland, another 1,000 acres of property for roads, as well as
public lands where Seneca harvests and transports logs.[16]
o Non-standard: The rain effected our plans for the day.
o Non-standard: We tried appeasing the rain gods, but to no affect.
 aisle and isle. An aisle is a corridor through which one may pass from one place to
another. An isle is an island.
o Standard: He came from a small isle in the Caribbean.
o Standard: The coffee is down the third aisle on the left.
 algorithm and logarithm. An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure, usually for
calculation, the processing of data, or choosing among alternatives. The logarithm of a
number is the power (i.e., exponent) to which a specified base must be raised to produce
that number.
o Standard: The board of directors developed an algorithm for choosing the
company's new president from among the remaining candidates.
o Standard: Using a base of 2, the logarithm of 32 is 5, because 25 equals 32.
 allow. The verb allow usually requires a referent. The construction "allows to" is a
common error of German-speakers and South Asians with English as a second language
An accepted intransitive construction is "allows for"[20] ("allows of" is also attested but
obsolete).
o Standard: The application allows users to download more quickly.
o Standard: Roman law allowed a soldier to make a valid will without any
formality.
o Non-standard: The instrument allows to measure ...[20]
o Standard but awkward: "Allows to" can be used in this way, by moving the
referent to the end: "The screen does not allow to pass any insects larger than
gnats" and "A tenant who causes or allows to transpire damage to the property is
liable ...". Such phraseology is awkward and should usually be rewritten, but not
always.[21]
 allusion and illusion. An allusion is an indirect or metaphorical reference to something;
an illusion is a false picture of something that is there.
 appraise and apprise. To appraise is to assess or value something; to apprise is to teach
or inform.
o Standard: His performance was appraised very positively.
o Standard: I lost no time in apprising her of the situation.
o Non-standard: Has he been appraised of the fact?
 Arab and Arabic. As an adjective, Arab refers to people and things of ethnic Arab
origin. Arabic refers to the Arabic language or writing system. Its use as a synonym for
Arab is considered controversial by some[who?].
 are and our. Are is the second-person singular present and the first-, second-, and third-
person plural present of the verb be. Our means "belonging to us".
o Standard: Are you coming to our house after the show?
o Standard: Our family has been trying to save money because of the country's
current economic situation.
  around, about and on (most commonly), as well as other adverbs and prepositions:
Around means "encircling, in the vicinity of, or near". Alternatively it can designate a
general, unspecified end or direction, as in "walking around".
o Standard: The Hunt for Red October is based on the book of the same title.
o Non-standard: The Hunt for Red October is based around the book of the same
title.
o Standard: The committee called for papers about climate change.
o Non-standard: The committee called for papers around climate change.
o Standard: The new style drew largely from the New Orleans jazz scene.
o Non-standard: The new style was based around New Orleans jazz bands.
 ascent and assent. To ascend means to go up or advance from an original position. To
assent is to agree.[22]
o Standard: I watched the balloon's ascent into the sky.
o Standard: We need to reach assent on how to do this project.
 assure, ensure, and insure. In American English, to assure is purely to intend to give the
listener confidence, to ensure is to make certain of, and to insure is to purchase insurance.
The only difference with British English is that assure can be used instead of insure,
particularly in the context of life insurance or assurance.
o Standard: I assure you that I will have your car washed by the time you return.
o Standard: When you mow the lawn, ensure there are no foreign objects in the
grass.
o Standard: I plan to purchase the collision policy when I insure my car.
o Standard: I already have more than enough life assurance.
o Non-standard: His actions insured that the attacking army would fail.
 awaken and awoken: Awaken is typically used to express waking in the present tense.
Awoken is typically used to express waking in the past tense. [23] Awoken is the original
"hard verb" inflection of "to wake", but through morphological leveling the soft form
awakened has become more common.
o Standard: We must awaken the dragon.
o Standard: The dragon has awoken.

 barter, haggle and banter. To barter means to exchange goods rather than carrying out
commercial transactions using money. To haggle is to negotiate a price. Banter is a noun
meaning a friendly or good-natured exchange of remarks.
 belie. To belie means "to contradict" or "to give a false impression of". It is sometimes
used incorrectly to mean to betray something hidden.[24]
 bemused. To be bemused is to be perplexed or bewildered; however, it is commonly
used incorrectly in place of amused.
 bisect and dissect. 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 common use since the 17th century.
o Standard: The Americas are bisected by the Panama canal.
o Standard: She dissected Smith's dissertation, pointing out scores of errors.
o Standard: We dissected the eye of a bull in biology class today.
 o Non-standard: We bisected the eye of a bull in biology class today.
 born and borne. Born is when a living creature enters the world through the birthing
process. Borne means to carry, realize, or bear something.[25]
o Standard: I was born on March 6, 1982.
o Standard: I contracted mosquito-borne malaria while in Africa.
 breath and breathe. A breath (noun) is the air that is inhaled or exhaled from the lungs.
To breathe (verb) is the act of inhaling or exhaling.
 buy and by. Buy means to purchase or spend money on something. By is a preposition
meaning close to or indicating who did something.[26]
o Standard: I want to buy a TV.
o Standard: We are by the station now.
o Standard: My favorite novel is by Ursula Le Guin.

 cache, cachet and cash. A cache (IPA: /kæʃ/) is a storage place from which items may be
quickly retrieved. A cachet (IPA: /kæˈʃeɪ/) is a seal or mark, such as a wax seal on an
envelope or a mark of authenticity on a product (usually used figuratively to mean
"marked by excellence, distinction or superiority").[27]
o Standard: The pirates buried a cache of jewels near the coast.
o Standard: Living in New York City definitely has a certain cachet.
o Standard: But if a recommendation out of the Board of Governors meeting
Tuesday in Las Vegas gets enacted as soon as this autumn, division titles would
lose more than cachet.[28]
o Standard: The Wiz would be safer following the path San Antonio took with
Leonard, only they haven't built up the cachet that allowed the Spurs to say,
essentially, "Trust us. Hold tight as a cheap cap hold, and we'll make it worth your
while."[29]
o Standard: This of course would be the second time Prokhorov was able to take
advantage of a situation where his huge cache of cash helped him with the Nets.[30]
o Non-standard: It was easy: For one, he was an athlete who had made it, which
provided the ultimate caché among parents who wanted their kids to go as far in
sports as their talent could take them.[31]
o Non-standard: The greatest cache this team has is that one of the players has an
umlaut in his name.[32]
o Non-standard: You need a couple of money guys (serious big money), then it
doesn't hurt if you have a minority owner or two with some cache in said city to
help win over the local fans.[33]
o Non-standard: Despite the celebrity status, big-name athletes seem to have more
cache with average Americans than their cohorts from Hollywood or the
Executive Suite.[34]
 can't and cant. Can't is a contraction of cannot. Cant has a number of different
meanings, including a slope or slant, or a kind of slang or jargon spoken by a particular
group of people. "Canting arms" is a coat-of-arms that represents meaning of the bearer's
surname.
o Standard: I can't understand the dialogue in this book because it is written in cant.
 o Standard: Heralds do not pun; they cant.[35]
o Non-standard: I cant swim; I have never taken lessons.
 canvas and canvass. Canvas is a type of fabric known for being tough and strong.
Canvass is a way to try to get people's support or find out where their support lies.[36]
o Standard: I use a canvas cover to protect the barbecue.
o Standard: Canvass the block for information on their votes.
o Non-standard: My political party needs to canvas the local neighborhoods.
 cloth, clothe and clothes. Cloth is the material that is typically woven and available in
rolls, known as 'bolts' (though 'bolt' is a defined length of cloth) and sold in fabric stores.
Clothe is a verb and refers to the action of putting on clothes that have been created using
cloth. Clothes are garments that have been manufactured using cloth.[37]
o Standard: I will look for a clothes shop to purchase some garments to wear.
o Standard: At the local cloth shop I can purchase fabric to sew some garments.
o Standard: I will clothe her in the new garment I have made, so that she may
attend the ball.
o Non-standard: This cloth shop only sells women's garments.
o Non-standard: The clothes shop only sells bolts of cloth.
 complementary and complimentary. Things or people that go together well are
complementary (i.e., they complete each other); complimentary describes an item given
without charge (considered a 'gift'), usually in addition to a product or service that may
have been purchased. It also describes praise given to someone or something.
o Standard: Exercise, nutrition, and medical care are complementary factors in
good health.
o Standard: The motel provides a complimentary breakfast to overnight guests.
o Standard: Jane was complimentary about the new couch, which she said
complements the drapes and carpet.
 Similarly, a complement is an accessory, while a compliment is a statement of admiration.
 complacency and complaisance. Complacency means self-satisfaction especially when
accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies. Complaisance means the
willingness to comply with the wishes of others.[38]
 contiguous, continual, and continuous. Contiguous means "touching" or "adjoining in
space"; continual means "repeated in rapid succession"; continuous means
"uninterrupted" (in time or space).
o Standard: Alaska is not one of the forty-eight contiguous states.
o Standard: The field was surrounded by a continuous fence.
o Standard: The continuous murmur of the stream.
o Standard: His continual interruptions are very irritating.
 contingent and contingency. As a noun, a contingent is a representative group; a
contingency is a possible event.
o Standard: The explorers were prepared for every contingency.
o Standard: He was a member of the California contingent at the convention.
o Non-standard: He was greeted by a contingency from the school board.
 copy write and copyright: Copy write means to make written copies for manuals, press
releases, or advertisements. A copyright consists of select privileges that legally protect a
work and prohibit its duplication without a reference.[39]
 o Standard: Contact a copy writer if you need more advertisements written for the
event.
o Standard: This book has another five years of protection under its copyright.

D.defuse and diffuse. To defuse is to remove the fuse from a bomb, or in general to render a
situation less dangerous, whereas to diffuse is to disperse randomly. Diffuse can also be used as
an adjective, meaning "not concentrated".[40]

o Standard: Bill's face turned red at Joe's tactless remark to the Kennel Club
meeting, but Clarice defused the situation by turning it into a joke. "Not that even
a Dachshund would stoop so low, of course!" she quipped.
o Standard: The speaker droned on, his words like a powerful sleeping gas slowly
diffusing through the stuffy air of the auditorium.
o Standard: The spotlights went dark, leaving the scene lit only by the diffuse glow
of the lanterns.
o Non-standard: Houston was aware it was happening and worked to diffuse the
campaign late in the process.[41]
o Non-standard: A government agency long associated with efforts to mediate and
diffuse tense situations in communities helped organize rallies over the killing of
Florida teen Trayvon Martin last year, a conservative leaning legal advocacy
group claims.[42]
o Non-standard: Cavaliers small forward Luol Deng tried to diffuse all the
questions about how emotional it will be facing his former team – the Chicago
Bulls – Wednesday night at The [43]
o Non-standard: After finding the suspected bomb, Pennsylvania state police were
called in to diffuse it.[44]
 desert and dessert. As a verb, desert means to abandon. As a noun, desert is a barren or
uninhabited place; an older meaning of the word is "what one deserves", as in the idiom
just deserts. A dessert is the last course of a meal.
 disassemble and dissemble. To disassemble means "to dismantle" (e.g., to take a
machine code program apart to see how it works); to dissemble means "to tell lies".
 disburse and disperse. Disburse means "to give out", especially money. Disperse means
"to scatter".
 discreet and discrete. Discreet means "circumspect". Discrete means "having separate
parts", as opposed to contiguous.
 disinterested and uninterested. To be disinterested in something means 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.
o Standard: World Cup referees must be disinterested, so they can't be from one of
the countries playing in the match.
o Standard: Though his initial reaction suggested otherwise, he maintains that he
remains uninterested in the business proposition.
o 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.
E.e.g. and i.e. 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.

o Standard: A Briton is a British citizen, e.g., John Lennon.

o Standard: Tolkien's The Hobbit is named after its protagonist, i.e., Bilbo Baggins.
o 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)
 economic 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.)[45]
o Standard: Buying in bulk can often be the most economical choice.
o Standard: The actor should be economical in his use of movement.
o Standard: He attended the School of Economic and Business Sciences.
o Non-standard: Leading economical indicators suggest that a recession may be on
the horizon.
o Non-standard: The actor should be economic in his use of movement.
 elicit and illicit. Elicit is a verb that means to draw out, evoke or obtain. Illicit is an
adjective that refers to something illegal or improper.
o Standard: The lawyer hopes to elicit convincing testimony from the witness.
o Standard: Police found a large amount of illicit drugs.
o Standard: They had an illicit love affair.
 emigration and immigration. Emigration is the process of leaving a country;
immigration is the process of arriving in a country—in both cases, indefinitely.
o Standard: Ethnic communities, such as Little Italy, were created by people
emigrating from their home countries.
 eminent, immanent, imminent, and preeminent. Eminent, originally meaning
"emerging", means "illustrious or highly-regarded". Preeminent means "most highly-
regarded". Imminent means "about to occur". Immanent (less common than the other two,
and often theological) means "indwelling, pervading".
o Standard: The eminent doctor Jones testified on behalf of the defence.
o Standard: Rumours that war was imminent soon spread through the population.
o Standard: God's grace is immanent throughout the entire creation.
 emoji and emoticon. Emojis are actual pictures, whereas emoticons are typographic
displays of a facial representation, e.g. :-).
 epitome is used to mean a typical or ideal example of something. epidemy is an
epidemic disease.
 eponymous is used to describe something that gives its name to something else, not
something that receives the name of something else.
o Standard: Frank, the eponymous owner of Frank's Bistro, prepares all meals in a
spotless kitchen.
o Non-standard: Frank maintains an eponymous restaurant, Frank's Bistro.
 exacerbate and exasperate. Exacerbate means "to make worse". Exasperate means "to
annoy".
 o Standard: Treatment by untrained personnel can exacerbate injuries.
o Standard: Do not let Jack talk to the state trooper; he is tactless and will just
exasperate her.
 expedient and expeditious. Expedient means "done conveniently or quickly, but possibly
improperly". Expeditious means "done efficiently", and does not carry any negative
connotation.
o Standard: The chef's expedient solution was to microwave the undercooked
hamburger.
o Standard: The chef's expeditious solution was to cook a new hamburger.

 flack and flak. Flak is adverse criticism. A flack is a publicity agent or press relations
person.[46]
o Standard: He took a lot of flak for his unpopular position.
o Non-standard: But he took no flack from her people.
 flesh and flush. To flesh out is to add flesh to a skeleton, or metaphorically 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.
o Standard: The forensic pathologist will flesh out the skull with clay.
o Standard: The beaters flushed out the game with drums and torches.
o Non-standard: This outline is incomplete and must be flushed out.
 flounder and founder. To flounder is to be clumsy, confused, indecisive, as if flopping
about like a fish out of water (a flounder being a kind of fish). To founder is to fill with
water and sink (or, figuratively, to fail).
o Standard: The ship is damaged and may founder.
o Standard: She was floundering on the balance beam.
o Non-standard: The ship is damaged and may flounder.
 flout and flaunt. One flouts a rule or law by flagrantly ignoring it. One flaunts something
by showing it off.
o Standard: If you have it, flaunt it.
o Standard: He continually flouted the speed limit.
o Standard: The diplomat's son flaunted his ability to flout the speed limit.
o Non-standard: If you have it, flout it.
o Non-standard: He continually flaunted the speed limit.
 forego and forgo: Forego means to go before. Forgo means to give up or do without.[47]
o Standard: After reading the foregoing paragraph, she decided to forgo the rest of
the book.

 gone and went. Gone is the past participle of go. Went is the simple past tense of go.[48][49]
o Non-standard: Looking back on it, they should have went No. 1 in their
respective drafts.[50]
o Non-standard: She had previously underwent a surgical procedure to remove an
abscess discovered during a recent ultrasound.[51]
 o Non-standard: Phoenix has went 5–15 over the last 20 games and now that
Bledsoe is out with another knee injury, the Suns could potentially see their losing
streak extend to seven as they face the elite Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio
Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in their next three games.[52]
 guarantee and guaranty. In legal terms, a guaranty is a binding assurance of the
performance of a product or service, commonly a security for the fulfillment of an
obligation (often on another's behalf), while a guarantee is a person who benefits from a
guaranty (provided by a guarantor). However, it has become common for the word
guarantee to refer to any assurance itself (often verbal, rather than a written warranty) of
a certain outcome, including figuratively. The verb form has also become guarantee. (See
also warrantee and warranty, below.)
o Standard: I guarantee that you will make a return on your investment.
o Standard: The radio advertisement promised a three-month, money-back
satisfaction guarantee.
o Standard: The collision statistics to date seem to virtually guarantee several such
accidents per month until this intersection is redesigned.
o Standard: The completion bond firm lost its $50 million guaranty when the film
production collapsed after the death of the director.
o Uncommon except in law: This phone comes with a written one-year guaranty
against defects. (Use warranty in most contexts, which is more precise and more
common.)
o Uncommon except in law: The guarantee studio received a $50 million payout
from the completion bond firm. (Rephrase, e.g.: The studio received a $50 million
guaranty payout from the completion bond firm.)

 hang. The standard past participle of hang is hung. The past participle hanged is reserved
for execution by hanging,[53] and sometimes for suicide by hanging,[54][better  source  needed]
although usage guides differ on the importance of the distinction between hanged and
hung.[53]
 hangar and hanger.
o Standard: The aeroplane is in the hangar; the coat is on the hanger.
 hay and straw. Hay is animal fodder made by cutting and drying a grassy plant. Straw is
the dry stalk of a cereal plant (e.g., barley, oats, rice, or rye), after the grain or seed has
been removed; it is used to line an animal's stall or for insulation.
 hear and here. To hear is to detect a sound with one's ears. Here refers to one's
immediate location.
 hoard and horde. A hoard is a store or accumulation of things. A horde is a large group
of people.
o Standard: A horde of shoppers lined up to be the first to buy the new gizmo.
o Standard: He has a hoard of discontinued rare cards.
o Non-standard: Do not horde the candy, share it.
o Non-standard: The hoard charged when the horns sounded.
o Non-standard: It probably shouldn't come as a surprise; an angry hoard is calling
for his head to be mounted on a wall.[55]
 o Non-standard: Despite good progress on the team's bid for a new arena, the Bucks
aren't getting LeBron James or Durant next summer, so why horde cap space to
chase ghosts?[56]

I.imply and infer. 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.

o Standard: When Tony told me he had no money, he was implying that I should
give him some.
o Standard: When Tony told me he had no money, I inferred that I should give him
some.
o Non-standard: When Tony told me he had no money, he was inferring that I
should give him some.
 inherent and inherit. A part inherent in X is logically inseparable from X. To inherit is a
verb, meaning "pass down a generation".
o Standard: Risk is inherent in the stock market.
o Standard: The next president inherits a legacy of mistrust and fear.
o Non-standard: There is violence inherit in the system.
 it's and its. It's is a contraction that replaces it is or it has (see apostrophe). Its is the
possessive determiner corresponding to it, meaning "belonging to it".
o Standard: It's time to eat! (it is time)
o Standard: It's been nice getting to meet you. (it has been)
o Standard: My cell phone has poor reception because its antenna is broken.
o Non-standard: Its good to be the king.
o Non-standard: The bicycle tire had lost all of it's pressure.

 jibe and jive. Jibe is to be in accord with. Jive is hepcat patois or deception.
o Standard: Don't give me that same old jive.
o Standard: Your report doesn't jibe with the facts.
o Non-standard: Your report doesn't jive with the facts.

 levee and levy. A levee is a structure built along a river to raise the height of its banks,
thereby preventing nearby land from flooding (see: dike). 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.
o Standard: The Netherlands is well known for its elaborate system of levees.
o Standard: This statute allows the state to levy a 3% tax.
o Non-standard: Recent storms have weakened the levy.
  loathe and loath or loth: Loathe is a verb meaning "to strongly dislike", and loath (or
loth) is an adjective meaning "unwilling" or "reluctant".
o Standard: I loathe arrogant people.
o Standard: I was loath to concede defeat.
o Standard: I was loth to concede defeat.
o Non-standard: Colangelo and Krzyzewski are loathe to break the players up into
categories, but essentially, that's what is in place.[57]
o Non-standard: Which is why the Panthers were loathe to give him a guaranteed
contract.[58]
 loose and lose. Loose can mean the opposite of tight, or the opposite of tighten. Lose can
mean "fail to win", "misplace", or "cease to be in possession". Lose is often misspelled
loose.
o Standard: We cannot afford to lose customers to our competitors.
o Standard: A screw is loose and I need a screwdriver to tighten it.
o Non-standard: If the team cannot score any points, they will loose the game.

M.macerate, marinate, and marinade. (From post-classical Latin marina brine, short for
classical Latin aqua marina sea water.)[59] In Standard English, marinade is a noun and not a
verb; marinate is the verb. Macerate means "to soften by steeping in a liquid" and in culinary
terminology is used for non-protein items, especially fruit.[59] The word macerate is also used in
science "to soften bone, rock etc. in a liquid".[59]

o Standard: The meat will taste better if you marinate it in olive oil before cooking.
o Standard: Prepare the marinade by mixing vinegar and soy sauce.
o Non-standard: Marinade the meat in wine for half an hour.
o Standard: Macerate the fruit in wine for half an hour.
o Non-standard: Marinate the fruit in wine for half an hour.
 me, myself, and I. 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
incorrectly, often in a form of hypercorrection. Like the other reflexive pronouns, myself
should be used only when both the subject and object of the verb are the speaker, or as an
emphatic pronoun (intensifier).
o Standard: Jim and I took the train.
o Standard: He lent the books to Jim and me.
o Standard: That is I in the picture. (This is very formal, and seldom found in
speech.)
o Acceptable: That is me in the picture. (This is typical in informal English.)
o Standard (intensifying): I myself have seen instances of that type.
o Standard (reflexive): I hurt myself. I did it to myself. I played by myself. I want
to enjoy myself.
o Non-standard: Jim and me went into town.
o Non-standard: Me and Jim went into town.
o Non-standard: As for myself, I prefer the red.
o Non-standard: He is an American like myself.
o Non-standard: He gave the paper to Jim and myself.
 o Non-standard: My wife and myself do not like the development.
o Non-standard: 'I wake up/With my eyes shut tight/Hoping tomorrow will never
come/For you and I.' (Should be For you and me) (From "You And I, Part II" by
 militate and mitigate. To militate is to fight or exert pressure for something to happen or
not to happen; it is typically followed by a preposition. To mitigate is to make something
milder, typically something undesirable, and takes no preposition.
o Standard: The seriousness of your crime was mitigated by the provocation you
were under.
o Standard: Over-protective practices in this factory militate against increased
efficiency.
o Non-standard: Over-protective practices in this factory mitigate against increased
efficiency.

 novice and novitiate. A novice is a prospective or trainee member, as of a religious order.

The novitiate is the state of being a novice, or the time for which one is a novice.
However, a novice monk or nun is often incorrectly described as "a novitiate" (perhaps
confused with "initiate").

 of and have. In some dialects of spoken English, of and the contracted form of have, 've,
sound alike. However, in standard written English, they are not interchangeable.
o Standard: Susan would have stopped to eat, but she was running late.
o Standard: You could have warned me!
o Non-standard: I should of known that the store would be closed. (Should be "I
should've known")
 overestimate and underestimate. There is frequent confusion between things that
cannot and should not be over/underestimated, though the meanings are opposite.
o Standard: The damage caused by pollution cannot be overestimated (i.e., it is so
enormous that no estimate, however high, is excessive)
o Standard: The damage caused by pollution should not be overestimated (i.e.,
while significant, it would be wrong to exaggerate it)
o Standard: The damage caused by pollution should not be underestimated (i.e., it is
wrong to regard it as minor)
o Non-standard: The damage caused by pollution cannot be underestimated (literal
meaning: it is so minimal that no estimate is too small. Intended meaning: as in
the first or third example)

 palate, palette, and pallet. The palate is the roof of the mouth; used metaphorically to
refer to one's preferences in food. A palette is a board for holding and mixing paint; used
metaphorically to refer to a range or selection of colors or other features. A pallet is a
 wooden platform for raising stacked goods off the floor, or a thin sleeping mattress
placed on the floor.
o Standard: After unloading the boxes from the pallets, I slept on a pallet on the
floor.
o Standard: My palate is not very refined.
o Standard: The artist placed globs of varying paint colors on his palette before
beginning to paint.
 past and passed. 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.[60]
o Standard: Congress passed the bill limiting the powers of the President.
o Standard: History is mainly concerned with the events of the past.
o Standard: He went past my house on his way to the store.
o Standard: He passed my house on his way to the store.
o Non-standard: He past my house on his way to the store.
 peremptory and preemptive. A peremptory act or statement is absolute; it cannot be
denied. A preemptive action is one taken before an adversary can act.
o Standard: He issued a peremptory order.
o Standard: Preemptive air strikes stopped the enemy from launching the new
warship.
 perpetrate and perpetuate. To perpetrate something is to commit it, while to perpetuate
something is to cause it to continue or to keep happening.
o Standard: The gang perpetrated outrages against several citizens.
o Standard: The stories only serve to perpetuate the legend that the house is
haunted.
 perquisite and prerequisite. Perquisite usually means 'an extra allowance or privilege'.
Prerequisite means 'something required as a condition'.
o Standard: He had all the perquisites of a movie star, including a stand-in.
o Standard: Passing the examination was one of the prerequisites for a teaching
position.
 perspective and prospective. Perspective is a view with correct visual angles, example:
parallel railway tracks converging in the distance. "Prospective" is a future possibility or
expectation.
 perspicuity and perspicacity. If something is perspicuous, it is easily understood; its
meaning is obvious. If one is perspicacious, then one is quick to understand or has good
insight.
o Standard: I admired her perspicacity; she just seemed to get it so much better than
I.
o Standard: He expressed the idea so perspicuously that anyone could understand.
o Non-standard: She spoke in a perspicacious way.
 photogenic and photographic. The former means someone's likeness is particularly
amenable to being well photographed. The latter is anything pertaining to photography
whether it is technical, e.g., photographic chemicals or equipment, or generic, e.g.,
photographic journals.
 pored and poured. The phrase 'pored over' means to study an item intently, however
sometimes seen incorrectly in its place is poured over, which would mean the act of
tipping a substance onto something.[61][62]
  prescribe and proscribe. To prescribe something is to command or recommend it. To
proscribe somebody or something is to outlaw them or it.
o Standard: The doctor prescribed some medicine to clear up the infection.[63]
o Standard: The new law was going to proscribe public gatherings.
 prevaricate, procrastinate, and prognosticate. To prevaricate is to avoid telling the
truth. To procrastinate is to put off doing something that must be done. [64] To
prognosticate is to predict or prophesy.
 principal and principle. Principal is an adjective meaning "main" (though it can also be
a noun meaning the head of a college or similar institution). "Principle" is a noun
meaning a fundamental belief or rule of action.
o Standard: The principal achievement of the nineteenth century is the rise of
industry.
o Standard: I like a man who sticks to his principles.
o Non-standard: The principle belief of Marxism–Leninism is the dictatorship of
the proletariat.
 progeny, prodigy, and posterity. Progeny are offspring, or things that follow or develop
from something else. A prodigy is a genius or extremely talented person (especially a
young one). Posterity means future generations, or the future in a personified sense
(usually used after "for" or "to").

 rain, reign and rein. A reign refers to the rule of a monarch. [65] Reins are the straps used
to control the movements of an animal (typically a horse). [66] Thus, to "take the reins"
means to assume control, and to have "free rein" means to be free of constraints.[67]
o Standard: From dozens of ideas floated to rein in skyrocketing costs of Oregon's
public pension system, Gov. John Kitzhaber and lawmakers two years ago pinned
their hopes on one, risky option.[68]
o Standard: Harrison would thrive in bench units with less attentive defenders and
presumably a less capable lead guard who can let him take the reins from time to
time.[69]
o Standard: And there are signs that ESPN's spending may need to be reined in.[70]
o Standard: Thursday's central bank comments came after analysts said allowing
market forces free rein could drive the yuan sharply lower.[71]
o Standard: It is but one example of Israel's failure to rein in youths suspected of
carrying out ultranationalist attacks.[72]
o Standard: Nationally, gambling has been slow to recover since the Great
Recession as people continue to rein in leisure spending.[73]
o Standard: Button's representatives said in a statement Friday that police have told
them such thefts have become a growing problem, with thieves pumping in the
gas to give them free rein in the properties.[74]
o Standard: It's rare to bring homicide charges against a physician, but the case
came amid a prescription drug abuse epidemic that has led lawmakers to try to
rein in so-called pill mills that dole out medications with little scrutiny.[75]
o Standard: But reining in Maduro, who became president after Chavez died in
2013, will be tough.[76]
 o Standard: A few months later, the ailing president, Boris Yeltsin, stepped aside
and Vladimir Putin took the reins as Russian president.[77]
o Non-standard: ...the Suns gave Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum free reign of
practices...[78]
o Non-standard: Bobby Jindal, a whiz kid takes the reigns of Louisiana's
Department of Health and Hospital[79]
o Non-standard: Taylor will be passing on the reigns of the neighborhood school to
Assistant Principal Amy Kleiner.[80]
o Non-standard: ...his rein of terror in 1969 is fascinating part of the history of 20th
century crime...[81]
o Non-standard: He spent the last four seasons trying to patch together lineups in
Houston, where injuries reined supreme, and he had a great deal of success under
the circumstances.[82]
o Non-standard: Wesley Johnson: It's more that Johnson was proven a long-limbed
bust before Lindsey Hunter and a tanking Phoenix team gave him free reign to
jack triples and perhaps clarify his NBA destiny. Johnson still shot just 32 percent
from deep amid all that freedom; his chances of membership here look slim.[83]
o Non-standard: Over 13 games, he averaged 15.5 points and 9.9 assists while
shooting 44.8 percent from 3-point range (while reigning in his attempts a bit).[84]
o Non-standard: The transition from the previous luxury tax system, which
penalized teams one dollar for every dollar they went over the tax threshold, to
the new one that includes an escalating pay scale for every $5 million teams go
over the threshold, was supposed to reign in spending and help level the playing
field.[85]
o Non-standard: If you're Mike Lupica you have the biggest column in one of
America's largest circulation newspapers, you host a prestige show on ESPN each
week and you have, presumably, free reign to talk about whatever you want to
talk about in sports.[86]
o Non-standard: In fact, many moms say there's no way they would let their
children do what their own parents gave them free reign to do as kids.[87]
o Non-standard: Brooks allowed Durant and Westbrook free reign as players and
kept an open-door policy in terms of suggestions, not that he had much choice.[88]
o Non-standard: It'll be up to Doc Rivers and Chris Paul to reign Stephenson in
early on.[89]
o Non-standard: Mexican fans reigned down debris on Panama players, and the
match was held up for 11 minutes before Guardado stepped up to nail his first
penalty kick and send the match to extra time.[90]
o Non-standard: Bryant has been given free reign for close to a decade.[91]
 redundant 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. It can also refer to a duplicate of something retained as a backup, failsafe,
or reinforcement.
o Standard: The week before Christmas, the company made seventy-five workers
redundant.
 o 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.)
o Standard: The security system has two levels of redundancy.
o Non-standard: Over-use of antibiotics risks making them redundant. (This should
read: over-use of antibiotics risks making them ineffective)
 regime, regimen and regiment.[92] A regimen is a system of order, and may often refer to
the systematic dosing of medication. A regiment is a military unit.
o Standard: The sick soldier was removed from his regiment.
o Standard: The sick soldier was ordered to complete a regimen of amoxicillin.
o Standard: But there were issues regarding his training regimen and conditioning,
and he was demoted by the Kings last season to their American Hockey League
affiliate in Manchester.[93]
o Standard: The story states that TB12 markets Guerrero's training regimen as "a
proven approach to help people reach and maintain their peak levels of
performance. Developed by Brady and his body coach, Alex Guerrero, their
revolutionary approaches to wellness in the areas of nutrition and
supplementation, as well as physical and mental fitness training, have helped
athletes maximize their potential and maintain peak performance levels for more
than a decade."[94]
o Non-standard: But wow, without the daily regiment of basketball, imagine what
will happen to him?[95]
o Non-standard: Sports, science and technology are converging at an all-time pace
and eight NBA teams are experimenting with a new device designed to optimize
and personalize training regiments, thus the ability to maximize performance and
reduce injury.[96]
o Non-standard: A treatment regiment, sometimes constant, was not enough.[97]
o Non-standard: It's going to require a lot of additional work but she already runs a
lot as part of her training regiment for tennis.[98]
o Non-standard: It would appear that Guerrero's training, eating, and supplemental
regiment works, at least for Brady, to whom Guerrero devotes near-constant
attention by mapping out his training and nutrition years into the future.[94]
 regretful and regrettable. Regretful is an adjective meaning to be full of regret.
Regrettable is an adjective meaning deplorable or unfortunate.[99]
o Standard: She felt very regretful about her regrettable actions.
 revert. To revert is to return to a former state, not to reply or respond to someone.
o Standard: The Hulk reverted to Bruce Banner after he had a nice cup of tea and
calmed down a bit.
o Non-standard: Thanks for your email, I will look into this and revert to you.[100]

 sensual and sensuous. Both words mean "to do with the senses". Sensual is more often
applied to a pleasure or experience or to a person's character; sensuous to someone or
something of enticing appearance.
o Standard: Don Juan is the most sensual character in fiction.
 o Standard: Ascetics believe in avoiding all sensual pleasures.
o Standard: Marilyn Monroe looks extremely sensuous in this film clip.
 set and sit. When used as a transitive verb, to set means "to place" or "to adjust to a
value", whereas to sit means "to be seated".
o Standard: Set the pot upon the stove.
o Standard: Set the temperature-control to 100 °C.
o Non-standard: Set down over there.
o Standard: Sit on the chair.
 shirk and shrink. 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".
o Standard: I will not shirk discussion.
o Standard: I will not shrink from discussion.
o Standard: She shrank away from me.
o Non-standard: I will not shrink discussion.
o Non-standard: I will not shirk from discussion.
 shall, will, should and would. See Shall and will.
 since and sense. Since is used as an adverb or a preposition to imply the same meaning as
"after then" or "from" in a sentence. Sense is a noun meaning any method to gather data
about an environment.
o Standard: I have known her since last year.
o Standard: My sense of smell is weak.
o Non-standard: I won't go sense I have no fuel.
o Non-standard: I can since your aura.
 cite, sight and site. A sight is something seen; a site is a place. To cite is to quote or list
as a source.
o Standard: You are a sight for sore eyes.
o Standard: I found a list of the sights of Rome on a tourist site.
o Standard: Please cite the sources you used in your essay.
o Standard: You must travel to the site of the dig to see the dinosaur bones.
o Standard: It is necessary to have line-of-sight if you want to use semaphore.
o Non-standard: One must be careful on a construction sight.
o Non-standard: I will site the book in which I saw the statistics.
o Non-standard: I could not fire because I did not have line-of-site to the target.
 suit and suite. Suit is a noun meaning an article of clothing; it is also a verb meaning to
make/be appropriate. Suite is a noun meaning a set of things forming a series or set.[101]
o Standard: He got dressed in his new suit.
o Standard: Before leaving the hotel suite, she checked her lipstick in the mirror.
o Non-standard: That wall color will suite our apartment nicely.

T.taut and tout: Taut is when something is tight or stretched. Tout means to hype up, advertise,
or promote.[102]

o Standard: You need to hold it taut to stretch it properly.

o Standard: This concert needs a lot of tout to be successful.
 temblor and trembler. A temblor is an earthquake. A trembler is something that
trembles (also, a fine-tuned motion detector).
 tenant and tenet. A tenant is a person or body that rents property. A tenet is a particular
belief of a religion or other belief system.
o Standard: I am looking for a tenant for my apartment.
o Standard: One of the tenets of Roman Catholicism is the infallibility of the Pope.
o Non-standard: "... to accept certain tenants of Islam while rejecting others".[103]
 than and then. Than is a grammatical particle and preposition associated with
comparatives, whereas then is an adverb and a noun. In certain dialects, the two words
are usually homophones because they are function words with reduced vowels, and this
may cause speakers to confuse them.
o Standard: I like pizza more than lasagna.
o Standard: We ate dinner, then went to the movies.
o Non-standard: You are a better person then I am.
 their, there, they're, and there're. 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".[104]
o Standard: There're five of them, and they're all coming to the restaurant for their
dinner; we will meet them there.
o Non-standard: I don't like peanuts because of there texture when being chewed.
o Non-standard: Bobby and Sally are coming over later and there bringing some
friends with them.
o Non-standard: The dogs are lying over their in the shade.
 there's, where's, etc. A common spoken mistake is using a singular contraction when it
should be plural in words like there's and where's. This stems from the fact that there're
and where're are more difficult to enunciate and are often avoided for that reason in
colloquial speech.
o Non-standard: Where's the cars? (Should be Where're or where are)
o Non-standard: There's many types of car. (Should be There are)
 throe and throw. Throe is a spasm (more often seen in the plural throes). Throw means
to propel an object through the air.
 to and too. Too means "in excess" or "also". To is a preposition or is a part of a verb in
the infinitive. At the end of a sentence to may also refer to a dropped verb in the
infinitive.
o Standard: I have too much time on my hands.
o Standard: Kick it to me.
 trimester. A trimester is a period of three months.[105][106] Because it is most commonly
used in conjunction with a nine-month academic year[107] or a nine-month term of human
pregnancy,[108] it is sometimes wrongly assumed that trimester is a synonym for one third
of a year or other period.[109][110]
o Standard: One calendar year contains four trimesters.
o Non-standard: Without further delay, then, comes ESPN.com's annual (and
overdue) First Trimester Report, ushering folks back to the office by taking stock
of the season's opening third.[111]
Uuse and used. Used is the past participle of use. Among its meanings is "accustomed". The
expression used to is in some spoken accents similar sounding to use to, leading to confusion.

o Standard: I always carry an umbrella because I am used to the weather being

unpredictable in Melbourne.
o Standard: An umbrella is what I use to avoid getting wet.
o Non-standard: You should be use to it by now.

v.venal and venial. These words are sometimes confused; venal means "corrupt", "able to be
bribed", or "for sale"; venial means "pardonable, not serious"

o Standard: According to Catholic doctrine, eating meat on a Friday during Lent is

a venial sin, but murder is a mortal sin.
o Standard: All ages have examples of venal politicians.

W .waive and wave[113]

o Standard: Brent Barry, TNT's analyst for Thursday's Bulls-Knicks game, views
Phil Jackson's latest experiment a lost cause and advocates Carmelo Anthony
waive his no-trade clause to join a winner.[114]
o Standard: The forthcoming "pink slime" trial has the feeling to some degree of
Hogan v. Gawker, insofar as there being a state court judge who waved off First
Amendment objections to let a jury decide.[115]
o Non-standard: Scott waived off the notion that the Pac 12 might become a
dumping ground for the SEC.[116]
o Non-standard: Tensions were apparently high at this meeting, and three SPD
officers moved toward the pie-thrower — but Johnson waived them off.[117]
o Non-standard: Except, upon review, the referees said that the clock should have
started when Cousins touched the ball and that meant the shot did not get off on
time. The officials waived off the shot.[118]
o Non-standard: On the call, Van Gundy argued for Snyder to waive it off and end
the game.[119]
o Non-standard: Only two people, Ed Gilmartin, vice president of Beta Theta Pi,
and Ryan Foster, waved their right to a preliminary hearing.[120]
o Non-standard: In his post, Obama waives off the legal challenge.[121]
 want, won't and wont. Want means the act of desiring or wishing for something. Won't is
a contraction for "will not", while wont is a word meaning "accustomed" or "inclined to"
(as an adjective) or "habit or custom" (as a noun).
o Standard: He won't let me drive his car.
o Standard: He spent the morning reading, as he was wont to do.
o Standard: He took a walk in the evening, as was his wont.
o Standard: His only want was to see his son again.
o Non-standard: I wont need to go to the supermarket after all.
o Non-standard: He took a walk in the evening, as was his want.
 warrantee and warranty. A warranty is a legal assurance that some object can perform
some specified task or meets certain quality standards. A warrantee is a person who
 benefits from a warranty, provided by a warrantor. The verb form is warrant. (See also
guarantee and guaranty, above.)
o Standard: Most new cars come with at least a three-year warranty.
o Standard: This contract warrants that you will make a certain minimum return on
your investment.
o Non-standard: Your mobile phone has stopped working? Maybe you need to file
a claim under the warrantee.
 where and wherefore. Wherefore means 'why'. In the well-known passage from Romeo
and Juliet she is not asking where he is but rather why he is Romeo, whose name only
stands in the way of their love.
 who's and whose. Whose is an interrogative word (Whose is this?) or a relative pronoun
(The people whose house you admired); who's is a contraction for "who is" or "who has".
[122][123]

o Non-standard: Which brings us right back to Del Negro, whose navigated this
mercurial stretch seamlessly.[124]
o Non-standard: But there remains a group of teams, of which the Brooklyn Nets
are a member, who's fate remains in the balance.[125]
o Non-standard: Mr. Cent, who's real name is Curtis Jackson, was worth as much
as $150 million earlier this year.[126]
o Non-standard: Well, more like 19 months older, but whose counting?[127]
o Non-standard: At 7’2 300, Haas is one of the only players in the country whose
actually bigger than Hammons.[128]
o Non-standard: Embattled, hard-line, milquetoast coach who's job is on the line so
he cuts it loose and starts winning???[129]
o Non-standard: Amy Carey, a VIPP volunteer whose the first to respond to a lost
dog call, made it her mission to find the canines.[130]
o Non-standard: They have run the numbers and they know that enough guys slip
through the cracks the first time they come through the league that it's worth
giving unproven guys a shot as opposed to a veteran on the downside of his career
whose already shown what he will be.[131]
o Non-standard: Duncan is getting older but he's still a 7’0 with one of the most
refined post games in NBA history whose capable of stepping out and playing at
the high post.[132]
o Non-standard: There's a world full of young basketball players who slipped
through the cracks in their first stint through the NBA and there's no reason for
any of the league's 30 teams to waste a roster spot on a proven commodity whose
proven he can't play anymore.[133]
o Non-standard: Sen. Marco Rubio, who's seat is up, has said he will not seek re-
election.[134]
o Non-standard: Renowned Dallas sports anchor Dale Hansen of WFAA believes
that Starr isn't the only one who's job should be in the chopping block, however.
[135]

o Non-standard: Track, supposedly the glue that brings the whole thing together,
would be nothing more than a collection of pole vaulters, distance runners and
others who's every accomplishment immediately falls under the lens of the ever-
 present doping microscope: Is anything you see in this stadium really to be
believed?[136]

woman and women. Woman is the singular form of the word for an adult human female. Women
is the plural form.

o Non-standard: USADA is the national anti-doping partner of the Olympics, and

Rousey spent much of her childhood training to compete in the Games, eventually
becoming the first American women to medal in judo with her 2008 bronze
medal campaign in Beijing.[137]
o Non-standard: The audience cheered as the woman were asked to leave, and
everyone gave Lochte a standing ovation.[138]
o Non-standard: Keenly aware of her role as a women of color in media, Ifill once
told The New York Times, "When I was a little girl watching programs like this –
because that's the kind of nerdy family we were – I would look up and not see
anyone who looked like me in any way. No women. No people of color.[139]

you're and your. While they sound the same in many dialects, in standard written English they
have separate meanings. You're is a contraction of "you are", and your is a possessive pronoun
meaning "belonging to you". When in doubt, check whether the word in question can logically
be expanded to "you are".

o Standard: When driving, always wear your seatbelt.

o Standard: If you're going out, please be home by ten o'clock.
o Non-standard: You also can't use 4G or LTE if you're Android phone doesn't
support Bluetooth tethering.[140]
o Non-standard: If you're first instinct is "man the USA lucked into the soft side of
the bracket" your instinct would be correct.[141]
o Non-standard: From here, you draft supporting talent, develop that talent, add
some veteran free agents, and if your lucky, you're on your way to truly
competing.[142]
o Non-standard: You're mother called this morning.
o Non-standard: Your the first person to notice my new haircut today!

A determiner is a member of a class of words used to modify nouns or noun equivalents. Determiners
help clarify what a noun is referring to and are typically placed before descriptive adjectives. For
example, in the sentence Would you like to buy this new book?, the word this is a determiner.
The articles the, a, and an are determiners, but not all determiners are articles. Numbers like one and
eight can function as determiners, too.
List of determiners 
The following list contains some examples of words that may be considered to be determiners. As we’ve
noted, it is okay if you consider some of these words to be adjectives.
 a
 an
 the
 this
 our
 seven
 any
