So you weren’t paying attention in high school English class? I know, it was boring. Besides, we all had social lives to manage. But that lapse might cost you today in lost opportunities for employment or career advancement. Despite rapidly improving AI, spell and grammar checking, and other aids, errors creep into everyone’s writing. And some of them can mark you as an ignoramus. Not good when you’re trying to impress your boss or a client.
Anyone who writes hastily, such as beleaguered office workers responding to scores of email messages each day, often slip on wrong-word ice. Your English teacher surely knew this, but you were physiologically incapable of thinking about anything beyond the next 20 minutes. As a public service, therefore, I’m reincarnating your poor teacher to supply a list of commonly misused words along with their corrected usage. Bear in mind that this is a blog: the list, therefore, is not exhaustive.
| Affect vs. Effect (verb)
Affect vs. Effect (noun) |
Affect = changing or influencing something Effect = causing something to happenAffect = feeling, emotion Effect = result of a cause |
| Criterion vs. Criteria | Criterion = singular (one) standard Criteria = plural (many) standards |
| Disinterested vs. Uninterested | Disinterested = unbiased, fair, uninvolved Uninterested = not interested in or attracted to |
| Ensure vs. Insure | Ensure = make sure Insure = have or provide insurance |
| Farther vs. Further | Farther = physical distance Further = figurative distance as in addition to . . . |
| Its vs. It’s | Its = it owns or possesses something It’s = “It is . . .” (Not possessive of “it”) (Its’ = no such word; it’s never correct) |
| Principal vs. Principle | Principal = first, or most important; also money that is not interest Principle = fundamental rule or guideline |
| Proceed vs. Precede | Proceed = to continue or begin Precede = to come before |
| There vs. Their vs. They’re | There = location other than here Their = they own or possess something They’re = “They are . . .” |
| Whose vs. Who’s | Whose = who owns or possesses something, as in “whose cat . . .” Who’s = “Who is . . .” |
| Your vs. You’re | Your = you own or possess something You’re = “You are . . .” |
An interesting list of 51 misused words or expressions can be found at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12026653/The-51-most-commonly-misused-words-and-phrases-do-you-get-these-wrong.html.
As Hemingway quipped, “getting the words right” is key to writing success.