LlsL of commonly mlsused Lngllsh words

A
- abd|cate, abrogate, and arrogate. 1o obJlcote ls Lo
reslgn from Lhe Lhrone, or more loosely Lo casL off a
responslblllLy. 1o obtoqote ls Lo repeal (do away
wlLh) a law or abollsh (puL an end Lo) an
arrangemenL. 1o ottoqote ls Lo aLLempL Lo Lake on a
rlghL or responslblllLy Lo whlch one ls noL enLlLled.
5tooJotJ: Ldward vlll abdlcaLed Lhe Lhrone of Lhe unlLed
klngdom.
5tooJotJ: Penry vlll abrogaLed Welsh cusLomary law.
Noo-stooJotJ: !ohn abrogaLed all responslblllLy for Lhe
caLerlng arrangemenLs (should be "abdlcaLed").
Noo-stooJotJ: ?ou should noL abrogaLe Lo yourself Lhe
whole honour of Lhe resldenL's vlslL (should be "arrogaLe").
- accept and except. Whlle Lhey sound slmllar (or even
ldenLlcal), except ls a preposlLlon LhaL means "aparL
from", whlle occept ls a verb LhaL means "agree
wlLh", "Lake ln", or "recelve". xcept ls also
occaslonally used as a verb, meanlng Lo Lake ouL or
Lo leave ouL.[1]
5tooJotJ: We accepL all ma[or credlL cards, excepL ulners
Club.
5tooJotJ: Men are fools... presenL company excepLed!
(Whlch means, "presenL company excluded")
Noo-stooJotJ: l had Lrouble maklng frlends wlLh Lhem, l
never felL excepLed.
Noo-stooJotJ: We all wenL swlmmlng, accepL for !ack.
- acute and chron|c. Acote means "sharp", as an acuLe
lllness ls one LhaL rapldly worsens and reaches a
crlsls. A cbtoolc lllness may also be a severe one, buL
lL ls long-lasLlng or llngerlng.
5tooJotJ: She was LreaLed wlLh eplnephrlne durlng an
acuLe asLhma aLLack.
5tooJotJ: lL ls noL a Lermlnal lllness, buL lL does cause
chronlc paln.
Noo-stooJotJ: l have suffered from acuLe asLhma for
LwenLy years.
Noo-stooJotJ: l [usL sLarLed feellng Lhls chronlc paln ln my
back.
- adverse and averse. AJvetse means unfavorable,
conLrary or hosLlle. Avetse means havlng a sLrong
feellng of opposlLlon, anLlpaLhy, or repugnance.
Merrlam-WebsLer noLes LhaL oJvetse ls commonly
used as an aLLrlbuLlve ad[ecLlve (before Lhe noun),
whlle "averse" ls rarely used ln Lhls slLuaLlon.[2]
5tooJotJ: 1hey salled desplLe adverse weaLher condlLlons.
5tooJotJ: Pe was averse Lo Laklng hls medlclne.
Noo-stooJotJ: Pe ls noL adverse Lo havlng a drlnk now and
Lhen.
- affect and effect. 1he verb offect means "Lo
lnfluence someLhlng", and Lhe noun effect means
"Lhe resulL of". ffect can also be a verb LhaL means
"Lo cause [someLhlng] Lo be", whlle offect as a noun
has Lechnlcal meanlngs ln psychology, muslc, and
aesLheLlc Lheory: an emoLlon or sub[ecLlvely
experlenced feellng.[3] A devlce Lo remember when
Lrylng Lo declde whlch ls Lhe rlghL cholce: lf
someLhlng affecLs you lL usually has an effecL on you.
5tooJotJ: 1hls poem affecLed me so much LhaL l crled.
5tooJotJ: 1emperaLure has an effecL on reacLlon
sponLanelLy.
5tooJotJ: 1he dynamlLe effecLed Lhe wall's collapse.
5tooJotJ: Pe seemed compleLely devold of affecL.
Noo-stooJotJ: 1he raln effecLed our plans for Lhe day.
Noo-stooJotJ: We Lrled appeaslng Lhe raln gods, buL Lo no
affecL.
Noo-stooJotJ: An lCC spokesman Lold ress AssoclaLlon
SporL: "We were aware LhaL lllA mlghL conslder changlng Lhe
daLes for Lhe 2022 World Cup. We are confldenL LhaL lllA wlll
dlscuss Lhe daLes wlLh us so as Lo co-ordlnaLe Lhem and avold
any affecL on Lhe WlnLer Cames."[4]
Noo-stooJotJ: Some nelghbors complaln abouL 8omney's
new presldenLlal enLourage-lncludlng dozens of SecreL
Servlce agenLs who now guard Lhe candldaLe 24 hours a
day-and lLs affecL on Lhelr quleL sLreeL.[3]
Noo-stooJotJ: Pls LeammaLe SLeve nash can see how Lhe
Llme off had an affecL on Casol.[6]
- aggravate and m|t|gate. Aqqtovote means "Lo make
worse". Mltlqote means "Lo make less bad" (see also
mltlqote versus mllltote, below). "MlLlgaLlng facLor"
refers Lo someLhlng LhaL affecLs someone's case by
lessenlng Lhe degree of blame, noL anyLhlng LhaL has
any effecL aL all.
- a|gor|thm and |ogar|thm. An olqotltbm ls a sLep-by-
sLep procedure, usually for calculaLlon, Lhe
processlng of daLa, or chooslng among alLernaLlves.
1he loqotltbm of a number ls Lhe power (l.e.
exponenL) Lo whlch a speclfled base musL be ralsed
Lo produce LhaL number.
5tooJotJ: 1he board of dlrecLors developed an algorlLhm
for chooslng Lhe company's new presldenL from among Lhe
remalnlng candldaLes.
5tooJotJ: uslng a base of 2 Lhe logarlLhm of 32 ls 3,
because 2
3
equals 32.
- a |ot and a||ot. A lot means many, ollot means Lo
dlsLrlbuLe someLhlng.
- a||us|on, |||us|on, and ha||uc|nat|on. An ollosloo ls an
lndlrecL or meLaphorlcal reference Lo someLhlng, an
lllosloo ls a false plcLure of someLhlng LhaL ls Lhere, a
bolloclootloo ls Lhe seelng of someLhlng LhaL ls noL
Lhere.
- a|ternate|y and a|ternat|ve|y. Altetootely ls an
adverb LhaL means ln Lurn, one afLer Lhe oLher.
Altetootlvely ls an adverb LhaL means on Lhe oLher
hand, one or Lhe oLher.
5tooJotJ: We alLernaLely spun Lhe wheel ln Lhe game.
5tooJotJ: ?ou can choose a large bookcase or,
alLernaLlvely, you can buy Lwo small ones.
- appra|se and appr|se. 1o opptolse ls Lo assess or
value someLhlng, Lo opptlse ls Lo Leach or lnform.
5tooJotJ: Pls performance was appralsed very poslLlvely.
5tooJotJ: l losL no Llme ln apprlslng her of Lhe slLuaLlon.
Noo-stooJotJ: Pas he been appralsed of Lhe facL?
- a pr|or|. A ptlotl means "based on hypoLhesls or
Lheory raLher Lhan experlmenL". lL does noL mean "ln
advance".
5tooJotJ: x - 2 ls known o ptlotl Lo be greaLer Lhan x.
Noo-stooJotJ: 1he maglclan preLended Lo guess whlch
card was chosen, buL he acLually knew lL o ptlotl, because he
had secreLly waLched ln a mlrror.
- are and our. Ate refers Lo Lhe 2nd person slngular
presenL and 1sL, 2nd, 3rd person plural presenL of
Lhe verb be. Oot means "belonglng Lo us."
5tooJotJ: Are you comlng Lo our house afLer Lhe show?
5tooJotJ: Cur famlly has been Lrylng Lo save money
because of Lhe counLry's currenL economlc slLuaLlon.
- assume: Lo suppose Lo be Lrue, especlally wlLhouL
proof, and presume: Lo Lake for granLed as belng
Lrue ln Lhe absence of proof Lo Lhe conLrary.
ltesome can also mean "Lake excesslve llberLles", as
ln Lhe ad[ecLlve form "presumpLuous".
5tooJotJ: 1hey had assumed LhaL Lhey were alone, so Lhey
were surprlsed when Lhey heard a Lhlrd volce [oln Lhelr song.
5tooJotJ: uocLor LlvlngsLone, l presume?
- assure, ensure, and |nsure. ln Amerlcan Lngllsh, Lo
ossote ls purely Lo lnLend Lo glve Lhe llsLener
confldence, Lo eosote ls Lo make cerLaln of, and Lo
losote ls Lo purchase lnsurance. 1he only dlfference
wlLh 8rlLlsh Lngllsh ls LhaL "assure" can be used
lnsLead of "lnsure", parLlcularly ln Lhe conLexL of llfe
lnsurance/assurance.
5tooJotJ: l assure you LhaL l wlll have your car washed by
Lhe Llme you reLurn.
5tooJotJ: When you mow Lhe lawn, ensure Lhere are no
forelgn ob[ecLs ln Lhe grass.
5tooJotJ: l plan Lo purchase Lhe colllslon pollcy when l
lnsure my car.
5tooJotJ: l already have more Lhan enough llfe assurance.
Noo-stooJotJ: Pls acLlons lnsured LhaL Lhe aLLacklng army
would fall.
8
- be||e. 1hls word ln one sense means "Lo
mlsrepresenL", buL lL ls someLlmes used Lo mean Lhe
opposlLe, l.e. "Lo glve evldence of", lolleLL's Modern
Amerlcan usage ob[ecLed Lo Lhls.[7]
- bemused. 1o be bemused ls Lo be perplexed or
bewlldered, however, lL ls commonly used
lncorrecLly ln place of amused.
- b|furcate. 8lfurcaLe means Lo segregaLe or dlvlde
lnLo Lwo parLs. lL ls noL a sLand-ln for 'more Lhan
one.'
- b|sect and d|ssect. 8lsect means "Lo cuL lnLo Lwo",
Jlssect means "Lo cuL aparL", boLh llLerally and
flguraLlvely. ulsect ls an archalc word meanlng "Lo
separaLe by cuLLlng", buL has noL been ln common
use slnce Lhe 17Lh cenLury.
5tooJotJ: 1he Amerlcas are blsecLed by Lhe anama canal.
5tooJotJ: She dlssecLed SmlLh's dlsserLaLlon, polnLlng ouL
scores of errors.
5tooJotJ: We dlssecLed Lhe eye of a bull ln blology class
Loday.
Noo-stooJotJ: We blsecLed Lhe eye of a bull ln blology
class Loday.
- breath and breathe. A bteotb (noun) ls Lhe alr LhaL ls
lnhaled or exhaled from Lhe lungs. 1o bteotbe (verb)
ls Lhe acL of lnhallng or exhallng.
C
- cache and cachet. A cocbe (lA: /k[/) ls a sLorage
place from whlch lLems may be qulckly reLrleved. A
cocbet (lA: /k[ei/) ls a seal or mark, such as a wax
seal on an envelope or a mark of auLhenLlclLy on a
producL (usually used flguraLlvely Lo mean "marked
by excellence, dlsLlncLlon or superlorlLy").
5tooJotJ: 1he plraLes burled a cache of [ewels near Lhe
coasL.
5tooJotJ: Llvlng ln new ?ork ClLy deflnlLely has a cerLaln
cacheL.
Noo-stooJotJ: lf your web browser ls runnlng slowly, Lry
empLylng Lhe cacheL.
- can't and cant. coo't ls a conLracLlon of coooot. coot
has a number of dlfferenL meanlngs, lncludlng a
slope or slanL, or a klnd of slang or [argon spoken by
a parLlcular group of people. "CanLlng arms" ls a
coaL-of-arms LhaL represenLs meanlng of Lhe
bearer's surname.
5tooJotJ: l can'L undersLand Lhe dlalogue ln Lhls book
because lL ls wrlLLen ln canL.
5tooJotJ: Peralds do noL pun, Lhey canL.[8]
Noo-stooJotJ: l canL swlm, l have never Laken lessons.
- comp|ementary and comp||mentary. 1hlngs or
people LhaL go LogeLher well are complemeototy
(l.e., Lhey !"#$%&te each oLher), compllmeototy
descrlbes an lLem glven wlLhouL charge (consldered
a 'glfL'), usually ln addlLlon Lo a producL or servlce
LhaL may have been purchased. lL also descrlbes
pralse glven Lo someone or someLhlng.
5tooJotJ: Lxerclse, nuLrlLlon, and medlcal care are
complemenLary facLors ln good healLh.
5tooJotJ: 1he moLel provldes a compllmenLary breakfasL
Lo overnlghL guesLs.
5tooJotJ: !ane was compllmenLary abouL Lhe new couch,
whlch she sald complemenLs Lhe drapes and carpeL.
Slmllarly, a complemeot ls an accessory, whlle a compllmeot ls
a sLaLemenL of admlraLlon.
- comp|acency and comp|a|sance. comploceocy
means self-saLlsfacLlon especlally when accompanled
by unawareness of acLual dangers or deflclencles.
complolsooce means Lhe wllllngness Lo comply wlLh
Lhe wlshes of oLhers.
- cont|guous, cont|nua|, and cont|nuous. cootlqooos
means "Louchlng" or "ad[olnlng ln space", cootloool
means "repeaLed ln rapld successlon", cootloooos
means "unlnLerrupLed" (ln Llme or space).
5tooJotJ: Alaska ls noL one of Lhe forLy-elghL conLlguous
sLaLes.
5tooJotJ: 1he fleld was surrounded by a conLlnuous fence.
5tooJotJ: 1he conLlnuous murmur of Lhe sLream.
5tooJotJ: Pls conLlnual lnLerrupLlons are very lrrlLaLlng.
- cont|ngent and cont|ngency. As a noun, a cootloqeot
ls a represenLaLlve group, a cootloqeocy ls a posslble
evenL.
5tooJotJ: 1he explorers were prepared for every
conLlngency.
5tooJotJ: Pe was a member of Lhe Callfornla conLlngenL aL
Lhe convenLlon.
Noo-stooJotJ: Pe was greeLed by a conLlngency from Lhe
school board.
- crotch and crutch. A ctotcb ls an area where
someLhlng branches or forks off ln Lwo dlrecLlons, or
Lhe area on a person's body where Lhe legs fork from
Lhe Lrunk (commonly lnLerchanged wlLh 'groln'). A
ctotcb ls a devlce LhaL asslsLs moLlon, especlally one
LhaL slLs under Lhe armplL. lL ls also used
meLaphorlcally for someLhlng LhaL supporLs, ofLen
negaLlvely Lo lmply a dependency on someLhlng LhaL
would noL be needed by a healLhy person.
D
- dec|mate and devastate. 1o Jeclmote ls Lo damage
or remove a large porLlon of someLhlng, ofLen one-
LenLh (laLln decem=LenLh), Lo Jevostote ls Lo desLroy
or ruln mosL of someLhlng.
- defuse and d|ffuse. 1o Jefose ls Lo remove Lhe fuse
from a bomb, or ln general Lo render a slLuaLlon less
dangerous, whereas Lo Jlffose ls Lo dlsperse
randomly. ulffose can also be used as an ad[ecLlve,
meanlng "noL concenLraLed".
5tooJotJ: 8lll's face Lurned red aL !oe's LacLless remark Lo
Lhe kennel Club meeLlng, buL Clarlce defused Lhe slLuaLlon by
Lurnlng lL lnLo a [oke. "noL LhaL even a uachshund would
sLoop so low, of course!" she qulpped.
5tooJotJ: 1he speaker droned on, hls words llke a
powerful sleeplng gas slowly dlffuslng Lhrough Lhe sLuffy alr
of Lhe audlLorlum.
5tooJotJ: 1he spoLllghLs wenL dark, leavlng Lhe scene llL
only by Lhe dlffuse glow of Lhe lanLerns.
Noo-stooJotJ: PousLon was aware lL was happenlng and
worked Lo dlffuse Lhe campalgn laLe ln Lhe process.[9]
Noo-stooJotJ: A governmenL agency long assoclaLed wlLh
efforLs Lo medlaLe and dlffuse Lense slLuaLlons ln
communlLles helped organlze rallles over Lhe kllllng of llorlda
Leen 1rayvon MarLln lasL year, a conservaLlve leanlng legal
advocacy group clalms.[10]
Noo-stooJotJ: Cavallers small forward Luol ueng Lrled Lo
dlffuse all Lhe quesLlons abouL how emoLlonal lL wlll be faclng
hls former Leam -- Lhe Chlcago 8ulls -- Wednesday nlghL aL
1he C.[11]
Noo-stooJotJ: AfLer flndlng Lhe suspecLed bomb,
ennsylvanla sLaLe pollce were called ln Lo dlffuse lL.[12]
- desert and dessert. A Jesett ls a barren or
unlnhablLed place, an older meanlng of Lhe word ls
"whaL one deserves", as ln Lhe ldlom [usL deserLs. A
Jessett ls Lhe lasL course of a meal.
- d|sassemb|e and d|ssemb|e. 1o Jlsossemble means
"Lo dlsmanLle" (e.g. Lo Lake a machlne code program
aparL Lo see how lL works), Lo Jlssemble means "Lo
Lell lles".
- d|sburse and d|sperse. ulsbotse means "Lo glve ouL",
especlally money. ulspetse means "Lo scaLLer".
- d|screet and d|screte. ulscteet means "clrcumspecL".
ulsctete means "havlng separaLe parLs", as opposed
Lo conLlguous.
- d|s|nterested and un|nterested. 1o be JlslotetesteJ
ln someLhlng means Lo noL be blased abouL
someLhlng (l.e. Lo have no personal sLake ln a
parLlcular slde of an lssue). 1o be oolotetesteJ
means Lo noL be lnLeresLed ln or lnLrlgued by
someLhlng.
5tooJotJ: As Lhelr good frlend, l Lrled Lo medlaLe Lhelr
argumenL ln a dlslnLeresLed manner so as noL Lo anger elLher.
5tooJotJ: 1hough hls lnlLlal reacLlon suggesLed oLherwlse,
he malnLalns LhaL he remalns unlnLeresLed ln Lhe buslness
proposlLlon.
Noo-stooJotJ: 1he key Lo aLLracLlng a member of Lhe
opposlLe sex ls Lo balance beLween glvlng aLLenLlon Lo hlm or
her and appearlng dlslnLeresLed.
L
- econom|c and econom|ca|. cooomlc means "havlng
Lo do wlLh Lhe economy". cooomlcol means
"flnanclally prudenL, frugal" and also flguraLlvely ln
Lhe sense "sparlng use" (of Llme, language, eLc.)[13]
- 5tooJotJ: 8uylng ln bulk can ofLen be Lhe
mosL economlcal cholce.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he acLor should be economlcal
ln hls use of movemenL.
- 5tooJotJ: Pe aLLended Lhe School of
Lconomlc and 8uslness Sclences.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Leadlng economlcal
lndlcaLors suggesL LhaL a recesslon may be
on Lhe horlzon.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1he acLor should be
economlc ln hls use of movemenL.
- e.g. and |.e. 1he abbrevlaLlon e.q. sLands for Lhe
LaLln exempll qtotl "for example", and should be
used when Lhe example(s) glven are [usL one or a
few of many. 1he abbrevlaLlon l.e. sLands for Lhe
LaLln lJ est "LhaL ls", and ls used Lo glve Lhe only
example(s) or Lo oLherwlse quallfy Lhe sLaLemenL
[usL made.
- 5tooJotJ: A 8rlLon ls a 8rlLlsh clLlzen, e.g.
!ohn Lennon.
- 5tooJotJ: 1olklen's 1be nobblt ls named
afLer lLs proLagonlsL, l.e., 8llbo 8agglns.
- Noo-stooJotJ: A 8rlLon ls a 8rlLlsh clLlzen,
l.e., aul McCarLney (ot tbe lost cooot, tbete
wete oboot 60 mlllloo 8tltoos-5lt lool ls
fot ftom beloq tbe ooly ooe)
- em|grat|on and |mm|grat|on. mlqtotloo ls Lhe
process of leavlng a counLry, lmmlqtotloo ls Lhe
process of arrlvlng ln a counLry-ln boLh cases,
lndeflnlLely.
- 5tooJotJ: LLhnlc communlLles, such as LlLLle
lLaly, were creaLed by people emlgraLlng
from Lhelr home counLrles.
- em|nent, preem|nent, |mm|nent, and |mmanent.
mloeot, orlglnally meanlng "emerglng", means
"lllusLrlous or hlghly-regarded". lteemloeot means
"mosL hlghly-regarded". lmmloeot means "abouL Lo
occur". lmmooeot (less common Lhan Lhe oLher Lwo,
and ofLen Lheologlcal) means "lndwelllng,
pervadlng".
- 5tooJotJ: 1he emlnenL docLor !ones
LesLlfled on behalf of Lhe defence.
- 5tooJotJ: 8umours LhaL war was lmmlnenL
soon spread Lhrough Lhe populaLlon.
- 5tooJotJ: Cod's grace ls lmmanenL
LhroughouL Lhe enLlre creaLlon.
- ep|tome ls used Lo mean a Lyplcal or ldeal example
of someLhlng. ep|demy ls an epldemlc dlsease.
- eponymous ls used Lo descrlbe someLhlng whlch
glves lLs name Lo someLhlng else, noL someLhlng
whlch recelves Lhe name of someLhlng else.
- 5tooJotJ: lrank, Lhe eponymous owner of
ltook's 8lstto, prepares all meals ln a
spoLless klLchen.
- Noo-stooJotJ: lrank malnLalns an
eponymous resLauranL, ltook's 8lstto.
- exacerbate and exasperate. xocetbote means "Lo
make worse". xospetote means "Lo exhausL",
usually someone's paLlence.
- 5tooJotJ: 1reaLmenL by unLralned
personnel can exacerbaLe ln[urles.
- 5tooJotJ: uo noL leL !ack Lalk Lo Lhe sLaLe
Lrooper, he ls LacLless and wlll [usL
exasperaLe her.
- exped|ent and exped|t|ous. xpeJleot means "done
convenlenLly or qulckly, buL posslbly lmproperly".
xpeJltloos means "done efflclenLly", and does noL
carry any negaLlve connoLaLlon.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he chef's expedlenL soluLlon was
Lo mlcrowave Lhe undercooked hamburger.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he chef's expedlLlous soluLlon
was Lo cook a new hamburger.
I
- f|esh and f|ush. 1o flesb oot ls Lo add flesh Lo a
skeleLon, or meLaphorlcally Lo add subsLance Lo an
lncompleLe renderlng. 1o flosb oot ls Lo cause game
fowl Lo Lake Lo fllghL, or Lo frlghLen any quarry from
a place of concealmenL.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he forenslc paLhologlsL wlll flesh
ouL Lhe skull wlLh clay.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he beaLers flushed ouL Lhe game
wlLh drums and Lorches.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1hls ouLllne ls lncompleLe
and musL be flushed ouL.
- f|ounder and founder. 1o floooJet ls Lo be clumsy,
confused, lndeclslve, as lf flopplng abouL llke a flsh
ouL of waLer (a floooJet belng a klnd of flsh). 1o
foooJet ls Lo flll wlLh waLer and slnk (or, flguraLlvely,
Lo fall).
- 5tooJotJ: 1he shlp ls damaged and may
founder.
- 5tooJotJ: She was flounderlng on Lhe
balance beam.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1he shlp ls damaged and
may flounder.
- f|out and f|aunt. Cne floots a rule or law by
flagranLly lgnorlng lL. Cne flooots someLhlng by
showlng lL off.
- 5tooJotJ: lf you have lL, flaunL lL.
- 5tooJotJ: Pe conLlnually flouLed Lhe speed
llmlL.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he dlplomaL's son flaunLed hls
ablllLy Lo flouL Lhe speed llmlL.
- Noo-stooJotJ: lf you have lL, flouL lL.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Pe conLlnually flaunLed Lhe
speed llmlL.
n
- hay and straw. noy ls a grassy planL used as anlmal
fodder. 5ttow ls Lhe dry sLalk of a cereal planL (e.g.,
barley, oaLs, rlce, rye), afLer Lhe graln or seed has
been removed, lL ls used Lo llne an anlmal's sLall or
for lnsulaLlon.
- hang. 1o booq someLhlng or someone ln Lhe presenL
Lense, one uses Lhe same form. ln Lhe pasL, however,
plcLures are booq or booqeJ.
- hangar and hanger. 1he aeroplane ls ln Lhe hangar,
Lhe coaL ls on Lhe hanger.
- hear and here. 1o "hear" ls Lo deLecL a sound wlLh
one's ears. "Pere" refers Lo one's lmmedlaLe
locaLlon.
- hoard and horde. A bootJ ls a sLore or accumulaLlon
of Lhlngs. A botJe ls a large group of people.
- 5tooJotJ: A horde of shoppers llned up Lo
be Lhe flrsL Lo buy Lhe new glzmo.
- 5tooJotJ: Pe has a hoard of dlsconLlnued
rare cards.
- Noo-stooJotJ: uo noL horde Lhe candy,
share lL.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1he hoard charged when Lhe
horns sounded.
I
- |mp|y and |nfer. SomeLhlng ls lmplleJ lf lL ls a
suggesLlon lnLended by Lhe person speaklng,
whereas a concluslon ls lofetteJ lf lL ls reached by
Lhe person llsLenlng.
- 5tooJotJ: When 1ony Lold me he had no
money, he was lmplylng LhaL l should glve
hlm some.
- 5tooJotJ: When 1ony Lold me he had no
money, l lnferred LhaL l should glve hlm
some.
- Noo-stooJotJ: When 1ony Lold me he had
no money, he was lnferrlng LhaL l should
glve hlm some.
- |nherent and |nher|t. A parL lobeteot lo x ls loglcally
lnseparable from x. 1o lobetlt ls a verb, meanlng
"pass down a generaLlon".
- 5tooJotJ: 8lsk ls lnherenL ln Lhe sLock
markeL.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he nexL presldenL lnherlLs a
legacy of mlsLrusL and fear.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1here ls vlolence lnherlL ln
Lhe sysLem.
- |t's and |ts. lt's ls a conLracLlon LhaL replaces lt ls or lt
bos (see aposLrophe). lts ls Lhe possesslve
deLermlner correspondlng Lo lt, meanlng "belonglng
Lo lL".
- 5tooJotJ: lL's Llme Lo eaL! (lL ls Llme)
- 5tooJotJ: lL's been nlce geLLlng Lo meeL
you. (lL has been)
- 5tooJotJ: My cell phone has poor recepLlon
because lLs anLenna ls broken.
- Noo-stooJotJ: lLs good Lo be Lhe klng.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1he blcycle Llre had losL all of
lL's pressure.
- |rony. SomeLhlng ls ltoolc lf lL ls Lhe opposlLe of whaL
ls approprlaLe, expecLed, or flLLlng.
- 5tooJotJ: lL ls lronlc LhaL Lhe cenLer for Lhe
handlcapped has no wheelchalr ramp.
- 5tooJotJ: lL ls lronlc LhaL Alanls MorlsseLLe
wroLe a song called "lronlc" wlLh many
examples, noL one of whlch ls acLually
lronlc.
- Noo-stooJotJ: lL ls lronlc LhaL Ceorge W
8ush ls rlghL-handed and 8epubllcan whlle
8lll CllnLon ls lefL-handed and uemocraLlc.
- Noo-stooJotJ: lL ls ralnlng on our weddlng
day! ls lL noL lronlc?
- |s|e and a|s|e. An lsle ls an lsland. An alsle ls a
corrldor Lhrough whlch one may pass from one place
Lo anoLher.
- 5tooJotJ: Pe came from a small lsle ln Lhe
Carlbbean.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he coffee ls down Lhe Lhlrd alsle
on Lhe lefL.
- |nvar|ab|y. lovotlobly means olwoys, oocbooqloq,
coostoot.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he Sun lnvarlably rlses every
mornlng.
- Noo-5tooJotJ: 1he word declmaLed ls
lnvarlably mlsused by [ournallsLs.
I
- [|ve and [|be. !lve ls hepcaL paLols or decepLlon. !lbe
ls Lo be ln accord wlLh.
- 5tooJotJ: uon'L glve me LhaL same old [lve.
- 5tooJotJ: ?our reporL doesn'L [lbe wlLh Lhe
facLs.
- Noo-stooJotJ: ?our reporL doesn'L [lve wlLh
Lhe facLs.
L
- |ay (loy, lolJ, lolJ, loyloq, loys) and ||e (lle, loy, lolo,
lyloq, lles) are ofLen used synonymously. loy ls a
LranslLlve verb, meanlng LhaL lL Lakes an ob[ecL. "1o
lay someLhlng" means Lo place someLhlng. lle, on
Lhe oLher hand, ls lnLranslLlve and means Lo recllne.
1he dlsLlncLlon beLween Lhese relaLed verbs ls
furLher blurred by Lhe facL LhaL Lhe pasL Lense of lle
ls loy. An easy rule of Lhumb ls Lo replace Lhe words
wlLh slt and set. lf slt makes sense (e.g. slL down)
Lhen lle should be used (lle down). lf Lhe senLence
works wlLh set (e.g. seL Lhe book on Lhe Lable) Lhen
loy should be used (lay Lhe book on Lhe Lable). A
|ayoff ls never a lleoff or lyoff. (1o lle can also mean
"Lo noL Lell Lhe LruLh" - buL ln LhaL case, Lhe pasL
Lense ls lleJ.)
- 5tooJotJ: l lay my husband's work cloLhes
ouL for hlm every mornlng. ?esLerday, l
declded Lo see lf he pald aLLenLlon Lo whaL l
was dolng, so l lald ouL one whlLe sock and
one black. Pe dld noL noLlce!
- 5tooJotJ: ?ou should noL lle down rlghL
afLer eaLlng a large meal. ?esLerday, l lay on
my bed for half an hour afLer dlnner, and
suffered lndlgesLlon as a resulL. My wlfe
saw me lylng Lhere and made me geL up,
she Lold me LhaL lf l had walLed for a couple
of hours l could have laln down ln perfecL
comforL.
- 5tooJotJ: ?ou lled Lo me, Lhere ls no hldden
chamber!
- Noo-stooJotJ: Slnce Lhe gunmen remalned
aL large for more Lhan four monLhs afLer Lhe
shooLlng, nellum ofLen |a|d ln bed
wonderlng who hls assallanLs were and
wheLher Lhey mlghL come afLer hlm
agaln.[14]
- Noo-stooJotJ: "lL could be easy for Lhose
guys Lo |ay down. AfLer l lefL, Lhey could
have [usL |a|d down."[13]
- Noo-stooJotJ: ?ueyue |a|d moLlonless ln
Lhe sLreeL for 10 mlnuLes unLll Chen
xlanmel, a 38-year-old woman who collecLs
Lrash for a llvlng, passed by.[16]
- Noo-stooJotJ: Schaub |a|d on Lhe ground
for a whlle before belng Laken off Lhe
fleld.[17]
- Noo-stooJotJ: !urors squlrmed Monday as a
MassachuseLLs paLhologlsL deLalled Lhe
wounds lnfllcLed on Lhe 19 bodles
prosecuLors have laln aL Lhe feeL of repuLed
8osLon mob boss !ames "WhlLey"
8ulger.[18]
- Noo-stooJotJ: lor Lwo days he lald ln bed,
locked ln a daze.[19]
- Noo-stooJotJ: ls Lhls bed comforLable when
you lay on lL? (Should be lle)
- Noo-stooJotJ: ?esLerday l lled down ln my
offlce durlng Lhe lunch hour. (Should be loy)
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1here was no reason for hlm
Lo have lald down ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe paLh,
lL unnerved me Lo see hlm laylng Lhere
saylng noLhlng. (Should be "have laln down"
and "hlm lylng Lhere")
- Noo-stooJotJ: Lle Lhe baby down, and
change hls dlaper (Should be loy, as lle ls
lnLranslLlve)
- Noo-stooJotJ: l am golng Lo lay ouL ln Lhe
sun and work on my Lan. (Should be lle. ln
general, Lhe Lerm loy oot when referrlng Lo
sunbaLhlng ls always non-sLandard usage.)
- Noo-stooJotJ: Sorry, l lay abouL our
appolnLmenL yesLerday. (Should be lleJ)
- Noo-stooJotJ: ?ou should noL |ay down
rlghL afLer eaLlng a large meal. ?esLerday, l
||ed on my bed for half an hour afLer dlnner,
and suffered lndlgesLlon as a resulL. My wlfe
saw me |ay|ng Lhere and made me geL up,
she Lold me LhaL lf l had walLed for a couple
of hours l could have ||ed down ln perfecL
comforL. (Should be lle, loy, lyloq and lolo)
- |evee and |evy. A levee ls a sLrucLure bullL along a
rlver Lo ralse Lhe helghL of lLs banks, Lhereby
prevenLlng nearby land from floodlng (see: dlke). 1o
levy ls Lo lmpose (1) a Lax, flne or oLher assessmenL,
or (2) a mlllLary drafL, as a noun, a levy ls an
assessmenL or army Lhus gaLhered. 1he Lwo words
share a common rooL, buL Lhey are noL consldered
lnLerchangeable ln SLandard Lngllsh. 8ecause Lhey
are homophones, mlsuse ls usually only apparenL
when observed ln wrlLlng.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he neLherlands ls well known
for lLs elaboraLe sysLem of levees.
- 5tooJotJ: 1hls sLaLuLe allows Lhe sLaLe Lo
levy a 3 Lax.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 8ecenL sLorms have
weakened Lhe levy.
- |oathe and |oath or |oth: lootbe ls a verb meanlng
"Lo sLrongly dlsllke", and lootb (or lotb) ls an
ad[ecLlve meanlng "unwllllng" or "relucLanL".
- 5tooJotJ: l loaLhe arroganL people.
- 5tooJotJ: l was loaLh Lo concede defeaL.
- 5tooJotJ: l was loLh Lo submlL Lo a body-
cavlLy search unLll l saw who would be
admlnlsLerlng lL.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Colangelo and krzyzewskl
are loaLhe Lo break Lhe players up lnLo
caLegorles, buL essenLlally, LhaL's whaL ls ln
place.[20]
- Noo-stooJotJ: Whlch ls why Lhe anLhers
were loaLhe Lo glve hlm a guaranLeed
conLracL.[21]
- |ose and |oose. lose can mean "fall Lo wln",
"mlsplace", or "cease Lo be ln possesslon". loose can
mean Lhe opposlLe of LlghL, or Lhe opposlLe of
LlghLen. lose ls ofLen mlsspelled loose, llkely because
lose has an lrregular rhyme for Lhe way lL ls spelled:
lL ls more common for words endlng -ose Lo rhyme -
ooz, llke oose, or tose, buL lose rhymes -u:z, llke
oews or coofose. 1hls may cause poor spellers Lo
guess Lhe correcL spelllng should maLch anoLher -u:z
rhymlng word llke cboose, alLhough cboose ls lLself
also an excepLlon Lo Lhe regular rhyme for words
endlng -oose (Lyplcally such words, lncludlng loose,
rhyme -u:s, llke qoose or coboose).
- 5tooJotJ: We cannoL afford Lo lose
cusLomers Lo our compeLlLors.
- 5tooJotJ: A screw ls loose and l need a
screwdrlver Lo LlghLen lL.
- Noo-stooJotJ: lf Lhe Leam cannoL score any
polnLs, Lhey wlll loose Lhe game.
M
- macerate, mar|nate, and mar|nade. (lrom posL-
classlcal LaLln motloo brlne, shorL for classlcal LaLln
opoo motloo sea waLer.)[22] ln SLandard Lngllsh,
motlooJe ls a noun and noL a verb, marlnaLe ls Lhe
verb. Mocetote means "Lo sofLen by sLeeplng ln a
llquld" and ln cullnary Lermlnology ls used for non-
proLeln lLems, speclflcally ftolt.[22] 1he word
mocetote ls also used ln sclence "Lo sofLen bone,
rock eLc. ln a llquld".[22]
- 5tooJotJ: 1he meaL wlll LasLe beLLer lf you
marlnaLe lL ln ollve oll before cooklng.
- 5tooJotJ: repare Lhe marlnade by mlxlng
vlnegar and soy sauce.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Marlnade Lhe meaL ln wlne
for half an hour.
- 5tooJotJ: MaceraLe Lhe frulL ln wlne for half
an hour.
- Noo-stooJotJ: MarlnaLe Lhe frulL ln wlne for
half an hour.
- me, myse|f, and I. ln a LradlLlonal prescrlpLlve
grammar, l ls used only as a sub[ecL, me ls used only
as an ob[ecL, and myself ls used only as a reflexlve
ob[ecL, LhaL ls Lo say when Lhe sub[ecL ls "l" and Lhe
ob[ecL would oLherwlse be "me". Myself ls ofLen
used lncorrecLly, ofLen ln a form of hypercorrecLlon.
Llke Lhe oLher reflexlve pronouns, myself should be
used only when boLh Lhe sub[ecL and ob[ecL of Lhe
verb are Lhe speaker, or as an emphaLlc pronoun
(lnLenslfler).
- 5tooJotJ: !lm and l Look Lhe Lraln.
- 5tooJotJ: Pe lenL Lhe books Lo !lm and me.
- 5tooJotJ: 1haL ls l ln Lhe plcLure. (1hls ls
very formal, and seldom found ln speech.)
- Acceptoble: 1haL ls me ln Lhe plcLure. (1hls
ls Lyplcal ln lnformal Lngllsh.)
- 5tooJotJ (lnLenslfylng): l myself have seen
lnsLances of LhaL Lype.
- 5tooJotJ (reflexlve): l hurL myself. l dld lL Lo
myself. l played by myself. l wanL Lo en[oy
myself.
- Noo-stooJotJ: !lm and me wenL lnLo Lown.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Me and !lm wenL lnLo Lown.
- Noo-stooJotJ: As for myself, l prefer Lhe
red.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Pe ls an Amerlcan llke
myself.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Pe gave Lhe paper Lo !lm and
myself.
- Noo-stooJotJ: My wlfe and myself do noL
llke Lhe developmenL.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 'l wake up/WlLh my eyes
shuL LlghL/Poplng Lomorrow wlll never
come/lor you and l.' (Should be lot yoo ooJ
me) (lrom "?ou And l, arL ll" by lleeLwood
Mac)
- Noo-stooJotJ: "Allow myself Lo lnLroduce
myself." (An example of lnLenLlonal mlsuse
for humorous effecL, from Aostlo lowets.
lotetootloool Moo of Mystety.)
- m|t|gate and m|||tate. 1o mltlqote ls Lo make
someLhlng mllder, Lyplcally someLhlng undeslrable,
and Lakes no preposlLlon. 1o mllltote ls Lo flghL or
exerL pressure for someLhlng Lo happen or noL Lo
happen, lL ls Lyplcally followed by a preposlLlon.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he serlousness of your crlme
was mlLlgaLed by Lhe provocaLlon you were
under.
- 5tooJotJ: Cver-proLecLlve pracLlces ln Lhls
facLory mlllLaLe agalnsL lncreased efflclency.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Cver-proLecLlve pracLlces ln
Lhls facLory mlLlgaLe agalnsL lncreased
efflclency.
N
- nov|ce and nov|t|ate. A oovlce ls a prospecLlve or
Lralnee member, as of a rellglous order. 1he
oovltlote ls Lhe sLaLe of belng a novlce, or Lhe Llme
for whlch one ls a novlce. Powever, a novlce monk
or nun ls ofLen lncorrecLly descrlbed as "a novlLlaLe"
(perhaps confused wlLh "lnlLlaLe").
C
- of and have. ln some dlalecLs of spoken Lngllsh, of
and Lhe conLracLed form of bove, 've, sound allke.
Powever, ln sLandard wrlLLen Lngllsh, Lhey are noL
lnLerchangeable.
- 5tooJotJ: Susan would have sLopped Lo eaL,
buL she was runnlng laLe.
- 5tooJotJ: ?ou could have warned me!
- Noo-stooJotJ: l should of known LhaL Lhe
sLore would be closed. (Should be "l
should've known")
- overest|mate and underest|mate. 1here ls frequenL
confuslon beLween Lhlngs LhaL coooot and sboolJ
oot be over/underesLlmaLed, Lhough Lhe meanlngs
are opposlLe.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he damage caused by polluLlon
cannoL be overesLlmaLed (l.e. lL ls so
enormous LhaL no esLlmaLe, however hlgh,
ls excesslve)
- 5tooJotJ: 1he damage caused by polluLlon
should noL be overesLlmaLed (l.e. whlle
slgnlflcanL, lL would be wrong Lo exaggeraLe
lL)
- 5tooJotJ: 1he damage caused by polluLlon
should noL be underesLlmaLed (l.e. lL ls
wrong Lo regard lL as mlnor)
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1he damage caused by
polluLlon cannoL be underesLlmaLed (llLeral
meanlng: lL ls so mlnlmal LhaL no esLlmaLe ls
Loo small. lnLended meanlng: as ln Lhe flrsL
or Lhlrd example)

- pa||et, pa|ate and pa|ette. A pollet ls a wooden
plaLform or a Lhln sleeplng maLLress placed on Lhe
floor. 1he polote ls Lhe roof of Lhe mouLh, used Lo
refer Lo one's LasLes ln food. An arLlsL palnLs uslng a
polette.
- 5tooJotJ: AfLer unloadlng Lhe boxes from
Lhe palleLs, l slepL on a palleL on Lhe floor.
- 5tooJotJ: My palaLe ls noL very reflned.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he arLlsL placed globs of varylng
palnL colors on hls paleLLe before beglnnlng
Lo palnL.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1hls food always pleases my
palleL.
- Noo-stooJotJ: When lL comes Lo splclness
level, everyone's paleLLe ls dlfferenL.
- past and passed. lost refers Lo evenLs LhaL have
prevlously occurred, whlle posseJ ls Lhe pasL Lense
of "Lo pass", wheLher ln a congresslonal acLlon or a
physlcal occurrence.
- 5tooJotJ: Congress passed Lhe blll llmlLlng
Lhe powers of Lhe resldenL.
- 5tooJotJ: PlsLory ls malnly concerned wlLh
Lhe evenLs of Lhe pasL.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Pe pasL my house on hls way
Lo Lhe sLore.
- peremptory and preempt|ve. A petemptoty acL or
sLaLemenL ls absoluLe, lL cannoL be denled. A
pteemptlve acLlon ls one Laken before an adversary
can acL.
- 5tooJotJ: Pe lssued a perempLory order.
- 5tooJotJ: reempLlve alr sLrlkes sLopped
Lhe enemy from launchlng Lhe new warshlp.
- perpetrate and perpetuate. 1o petpettote
someLhlng ls Lo commlL lL, whlle Lo petpetoote
someLhlng ls Lo cause lL Lo conLlnue or Lo keep
happenlng.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he gang perpeLraLed ouLrages
agalnsL several clLlzens.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he sLorles only serve Lo
perpeLuaLe Lhe legend LhaL Lhe house ls
haunLed.
- perqu|s|te and prerequ|s|te. letpolslte usually
means 'an exLra allowance or prlvllege'. ltetepolslte
means 'someLhlng requlred as a condlLlon'.
- 5tooJotJ: Pe had all Lhe perqulslLes of a
movle sLar, lncludlng a sLand-ln.
- 5tooJotJ: asslng Lhe examlnaLlon was one
of Lhe prerequlslLes for a Leachlng poslLlon.
- perspect|ve and prospect|ve. letspectlve ls a vlew
wlLh correcL vlsual angles, example: parallel rallway
Lracks converglng ln Lhe dlsLance. "rospecLlve" ls a
fuLure posslblllLy or expecLaLlon.
- persp|cu|ty and persp|cac|ty. lf someLhlng ls
persplcuous, lL ls easlly undersLood, lLs meanlng ls
obvlous. lf one ls persplcaclous, Lhen one ls qulck Lo
undersLand or has good lnslghL.
- 5tooJotJ: l admlred her persplcaclLy, she
[usL seemed Lo geL lL so much beLLer Lhan l.
- 5tooJotJ: Pe expressed Lhe ldea so
persplcuously LhaL anyone could
undersLand.
- Noo-stooJotJ: She spoke ln a persplcaclous
way.
- photogen|c and photograph|c. 1he former ls Lo be
used Lo mean someone's llkeness ls parLlcularly
amenable Lo belng well phoLographed. 1he laLLer ls
anyLhlng perLalnlng Lo phoLography wheLher lL ls
Lechnlcal e.g. phoLographlc chemlcal or equlpmenL,
or generlc e.g. phoLographlc [ournals.
- pract|ce and pract|se. ln 8rlLlsh Lngllsh, ptoctlce ls
Lhe noun and ptoctlse ls Lhe verb, alLhough Lhls
dlsLlncLlon ls noL malnLalned ln Amerlcan Lngllsh.
- prescr|be and proscr|be. 1o ptesctlbe someLhlng ls Lo
command or recommend lL. 1o ptosctlbe somebody
or someLhlng ls Lo ouLlaw hlm, her or lL.
- prevar|cate and procrast|nate. 1o ptevotlcote ls Lo
avold Lelllng Lhe LruLh. 1o ptoctostloote ls puL off
dolng someLhlng LhaL needs Lo be done. [23]
- progeny and prod|gy. ltoqeoy are offsprlng or Lhlngs
LhaL follow someLhlng else. A ptoJlqy ls a genlus or a
marvelous example of someLhlng.
k
- redundant does noL mean "useless" or "unable Lo
perform lLs funcLlon". lL means LhaL Lhere ls an
excess of someLhlng, LhaL someLhlng ls "surplus Lo
requlremenLs" and no longer needed.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he week before ChrlsLmas, Lhe
company made sevenLy-flve workers
redundanL.
- 5tooJotJ: A new plll LhaL wlll lnsLanLly cure
any lllness has made anLlbloLlcs redundanL.
(AnLlbloLlcs could sLlll be used Lo cure
lllnesses, buL Lhey are no longer needed
because a beLLer plll has been lnvenLed.)
- Noo-stooJotJ: Cver-use of anLlbloLlcs rlsks
maklng Lhem redundanL. (1hls should read:
over-use of anLlbloLlcs rlsks maklng Lhem
lneffecLlve)
- reg|men and reg|ment. A teqlmeo ls a sysLem of
order, and may ofLen refer Lo Lhe sysLemaLlc doslng
of medlcaLlon. A teqlmeot ls a mlllLary unlL.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he slck soldler was removed
from hls reglmenL.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he slck soldler was ordered Lo
compleLe a reglmen of amoxlclllln.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 8uL wow, wlLhouL Lhe dally
reglmenL of baskeLball, lmaglne whaL wlll
happen Lo hlm?[24]
- Noo-stooJotJ: SporLs, sclence and
Lechnology are converglng aL an all-Llme
pace and elghL n8A Leams are
experlmenLlng wlLh a new devlce deslgned
Lo opLlmlze and personallze Lralnlng
reglmenLs, Lhus Lhe ablllLy Lo maxlmlze
performance and reduce ln[ury.[23]
- re|gn and re|n. A telqo refers Lo Lhe rule of a
monarch.[26] kelos are Lhe sLraps used Lo conLrol
Lhe movemenLs of an anlmal (Lyplcally a horse).[27]
1hus, Lo "Lake Lhe relns" means Lo assume conLrol,
and Lo have "free reln" means Lo be free of
consLralnLs.[28]
- Noo-stooJotJ: ...Lhe Suns gave SporLs
lllusLraLed's !ack McCallum free relgn of
pracLlces...[29]
- Noo-stooJotJ: 8obby !lndal, a whlz kld
Lakes Lhe relgns of Loulslana's ueparLmenL
of PealLh and PosplLal[30]
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1aylor wlll be passlng on Lhe
relgns of Lhe nelghborhood school Lo
AsslsLanL rlnclpal Amy klelner.[31]
- Noo-stooJotJ: ...hls reln of Lerror ln 1969 ls
fasclnaLlng parL of Lhe hlsLory of 20Lh
cenLury crlme...[32]
- Noo-stooJotJ: Pe spenL Lhe lasL four
seasons Lrylng Lo paLch LogeLher llneups ln
PousLon, where ln[urles relned supreme,
and he had a greaL deal of success under
Lhe clrcumsLances.[33]
- Noo-stooJotJ: Wesley !ohnson: lL's more
LhaL !ohnson was proven a long-llmbed busL
before Llndsey PunLer and a Lanklng
hoenlx Leam gave hlm free relgn Lo [ack
Lrlples and perhaps clarlfy hls n8A desLlny.
!ohnson sLlll shoL [usL 32 percenL from deep
amld all LhaL freedom, hls chances of
membershlp here look sllm.[34]
- Noo-stooJotJ: Cver 13 games, he averaged
13.3 polnLs and 9.9 asslsLs whlle shooLlng
44.8 percenL from 3-polnL range (whlle
relgnlng ln hls aLLempLs a blL).[33]
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1he LranslLlon from Lhe
prevlous luxury Lax sysLem, whlch penallzed
Leams one dollar for every dollar Lhey wenL
over Lhe Lax Lhreshold, Lo Lhe new one LhaL
lncludes an escalaLlng pay scale for every $3
mllllon Leams go over Lhe Lhreshold, was
supposed Lo relgn ln spendlng and help
level Lhe playlng fleld.[36]
- Noo-stooJotJ: lf you're Mlke Luplca you
have Lhe blggesL column ln one of Amerlca's
largesL clrculaLlon newspapers, you hosL a
presLlge show on LSn each week and you
have, presumably, free relgn Lo Lalk abouL
whaLever you wanL Lo Lalk abouL ln
sporLs.[37]
- re|uctant and ret|cent. 8eLlcenL means quleL and
unwllllng Lo speak, relucLanL means unwllllng Lo do
someLhlng.
- 5tooJotJ: Pe was relucLanL Lo come Lo Lhe
parLy.
- 5tooJotJ: Pe ls reLlcenL ln expresslng hls
feellngs.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Pe ls reLlcenL Lo press
charges.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1he Warrlors and new ?ork
knlcks have been Lwo of Lhe mosL perslsLenL
sulLors for Lowry, buL 1oronLo's recenL run
of success has made Lhe fronL offlce more
reLlcenL Lo unload Lowry, league sources
sald.[38]
- revert. 1o reverL ls Lo reLurn Lo a former sLaLe, noL Lo
reply or respond Lo someone.
- 5tooJotJ: 1he Pulk reverLed Lo 8ruce
8anner afLer he had a nlce cup of Lea and
calmed down a blL.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1hanks for your emall, l wlll
look lnLo Lhls and reverL Lo you.[39]
S
- sensua| and sensuous. 8oLh words mean "Lo do wlLh
Lhe senses". 5eosool ls more ofLen applled Lo a
pleasure or experlence or Lo a person's characLer,
seosooos Lo someone or someLhlng of enLlclng
appearance.
- 5tooJotJ: uon !uan ls Lhe mosL sensual
characLer ln flcLlon.
- 5tooJotJ: AsceLlcs belleve ln avoldlng all
sensual pleasures.
- 5tooJotJ: Marllyn Monroe looks exLremely
sensuous ln Lhls fllm cllp.
- set and s|t. When used as a LranslLlve verb, Lo set
means "Lo place" or "Lo ad[usL Lo a value", whereas
Lo slt means "Lo be seaLed".
- 5tooJotJ: SeL Lhe poL upon Lhe sLove.
- 5tooJotJ: SeL Lhe LemperaLure-conLrol Lo
100 C.
- Noo-stooJotJ: SeL down over Lhere.
- 5tooJotJ: SlL on Lhe chalr.
- sh|rk and shr|nk. 1o sbltk means "Lo conslsLenLly
avold", "Lo neglecL", "Lo be Loo afrald Lo engage". 1o
sbtlok means "Lo conLracL", "Lo become physlcally
smaller ln slze", also, Lo sbtlok owoy means, "Lo
suddenly [erk away from someLhlng ln horror".
Powever, Lo sbtlok ftom may also mean, "Lo heslLaLe
or show relucLance Loward".
- 5tooJotJ: l wlll noL shlrk dlscusslon.
- 5tooJotJ: l wlll noL shrlnk from dlscusslon.
- 5tooJotJ: She shrank away from me.
- Noo-stooJotJ: l wlll noL shrlnk dlscusslon.
- Noo-stooJotJ: l wlll noL shlrk from
dlscusslon.
- s|nce and sense. 5loce ls used as an adverb or a
preposlLlon Lo lmply Lhe same meanlng as "afLer
Lhen" or "from" ln a senLence. 5eose ls a noun
meanlng any meLhod Lo gaLher daLa abouL an
envlronmenL.
- 5tooJotJ: l have known her slnce lasL year.
- 5tooJotJ: My sense of smell ls weak.
- Noo-stooJotJ: l won'L go sense l have no
fuel.
- Noo-stooJotJ: l can slnce your aura.
- c|te, s|ght and s|te. A slqbt ls someLhlng seen, a slte
ls a place. 1o clte ls Lo quoLe or llsL as a source.
- 5tooJotJ: ?ou are a slghL for sore eyes.
- 5tooJotJ: l found a llsL of Lhe slghLs of
8ome on a LourlsL slLe.
- 5tooJotJ: lease clLe Lhe sources you used
ln your essay.
- 5tooJotJ: ?ou musL Lravel Lo Lhe slLe of Lhe
dlg Lo see Lhe dlnosaur bones.
- 5tooJotJ: lL ls necessary Lo have llne-of-
slghL lf you wanL Lo use semaphore.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Cne musL be careful on a
consLrucLlon slghL.
- Noo-stooJotJ: l wlll slLe Lhe book ln whlch l
saw Lhe sLaLlsLlcs.
- Noo-stooJotJ: l could noL flre because l dld
noL have llne-of-slLe Lo Lhe LargeL.

1
- temb|or and tremb|er. A temblot ls an earLhquake. A
ttemblet ls someLhlng LhaL Lrembles.
- than and then. 1boo ls a grammaLlcal parLlcle and
preposlLlon assoclaLed wlLh comparaLlves, whereas
tbeo ls an adverb and a noun. ln cerLaln dlalecLs, Lhe
Lwo words are usually homophones because Lhey
are funcLlon words wlLh reduced vowels, and Lhls
may cause speakers Lo confuse Lhem.
- 5tooJotJ: l llke plzza more Lhan lasagna.
- 5tooJotJ: We aLe dlnner, Lhen wenL Lo Lhe
movles.
- Noo-stooJotJ: ?ou are a beLLer person Lhen
l am.
- the|r, there, they're, and there're. 1bete refers Lo
Lhe locaLlon of someLhlng. 1belt means "belonglng Lo
Lhem". 1bey'te ls a conLracLlon of "Lhey are".
1bete'te ls a conLracLlon of "Lhere are".
[
cltotloo
oeeJeJ
]

- 5tooJotJ: 1here're flve of Lhem, and Lhey're
all comlng Lo Lhe resLauranL for Lhelr dlnner,
we wlll meeL Lhem Lhere.
- Noo-stooJotJ: l don'L llke peanuLs because
of Lhere LexLure when belng chewed.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 8obby and Sally are comlng
over laLer and Lhere brlnglng some frlends
wlLh Lhem.
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1he dogs are lylng over Lhelr
ln Lhe shade.
- there's, where's, eLc. A common spoken mlsLake ls
uslng a slngular conLracLlon when lL should be plural
ln words llke tbete's and wbete's. 1hls sLems from
Lhe facL LhaL tbete'te and wbete'te are more dlfflculL
Lo enunclaLe and are ofLen avolded for LhaL reason ln
colloqulal speech.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Where's Lhe cars? (Should be
wbete'te or wbete ote)
- Noo-stooJotJ: 1here's many Lypes of car.
(Should be 1bete ote)
- throe and throw. 1btoe ls a spasm. 1btow means Lo
pass an ob[ecL back and forLh Lhrough Lhe alr.
- to and too. 1oo means "ln excess" or "also". 1o ls a
preposlLlon or ls a parL of a verb ln Lhe lnflnlLlve. AL
Lhe end of a senLence to may also refer Lo a dropped
verb ln Lhe lnflnlLlve.
- 5tooJotJ: l have Loo much Llme on my
hands.
- 5tooJotJ: klck lL Lo me.
- tr|mester. A ttlmestet ls a perlod of Lhree
monLhs.[40][41] 8ecause lL ls mosL commonly used
ln con[uncLlon wlLh a nlne-monLh ocoJemlc yeot[42]
or a nlne-monLh Lerm of human pregnancy,[43] lL ls
someLlmes wrongly assumed LhaL ttlmestet ls slmply
a synonym for one Lhlrd.[44][43]
- 5tooJotJ: Cne calendar year conLalns four
LrlmesLers.
- Noo-stooJotJ: WlLhouL furLher delay, Lhen,
comes LSn.com's annual (and overdue)
llrsL 1rlmesLer 8eporL, usherlng folks back
Lo Lhe offlce by Laklng sLock of Lhe season's
openlng Lhlrd:[46]
V
- vena| and ven|a|. 1hese words are someLlmes
confused, veool means "corrupL", "able Lo be
brlbed", or "for sale", veolol means "pardonable, noL
serlous".[13][47]
- 5tooJotJ: Accordlng Lo CaLhollc docLrlne,
eaLlng meaL on a lrlday durlng LenL ls a
venlal sln, buL murder ls a morLal sln.
- 5tooJotJ: All ages have examples of venal
pollLlclans.
W
- want, won't and wont. woot means Lhe acL of
deslrlng or wlshlng for someLhlng. woo't ls a
conLracLlon for "wlll noL", whlle woot ls a word
meanlng "accusLomed" or "lncllned Lo" (as an
ad[ecLlve) or "hablL or cusLom" (as a noun).
- 5tooJotJ: Pe won'L leL me drlve hls car.
- 5tooJotJ: Pe spenL Lhe mornlng readlng, as
he was wonL Lo do.
- 5tooJotJ: Pe Look a walk ln Lhe evenlng, as
was hls wonL.
- 5tooJotJ: Pls only wanL was Lo see hls son
agaln.
- Noo-stooJotJ: l wonL need Lo go Lo Lhe
supermarkeL afLer all.
- Noo-stooJotJ: Pe Look a walk ln Lhe
evenlng, as was hls wanL.
- warrantee and warranty. A warranLy ls a legal
assurance LhaL some ob[ecL can perform some
speclfled Lask or meeLs cerLaln quallLy sLandards. A
warranLee ls Lhe person who beneflLs from a
warranLy. 1he verb form ls warrant. Confuslon here
can sLem from guarantee and Lhe less common
guaranty, whlch have slmllar meanlngs.
- 5tooJotJ: MosL new cars come wlLh aL leasL
a Lhree-year warranLy.
- 5tooJotJ: l guaranLee LhaL you wlll make a
reLurn on your lnvesLmenL.
- Noo-stooJotJ: ?our moblle phone has
sLopped worklng? Maybe you need Lo clalm
under Lhe warranLee.
- who's and whose. wbose ls an lnLerrogaLlve word
(Whose ls Lhls?) or a relaLlve pronoun (1he people
whose house you admlred), wbo's ls a conLracLlon
for "who ls" or "who has".
- Noo-stooJotJ: "Whlch brlngs us rlghL back
Lo uel negro, whose navlgaLed Lhls
mercurlal sLreLch seamlessly."[48]
- woman and women. womoo ls Lhe slngular form of
Lhe word for an adulL human female. womeo ls Lhe
plural form.

- you're and your. Whlle Lhey sound Lhe same ln many
dlalecLs, ln sLandard wrlLLen Lngllsh Lhey have
separaLe meanlngs. oo'te ls a conLracLlon of "you
are", and yoot ls a possesslve pronoun meanlng
"belonglng Lo you". When ln doubL, check wheLher
Lhe word ln quesLlon can loglcally be expanded Lo
"you are".
- 5tooJotJ: When drlvlng, always wear your
seaLbelL.
- 5tooJotJ: lf you're golng ouL, please be
home by Len o'clock.
- Noo-stooJotJ: ?ou also can'L use 4C or L1L
lf you're Androld phone doesn'L supporL
8lueLooLh LeLherlng.[49]
- Noo-stooJotJ: ?ou're moLher called Lhls
mornlng.
- Noo-stooJotJ: ?our Lhe flrsL person Lo
noLlce my new halrcuL Loday!