Frequently Misused Words
The following words and expressions must be kept distinct. You should know when to use them, and when not to use them; some of them should never be used.
- a
an - accept
except - advice
advise - affect
effect - allowed
aloud - amount
number - are
our - as/as if
like - brake
break - choose
chose - coarse
course - complement: to complete
compliment: to praise - conscience
conscious - desert
dessert - different from
different than - do
due - due to
because - etc.
ect. - evokes
invokes - forth
fourth - have
of - hear
here - imply
infer - irrespective
regardless
irregardless - it's
its - knew
new - know
no - lay
lie
lay/laid/laid/laying
lie/lay/have lain/lying
lie/lied/lying - lead
led - loose
lose - moral
morale - passed
past - peace
piece - personal
personnel - principal
principle - quiet
quite - right
write - reason is because
reason is that - than
then - their
there
they're - threw
through - to
too
two - uninterested
disinterested - unique
most unique - weather
whether - were
where - which
witch - who's
whose - woman
women - you're
you
Normally, avoid redundancies.
- add
add in - history
past history - packaged
pre-packaged - perfect
most perfect - plan
pre-plan
plan ahead
pre-plan ahead - refer
refer back - report
report back - subtract
subtract out - the reason is that
the reason is because - They are the same.
They are both the same.
Often, prefer simple words to fancy words or more complicated expressions.
- buy
purchase - catch
apprehend - choose
opt for
elect - people
persons - snow
snow showers - use
utilize - women
ladies