Commonly Misused Words & Phrases
⇾ another think coming (not another thing coming)
⇾ bated breath (not baited breath)
⇾ beck and call (not beckon call)
⇾ buck naked (not butt naked)
⇾ by accident (not on accident)
⇾ by and large (not by in large)
⇾ case in point (not case and point)
⇾ change tack (not change tact)
⇾ couldn’t care less (not could care less)
⇾ deep-seated (not deep-seeded)
⇾ due diligence (not do diligence)
⇾ exact revenge (not extract revenge)
⇾ for all intents and purposes (not for all intensive purposes)
⇾ free rein (not free reign)
⇾ homing in (not honing in)
⇾ hunger pangs (not hunger pains)
⇾ jibe with (not jive with)
⇾ moot point (not mute point)
⇾ nerve-wracking (not nerve-wrecking)
⇾ nip it in the bud (not nip it in the butt)
⇾ on tenterhooks (not on tender hooks)
⇾ one and the same (not one in the same)
⇾ palm off (not pawn off)
⇾ piqued my interest (not peaked my interest)
⇾ pore over (not pour over)
⇾ scot free (not scotch free or scott free)
⇾ sleight of hand (not slight of hand)
⇾ spit and image (not spitting image)
⇾ whet your appetite (not wet your appetite)
⇾ accept: receive something (verb) // except: exclusion (preposition)
⇾ adverse: something harmful // averse: feeling of dislike
⇾ advice: guidance (noun) // advise: to give counsel (verb)
⇾ affect: to influence (verb) // effect: result (noun)
⇾ all together: same place, same time // altogether: whole or complete
⇾ allowed: permitted // aloud: audibly
⇾ allude: make indirect reference // elude: escape
⇾ amiable: referring to person // amicable: referring to interaction
⇾ among: expresses relationship between several items // between: expresses relationship of one thing to another or to many other things
⇾ amoral: lacking morality // immoral: not conforming to standard morality // nonmoral: morality is irrelevant
⇾ any time: noun phrase used after preposition // anytime: adverb
⇾ assure: to tell someone something with confidence // ensure: to make certain something will occur // insure: to protect
⇾ a while: noun // awhile: adverb
⇾ bate: angry mood // bait: lure
⇾ blond: masculine // blonde: feminine
⇾ breath: air inhaled and exhaled (noun) // breathe: the action of inhaling and exhaling (verb)
⇾ canvas: closely woven close used to make items // canvass: to look closely or to elicit votes
⇾ capital: city, wealth, or resource // capitol: building where lawmakers meet
⇾ carat: a measure of the purity of gold // caret: a mark placed below the line to indicate a proposed insertion in a text // carrot: a vegetable
⇾ complement: enhances something // compliment: expression of praise
⇾ conscience: noun; one’s awareness // conscious: adjective; awake or alert
⇾ continual: occurring at regular intervals // continuous: occurring without interruption
⇾ desert: dry terrain // dessert: sweet course
⇾ dichotomy: entirely opposite // discrepancy: relatively minor inconsistency // disparity: significant difference
⇾ disc: music or throwable object // disk: computer storage
⇾ discreet: unobtrusive // discrete: separate
⇾ disinterested: impartial // uninterested: bored or not wanting to be involved
⇾ each: refers to individual object or person in a group of two or more // every: refers to a group of objects or people in a group of three or more
⇾ e.g.: for example (exampli gratia) // i.e.: in other words (id est)
⇾ emigrate: to move away // immigrate: to move into
⇾ empathy: ability to understand another’s perspective or emotions (but do not necessarily share them) // sympathy: understand from one’s own perspective (and share feelings)
⇾ envy: feeling of desiring something one does not have // jealous: feeling of fearing losing something one does have
⇾ every day: adverb // everyday: adjective
⇾ farther: physical distance // further: metaphorical distance
⇾ fazed: disturbed // phased: staged
⇾ fewer: countable difference // less: metaphorical difference
⇾ flaunt: to show off // flout: to defy
⇾ hanged: death of person via hanging // hung: to have suspended something
⇾ historic: famous or influential // historical: related to history
⇾ ingenious: to be clever and creative // ingenuous: to be innocent and unsuspecting
⇾ its: possessive form // it’s: it is
⇾ lay: placement of something // lie: act of reclining
⇾ loose: not fixed in place (adjective) // lose: to be deprived of or defeated (verb)
⇾ may: high possibility // might: low possibility
⇾ palate: roof of mouth // palette: thin board of colors // pallet: bed or platform
⇾ peak: mountain top // peek: quick look
⇾ persecute: to harass // prosecute: to bring legal action
⇾ prescribe: dictate a rule to follow // proscribe: forbid something
⇾ principal: head of organization or sum of money // principle: basic truth or law
⇾ reign: to rule // rein: to control or restraint
⇾ sleight: deceitful dexterity // slight: insult
⇾ stationary: unmoving // stationery: letter writing materials
⇾ subconscious: not in current focus awareness // unconscious: processes that occur automatically and are not available to introspection
⇾ than: for comparisons // then: for passage of time
⇾ that: restrictive; indicates something specific // which: nonrestrictive; adds information
⇾ their: possessive form // there: place // they’re: they are
⇾ to: preposition // too: adverb meaning also // two: number
⇾ well: adverb // good: adjective
⇾ who: subject // whom: object
⇾ who’s: who is // whose: possessive form
⇾ worse: comparative // worst: superlative
⇾ your: possessive form // you’re: you are
