One of the most memorable classes I took in college was on the history of the English language. The influence other languages had on the development of English explains the inconsistencies, the exceptions to the rules, and the varied vocabulary. For example, when do you use “more” or “most” to increase the intensity of a word, and when do you use the suffixes “-er” or “-est”? It depends on whether the word came from the Germanic roots of English or the influence of the Romance languages.
Time and use change the words we use and the rules we enforce, but there are still some ways to misuse words that, if done repeatedly, will mark a writer as an amateur.
Homophones and other words that have only slight differences but mean different things can cause stumbling. A usage guide such as Garner’s Modern English Usage is as indispensable as a dictionary or a style guide. I once caught the word “insure” used in a contract when it should have been “ensure.” I did not want a legally-binding document implying that I was promising to buy insurance.
This is a handy list of commonly misused words. Keep an eye on these when you use them. Your reader, and your editor, will thank you.
accept: to take, receive, or believe something
except: to exclude something
adverse: unfavorable
averse: opposed to or disinclined to
affect: almost always a verb, meaning to make a difference or change
effect: almost always a noun, meaning result or consequence or an item belonging to someone, except when used as a verb in the expression “to effect change”
all intents and purposes, not all intensive purposes
all right, generally preferred over alright
all together: in a group
altogether: wholly, entirely, completely
allude: to hint at
elude: to evade
a lot, never “alot”
alter: verb meaning to change
altar: noun meaning a place where people get married
a while: noun phrase
awhile: adverb, cannot be the object of a preposition like “for” or “in”
bated breath, not baited breath
canvas: noun meaning fabric
canvass: verb meaning to go door to door
cite: to quote someone or to give a citation
sight: vision
site: location, also used when referring to a website
coarse: rough
course: a class, a dish, or a direction
complement: completes or goes well with
compliment: a flattering comment
couldn’t care less, not “could care less,” though this has been misused so much that it has become idiomatic
cue: signal or prompt
queue: line
discreet: concealed, unnoticeable, or prudent
discrete: separate or distinct
eek: an exclamation
eke: barely getting by
elicit: verb meaning to evoke or get
illicit: adjective meaning illegal
eminent: prominent
immanent: inherent
imminent: ready to take place
envelop: verb meaning to enclose
envelope: noun meaning a piece of stationery
every day: noun phrase
everyday: adjective
fair: lightness, beauty, or justice
fare: fee
farther: used for physical distances
further: used for things other than physical distances
faze: verb meaning to disturb
phase: noun meaning a stage or point in a process
flaunt: to show off
flout: to openly defy or disrespect
flounder: to flop around
founder: to sink
forbear: to hold back
forebear: an ancestor
forego: to come before
forgo: to do without
foreword: an introductory section in a book
forward: a direction
hoard: verb meaning to collect
horde: noun meaning a large group of people
imply: to indirectly suggest
infer: to draw a conclusion
lay: to put or place something else down (needs a direct object), other verb tenses are laid and laying
lie: to rest or recline, other verb tenses are lay, lain, and lying
medal: token of recognition
metal: category of substances
meddle: to interfere
mettle: fortitude or strength
palate: sense of taste or the roof of the mouth
palette: color scheme
pallet: square wooden platform
peak: pinnacle
peek: look
pique: to stimulate
pour: to make liquid flow
pore: as a verb meaning to study something carefully, as a noun meaning a small opening
precede: to go before
proceed: to begin to do
principal: the first or leading example, also the head of a school or a sum of money
principle: a concept or moral value
regardless, preferred over substandard “irregardless”
sleight of hand, not slight of hand
stationary: not moving
stationery: paper products
till, not ‘til
vice: moral weakness, or a secondary position
vise: a tool used to hold an object in place