Commonly Misused Words and Phrases

As a writer and proof-reader, I see a lot of mistakes, and if I'm honest, I make my fair share. I spend all day obsessing over words, which means I'm pretty good at spotting typos and silly mistakes. There are plenty which come up time and time again. Spelling errors, misusing There/Their/They're, and so on are pretty easy to catch because almost everyone makes the same mistakes.

Then, there are the mistakes that are so subtle that even I do a double-take. The hardest mistakes to find are words that sound similar to others but mean different things. Technically, these are called Homonyms but us word nerds. A Homonym is a word that sounds exactly like another but has a totally different meaning. A Homophone is a word that sounds the same, have different meaning and spellings.

To help you out, I've made a list of all the homonyms and homophones that trip me up more often than I'd like to admit. I've also thrown in a few phrases which seem to be misused more than they are used correctly. Some of them really make me cringe!

Assure/Ensure/Insure- Assures means something is definitely true. You can be assured of something which will happen without a doubt. Ensure means to make sure of something. Ensuring something is the action of guaranteeing an outcome. Insure relates to insurance!

Complement/Compliment- A complement is when something adds to something else or goes well with it. A compliment is saying something nice.

Except/Accept- Except is to exclude something or someone, while accept is to receive.

Principle/Principal- A Principle is like a rule, standard, or belief. A principal is a person in a position.

The utmost importance- Normally, people write the "uPmost" importance. Upmost is a shortened version of uppermost and refers to the highest in a stack or rank. But the common phrase is uTmost, with a t, which means the greatest possible or furthest degree.

Stationary/Stationery- To be stationary means you aren't moving. Stationery is writing paper, pens, etc.

Hone in/home in- To hone in means to sharpen skills or improve. To home in means to get closer to it.

Case in point- I usually see "case and point" written, which is not correct. It's not a case and a point, the entire case is wrapped up in the point you are making.

On tenterhooks- I always see "on tender hooks" written when someone means they are in a state of nervousness or agitation. Actually, the phrase is "tenterhooks" and comes from a tenter, which was a hook used to hang clothes.

Affect/Effect- Affect is a verb, so it means to change or influence, but the effect is a noun, so it should only be used to show the result or outcome.

Allude/Elude- To Allude to something means you're dropping hints. To elude something means you are escaping.

Expresso/Espresso- Expresso is not a word. Espresso is the coffee you're trying to order.

Disinterested/Uninterested- Disinterested means they have no vested interest, so they are unbiased. Uninterested means they are not interested.

Bonus

These two extras really are confusing. They are so wrong they may have actually become right!

Another think coming- The full phrase is actually “If that's what you think, you've got another think coming." But now we only use the second part. Unfortunately, most people now say “thing” not “think”. “Thing” is so commonly used that its actually accepted as the right answer.

Spit and image- The original copy and paste. Shockingly, “spitting image” is incorrect. However, it is so widely used, it may as well be correct.

So, next time you’re reading your work keep your eyes open for these common errors. If you find some don’t feel too bad; we all make mistakes!

Previous
Previous

Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before I Became a Freelance Writer

Next
Next

My Internet History