Common errors in english usage

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All of these abbreviations can also be spelled without their periods.

AM/PM

"AM" stands for the Latin phrase "Ante Meridiem" which means "before noon" and "PM"
stands for "Post Meridiem": "after noon." Although digital clocks routinely label noon "12:00
PM" you should avoid this expression not only because it is incorrect, but because many
people will imagine you are talking about midnight instead. The same goes for "12:00 AM."
Just say or write "noon" or "midnight" when you mean those precise times.

It is now rare to see periods placed after these abbreviations: "A.M.", but in formal writing it
is still preferable to capitalize them, though the lower-case "am" and "pm" are now so
popular they are not likely to get you into trouble.

Occasionally computer programs encourage you to write "AM" and "PM" without a space
before them, but others will misread your data if you omit the space. The nonstandard
pattern of omitting the space is spreading rapidly, and should be avoided in formal writing.

ABJECT

"Abject" is always negative, meaning "lowly" or "hopeless." You can't experience "abject joy"
unless you're being deliberately paradoxical.

ABLE TO

People are able to do things, but things are not able to be done: you should not say, "the
budget shortfall was able to be solved by selling brownies."

ABOUT

"This isn't about you." What a great rebuke! But conservatives sniff at this sort of abstract use
of "about," as in "I'm all about good taste" or "successful truffle-making is about temperature
control"; so it's better to avoid it in very formal English.

ABSORBTION/ABSORPTION

Although it's "absorbed" and "absorbing" the correct spelling of the noun is "absorption."

ABSTRUSE/OBTUSE

Most people first encounter "obtuse" in geometry class, where it labels an angle of more than
90 degrees. Imagine what sort of blunt arrowhead that kind of angle would make and you
will understand why it also has a figurative meaning of "dull, stupid." But people often mix
the word up with "abstruse," which means "difficult to understand."


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When you mean to criticize something for being needlessly complex or baffling, the word
you need is not "obtuse," but "abstruse."

ACCEDE/EXCEED

If you drive too fast, you exceed the speed limit. "Accede" is a much rarer word meaning
"give in," "agree."

ACCENT MARKS

In what follows, "accent mark" will be used in a loose sense to include all diacritical marks
that guide pronunciation. Operating systems and programs differ in how they produce
accent marks, but it's worth learning how yours works. Writing them in by hand afterwards
looks amateurish.

Words adopted from foreign languages sometimes carry their accent marks with them, as in
"fiance" "protege," and "cliche." As words become more at home in English, they tend to
shed the marks: "Cafe" is often spelled "cafe." Unfortunately, "resume" seems to be losing its
marks one at a time (see under "vita/vitae").

Many computer users have not learned their systems well enough to understand how to
produce the desired accent and often insert an apostrophe (curled) or foot mark (straight)
after the accented letter instead: "cafe'." This is both ugly and incorrect. The same error is
commonly seen on storefront signs.

So far we've used examples containing acute (right-leaning) accent marks. French and Italian
(but not Spanish) words often contain grave (left-leaning) accents; in Italian it's a caffe. It is
important not to substitute one kind of accent for the other.

The diaeresis over a letter signifies that it is to be pronounced as a separate syllable: "noel"
and "naive" are sometimes spelled with a diaeresis, for instance. The umlaut, which looks
identical, modifies the sound of a vowel, as in German Fraulein (girl), where the accent mark
changes the "frow" sound of Frau (woman) to "froy." Rock groups like "Blue Oyster Cult"
scattered umlauts about nonsensically to create an exotic look.

Spanish words not completely assimilated into English like pinata and nino retain the tilde,
which tells you that an "N" is to be pronounced with a "Y" sound after it. In English-language
publications accent marks are often discarded, but the acute and grave accents are the ones
most often retained.

[Note: the accent marks in this entry may not display properly on all operating systems.
Consult the page on accent marks to see them properly.]

ACCEPT/EXCEPT


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If you offer me Godiva chocolates I will gladly accept them except for the candied violet
ones. Just remember that the "X" in "except" excludes things they tend to stand out, be
different. In contrast, just look at those two cozy "Cs" snuggling up together. Very accepting.
And be careful; when typing "except" it often comes out "expect."

ACCESS/GET ACCESS TO

"Access" is one of many nouns that's been turned into a verb in recent years. Conservatives
object to phrases like "you can access your account online." Substitute "use," "reach," or "get
access to" if you want to please them.

ACCESSORY

There's an "ack" sound at the beginning of this word, though some mispronounce it as if the
two "C's" were to be sounded the same as the two "SS's."

ACCIDENTLY/ACCIDENTALLY

You can remember this one by remembering how to spell "accidental." There are quite a few
words with -ally suffixes (like "incidentally") which are not to be confused with words that
have "-ly" suffixes (like "independently"). "Incidental" is a word, but "independental" is not.

ACRONYMS AND APOSTROPHES

One unusual modern use of the apostrophe is in plural acronyms, like "ICBM's" "NGO's"
and "CD's". Since this pattern violates the rule that apostrophes are not used before an S
indicating a plural, many people object to it. It is also perfectly legitimate to write "CDs," etc.
See also "50's." But the use of apostrophes with initialisms like "learn your ABC's and "mind
your P's and Q's" is now so universal as to be acceptable in almost any context.

Note that "acronym" was used originally only to label pronounceable abbreviations like
"NATO," but is now generally applied to all sorts of initialisms. Be aware that some people
consider this extended definition of "acronym" to be an error.

ACROSSED/ACROSS

The chicken may have crossed the road, but did so by walking across it.

ACTIONABLE/DOABLE

"Actionable" is a technical term referring to something that provides grounds for a legal
action or lawsuit. People in the business world have begun using it as a fancy synonym for
"doable" or "feasible." This is both pretentious and confusing.

ACTUAL FACT/ACTUALLY


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"In actual fact" is an unnecessarily complicated way of saying "actually."

ADD/AD

"Advertisement" is abbreviated "ad," not "add."

ADAPT/ADOPT

You can adopt a child or a custom or a law; in all of these cases you are making the object
of the adoption your own, accepting it. If you adapt something, however, you are changing
it.

ADDICTING/ADDICTIVE

Do you find beer nuts addicting or addictive? "Addicting" is a perfectly legitimate word, but
much less common than "addictive," and some people will scowl at you if you use it.

ADMINISTER/MINISTER

You can minister to someone by administering first aid. Note how the "ad" in "administer
resembles "aid" in order to remember the correct form of the latter phrase. "Minister" as a
verb always requires "to" following it.

ADULTRY/ADULTERY

"Adultery" is often misspelled "adultry," as if it were something every adult should try. This
spelling error is likely to get you snickered at. The term does not refer to all sorts of illicit sex:
at least one of the partners involved has to be married for the relationship to be adulterous.

ADVANCE/ADVANCED

When you hear about something in advance, earlier than other people, you get advance
notice or information. "Advanced" means "complex, sophisticated" and doesn't necessarily
have anything to do with the revealing of secrets.

ADVERSE/AVERSE

The word "adverse" turns up most frequently in the phrase "adverse circumstances," meaning
difficult circumstances, circumstances which act as an adversary; but people often confuse
this word with "averse," a much rarer word, meaning having a strong feeling against, or
aversion toward.

ADVICE/ADVISE

"Advice" is the noun, "advise" the verb. When Ann Landers advises people, she gives them
advice.

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ADVISER/ADVISOR

"Adviser" and "advisor" are equally fine spellings. There is no distinction between them.

ADVOCATE FOR/ADVOCATE

When they are acting as advocates for a cause, people often say they are "advocating for"
say, traffic safety. This is not as widely accepted as "campaigning for" or "working toward."
Saying you are "advocating for the blind" leaves a lot of listeners wondering what it is you
advocate for them. If you can substitute "advocate" for "advocate for," you should do so: "I
advocate for higher pay for teachers" becomes "I advocate higher pay for teachers."

AESTHETIC/ASCETIC

People often encounter these two words first in college, and may confuse one with the other
although they have almost opposite connotations.
"Aesthetic" (also spelled "esthetic") has to do with beauty, whereas "ascetic" has to do with
avoiding pleasure, including presumably the pleasure of looking at beautiful things.

St. Francis had an ascetic attitude toward life, whereas Oscar Wilde had
an esthetic attitude toward life.

AFFECT/EFFECT

There are four distinct words here. When "affect" is accented on the final syllable (a-FECT), it
is a verb meaning "have an influence on": "The million-dollar donation from the industrialist
did not affect my vote against the Clean Air Act." A much rarer meaning is indicated when
the word is accented on the first syllable (AFF-ect), meaning "emotion." In this case the word
is used mostly by psychiatrists and social scientists people who normally know how to spell
it. The real problem arises when people confuse the first spelling with the second: "effect."
This too can be two different words. The more common one is a noun: "When I left the stove
on, the effect was that the house filled with smoke." When you affect a situation, you have
an effect on it. The less common is a verb meaning "to create": "I'm trying to effect a change
in the way we purchase widgets." No wonder people are confused. Note especially that the
proper expression is not "take affect" but "take effect" become effective. Hey, nobody ever
said English was logical; just memorize it and get on with your life.

The stuff in your purse? Your personal effects.

AFFLUENCE/EFFLUENCE

Wealth brings affluence; sewage is effluence.

AFRICAN AMERICAN


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There have been several polite terms used in the U.S. to refer to persons of African descent:
"colored," "negro," "Black," "Afro-American," and "African American." "Colored" is definitely
dated, though "people of color" is now widely used with a broader meaning, including
anyone with non-European ancestry, sometimes even when their skin is not discernibly
darker than that of a typical European. A few contemporary writers like to defy convention
by referring to themselves as "negro." "Black," formerly a proudly assertive label claimed by
young radicals in the 1960s, is now seen by some people as a racist insult.
Some people insist on capitalizing "Black," but others prefer "black." The safest and most
common neutral term is "African American," but Americans sometimes misuse it to label
people of African descent living in other countries or even actual Africans. To qualify as an
"African American" you have to be an American.

Although it is traditional to hyphenate "African-American," "Irish-American," "Cuban-
American," etc., there is a recent trend toward omitting the hyphen, possibly in reaction to
the belittling phrase "hyphenated Americans." However, some styles still call for the hyphen
when the phrase is used adjectivally, so that you might be an African American who enjoys
African-American writers. Omitting the hyphen may puzzle some readers, but it's not likely
to offend anyone.

AGNOSTIC/ATHEIST

Both agnostics and atheists are regularly criticized as illogical by people who don't
understand the meaning of these terms. An agnostic is a person who believes that the
existence of a god or gods cannot be proven or known. Agnosticism is a statement about the
limits of human knowledge. It is an error to suppose that agnostics perpetually hesitate
between faith and doubt: they are confident they cannot know the ultimate truth. Similarly,
atheists believe there are no gods. Atheists need not be able to disprove the existence of
gods to be consistent just as believers do not need to be able prove that gods do exist in
order to be regarded as religious. Both attitudes have to do with beliefs, not knowledge.

"Agnostic" is often used metaphorically of any refusal to make a judgment, usually on the
basis of a lack of evidence; people can be agnostic about acupuncture, for instance, if they
believe there is not enough evidence one way or another to decide its effectiveness.

AGREEANCE/AGREEMENT

When you agree with someone you are in agreement.

AHOLD/HOLD

In standard English you just "get hold" of something or somebody.

AIN'T


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"Ain't" has a long and vital history as a substitute for "isn't," "aren't" and so on. It was
originally formed from a contraction of "am not" and is still commonly used in that sense.
Even though it has been universally condemned as the classic "mistake" in English, everyone
uses it occasionally as part of a joking phrase or to convey a down-to-earth quality. But if
you always use it instead of the more "proper" contractions you're sure to be branded as
uneducated.

AISLE/ISLE

An aisle is a narrow passageway, especially in a church or store; an isle is an island. Propose
to the person you're stranded on a desert isle with and maybe you'll march down the aisle
together after you're rescued.

ALL BE IT/ALBEIT

"Albeit" is a single word meaning "although": "Rani's recipe called for a tablespoon of saffron,
which made it very tasty, albeit rather expensive." It should not be broken up into three
separate words as "all be it," just as "although" is not broken up into "all though."

ALL

Put this word where it belongs in the sentence. In negative statements, don't write "All the
pictures didn't show her dimples" when you mean "The pictures didn't all show her
dimples."

ALL AND ALL/ALL IN ALL

"The dog got into the fried chicken, we forgot the sunscreen, and the kids starting whining at
the end, but all in all the picnic was a success." "All in all" is a traditional phrase which can
mean "all things considered," "after all," or "nevertheless." People unfamiliar with the
traditional wording often change it to "all and all," but this is nonstandard.

ALL FOR NOT/ALL FOR NAUGHT

"Naught" means "nothing," and the phrase "all for naught" means "all for nothing." This is
often misspelled "all for not" and occasionally "all for knot."

ALL GOES WELL/AUGURS WELL

Some folks who don't understand the word "augur" (to foretell based on omens) try to make
sense of the common phrase "augurs well" by mangling it into "all goes well." "Augurs well"
is synonymous with "bodes well."

ALL OF THE SUDDEN/ALL OF A SUDDEN

An unexpected event happens not "all of the sudden" but "all of a sudden."

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ALL READY/ALREADY

"All ready" is a phrase meaning "completely prepared," as in "As soon as I put my coat on, I'll
be all ready." "Already," however, is an adverb used to describe something that has
happened before a certain time, as in "What do you mean you'd rather stay home? I've
already got my coat on."

ALLEGED, ALLEGEDLY

Seeking to avoid prejudging the facts in a crime and protect the rights of the accused,
reporters sometimes over-use "alleged" and "allegedly." If it is clear that someone has been
robbed at gunpoint, it's not necessary to describe it as an alleged robbery nor the victim as
an alleged victim. This practice insultingly casts doubt on the honesty of the victim and
protects no one. An accused perpetrator is one whose guilt is not yet established, so it is
redundant to speak of an "alleged accused." If the perpetrator has not yet been identified, it's
pointless to speak of the search for an "alleged perpetrator."

ALLITERATE/ILLITERATE

Pairs of words with the same initial sound alliterate, like "wild and wooly." Those who can't
read are illiterate.

ALLS/ALL

"Alls I know is . . ." may result from anticipating the "S" in "is," but the standard expression is
"All I know is. . . ."

ALLUDE/ELUDE

You can allude (refer) to your daughter's membership in the honor society when boasting
about her, but a criminal tries to elude (escape) captivity. There is no such word as "illude."

ALLUDE/REFER

To allude to something is to refer to it indirectly, by suggestion. If you are being direct and
unambiguous, you refer to the subject rather than alluding to it.

ALLUSION/ILLUSION

An allusion is a reference, something you allude to: "Her allusion to flowers reminded me
that Valentine's Day was coming." In that English paper, don't write "literary illusions" when
you mean "allusions." A mirage, hallucination, or a magic trick is an illusion. (Doesn't being
fooled just make you ill?)


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ALLUSIVE/ELUSIVE/ILLUSIVE

When a lawyer alludes to his client's poor mother, he is being allusive. When the mole
keeps eluding the traps you've set in the garden, it's being elusive. We also speak of matters
that are difficult to understand, identify, or remember as elusive. Illusions can be illusive, but
we more often refer to them as illusory.

ALMOST

Like "only," "almost" must come immediately before the word or phrase it modifies: "She
almost gave a million dollars to the museum" means something quite different from "She
gave almost a million dollars to the museum." Right? So you shouldn't write, "There was
almost a riotous reaction when the will was read" when what you mean is "There was an
almost riotous reaction."

ALONG THE SAME VEIN/IN THE SAME VEIN, ALONG THE SAME LINE

The expressions "in the same vein" and "along the same line" mean the same thing (on the
same subject), but those who cross-pollinate them to create the hybrid "along the same vein"
sound a little odd to those who are used to the standard expressions.

ALOT/A LOT

Perhaps this common spelling error began because there does exist in English a word spelled
"allot" which is a verb meaning to apportion or grant. The correct form, with "a" and "lot"
separated by a space is perhaps not often encountered in print because formal writers
usually use other expressions such as "a great deal," "often," etc. If you can't remember the
rule, just remind yourself that just as you wouldn't write "alittle" you shouldn't write "alot."

ALOUD/ALLOWED

If you think Grandma allowed the kids to eat too much ice cream, you'd better not say so
aloud, or her feelings will be hurt. "Aloud" means "out loud" and refers to sounds (most often
speech) that can be heard by others. But this word is often misused when people mean
"allowed," meaning "permitted."

ALRIGHT/ALL RIGHT

The correct form of this phrase has become so rare in the popular press that many readers
have probably never noticed that it is actually two words. But if you want to avoid irritating
traditionalists you'd better tell them that you feel "all right" rather than "alright."

ALTAR/ALTER

An altar is that platform at the front of a church or in a temple; to alter something is to
change it.

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ALTERIOR/ULTERIOR

When you have a concealed reason for doing something, it's an ulterior motive.

ALTERNATE/ALTERNATIVE

Although UK authorities disapprove, in U.S. usage, "alternate" is frequently an adjective,
substituted for the older "alternative": "an alternate route." "Alternate" can also be a noun; a
substitute delegate is, for instance, called an "alternate." But when you're speaking of "every
other" as in "our club meets on alternate Tuesdays," you can't substitute "alternative."

ALTOGETHER/ALL TOGETHER

"Altogether" is an adverb meaning "completely," "entirely." For example: "When he first saw
the examination questions, he was altogether baffled." "All together," in contrast, is a phrase
meaning "in a group." For example: "The wedding guests were gathered all together in the
garden." Undressed people are said in informal speech to be "in the altogether" (perhaps a
shortening of the phrase "altogether naked").

ALUMNUS/ALUMNI

We used to have "alumnus" (male singular), "alumni" (male plural), "alumna" (female singular)
and "alumnae" (female plural); but the latter two are now popular only among older female
graduates, with the first two terms becoming unisex. However, it is still important to
distinguish between one alumnus and a stadium full of alumni. Never say, "I am an alumni"
if you don't want to cast discredit on your school. Many avoid the whole problem by
resorting to the informal abbreviation "alum."

AMATURE/AMATEUR

Most of the words we've borrowed from the French that have retained their "-eur" endings
are pretty sophisticated, like "restaurateur" (notice, no "N") and "auteur" (in film criticism),
but "amateur" attracts amateurish spelling.

AMBIGUOUS/AMBIVALENT

Even though the prefix "ambi-" means "both," "ambiguous" has come to mean "unclear,"
"undefined," while "ambivalent" means "torn between two opposing feelings or views." If
your attitude cannot be defined into two polarized alternatives, then you're ambiguous, not
ambivalent.

AMBIVALENT/INDIFFERENT

If you feel pulled in two directions about some issue, you're ambivalent about it; but if you
have no particular feelings about it, you're indifferent.

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