Top 20 Words You Use in Speech or Copywriting That Make You Look Stupid When You Misuse Them.
adverse/averse"
Adverse" means unfavorable. "Averse" means reluctant.
accept/except"
Accept" means to t receive with consent. "Except" means With the exclusion of.
affect/effect"
To affect" means to influence, change or produce an effect "To effect" means to accomplish, complete, cause, make possible or carry out. If you're looking for a noun, you're probably looking for "effect." If you're using a verb, you're safest with "affect."
allude/refer"
To allude" means to speak of without mentioning. "To refer" means to speak of directly.
all rightnot alright
allusion/illusion
An "allusion" is an indirect reference. An "illusion" is a false impression or image.
around/about
"Around" should refer to a physical proximity or surrounding (I'll look for you around the front of Baker Hall). "About" indicates an approximation (Let's have lunch about 11:30 a.m.).
between/among
Use "between" to show a relationship between two objects only.Use "among" when it's more than two.
complement/compliment
"Complement" is something that supplements. "Compliment" is praise or the expression of courtesy.
farther/further"
Farther" refers to physical distance. "Further" refers to an extension of time or degree.
historic/historical"
Historic" means important. "Historical" refers to any event in the past.
imply/infer
"Imply" means to suggest or indicate indirectly. To "infer" is to conclude or decide from something known or assumed.
insure/ensure
"Insure" means to establish a contract for insurance of some type. "Ensure" means to guarantee.General rule? Use "ensure."
irregardless/regardless
The word is "regardless." "Irregardless"? No such word.
literally/figuratively
"Literally" means in an exact sense. "Figuratively" means in a comparative sense.
lose/loose
"lose" means to To fail to win, or misplace. "loose" means Not fastened, restrained, or contained.
peddle/pedal
To "peddle" is to sell. To "pedal" is to use pedals, as on a bicycle.
principal/principle
"Principal" as a noun is a chief person or thing; as an adjective, it means first in importance. "Principle" is a noun meaning a fundamental truth, doctrine or law; a guiding rule or code of conduct; a method of operation.
toward/towards
"Toward" is correct. "Towards" is not.
who/whom
We rarely see the word "whom" in writing. But if your sentence has an objective clause referring to a person or animal with a proper name, you're being ungrammatical if you don't use whom.The word "who" substitutes for subjective pronouns‹he, she or they; "whom" must be used in the sense of him, her or them. If you don't want to use "whom," restructure your sentence. Don't just stick in "who" when it is incorrect.
-wise
Do not use this suffix to coin words like "weatherwise."