{"id":7348,"date":"2019-04-22T17:00:50","date_gmt":"2019-04-23T00:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/?p=7348"},"modified":"2019-04-05T12:03:47","modified_gmt":"2019-04-05T19:03:47","slug":"commonly-misused-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/commonly-misused-words\/","title":{"rendered":"33 Commonly Misused Words (and How to Get Them Right)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m pretty sure we\u2019ve all texted someone and experienced autocorrect turning our statements into nonsensical garbage or something totally unintended.<\/p>\n

You know the types of texts. \u201cMeet me at the library\u201d somehow turns into \u201cMeet me at the liberty,\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m headed to karate class this afternoon\u201d becomes \u201cI\u2019m headed to karaoke glass this after noun.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re texting your friends, they may reply with some choice acronyms or laugh it off because they know exactly what you meant<\/i> to type.<\/p>\n

These types of mistakes are common in texting, and if you\u2019re texting among friends, it\u2019s (usually) not a big deal if autocorrect forces you to misuse a word or two.<\/p>\n

Even if you misuse a few words all on your own and type \u201cthere\u201d instead of \u201ctheir\u201d or \u201caccept\u201d instead of \u201cexcept,\u201d most people will overlook it.<\/p>\n

That being said, I bet you can guess who won\u2019t <\/i>laugh it off or overlook it if you misuse words, can\u2019t you? Yep. Professors. They\u2019re sticklers for those types of things.<\/p>\n

So avoid the embarrassment of misusing words, and check out these 33 commonly misused words and how to get them right.<\/p>\n

33 Commonly Misused Words (and How to Get Them Right)<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re writing an essay for an English class, chances are you\u2019re pretty vigilant about getting the right word<\/a> on paper (or on the screen). But don\u2019t make the mistake of thinking that because you\u2019re writing a paper in your history<\/a> or science<\/a> class, you shouldn\u2019t be just as vigilant.<\/p>\n

Trust me, most profs care about the written word, and they expect you to do the same. In order to make a good impression, make sure you\u2019re using words correctly. Here\u2019s how you do it.<\/p>\n

This Word or That?<\/h2>\n

Ever start writing and then pause and wonder which word should I use in this situation<\/i>? If so, check out these commonly misused words that sound similar (or even sound alike) but have different meanings.<\/p>\n

Affect vs. effect<\/h3>\n

Affect <\/b>means to make a change or difference. It can also mean to move someone emotionally.<\/p>\n

Working at the animal shelter last summer affected<\/strong> me greatly as I was stunned at the number of homeless animals in my community.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Effect <\/b>means a change that has resulted from another occurrence or action.<\/p>\n

The shelter\u2019s ad campaign had an enormous effect<\/strong> on adoption rates last weekend.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Compliment vs. complement<\/h3>\n

A compliment <\/b>is the kind words you give to someone as praise. (You know, like telling your girlfriend she has an awesome new haircut. Compliments can go a long way in making someone\u2019s day, so as Mom might say, \u201cBe generous with them.\u201d)<\/p>\n

She complimented<\/strong> her friend on her new boots.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Complement <\/b>means to add something that improves or enhances something else in some way.<\/p>\n

Her new boots complemented<\/strong> her jeans.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Its vs. it\u2019s<\/h3>\n

Its <\/b>shows possession.<\/p>\n

A car won\u2019t stop if its<\/strong> brakes aren\u2019t working properly.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s <\/b>is a contraction for \u201cit is.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s<\/strong> impossible to stop if a car\u2019s brakes aren\u2019t working properly.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This one can be tricky because we usually think of using an apostrophe to show possession. Not this time. (The English language is screwy like that.)<\/p>\n

Here, the apostrophe is used as a contraction, and the apostrophe is left out to show possession. (And don\u2019t even think about writing its\u2019<\/i><\/b>. It doesn\u2019t exist.)<\/p>\n

Principle vs. principal<\/h3>\n

A principle <\/b>is a truth, law, doctrine, or rule of conduct.<\/p>\n

There are three core principles<\/strong> of meditation.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A principal <\/b>is often a person in a position of authority or the head of a school. (Some people remember this one by following the old saying, \u201cA principal<\/b> is your pal<\/b>.\u201d)<\/p>\n

He was the principal<\/strong> architect on the job.<\/i><\/p>\n

He is the principal<\/strong> of Springfield Elementary.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Less vs. fewer<\/h3>\n

Less <\/b>refers to a volume or an amount (i.e., something that can’t be physically counted).<\/p>\n

There seemed to be less<\/strong> interest in the football after-party this year.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fewer<\/b> generally refers to a set number of something that you are able to count individually.<\/p>\n

Fewer<\/strong> people attended the football after-party this year.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Cite vs. site<\/h3>\n

Cite <\/b>means to give credit to or quote an authority or source. (Think of MLA format<\/a> and writing a Works Cited. A Works Cited is a list of all of the sources you\u2019ve cited in your paper.)<\/p>\n

I cited<\/strong> four sources in my research essay about successful businesses.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Site <\/b>refers to a place or location.<\/p>\n

The company chose a new site<\/strong> for its headquarters.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Council vs. counsel<\/h3>\n

A council<\/b> is a group of people (who are often elected officials) that meet to discuss, deliberate, or vote on something.<\/p>\n

The council<\/strong> convened to discuss the upcoming changes in the city\u2019s parking policy.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To counsel<\/b> is to advise or offer advice.<\/p>\n

The speaker counseled<\/strong> the group on best practices for creating new parking policies.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Stationary vs. stationery<\/h3>\n

Stationary<\/b> means that something doesn\u2019t move. It’s fixed in one spot.<\/p>\n

We wanted to pull the tables together at the restaurant, but we couldn\u2019t because they were stationary<\/strong>.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Stationery <\/b>is a form of paper. You know, it\u2019s the paper with the company logo that businesses use to write actual letters on when they contact you by snail mail. It can also be fancy paper that people used when writing letters to people.<\/p>\n

One way to remember the difference between stationary<\/b> and stationery<\/b> is that stationery <\/i><\/b>is paper, and both stationery <\/i>and paper <\/i>have the letter \u201ce\u201d them.<\/p>\n

After dinner, she used the place mat as stationery<\/strong> and wrote a letter to her friend.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One Word or Two?<\/h2>\n

\u201cAll together\u201d sounds just like \u201caltogether,\u201d and \u201ceveryday\u201d sounds just like \u201cevery day.\u201d So how on earth does anyone know which one to use? Here are a few quick definitions and tips to help you keep these types of similar words straight.<\/p>\n

Everyday vs. every day<\/h3>\n

Everyday<\/b> refers to something that is common, ordinary, and used daily.<\/p>\n

Every day<\/b> refers to each day. (If you can replace every<\/b> with each<\/b> you want to use two words.)<\/p>\n

Every day <\/i><\/b>I see <\/i>everyday <\/i><\/b>people shopping at the market. <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Already vs. all ready<\/h3>\n

Already<\/b> refers to something that happened in the past. It refers to time.<\/p>\n

All ready <\/b>refers to being prepared.<\/p>\n

I was <\/i>all ready<\/i><\/b> to go to the club, but my friends had left <\/i>already<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Need to polish your paper?<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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Awhile vs. a while<\/h3>\n

Awhile<\/b> is an adverb that means \u201cfor a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

A while <\/b>is a noun phrase (the article “a” plus the noun “while”) that means \u201cfor a period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

To help remember which one to use, think back to your grammar<\/a> lessons. Awhile<\/b> is an adverb<\/a>. (In case you forgot, adverbs modify adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs. They\u2019re usually <\/i>those words that end in \u201c-ly.\u201d)<\/p>\n

If you can replace awhile<\/b> with another adverb, such as \u201cpatiently\u201d or quietly,\u201d you know you\u2019re using the right word.<\/p>\n

It took us<\/i> a while<\/i><\/b>, but we finally made it to the shore and sat on the beach <\/i>awhile<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Altogether vs. all together<\/h3>\n

Altogether <\/b>means \u201ccompletely\u201d or \u201centirely.\u201d<\/p>\n

All together <\/b>means \u201ca group.\u201d<\/p>\n

To help keep these two straight, simply try to insert \u201ccompletely\u201d or \u201centirely.\u201d If you can replace altogether\/all together <\/b>with \u201ccompletely\u201d or \u201centirely,\u201d you want to use altogether.<\/b><\/p>\n

I was <\/i>altogether <\/i><\/b>amazed that our high school class was <\/i>all together <\/i><\/b>again.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Everyone vs. every one<\/h3>\n

Everyone<\/b> is a group of people. (If you can replace everyone<\/b> with everybody<\/b>, you know you\u2019re using the right word.)<\/p>\n

Every one <\/b>refers to each one.<\/p>\n

I bought <\/i>everyone <\/i><\/b>a flashing necklace for the concert, but <\/i>every one <\/i><\/b>seemed to be damaged.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Is That Really A Word?<\/h2>\n

Sometimes we say things that sound like real words but aren’t<\/a>. Sometimes the words we speak are incorrect pronunciations of real words, and it isn\u2019t until we actually try to write them that we question whether they truly exist.<\/p>\n

Check out the list below to see the commonly misused word, the correct word, and its correct spelling and usage.<\/p>\n

Supposedly, not \u201csupposably\u201d<\/h3>\n

\u201cSupposably\u201d isn\u2019t an actual word. It\u2019s an incorrect variation of supposedly<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Supposedly<\/i><\/b>, Miles is going to meet Saul for an important meeting on Monday. <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Undoubtedly, not \u201cundoubtably\u201d<\/h3>\n

This is a lot like the previous example. \u201cUndoubtably\u201d isn\u2019t real word. It\u2019s an incorrect variant of undoubtedly<\/b>.<\/p>\n

You will <\/i>undoubtedly <\/i><\/b>earn high marks on your essay for understanding how to use words correctly.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Could have\/should have\/would have, not could of\/should of\/would of<\/h3>\n

When we speak, we often use the contraction \u201ccould\u2019ve,\u201d \u201cshould\u2019ve,\u201d or \u201cwould\u2019ve\u201d to mean could have<\/b>, should have<\/b>, or would have<\/b>. This usually sounds a lot like \u201ccould of,\u201d \u201cshould of,\u201d and \u201cwould of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Could of, should of, and would of, though, aren\u2019t grammatically correct and shouldn\u2019t be used.<\/p>\n

Also, in academic essay writing<\/a>, you should usually avoid contractions and write \u201ccould have,\u201d \u201cshould have,\u201d and \u201cwould have\u201d instead.<\/p>\n

I <\/i>should have<\/i><\/b> written a better essay. In fact, I <\/i>would have<\/i><\/b>, if I <\/i>could have<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Until, not \u2018til<\/h3>\n

While \u201c\u2018til\u201d is generally accepted in spoken English and some informal writing, you should always write \u201cuntil<\/b>\u201d in formal essays<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The prof waited <\/i>until <\/i><\/b>everyone was seated before announcing that there would be a pop quiz.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Regardless, not \u201cirregardless\u201d<\/h3>\n

\u201cIrregardless\u201d is one of those words that’s often accepted in informal conversation or dialect. However, most scholars agree that, because the word regardless <\/b>means \u201cwithout regard,\u201d the \u201c-ir\u201d prefix is redundant (thus making \u201cirregardless\u201d an unacceptable word in formal writing).<\/p>\n

Regardless <\/i><\/b>of what you say, I\u2019m going to the concert Friday night.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let the Professionals Help<\/h2>\n

Now that you have an understanding of some commonly misused words, here\u2019s what you can do to make sure your paper makes the grade.<\/p>\n