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12 Of The Most Misused English Words
Writers Write is a comprehensive writing resource. In this post, we share 12 of the most misused English words.
Good writers share many qualities, but simplicity and clarity are two of the most important.
This infographic highlights some of the most commonly misused words in English. If you want to appear competent, try not to make these mistakes.
Source for Infographic: Listmonde
If you are looking for more ways to make sure you communicate clearly, you may enjoy these posts:
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Top Tip: Find out more about our Writing Courses. If you want to learn how to write, join us in Johannesburg or sign up for our online courses.
Posted on: 27th October 2014
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4 thoughts on “12 Of The Most Misused English Words”
What about ‘disinterested/uninterested’? Or has that one already been lost?
Very helpful
#1 is wrong. . . http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peruse
#2 is also misused when talking about money, it’s capital not capitol. In fact capitol is only used when talking about the buildings where state (or Congress) government is carried. Everything else is capital, so everything but government buildings is capital (including capital punishment).
#3 it’s a colloquialism specific to US English and it actually IS in the dictionary but it isn’t “proper” English. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/irregardless
#11 actually, flout means to openly disregard as in to flout the law. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/flout
#2 – Capitol is a proper name – it refers to either seat of the U.S. government or the hill in Rome it was named after.
#3 – Technically, every word is made up. Natural language allows to create words that can have logical value derived from the language rules and compound words, but such creations need not to be used. Contrary to the common opinion, ‘irregardless’ is not a ‘non-word’ (it is a word perfectly fitting the rules of English language) neither it is not a ‘nonsensical word’ (it has a concrete meaning). It is simply not actively used, as double negation is redundant.
#7 – This is incorrect. Both words can be used as either verb or noun. The noun ‘effect’ is the result of an occurrence. The verb ‘to effect’ means ‘to cause’. The noun ‘affect’ is a psychological stance, more or less synonymous with ’emotion’. The verb ‘to affect’ means ‘to influence’.
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