Most Misused Words in the English Language

[kay7]

What bugs me no end is that for at least 50 years of my life people plead guilty but a few years ago someone decided that it should be pleaded guilty.  It just never sounds right when I hear it.

[loulizlee]

I think I read somewhere that the problem is the use of plead vs. pled.   Originally, the past tense of the word was pled.  Then the word plead, present tense, became interchangeable with pled.  So I guess someone thought it would be more understandable to add an -ed to plead to form the past tense.  However, I'm with you.  I think it is about as clear as mud!

[loulizlee]

I have been meaning to say on this thread that I do not correct anyone on their spelling and grammar in person, except maybe my husband, especially in a group of people.  However, I have frequently been the proofreader in college study groups or my workplace.  I thought maybe a forum such as this one might be a good place to talk about the subject instead of pointing out errors after their posts.  For example, today one that caught my eye was "waist" used for "waste."  This makes me believe that some people just don't want to take the time to look up the correct word.

[Optiwoman]

I know someone who uses the word seen for the word saw as in "I seen that" instead of "I saw that".  That one really bothers me.

[dmitchn1]

Too, to, and two are my biggest pet peeves. ESPECIALLY when they say "me to" it's the only set that really irks me.

[vicogden]

Being a Nuclear Medicine Technologist, it used to bother me when former President Bush (W) used to use the term "nucular" weapons versus the correct "nuclear"...

[loulizlee]

I have noticed another word used in this Forum that is frequently misspelled.  The word "referral" is often misspelled "refferal."

[lvstephanie]

There's one that really bothers me. When I was in English class in probably Jr. High, we were taught some of these common mistakes and one that the book pointed out confused our class because none of us ever heard the misuse. However now that I'm an adult, I've been hearing it much more often, and amongst friends that I'd think would've known the difference... Lend and Borrow. To lend is to give out whereas to borrow is to take. It isn't "Can you borrow me your umbrella?" it should be "Can you lend me your umbrella?".

A misspelling that I often see (which I can easily understand why, although it really annoys me when I see it it text books and / or journal articles) is "absorbtion". Even though you "absorb" something, and it is "absorbed", the correct spelling of the noun is "absorption", with a 'p' instead of a 'b'.

What gets me is that sometimes these mistakes are made so often that eventually they get normalized into the vernacular. For example if you were to look up "Theater" and "Theatre" you'll see that most places say they are interchangeable or that Theater is the American spelling of the British Theatre (oh thank you online dictionary... No, theatre is correctly spelled  ) But there actually used to be a difference in definition... Theater is the building whereas Theatre is the art form. "I am taking a theatre class at the local community theater." However since it's been misused so often that now theater is used for both definitions in American English.

Another grammar mistake that has now become the norm is the use of punctuation inside quotes. It used to be proper to place punctuation outside of quotes if the quotes were used to define some composition, for example when using quotes around a song title. So the following used to be proper grammar: I am listening to The Ohio Players' song "Fire". Notice the period outside of the quotation marks since "Fire" is the name of a song and the quotes are framing that piece of composition. However now it is being taught to always include the punctuation inside the quotes regardless of whether the quotes are denoting a quote from something (like repeating what a person says) vs. defining an object of composition (like a music title, the title of a magazine article, or when you want to isolate a single word or a general phrase that isn't a direct quote of someone / something). Even though I know it's correct to place the puncuation inside the quotes all of the time, I still use the form that I was originally taught...

[loulizlee]

Frequently misused words:  Could of, should of, would of (regardless of the coulda, shoulda, woulda saying) should be could have, should have, and would have. "Could of" just doesn't make sense, if you think about it.

[loulizlee]

I frequently hear young people on Judge Judy say that someone "borrowed me" some money instead of "loaned me" some money.  I wonder if that is a regional thing.  Sometimes certain parts of the country have their own colloquialisms.

[jcribb16]

Frequently misused words:  Could of, should of, would of (regardless of the coulda, shoulda, woulda saying) should be could have, should have, and would have. "Could of" just doesn't make sense, if you think about it.

I totally agree!!!

[jcribb16]

I frequently hear young people on Judge Judy say that someone "borrowed me" some money instead of "loaned me" some money.  I wonder if that is a regional thing.  Sometimes certain parts of the country have their own colloquialisms.

You're right.  She's pretty strict on vocabulary with some who go overboard with certain words or phrases.

[msmoneybags48]

I see words like "greater than" or "less than" as meaning just that.  If you are in the grocery store and buy 14 items, I can see you going to the "15 items or less line".  If your buggy is filled to capacity, then have the common sense to know that going to the "15 items or less line" is wrong.  Yet people will do just that.

[nmsmith]

Frequently misused words:  Could of, should of, would of (regardless of the coulda, shoulda, woulda saying) should be could have, should have, and would have. "Could of" just doesn't make sense, if you think about it.

People confuse "could've" with "could of"... they sound the same but "could've"  ( a  contraction of "could have") I do believe is grammatically correct. Could of... makes no sense...

 I'm grateful to have come across this forum, its comforting to know I'm not the only one who still thinks these things are important:) My own grammar was much better until I moved to a small town, rural area of VA. For the past 7 years I've heard many puzzling sentences, sayings and words such as "took and said" and "testess" (Tests)... basically every grammatical mistake mentioned here was a typical everyday conversation, I was constantly reminded of how terrible the school system must be... 

[Phx0808]

These are all good ones.  I'm a grammar and spelling junkie, too.  I am puzzled by hearing people say it doesn't matter.  Recently I read that a company had several hundred jobs openings and did not find a single application that did not contain spelling and grammar errors.  My pet peeve is your and you're.  It is unbelievable how many high school and college graduates use those two words wrong.

To be continued......

I agree 1000%.
As a teacher of students who learn English as a Foreign Language and English as a Second Language, I want the students to start off on the right foot and learn punctuation, spelling and writing well. I think it is crucial. Now I don't expect them to know how to spell every word, so I do not give spelling tests. I spend more time giving them the tools to find out how to spell a word and use it correctly in a sentence.


Spelling and punctuation count. Consider the following:

A. It's time to eat Grandma.
B. It's time to eat, Grandma.

Join my quest! Let's eliminate the grandma eaters of the world!  I will be happy to proofread your work. You can find me online.
You might even be to able to make an educated guess at my g-mail.

I received a note from my foster son's teacher and oh my God! She misspelled/misused 9 of 13 words in the note.

The handwritten note reads as follows:

You're sons' continence has bin changed to April 3th 2:15  
Plasee call me if you're cant com than. Thx.

She is a kindergarten teacher, but still.
I requested the vice principal join us for the conference and he did. Afterwards, we had a meeting of our own. I had all intentions of moving my son to a difference class but the vice-principal replaced the teacher. I was the tenth parent to raise concerns about this teacher. I show the note to the vice-principal and he laughs. Then he asks, "Can I keep this?"    

Back to the topic. The rules are not always the same. In England, they use possessives and contractions a bit differently.

For example they use:
1) Jack's going to the store for Jack is going to the store.
2) It's James's book. (I was taught to write, "It's James' book."

I admit freely, I still have trouble.

I have tried to research the correct use for it's, its'.

Again, I was taught:

It's = It is
Its' = possesive pronoun. The dog chases its' tail.
I see alot of people use its (without the apostrophe) The dog chases its tail.

I can't find definitive answers on the internet.