One of the easiest ways to save on editing monies when publishing your book is to make sure you use the correct word for the context.
This is the first of several lists of the most common misused or misspelled words. Obviously not all words are included. The operative word is “common.”
When I read a long list, my eyes glaze over and I have minimal retention. So I chose to organize these lists in a way which would be easy for me to learn.
Enjoy!
accept vs. except
- Accept is a verb which means to receive.
- Except is usually a preposition which means to exclude something
- For example:
I will accept all the packages except that one. Except is also a verb meaning to exclude. Please except that item from the list.
advice vs. advise
- Advise is a verb.
- Advice is a noun.
- For example:
You can advise someone, but you can’t advice him.
adverse vs. averse
- Adverse means unfavorable or hostile.
- Averse describes someones reluctance to do something.
- For example:
She was averse to going outside due to the adverse weather conditions.
affect vs. effect
- Affect is a verb which means to influence or to pretend to have.
- Effect is almost always a noun which indicates a result.
- For example:
Millions of Deadheads were affected by Jerry Garcia’s death, but the effect on the band remains to be seen.
TIP — RAVEN = Remember: Affect = Verb, Effect = Noun
aggravate vs. irritate
- Aggravate means to add to an already troublesome matter or condition.
- Irritate means to vex or annoy.
- For example:
The irritating nasal quality of his voice aggravated an already tense situation.
aid vs. aide
- To aid is to give help or give assistance.
- An aide is an assistant.
- For example:
The teacher’s aide was trained to aid the students in intramural volleyball.
all right vs. alright
- Although both appear in the dictionary, alright is considered to be a disputed usage.
- To be on the safe side, use all right.
allude vs. elude
- Allude indicates an indirect reference.
- To elude is to escape or avoid detection.
- For example:
The allusion to the deeper meaning of the cryptic verse eluded the engineering students.
all together vs. altogether
- All together is everyone or everything
- Altogether is used to mean entirely.
- For example:
We put the pots and pans all together on the shelf. I am altogether pleased to be receiving this award.
a lot vs. allot vs. alot
- A lot refers to many items.
- Allot means to apportion or to assign.
- There is no such word as alot.
- For example:
At the zoo, a lot of monkeys are allotted ten bananas per day.
allusion vs. illusion
- Allusion is a noun that means an indirect reference:
- Illusion is a noun that means a misconception:
- For example:
The speech made allusions to the final report. The policy is designed to give an illusion of reform.
alternate vs. alternative
- Alternate means every other one in the series.
- As the other one in a series of two, alternate may stand for a substitute.
- Alternative means one of two possibilities. It connotes a matter of choice which is not present with alternate.
- For example:
When we approached the nearly empty vending machine, we found the candy bar chute was jammed, thereby leaving us with no alternative but the alternate option of fudgy cookies.
anxious vs. eager
- Anxious implies fear and worry; you can only be anxious about something.
- Eager implies that you are stimulated or excited at the prospect of doing something.
- For example:
Although he was eager to share his views with the group, he was anxious about the prospect of public speaking.
anymore vs. any more
- Anymore means now or nowadays.
- Any more indicates a quantity.
- For example:
Since the pretzel snacks aren’t stocked in the vending machine anymore, there are not any more crunchy, salty, cheesy snacks from which to choose.
as if vs. like
- As if is properly used as a conjunction to introduce a clause.
- Like takes a simple object; it cannot introduce a clause.
- For example:
It looks as if it will rain; the sky is like soot.
Do you have other “A” words that are easy to misspell or misuse?
