Commonly Misused Words and Phrases. What we hear is not always what we write.

What we hear:

After the murder, Norman should of shut the hell up; now he’s landfill somewhere on Staten Island.

What we write:

After the murder,  Norman should have shut the hell up: now he’s landfill somewhere on Staten Island.

The transition from spoken to written language can be a bumpy ride because the way we talk tends to be less formal than the way we write. When we translate speech into writing, it can be difficult remembering correct grammar. Indeed, sometimes correct grammar sounds wrong.

Homonyms–words that sound alike but have different spellings–present especially difficult problems.

Readers take writing more seriously when the grammar is correct. Below is a list of commonly confused homonyms and problem phrases, as well as hints to help you remember the rules.

Words that sound alike (homonyms):

Accept, Except:

Accept means to receive. Except is usually a preposition meaning excluding.

I accept that her fresh-squeezed, citrus-glossed lips may be for Bart’s benefit rather than mine, but I insist she still loves me. I accept all of her outrageous feelings for Bart, except that she loves him.

Affect, Effect:

Affect is a verb meaning to influence.  Effect is a noun meaning a result.

Taking LSD did not affect my grade in freshman English, although I showed up for the final exam in a Hello Kitty Rockabilly Kitty costume, sporting my new Hello Kitty Virgin Mary Tattoo. This get-up had a strange effect on my professor; he kept staring at me, until, finally, he said, “Maybe you need a shrink.”

Allusion, Illusion:

An Allusion is an indirect reference. An illusion is a misconception or false impression.

Did you understand, Baxter, that my Hello Kitty pinstripe pajamas were an allusion to the infantile behavior of the New York Yankees? You see, Baxter, their greatness is an illusion that will soon be shattered by the New York Mets’ orange and blue fists of fury.

Capital, Capitol:

Capital refers to a city, capitol to a building where lawmakers meet. Capital can also be wealth or resources.

Atop the capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin, is a statue named “Forward,” depicting a woman who points to the only place in Madison where there is no McDonalds.

Climactic, Climatic:

Climactic comes from climax, the point of greatest intensity in a series of events. Climatic comes from climate; or meteorological conditions.

The climactic point in our relationship came after a bout of drinking got me feeling unbearably jealous when she failed to come home by midnight; the reason being that climatic changes causing heavy rains had flooded the streets of Manhattan with swirling, black, putrid water.

Elicit, Illicit:

Elicit is a verb meaning to bring out or to evoke. Illicit is an adjective meaning unlawful. The reporter was unable to elicit information from the police about illicit drug traffic.

Emigrate from, Immigrate to:

Emigrate means to leave one country or region to settle in another. In 1900, my grandfather emigrated from Russia. Immigrate means to enter another country and reside there. Many Mexicans immigrate to the U.S. to find work.

Hints:

Emigrate begins with the letter E, as does Exit. When you emigrate, you exit a country.

Immigrate begins with the letter I, as does In. When you immigrate, you go into a country

Principle, Principal:

Principal is a noun meaning the head of a school or an organization or a sum of money. Principle is a noun meaning a basic truth or law. The principal taught us many important life principles.

Hint:

To recognize the spelling of Principal first think of yourself as a greedy opportunist. You definitely would want to be a pal of anyone who is in a position of power or anything to do with money. This principal has pal in it.

Than, Then:

Than is a conjunction used in comparisons; then is an adverb denoting time. That pizza is more than I can eat. Tom laughed, and then we recognized him.

Hints:

Than is used to compare; both words have the letter a in them.

Then tells when; both are spelled the same, except for the first letter.

There, Their, They’re:

There is an adverb specifying place; it is also an expletive. Adverb: Sylvia is lying there unconscious. Expletive: There are two plums left. Their is a possessive pronoun. They’re is a contraction of they are. Fred and Jane finally washed their car. They’re later than usual today.

Hints:

If you are using there to tell the reader where, both words have h-e-r-e. Here is also a place.

If you are using their as a possessive pronoun, you are telling the reader what
“they own. Their has h-e-i-r, which also means heir, as in someone who inherits something. Both words have to do with ownership.

They’re is a contraction of they are. Sound out they are in the sentence and see if it works. If it does not, it must be one of the previous versions.

To, Too, Two:

To is a preposition; too is an adverb; two is a number.  Too many of your shots slice to the left, but the last two were right on the mark.

Hints:

If you are trying to spell out the number, it is always t-w-o. Two has a w which is the first letter in word. The opposite of word is number.

Too is usually used as  also when adding or including some additional information. Whenever you want to include something else, think of it as adding;  therefore you also need to add an extra  o.

Your, You’re:

Your is a possessive pronoun; you’re is a contraction of you are. You’re going to catch a cold if you don’t wear your coat.

Hints:

Sound out you are in the sentence. If it works in the sentence it can be written as
you’re. If it sounds awkward, it is probably supposed to be   Your.

EXAMPLE: You’re shoes are muddy. “You are shoes are muddy” does not work, so
it should be written as: Your shoes are muddy.

Words that don’t sound alike but confuse us anyway:

Lie, Lay:

Lie is an intransitive verb meaning to recline or rest on a surface. Its principal parts are lie, lay, lain. Lay is a transitive verb meaning to put or place. Its principal parts are lay, laid.

Hint: Chickens lay eggs. I lie down when I am tired.

Set, Sit:

Set is a transitive verb meaning to put or to place. Its principal parts are set, set, set. Sit is an intransitive verb meaning to be seated. Its principal parts are sit, sat, sat. She set the dough in a warm corner of the kitchen. The cat sat in the warmest part of the room.

Who, Which, That:

Do not use which to refer to persons. Use who instead. That, though generally used to refer to things, may be used to refer to a group or class of people. I just saw a boy who was wearing a yellow banana costume. I have to go to math next, which is my hardest class. Where is the book that I was reading?

Problem phrases:

Supposed to: Do not omit the d. Suppose to is incorrect.

Used to: Same as above. Do not write use to.

Toward: There is no s at the end of the word.

Anyway: Also has no ending s. Anyways is nonstandard.

Couldn’t care less: Be sure to make it negative. (Not I could care less.)

All walks of life: Not woks of life. This phrase does not apply to oriental cooking.

Chest of drawers: Not chester drawers.

For all intents and purposes: Not intensive purposes.