Here’s an embarrassing story that I still remember. I was in 2nd or 3rd grade — you know, the perfect time for misspellings. As kids, we’re still learning language, so sometimes hilarious letter combinations emerged. Usually, my parents — like most parents — were able to decode the things I wrote. Except for one.
I seriously thought that an ensemble of clothes was pronounced and spelled as “alfit.” Like Alf threw a fit. And yes, it’s pretty tame and mild, but I think about the day I realized it was actually “outfit” on a somewhat regular basis. It’s like I was wrong with both the spelling and pronunciation. Why does that tiny moment stick out? Probably because at the time, I felt a little deceived.
Similarly, it was thanks to a Friends episode when I realized that I was saying “supposably” instead of “supposedly.”
I’m positive that hardcore fans of the show know what scene I’m talking about. Keep in mind, I silently swapped out words then and there, and have never made the mistake again.
There are still a bunch of words and phrases that trip people up. So, if you peruse this list and find one you often use incorrectly, don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re not alone. After all, sometimes typos and errors are so popular that they become legit words in the English language.
1. Affect vs. Effect
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This is one I need to seriously look up at least once a month. Just remember, “affect” is usually a verb. “Effect” is often a noun. That means that you felt affected by the special effects.
Effect is often the outcome of something, while affect means “to influence.” Get it?
2. Literally vs. Figuratively
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You didn’t literally scream so loud that the windows shattered. In fact, you did the opposite of that. Figurative language is an exaggeration that helps tell a story a little better.
3. Bemused
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It may sound like it, but “bemused” isn’t a cute way of saying “amused.” But it’s obvious how someone can make that mistake.
“Bemused” means to be confused or puzzled.
4. Tortuous vs. Torturous
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The first one means “full of twists and turns.” A road, or a movie plot, may be tortuous. Torturous means something filled with pain and actual torture.
5. “Safety Deposit Box”
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This is a weird one to throw in the list, especially because it might not look wrong to you. But much like the phrase “ATM Machine,” this one has a few add-on letters.
Surprisingly, it’s actually “safe deposit box.” For your safe deposits.
6. Infamous vs. Famous
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You might think that someone is so famous that they’re infamous. But according to the dictionary, infamous actually means “well known for some bad quality or deed.”
So, Lady Gaga is famous, but not infamous since she’s not a criminal. (That we know of.)
7. Entitled vs. Titled
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Both of these are words, but entitled means privileged. Saying that author Jules Verne wrote a book entitled “Around the World in Eighty Days” would be incorrect.
8. Bring vs. Take
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These two are often used interchangeably, even though they shouldn’t be. If you’ve ever said you’ll “take food to the board game party,” you’re using the word incorrectly. You bring things to a location, and you take things away from a location.
So, you can bring brownies and take home the leftovers.
9. Ironic
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Alanis Morissette lied to all of us. Her song lyrics didn’t point out ironic situations — they pointed out unfortunate situations. The Cambridge Dictionary actually defines ironic as “using words that suggest the opposite of what you intend.”
10. Nonplussed
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It’s a fun word to say, so you’ll want to make sure you’re saying it correctly. Nonplussed doesn’t mean unimpressed — it actually means stunned.
Synonyms include bewildered and puzzled.
11. “For All Intensive Purposes”
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Nope. It’s actually “For All Intents And Purposes.” So, make sure to drop this one from your vocabulary ASAP.
12. Compliment vs. Complement
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You can give someone a compliment, like “I really enjoy your company!” But complement, with an “e,” is used when two things pare well together.
You might think a certain wine complements a steak quite well.
13. “Day In Age”
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When you look at it, you may realize something is afoot.
The term is actually “Day and Age,” which makes a lot more sense.
14. Depreciate vs. Deprecate
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At first glance, these two look exactly the same. But, one has an “I” — and they technically mean different things. “Depreciate” means that something goes down in value with time.
“Deprecate” means that you don’t approve of something.
15. Emoticon vs. Emoji
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Yes, there is a difference! And it’s not that emojis got a movie named after them. Emoticons actually came first — they’re the smilies created by the use of colons, semicolons, and parenthesis. Emojis are the actual smilies on your phone.
Sometimes, an emoticon can morph into an emoji naturally, but they’re technically two different things. 😉
16. “Could Care Less”
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Usually this phrase is said in the midst of a fight. But hold the phone. Does it actually make sense? What you want to be saying is “Couldn’t Care Less.”
You are not able to care less than you do at this very moment.
17. Cue vs. Queue
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This is another one you may get tripped up over. Just remember, when Netflix primarily dealt with DVDs, you added titles to your queue, which was a line-up.