a/an
If the word following begins with a vowel sound, the word you want is “an”:
“Have an apple, Adam.” If the word following begins with a consonant, but
begins with a vowel sound, you still need “an”: “An X-ray will show whether
there’s a worm in it.” It is nonstandard and often considered sloppy speech to
utter an “uh” sound in such cases.
When the following word defi nitely begins with a consonant sound, you
need “a”: “A snake told me apples enhance mental abilities.”
Note that the letter Y can be either a vowel or a consonant. Although it is
sounded as a vowel in words like “pretty,” at the beginning of words it is usually
sounded as a consonant, as in “a yolk.”
Words beginning with the letter U which start with a Y consonant sound
like “university” and “utensil” also take an “a”: “a university” and “a utensil.”
But when an initial U has a vowel sound, the word is preceded by “an”: it’s “an
umpire,” “an umbrella,” and “an understanding.”
See also “historic: an historic vs. a historic.”
A.D.
“A.D.” does not mean “after death,” as many people suppose. “B.C.” stands for
the English phrase “before Christ,” but “A.D.” stands confusingly for a Latin
phrase: anno domini (“in the year of the Lord”—the year Jesus was born). If the
calendar actually changed with Jesus’ death, then what would we do with the
years during which he lived? Since Jesus was probably actually born around
6 B.C. or so, the connection of the calendar with him can be misleading.
Many Biblical scholars, historians, and archeologists prefer the less sectarian
designations “before the Common Era” (B.C.E.) and “the Common Era”
(C.E.).
All of these abbreviations can also be spelled without their periods.
a historic/an historic
See “historic: an historic vs. a historic.”
a lot/alot
See “alot/a lot.”
abject
“Abject” is always negative—it means “hopeless,” not “extreme.” You can’t experience
“abject joy” unless you’re being deliberately paradoxical.
able to
People are able to do things, but things are not able to be done: you should not
say, “the budget shortfall was able to be solved by selling brownies.”
about
“Th is isn’t about you.” What a great rebuke! But conservatives sniff at this sort
of abstract use of “about,” as in “I’m all about good taste” or “successful truffl emaking
is about temperature control”; so it’s better to avoid it in very formal
English.
absorbtion/absorption
Although it’s “absorbed” and “absorbing,” the correct spelling of the noun is
“absorption.”
But note that scientists distinguish between “absorption” as the process
of swallowing up or sucking in something and “adsorption” as the process by
which something adheres to the surface of something else without being assimilated
into it. Even technical writers often confuse these two.
abstruse/obtuse
Most people fi rst encounter “obtuse” in geometry class, where it labels an angle
of more than 90 degrees. Imagine what sort of blunt arrowhead that kind of
angle would make and you will understand why it also has a fi gurative meaning
of “dull, stupid.” But people often mix the word up with “abstruse,” which
means “diffi cult to understand.”
When you mean to criticize
something for being needlessly
complex or baffl ing, the word you
need is not “obtuse,” but “abstruse.”
academia
Although some academics are
undoubtedly nuts, the usual
English-language pronunciation of
“academia” does not rhyme with
“macadamia.” Th e third syllable is
pronounced “deem.” Just say “academe”
and add “ee-yuh.”
However, there’s an interesting
possibility if you go with “ack-uh-
DAME-ee-yuh”: although some
people will sneer at your lack of
abject
Even at the Women’s Barbell Academy it is
not pronounced “ack-uh-DAME-ee-yuh.”
sophistication, others will assume you’re using the Latin pronunciation and
being learned.
accede/exceed
If you drive too fast, you exceed the speed limit. “Accede” is a much rarer word
meaning “give in, agree.”
accent marks
In what follows, “accent mark” will be used in a loose sense to include all diacritical
marks that guide pronunciation. Operating systems and programs diff er
in how they produce accent marks, but it’s worth learning how yours works.
Writing them in by hand afterwards looks amateurish.
Words adopted from foreign languages sometimes carry their accent marks
with them, as in “fi ancé,” “protégé,” and “cliché.” As words become more at
home in English, they tend to shed the marks: “Café” is often spelled “cafe.”
Unfortunately, “résumé” seems to be losing its marks one at a time (see also
“vitae/vita”).
Many computer users have not learned their systems well enough to
understand how to produce the desired accent and often insert an apostrophe
(curled) or foot mark (straight) after the accented letter instead: “cafe’” or
“cafe'.” Th is is both ugly and incorrect. Th e same error is commonly seen on
storefront signs.
So far we’ve used examples containing acute (right-leaning) accent marks.
French and Italian (but not Spanish) words often contain grave (left-leaning)
accents; in Italian it’s a caff è. It is important not to substitute one kind of accent
for the other.
Th e diaeresis over a letter signifi es that it is to be pronounced as a separate
syllable: “noël” and “naïve” are sometimes spelled with a diaeresis, for instance.
Th e umlaut, which looks identical, modifi es the sound of a vowel, as in German
Fräulein (girl), where the accent mark changes the “frow” sound of Frau
(woman) to “froy.” Rock groups like Blue Öyster Cult scattered umlauts about
nonsensically to create an exotic look.
Spanish words not completely assimilated into English—like piñata and
niño—retain the tilde, which tells you that an N is to be pronounced with a
Y sound after it.
In English-language publications accent marks are often discarded, but the
acute and grave accents are the ones most often retained.
accept/except
If you off er me Godiva chocolates I will gladly accept them—except for the
candied violet ones. Just remember that the X in “except” excludes things—
they tend to stand out, be diff erent. In contrast, just look at those two cozy
Cs snuggling up together. Very accepting. And be careful; when typing
“except” it often comes out “expect.”
accept/except
access/get access to
“Access” is one of many nouns that’s been turned into a verb in recent years.
Conservatives object to phrases like, “You can access your account online.”
Substitute “use,” “reach,” or “get access to” if you want to please them.
accessory
Th ere’s an “ack” sound at the beginning of this word, though some mispronounce
it as if the two C’s were to be sounded the same as the two SS’s.
accidently/accidentally
You can remember this one by remembering how to spell “accidental.” Th ere
are quite a few words with “-ally” suffi xes (like “incidentally”), which are not to
be confused with words that have “-ly” suffi xes (like “independently”). “Incidental”
is a word, but “independental” is not.
according to/per
See “per/according to.”
accurate/precise
In ordinary usage, “accurate” and “precise” are often used as rough synonyms,
but scientists like to distinguish between them. Someone could say that a snake
is over a meter long and be accurate (the snake really does exceed one meter in
length), but that is not a precise measurement. To be precise, the measurement
would have to be more exact: the snake is 1.23 meters long. Th e same distinction
applies in scientifi c contexts to the related words “accuracy” and “precision.”
acronyms and apostrophes
One unusual modern use of the apostrophe is in plural acronyms, like
“ICBM’s,” “NGO’s,” and “CD’s.” Since this pattern violates the rule that
apostrophes are not used before an S indicating a plural, many people object to
it. It is also perfectly legitimate to write “CDs,” etc. Likewise for “50s.” But the
use of apostrophes with initialisms like “learn your ABC’s” and “mind your P’s
and Q’s” is now so universal as to be acceptable in almost any context.
Note that “acronym” was used originally only to label pronounceable abbreviations
like “NATO,” but is now generally applied to all sorts of initialisms.
Be aware that some people consider this extended defi nition of “acronym” to
be an error.
See also “apostrophes.”
acrosst/accrossed/across
In some dialects, “acrosst” is a common misspelling of “across.” Also, the
chicken may have crossed the road, but did so by walking across it.
actionable/doable
“Actionable” is a technical term referring to something that provides grounds
for a legal action or lawsuit. People in the business world have begun using it as
access/get access to
a fancy synonym for
“doable” or “feasible.”
Th is is both pretentious
and confusing.
actual fact/actually
“In actual fact” is an
unnecessarily complicated
way of saying
“actually.”
ad nauseum/ad nauseam
Seeing how often ad nauseam is misspelled makes some people want to throw
up.
adapt/adopt
You can adopt a child or a custom or a law; in these cases you are making the
object of the adoption your own, accepting it. If you adapt something, however,
you are changing it.
add/ad
“Advertisement” is abbreviated
“ad,” not “add.”
add/plus
See “plus/add.”
added bonus
See “redundancies.”
addicting/addictive
Do you fi nd beer nuts
addicting or addictive? “Addicting” is a perfectly legitimate word, but much less
common than “addictive,” and some people will scowl at you if you use it.
adieu/ado
See “without further adieu/without further ado.”
administer/minister
You can minister to someone by administering fi rst aid. Note how the “ad” in
“administer” resembles “aid” in order to remember the correct form of the latter
phrase. “Minister” as a verb always requires “to” following it.
administrate/administer
Although it is very popular with administrators and others, many people scorn
“administrate” as an unnecessary substitute for the more common verb form
“administer.”
administrate/administer
—“In actual fact, I think
I’m very well spoken.”
—“Well, actually . . .”
Th e carousel, the calliope—
they both went on ad nauseam.
adopt/adapt
See “adapt/adopt.”
adultry/adultery
“Adultery” is often misspelled “adultry,” as if it were something every adult
should try. Th is spelling error is likely to get you snickered at. Th e term does
not refer to all sorts of illicit sex: at least one of the partners involved has to be
married for the relationship to be adulterous.
advance/advanced
When you hear about something in advance, earlier than other people, you get
advance notice or information. “Advanced” means “complex,” “sophisticated”
and doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the revealing of secrets.
adverse/averse
Th e word “adverse” turns up most frequently in the phrase “adverse circumstances,”
meaning diffi cult circumstances, circumstances which act as an
adversary; but people often confuse this word with “averse,” a much rarer word,
meaning having a strong feeling against, or aversion toward.
advice/advise
“Advice” is the noun, “advise” the verb. When Miss Manners advises people,
she gives them advice.
adviser/advisor
“Adviser” and “advisor” are equally fi ne spellings. Th ere is no distinction between
them.
advocate for/advocate
When they are acting as advocates for a cause, people often say they are “advocating
for,” say, traffi c safety. Th is is not as widely accepted as “campaigning
for” or “working toward.” Saying you are “advocating for the blind” leaves a lot
of listeners wondering what it is you advocate for them. If you can substitute
“advocate” for “advocate for,” you should do so: “I advocate for higher pay for
teachers” becomes “I advocate higher pay for teachers.”
aesthetic/ascetic
People often encounter these two words fi rst in college, and may confuse one
with the other although they have almost opposite connotations. “Aesthetic”
(also spelled “esthetic”) has to do with beauty, whereas “ascetic” has to do with
avoiding pleasure, including presumably the pleasure of looking at beautiful
things.
St. Francis had an ascetic attitude toward life, whereas Oscar Wilde had an
esthetic attitude toward life.
adopt/adapt
aff ect/eff ect
Th ere are fi ve distinct words here. When “aff ect” is accented on the fi nal
syllable (a-FECT), it is usually a verb meaning “have an infl uence on”: “Th e
million-dollar donation from the industrialist did not aff ect my vote against
the Clean Air Act.”
Occasionally a pretentious person is said to aff ect an artifi cial air of sophistication.
Speaking with a borrowed French accent or ostentatiously wearing a
large diamond ear stud might be an aff ectation. In this sort of context, “aff ect”
means “to make a display of or deliberately cultivate.”
Another unusual meaning is indicated when the word is accented on the fi rst
syllable (AFF-ect), meaning “emotion.” In this case the word is used mostly by
psychiatrists and social scientists—people who normally know how to spell it.
Th e real problem arises when people confuse the fi rst spelling with the
second: “eff ect.” Th is too can be two diff erent words. Th e more common one
is a noun: “When I left the stove on, the eff ect was that the house fi lled with
smoke.” When you aff ect a situation, you have an eff ect on it.
Th e less common is a verb meaning “to create”: “I’m trying to eff ect a
change in the way we purchase widgets.” No wonder people are confused. Note
especially that the proper expression is not “take aff ect” but “take eff ect”—become
eff ective. Hey, nobody ever said English was logical: just memorize it and
get on with your life.
Th e stuff in your purse? Your personal eff ects.
Th e stuff in movies? Sound eff ects and special eff ects.
affl uence/effl uence
Wealth brings affl uence; sewage is effl uence.
African-American
Th ere have been several polite terms used in the US to refer to persons of African
descent: “colored,” “negro,” “Black,” and “African-American.” “Colored”
is defi nitely dated, though “people of color” is now widely used with a broader
meaning, including anyone with non-European ancestry, sometimes even
when their skin is not discernibly darker than that of a typical European. A
few contemporary writers like to defy convention by referring to themselves as
“negro.” “Black,” formerly a proudly assertive label claimed by young radicals
in the 1960s, is now seen by some people as a racist insult. Some people insist
on capitalizing “Black,” but others prefer “black.” Th e safest and most common
neutral term is “African-American,” but Americans sometimes misuse it to label
people of African descent living in other countries or even actual Africans. To
qualify as an “African-American” you have to be an American.
afterwards/afterwords
Like “towards,” “forwards,” and “homewards,” “afterwards” ends with -wards.
“Afterwords” are sometimes the explanatory essays at the ends of books or
speeches uttered at the end of plays or other works. Th ey are made up of words.
afterwards/afterwords
aggravate vs. irritate
Some people claim that “aggravate” can only mean “make worse” and should
not be used to mean “irritate”; but the latter has been a valid use of the word
for four centuries, and “aggravation” means almost exclusively “irritation.”
agnostic/atheist
Both agnostics and atheists are regularly criticized as illogical by people who
don’t understand the meaning of these terms. An agnostic is a person who
believes that the existence of a god or gods cannot be proven or known. Agnosticism
is a statement about the limits of human knowledge. It is an error to suppose
that agnostics perpetually hesitate between faith and doubt: they are confi -
dent they cannot know the ultimate truth. Similarly, atheists believe there are no
gods. Atheists need not be able to disprove the existence of gods to be consistent
just as believers do not need to be able to prove that gods do exist in order to be
regarded as religious. Both attitudes have to do with beliefs, not knowledge.
“Agnostic” is often used metaphorically of any refusal to make a judgment,
usually on the basis of a lack of evidence; people can be agnostic about acupuncture,
for instance, if they believe there is not enough evidence one way or
another to decide its eff ectiveness.
agreeance/agreement
When you agree with someone you are in agreement.
ahold/hold
In standard English you just “get hold” of something or somebody.
aide/aid
In American English, an aide is a personal assistant (nurse’s aide, presidential
aide) but an inanimate object or process is always an aid (hearing aid, fi rst aid).
ain’t/am not/isn’t/aren’t
“Ain’t” has a long and vital history as a substitute for “isn’t,” “aren’t,” and so on.
It was originally formed from a contraction of “am not” and is still commonly
used in that sense. Even though it has been universally condemned as the classic
“mistake” in English, everyone uses it occasionally as part of a joking phrase
or to convey a down-to-earth quality. But if you always use it instead of the
more “proper” contractions you’re sure to be branded as uneducated.
aisle/isle
An aisle is a narrow passageway, especially in a church or store; an isle is an
island. Propose to the person you’re stranded on a desert isle with and maybe
you’ll march down the aisle together after you’re rescued.
all
Put this word where it belongs in the sentence. In negative statements, don’t
write, “All the pictures didn’t show her dimples” when you mean, “Th e pictures
didn’t all show her dimples.”
aggravate vs. irritate
all and all/all in all
“Th e dog got into the fried chicken, we forgot the sunscreen, and the kids
started whining at the end, but all in all the picnic was a success.” “All in all”
is a traditional phrase which can mean “all things considered,” “after all,” or
“nevertheless.” People unfamiliar with the traditional wording often change it
to “all and all,” but this is nonstandard.
all be it/albeit
“Albeit” is a single word meaning “although”: “Rani’s recipe called for a tablespoon
of saff ron, which made it very tasty, albeit rather expensive.” It should
not be broken up into three separate words as “all be it,” just as “although” is
not broken up into “all though.”
all for not/all for naught
“Naught” means “nothing,” and the phrase “all for naught” means “all for
nothing.” Th is is often misspelled “all for not” and occasionally “all for knot.”
all goes well/augurs well
Some folks who don’t understand the word “augur” (to foretell based on
omens) try to make sense of the common phrase “augurs well” by mangling it
into “all goes well.” “Augurs well” is synonymous with “bodes well.”
all of the sudden/all of a sudden
An unexpected event happens not “all of the sudden” but “all of a sudden.”
all ready/already
“All ready” is a phrase meaning “completely prepared,” as in, “As soon as I put
my coat on, I’ll be all ready.” “Already,” however, is an adverb used to describe
something that has happened before a certain time, as in, “What do you mean
you’d rather stay home? I’ve already got my coat on.”
all right/alright
See “alright/all right.”
all the farther/as far as
In some American dialects it is not uncommon to hear sentences such as
“Abilene is all the farther the rustlers got before the posse caught up with
them.” Th e strangely constructed expression “all the farther” should be replaced
with the much more straightforward “as far as.”
all together/altogether
See “altogether/all together.”
alleged, allegedly
Seeking to avoid prejudging the facts in a crime and protect the rights of the
accused, reporters sometimes over-use “alleged” and “allegedly.” If it is clear
that someone has been robbed at gunpoint, it’s not necessary to describe it as
alleged, allegedly
an alleged robbery nor the victim as an alleged victim. Th is practice insultingly
casts doubt on the honesty of the victim and protects no one. An accused perpetrator
is one whose guilt is not yet established, so it is redundant to speak of
an “alleged accused.” If the perpetrator has not yet been identifi ed, it’s pointless
to speak of the search for an “alleged perpetrator.”
allegory
See “parallel/symbol.”
alliterate/illiterate
Pairs of words with the same initial sound alliterate, like “wild and wooly.”
Th ose who can’t read are illiterate.
alls/all
“Alls I know is . . .” may result from anticipating the S in “is,” but the standard
expression is “All I know is. . . .”
allude/elude
You can allude (refer) to your daughter’s membership in the honor society
when boasting about her, but a criminal tries to elude (escape) captivity. Th ere
is no such word as “illude.”
allude/refer
To allude to something is to refer to it indirectly, by suggestion. If you are
being direct and unambiguous, you are referring to the subject rather than
alluding to it.
allusion/illusion
An allusion is a reference, something you allude to: “Her allusion to fl owers
reminded me that Valentine’s Day was coming.” In that English paper, don’t
write “literary illusions” when you mean “allusions.” A mirage, hallucination,
or magic trick is an illusion. (Doesn’t being fooled just make you ill?)
allusive/elusive/illusive
When the defense lawyer alludes to his client’s poor mother, he is being allusive.
When the mole keeps eluding the traps you’ve set in the garden, it’s being
elusive. We also speak of matters that are diffi cult to understand, identify, or
remember as elusive. Illusions can be illusive, but we more often refer to them
as illusory.
almost
Like “only,” “almost” must come immediately before the word or phrase it
modifi es: “She almost gave a million dollars to the museum” means something
quite diff erent from, “She gave almost a million dollars to the museum.” Right?
So you shouldn’t write, “Th ere was almost a riotous reaction when the will was
read” when what you mean is, “Th ere was an almost riotous reaction.”
allegory
almost always/most always
See “most always/almost always.”
along the same vein/in the same vein, along the same line
Th e expressions “in the same vein” and “along the same line” mean the same
thing (“on the same subject”), but those who cross-pollinate them to create the
hybrid “along the same vein” sound a little odd to those who are used to the
standard expressions.
alot/a lot
Perhaps this common spelling error began because there does exist in English
a word spelled “allot” which is a verb
meaning to apportion or grant. Th e correct
form, with “a” and “lot” separated
by a space is perhaps not often encountered
in print because formal writers
usually use other expressions such as “a
great deal,” “often,” etc.
You shouldn’t write “alittle” either.
It’s “a little.”
aloud/allowed
If you think Grandma allowed the kids
to eat too much ice cream, you’d better not say so aloud, or her feelings will be
hurt. “Aloud” means “out loud” and refers to sounds (most often speech) that
can be heard by others. But this word is often misused when people mean “allowed,”
meaning “permitted.”
already/all ready
See “all ready/already.”
alright/all right
Th e correct form of this phrase has become so rare in the popular press that
many readers have probably never noticed that it is actually two words. But if
you want to avoid irritating traditionalists you’d better tell them that you feel
“all right” rather than “alright.”
altar/alter
An altar is that platform at the front of a church or in a temple; to alter something
is to change it.
alterior/ulterior
When you have a concealed reason for doing something, it’s an ulterior motive.
alternate/alternative
Although UK authorities disapprove, in US usage, “alternate” is frequently
an adjective, substituted for the older “alternative”: “an alternate route.”
How much space should you allot for
Farmer Howard’s shipment of hay? A lot!
alternate/alternative
“Alternate” can also be a noun; a substitute delegate is, for instance, called an
“alternate.” But when you’re speaking of “every other” as in “our club meets on
alternate Tuesdays,” you can’t substitute “alternative.”
altogether/all together
“Altogether” is an adverb meaning “completely,” “entirely.” For example:
“When he fi rst saw the examination questions, he was altogether baffl ed.” “All
together,” in contrast, is a phrase meaning “in a group.” For example: “Th e
wedding guests were gathered all together in the garden.” Undressed people are
said in informal speech to be “in the altogether” (perhaps a shortening of the
phrase “altogether naked”).
alumnus/alumni
We used to have “alumnus” (male singular), “alumni” (male plural), “alumna”
(female singular), and “alumnae” (female plural); but the latter two are now
popular only among older female graduates, with the fi rst two terms becoming
unisex. However, it is still important to distinguish between one alumnus and
a stadium full of alumni. Never say, “I am an alumni,” if you don’t want to cast
discredit on your school. Many avoid the whole problem by resorting to the
informal abbreviation “alum.”
Alzheimer’s disease/old-timer’s disease
See “old-timer’s disease/Alzheimer’s disease.”
AM/PM
“AM” stands for the Latin phrase Ante Meridiem—which means “before
noon”—and “PM” stands for Post Meridiem: “after noon.” Although digital
clocks routinely label noon “12:00 PM” you should avoid this expression not
only because it is incorrect, but because many people will imagine you are talking
about midnight instead. Th e same goes for “12:00 AM.” Just say or write
“noon” or “midnight” when you mean those precise times.
It is now rare to see periods placed after these abbreviations: “A.M.,” but
in formal writing it is still preferable to capitalize them, though the lower-case
“am” and “pm” are now so popular they are not likely to get you into trouble.
Occasionally computer programs encourage you to write “AM” and “PM”
without a space before them, but others will misread your data if you omit the
space. Th e nonstandard habit of omitting the space is spreading rapidly, and
should be avoided in formal writing.
am not/isn’t/aren’t/ain’t
See “ain’t/am not/isn’t/aren’t.”
amature/amateur
Most of the words we’ve borrowed from the French that have retained their
“-eur” endings are pretty sophisticated, like “restaurateur” (notice, no N) and
“auteur” (in fi lm criticism), but “amateur” attracts amateurish spelling.
altogether/all together
ambiguous/ambivalent
Even though the prefi x “ambi-” means “both,” “ambiguous” has come to mean
“unclear, undefi ned,” while “ambivalent” means “torn between two opposing
feelings or views.” If your attitude cannot be defi ned into two polarized alternatives,
then you’re ambiguous, not ambivalent.
ambivalent/indiff erent
If you feel pulled in two directions about some issue, you’re ambivalent about it;
but if you have no particular feelings about it, you’re indiff erent.
American
Some Canadians and more Latin Americans are understandably irritated when
US citizens refer to themselves simply as “Americans.” Canadians (and only
Canadians) use the term “North American” to include themselves in a twomember
group with their neighbor to the south, though geographers usually
include Mexico in North America. When addressing an international audience
composed largely of people from the Americas, it is wise to consider their
sensitivities.
However, it is pointless to try to ban this usage in all contexts. Outside of
the Americas, “American” is universally understood to refer to things relating to
the US. Th ere is no good substitute. Brazilians, Argentineans, and Canadians
all have unique terms to refer to themselves. None of them refer routinely to
themselves as “Americans” outside of contexts like the “Organization of American
States.” Frank Lloyd Wright promoted “Usonian,” but it never caught on.
For better or worse, “American” is standard English for “citizen or resident of
the United States of America.”
among/within
See “within/among.”
amongst/among
Although “amongst” has not aged nearly as badly as “whilst,” it is still less common
in standard speech than “among.”
amoral/immoral
“Amoral” is a rather technical word meaning “unrelated to morality.” When
you mean to denounce someone’s behavior, call it “immoral.”
amount/number
Th is is a vast subject. I will try to limit the number of words I expend on it so
as not to use up too great an amount of space. Th e confusion between the two
categories of words relating to amount and number is so pervasive that those of
us who still distinguish between them constitute an endangered species; but if
you want to avoid our ire, learn the diff erence. Amount words relate to quantities
of things that are measured in bulk; number to things that can be counted.
amount/number
In the second sentence above, it would have been improper to write “the
amount of words” because words are discrete entities that can be counted, or
numbered.
Here is a handy chart to distinguish the two categories of words:
amount number
quantity number
little few
less fewer
much many
You can eat fewer cookies, but you drink less milk. If you ate too many
cookies, people would probably think you’ve had too much dessert. If the thing
being measured is being considered in countable units, then use number words.
Even a substance that is considered in bulk can also be measured by number
of units. For instance, you shouldn’t drink too much wine, but you should also
avoid drinking too many glasses of wine. Note that here you are counting glasses.
Th ey can be numbered.
Th e most common mistake of this kind is to refer to an “amount” of people
instead of a “number” of people.
Just to confuse things, “more” can be used either way: you can eat more
cookies and drink more milk.
Exceptions to the less/fewer pattern are references to units of time and money,
which are usually treated as amounts: less than an hour, less than fi ve dollars.
Only when you are referring to specifi c coins or bills would you use fewer:
“I have fewer than fi ve state quarters to go to make my collection complete.”
ampitheater/amphitheater
Th e classy way to pronounce the fi rst syllable of this word is “amf-,” but if you
choose the more popular “amp-” remember that you still have to include the
H after the P when spelling it. UK-standard writers spell it “amphitheatre,” of
course.
amuse/bemuse
See “bemuse/amuse.”
an historic/a historic
See “historic: an historic vs. a historic.”
analog/analogue
See “‘lite’ spelling.”
analogy
See “parallel/symbol.”
ancestor/descendant
When Albus Dumbledore said that Lord Voldemort was “the last remaining
ancestor of Salazar Slytherin,” more than one person noted that he had made a
ampitheater/amphitheater
serious verbal bumble; and in later printings of Harry Potter and the Chamber
of Secrets author J. K. Rowling corrected that to “last remaining descendant.”
People surprisingly often confuse these two terms with each other. Your greatgrandmother
is your ancestor; you are her descendant.
anchors away/anchors aweigh
Anchors are “weighed” by being gathered up on chains. Th e correct expression
is “anchors aweigh.”
and/or
Th e legal phrase “and/or,” indicating that you can either choose between two
alternatives or choose both of them, has proved irresistible in other contexts
and is now widely acceptable though it irritates some readers as jargon. However,
you can logically use it only when you are discussing choices which may
or may not both be done: “Bring chips and/or beer.” It’s very much overused
where simple “or” would do, and it would be wrong to say, “you can get to the
campus for this morning’s meeting on a bike and/or in a car.” Choosing one
eliminates the possibility of the other, so this isn’t an and/or situation.
and also/and, also
“And also” is redundant; say just “and” or “also.”
and plus
See “redundancies.”
anecdote/antidote
A humorist relates “anecdotes.” Th e doctor prescribes “antidotes” for children
who have swallowed poison. Laughter may be the best medicine, but that’s no
reason to confuse these two with each other.
angel/angle
People who want to write about winged beings
from Heaven often miscall them “angles.” A
triangle has three angles. Th e Heavenly Host
is made of angels. Just remember the adjectival
form: “angelic.” If you pronounce it aloud you’ll
be reminded that the E comes before the L.
annihilate
See “decimate/annihilate, slaughter, etc.”
another words/in other words
When you reword a statement, you can preface
it by saying “in other words.” Th e phrase is not “another words.”
anticlimatic/anticlimactic
Th is word has to do with climaxes, not climate, so the word is “anticlimactic.”
anticlimatic/anticlimactic
Th e angel came in
at an odd angle.
antidote/anecdote
See “anecdote/antidote.”
antihero
In literature, theater, and fi lm an antihero is a central character who is not very
admirable: weak, lazy, incompetent, or mean-spirited. However, antiheroes are
rarely actually evil, and you should not use this word as a synonym for “villain”
if you want to get a good grade on your English lit paper.
antisocial/asocial
See “asocial/antisocial.”
anxious/eager
Most people use “anxious” interchangeably with “eager,” but its original meaning
had to do with worrying, being full of anxiety. Perfectly correct phrases like
“anxious to please” obscure the nervous tension implicit in this word and lead
people to say less correct things like, “I’m anxious for Christmas morning to
come so I can open my presents.” Traditionalists frown on anxiety-free anxiousness.
Say instead you are eager for or looking forward to a happy event.
any
Instead of saying, “He was the worst of any of the dancers,” say, “He was the
worst of the dancers.”
any where/anywhere
“Anywhere,” like “somewhere” and “nowhere,” is always one word.
anymore/any more
In the fi rst place, the traditional (though now uncommon) spelling is as two
words: “any more” as in “We do not sell bananas any more.” In the second
place, it should not be used at the beginning of a sentence as a synonym for
“nowadays.” In certain dialects of English it is common to utter phrases like,
“Anymore you have to grow your own if you want really ripe tomatoes,” but
this is guaranteed to jolt listeners who aren’t used to it. Even if they can’t
quite fi gure out what’s wrong, they’ll feel that your speech is vaguely clunky
and awkward. “Any more” always needs to be used as part of an expression of
negation except in questions like, “Do you have any more bananas?” Now you
won’t make that mistake any more, will you?
anytime/any time
Th ough it is often compressed into a single word by analogy with “anywhere”
and similar words, “any time” is traditionally a two-word phrase.
anyways/anyway
“Anyways” at the beginning of a sentence usually indicates that the speaker has
resumed a narrative thread: “Anyways, I told Matilda that guy was a lazy bum
antidote/anecdote
before she ever married him.” It also occurs at the end of phrases and sentences,
meaning “in any case”: “He wasn’t all that good-looking anyways.” A slightly
less rustic quality can be imparted to these sentences by substituting the more
formal “anyway.” Neither expression is a good idea in formal written English.
Th e two-word phrase “any way” has many legitimate uses, however: “Is there
any way to prevent the impending disaster?”
apart/a part
Paradoxically, the one-word form implies separation while the two-word form
implies union. Feuding roommates decide to live apart. Th eir time together
may be a part of their lives they will remember with some bitterness.
apiece/a piece
When you mean “each” the expression is “apiece”: these pizzas are really
cheap—only ten dollars apiece.” But when “piece” actually refers to a piece of
something, the required two-word expression is “a piece”: “Th is pizza is really
expensive—they sell it by the slice for ten dollars a piece.”
Despite misspellings in popular music, the expression is not “down the road
apiece”; it’s “down the road a piece.”
apostrophes
First let’s all join in a hearty curse of the grammarians who inserted the wretched
apostrophe into possessives in the fi rst place. It was all a mistake. Our ancestors
used to write “Johns hat” meaning “the hat of John” without the slightest
ambiguity. However, some time in the Renaissance certain scholars decided
that the simple S of possession must have been formed out of a contraction of
the more “proper” “John his hat.” Since in English we mark contractions with
an apostrophe, they did so, and we were stuck with the stupid “John’s hat.”
Th eir error can be a handy reminder though: if you’re not sure whether a noun
ending in S should be followed by an apostrophe, ask yourself whether you
could plausibly substitute “his” or “her” for the S.
Th e exception to this pattern involves personal pronouns indicating possession
like “his,” “hers,” and “its.” For more on this point, see “its/it’s.”
Get this straight once and for all: when the S is added to a word simply to
make it a plural, no apostrophe is used (except in expressions where letters or
numerals are treated like words, like “mind your P’s and Q’s” and “learn your
ABC’s”).
Apostrophes are also used to indicate omitted letters in real contractions:
“do not” becomes “don’t.”
Why can’t we all agree to do away with the wretched apostrophe? Its two
uses—contraction and possession—have people so thoroughly confused that
they are always putting in apostrophes where they don’t belong, in simple
plurals (“cucumber’s for sale”) and family names when they are referred to collectively
(“the Smith’s”).
apostrophes
Th e practice of putting improper apostrophes in family names on signs in
front yards is an endless source of confusion. “Th e Brown’s” is just plain wrong.
(If you wanted to suggest “the residence of the Browns” you would have to
write “Browns’,” with the apostrophe after the S, which is there to indicate
a plural number, not as an indication of possession.) If you simply want to
indicate that a family named Brown lives here, the sign out front should read
simply “Th e Browns.” When a name ends in an S you need to add an ES to
make it plural: “the Adamses.”
No apostrophes for simple plural names or names ending in S, OK? I get
irritated when people address me as “Mr. Brian’s.” What about when plural
names are used to indicate possession? “Th e Browns’ cat” is standard (the
second S is “understood”), though some prefer “the Browns’s cat.” Th e pattern
is the same with names ending in S: “the Adamses’ cat” or—theoretically—“the
Adamses’s cat,” though that would be mighty awkward.
Apostrophes are also misplaced in common plural nouns on signs: “Restrooms
are for customer’s use only.” Who is this privileged customer to deserve a
private bathroom? Th e sign should read “for customers’ use.”
For ordinary nouns, the pattern for adding an apostrophe to express possession
is straightforward. For singular nouns, add an apostrophe plus an S: “the
duck’s bill.” If the singular noun happens to end in one S or even two, you still
just add an apostrophe and an S: “the boss’s desk.”
For plural nouns which end in S, however, add only the apostrophe: “the
ducks’ bills.” But if a plural noun does not end in S, then you follow the same
pattern as for singular nouns by adding an apostrophe and an S: “the children’s
menu.”
It is not uncommon to see the S wrongly apostrophized even in verbs, as in
the mistaken “He complain’s a lot.”
See also “acronyms and apostrophes.”
appauled/appalled
Th ose of us named Paul are appalled at the misspelling of this word. No U, two
L’s please. And it’s certainly not “uphauled”!
appraise/apprise
When you estimate the value of something, you appraise it. When you inform
people of a situation, you apprise them of it.
apropos/appropriate
“Apropos,” (anglicized from the French phrase “à propos”) means relevant,
connected with what has gone before; it should not be used as an all-purpose
substitute for “appropriate.” It would be inappropriate, for example, to say
“Your tuxedo was perfectly apropos for the opera gala.” Even though it’s not
pronounced, be careful not to omit the fi nal S in spelling “apropos.”
aren’t/ain’t/am not/isn’t
See “ain’t/am not/isn’t/aren’t.”
appauled/appalled
arthuritis/arthritis
If there were such a word as “arthuritis”
it might mean the overwhelming desire
to pull swords out of stones; but that
ache in your joints is caused by “arthritis.”
artic/arctic
Although some brand names have incorporated
this popular error, remember
that the Arctic Circle is an arc. By the
way, Ralph Vaughan Williams called his
suite drawn from the score of the fi lm
Scott of the Antarctic the Sinfonia Antartica,
but that’s Italian, not English.
artical/article
Th e correct spelling is “article.”
artisanal/artesian
For the past half-century foodies have referred to foods and drinks made
in small batches by hand using traditional methods as artisanal—made by
artisans: workers in handicrafts. Th e term has also been extended to a wide
variety of other handmade products. Dictionaries agree that the word should
be pronounced “ARR-tizz-uh-nul” with the accent on the fi rst syllable and the
second syllable rhyming with “fi zz.” Just say “artisan” and add “-ul.”
Diners and restaurant workers alike commonly confuse the pronunciation
of its fi rst three syllables with that of “artesian”—“arr-TEE-zhun”—which is
an adjective to describe water which spurts out of the earth under natural pressure.
In this word the accent falls on the second syllable, pronounced like “tea.”
A spring such as this is called an “artesian spring” or “artesian well.”
If you hand-bottle water from a natural spring in your backyard I suppose
you could call the result artisanal artesian water.
as best as/as best
You can try to be as good as you can be, but it’s not standard to say that you
do something “as best as you can.” You need to eliminate the second “as” when
“good” changes to “best.” You can try to do something as best you can. You can
also do the best that you can (or even better, the best you can).
Unlike asbestos removal, “as best as” removal is easy, and you don’t have to
wear a hazmat suit.
as far as/all the farther
See “all the farther/as far as.”
“No, I do not want to watch
that Dudley Moore movie again
. . . you see, I have Arthur-itis.”
as far as/all the farther
as far as/as far as . . . is concerned
Originally people used to say things like “As far as music is concerned, I
especially love Baroque opera.” Recently they have begun to drop the “is concerned”
part of the phrase. Perhaps this shift was infl uenced by confusion with
a similar phrase, “as for.” “As for money, I don’t have any,” is fi ne; “As far as
money, I don’t have any,” is clumsy.
as follow/as follows
“My birthday requests are as follows.” Th is standard phrase doesn’t change
number when the items to follow grow from one to many. It’s never correct to
say “as follow.”
as if/like
See “like/as if.”
as of yet/yet
“As of yet” is a windy and pretentious substitute for plain old English “yet” or
“as yet,” an unjustifi ed extension of the pattern in sentences like “as of Friday
the 27th of May.”
as per/in accordance with
“Enclosed is the shipment of #2 toggle bolts as per your order of June 14”
writes the businessman, unaware that not only is the “as” redundant, he is
sounding very old-fashioned and pretentious. Th e meaning is “in accordance
with,” or “in response to the request made”; but it is better to avoid these cumbersome
substitutes altogether: “Enclosed is the shipment of bolts you ordered
June 14.”
as such
Th e expression “as such” has to refer to some status mentioned earlier. “Th e
CEO was a former drill sergeant, and as such expected everyone to obey his
orders instantly.” In this case “such” refers back to “former drill sergeant.” But
often people only imply that which is referred to, as in “Th e CEO had a high
opinion of himself and as such expected everyone to obey his orders instantly.”
Here the “such” cannot logically refer back to “opinion.” Replace “as such” with
“therefore.”
ascared/scared
Th e misspelling “ascared” is probably infl uenced by the spelling of the synonym
“afraid,” but the standard English word is “scared.”
ascetic/aesthetic
See “aesthetic/ascetic.”
ascribe/subscribe
If you agree with a theory or belief, you subscribe to it, just as you subscribe to
a magazine.
If the word following begins with a vowel sound, the word you want is “an”:
“Have an apple, Adam.” If the word following begins with a consonant, but
begins with a vowel sound, you still need “an”: “An X-ray will show whether
there’s a worm in it.” It is nonstandard and often considered sloppy speech to
utter an “uh” sound in such cases.
When the following word defi nitely begins with a consonant sound, you
need “a”: “A snake told me apples enhance mental abilities.”
Note that the letter Y can be either a vowel or a consonant. Although it is
sounded as a vowel in words like “pretty,” at the beginning of words it is usually
sounded as a consonant, as in “a yolk.”
Words beginning with the letter U which start with a Y consonant sound
like “university” and “utensil” also take an “a”: “a university” and “a utensil.”
But when an initial U has a vowel sound, the word is preceded by “an”: it’s “an
umpire,” “an umbrella,” and “an understanding.”
See also “historic: an historic vs. a historic.”
A.D.
“A.D.” does not mean “after death,” as many people suppose. “B.C.” stands for
the English phrase “before Christ,” but “A.D.” stands confusingly for a Latin
phrase: anno domini (“in the year of the Lord”—the year Jesus was born). If the
calendar actually changed with Jesus’ death, then what would we do with the
years during which he lived? Since Jesus was probably actually born around
6 B.C. or so, the connection of the calendar with him can be misleading.
Many Biblical scholars, historians, and archeologists prefer the less sectarian
designations “before the Common Era” (B.C.E.) and “the Common Era”
(C.E.).
All of these abbreviations can also be spelled without their periods.
a historic/an historic
See “historic: an historic vs. a historic.”
a lot/alot
See “alot/a lot.”
abject
“Abject” is always negative—it means “hopeless,” not “extreme.” You can’t experience
“abject joy” unless you’re being deliberately paradoxical.
able to
People are able to do things, but things are not able to be done: you should not
say, “the budget shortfall was able to be solved by selling brownies.”
about
“Th is isn’t about you.” What a great rebuke! But conservatives sniff at this sort
of abstract use of “about,” as in “I’m all about good taste” or “successful truffl emaking
is about temperature control”; so it’s better to avoid it in very formal
English.
absorbtion/absorption
Although it’s “absorbed” and “absorbing,” the correct spelling of the noun is
“absorption.”
But note that scientists distinguish between “absorption” as the process
of swallowing up or sucking in something and “adsorption” as the process by
which something adheres to the surface of something else without being assimilated
into it. Even technical writers often confuse these two.
abstruse/obtuse
Most people fi rst encounter “obtuse” in geometry class, where it labels an angle
of more than 90 degrees. Imagine what sort of blunt arrowhead that kind of
angle would make and you will understand why it also has a fi gurative meaning
of “dull, stupid.” But people often mix the word up with “abstruse,” which
means “diffi cult to understand.”
When you mean to criticize
something for being needlessly
complex or baffl ing, the word you
need is not “obtuse,” but “abstruse.”
academia
Although some academics are
undoubtedly nuts, the usual
English-language pronunciation of
“academia” does not rhyme with
“macadamia.” Th e third syllable is
pronounced “deem.” Just say “academe”
and add “ee-yuh.”
However, there’s an interesting
possibility if you go with “ack-uh-
DAME-ee-yuh”: although some
people will sneer at your lack of
abject
Even at the Women’s Barbell Academy it is
not pronounced “ack-uh-DAME-ee-yuh.”
sophistication, others will assume you’re using the Latin pronunciation and
being learned.
accede/exceed
If you drive too fast, you exceed the speed limit. “Accede” is a much rarer word
meaning “give in, agree.”
accent marks
In what follows, “accent mark” will be used in a loose sense to include all diacritical
marks that guide pronunciation. Operating systems and programs diff er
in how they produce accent marks, but it’s worth learning how yours works.
Writing them in by hand afterwards looks amateurish.
Words adopted from foreign languages sometimes carry their accent marks
with them, as in “fi ancé,” “protégé,” and “cliché.” As words become more at
home in English, they tend to shed the marks: “Café” is often spelled “cafe.”
Unfortunately, “résumé” seems to be losing its marks one at a time (see also
“vitae/vita”).
Many computer users have not learned their systems well enough to
understand how to produce the desired accent and often insert an apostrophe
(curled) or foot mark (straight) after the accented letter instead: “cafe’” or
“cafe'.” Th is is both ugly and incorrect. Th e same error is commonly seen on
storefront signs.
So far we’ve used examples containing acute (right-leaning) accent marks.
French and Italian (but not Spanish) words often contain grave (left-leaning)
accents; in Italian it’s a caff è. It is important not to substitute one kind of accent
for the other.
Th e diaeresis over a letter signifi es that it is to be pronounced as a separate
syllable: “noël” and “naïve” are sometimes spelled with a diaeresis, for instance.
Th e umlaut, which looks identical, modifi es the sound of a vowel, as in German
Fräulein (girl), where the accent mark changes the “frow” sound of Frau
(woman) to “froy.” Rock groups like Blue Öyster Cult scattered umlauts about
nonsensically to create an exotic look.
Spanish words not completely assimilated into English—like piñata and
niño—retain the tilde, which tells you that an N is to be pronounced with a
Y sound after it.
In English-language publications accent marks are often discarded, but the
acute and grave accents are the ones most often retained.
accept/except
If you off er me Godiva chocolates I will gladly accept them—except for the
candied violet ones. Just remember that the X in “except” excludes things—
they tend to stand out, be diff erent. In contrast, just look at those two cozy
Cs snuggling up together. Very accepting. And be careful; when typing
“except” it often comes out “expect.”
accept/except
access/get access to
“Access” is one of many nouns that’s been turned into a verb in recent years.
Conservatives object to phrases like, “You can access your account online.”
Substitute “use,” “reach,” or “get access to” if you want to please them.
accessory
Th ere’s an “ack” sound at the beginning of this word, though some mispronounce
it as if the two C’s were to be sounded the same as the two SS’s.
accidently/accidentally
You can remember this one by remembering how to spell “accidental.” Th ere
are quite a few words with “-ally” suffi xes (like “incidentally”), which are not to
be confused with words that have “-ly” suffi xes (like “independently”). “Incidental”
is a word, but “independental” is not.
according to/per
See “per/according to.”
accurate/precise
In ordinary usage, “accurate” and “precise” are often used as rough synonyms,
but scientists like to distinguish between them. Someone could say that a snake
is over a meter long and be accurate (the snake really does exceed one meter in
length), but that is not a precise measurement. To be precise, the measurement
would have to be more exact: the snake is 1.23 meters long. Th e same distinction
applies in scientifi c contexts to the related words “accuracy” and “precision.”
acronyms and apostrophes
One unusual modern use of the apostrophe is in plural acronyms, like
“ICBM’s,” “NGO’s,” and “CD’s.” Since this pattern violates the rule that
apostrophes are not used before an S indicating a plural, many people object to
it. It is also perfectly legitimate to write “CDs,” etc. Likewise for “50s.” But the
use of apostrophes with initialisms like “learn your ABC’s” and “mind your P’s
and Q’s” is now so universal as to be acceptable in almost any context.
Note that “acronym” was used originally only to label pronounceable abbreviations
like “NATO,” but is now generally applied to all sorts of initialisms.
Be aware that some people consider this extended defi nition of “acronym” to
be an error.
See also “apostrophes.”
acrosst/accrossed/across
In some dialects, “acrosst” is a common misspelling of “across.” Also, the
chicken may have crossed the road, but did so by walking across it.
actionable/doable
“Actionable” is a technical term referring to something that provides grounds
for a legal action or lawsuit. People in the business world have begun using it as
access/get access to
a fancy synonym for
“doable” or “feasible.”
Th is is both pretentious
and confusing.
actual fact/actually
“In actual fact” is an
unnecessarily complicated
way of saying
“actually.”
ad nauseum/ad nauseam
Seeing how often ad nauseam is misspelled makes some people want to throw
up.
adapt/adopt
You can adopt a child or a custom or a law; in these cases you are making the
object of the adoption your own, accepting it. If you adapt something, however,
you are changing it.
add/ad
“Advertisement” is abbreviated
“ad,” not “add.”
add/plus
See “plus/add.”
added bonus
See “redundancies.”
addicting/addictive
Do you fi nd beer nuts
addicting or addictive? “Addicting” is a perfectly legitimate word, but much less
common than “addictive,” and some people will scowl at you if you use it.
adieu/ado
See “without further adieu/without further ado.”
administer/minister
You can minister to someone by administering fi rst aid. Note how the “ad” in
“administer” resembles “aid” in order to remember the correct form of the latter
phrase. “Minister” as a verb always requires “to” following it.
administrate/administer
Although it is very popular with administrators and others, many people scorn
“administrate” as an unnecessary substitute for the more common verb form
“administer.”
administrate/administer
—“In actual fact, I think
I’m very well spoken.”
—“Well, actually . . .”
Th e carousel, the calliope—
they both went on ad nauseam.
adopt/adapt
See “adapt/adopt.”
adultry/adultery
“Adultery” is often misspelled “adultry,” as if it were something every adult
should try. Th is spelling error is likely to get you snickered at. Th e term does
not refer to all sorts of illicit sex: at least one of the partners involved has to be
married for the relationship to be adulterous.
advance/advanced
When you hear about something in advance, earlier than other people, you get
advance notice or information. “Advanced” means “complex,” “sophisticated”
and doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the revealing of secrets.
adverse/averse
Th e word “adverse” turns up most frequently in the phrase “adverse circumstances,”
meaning diffi cult circumstances, circumstances which act as an
adversary; but people often confuse this word with “averse,” a much rarer word,
meaning having a strong feeling against, or aversion toward.
advice/advise
“Advice” is the noun, “advise” the verb. When Miss Manners advises people,
she gives them advice.
adviser/advisor
“Adviser” and “advisor” are equally fi ne spellings. Th ere is no distinction between
them.
advocate for/advocate
When they are acting as advocates for a cause, people often say they are “advocating
for,” say, traffi c safety. Th is is not as widely accepted as “campaigning
for” or “working toward.” Saying you are “advocating for the blind” leaves a lot
of listeners wondering what it is you advocate for them. If you can substitute
“advocate” for “advocate for,” you should do so: “I advocate for higher pay for
teachers” becomes “I advocate higher pay for teachers.”
aesthetic/ascetic
People often encounter these two words fi rst in college, and may confuse one
with the other although they have almost opposite connotations. “Aesthetic”
(also spelled “esthetic”) has to do with beauty, whereas “ascetic” has to do with
avoiding pleasure, including presumably the pleasure of looking at beautiful
things.
St. Francis had an ascetic attitude toward life, whereas Oscar Wilde had an
esthetic attitude toward life.
adopt/adapt
aff ect/eff ect
Th ere are fi ve distinct words here. When “aff ect” is accented on the fi nal
syllable (a-FECT), it is usually a verb meaning “have an infl uence on”: “Th e
million-dollar donation from the industrialist did not aff ect my vote against
the Clean Air Act.”
Occasionally a pretentious person is said to aff ect an artifi cial air of sophistication.
Speaking with a borrowed French accent or ostentatiously wearing a
large diamond ear stud might be an aff ectation. In this sort of context, “aff ect”
means “to make a display of or deliberately cultivate.”
Another unusual meaning is indicated when the word is accented on the fi rst
syllable (AFF-ect), meaning “emotion.” In this case the word is used mostly by
psychiatrists and social scientists—people who normally know how to spell it.
Th e real problem arises when people confuse the fi rst spelling with the
second: “eff ect.” Th is too can be two diff erent words. Th e more common one
is a noun: “When I left the stove on, the eff ect was that the house fi lled with
smoke.” When you aff ect a situation, you have an eff ect on it.
Th e less common is a verb meaning “to create”: “I’m trying to eff ect a
change in the way we purchase widgets.” No wonder people are confused. Note
especially that the proper expression is not “take aff ect” but “take eff ect”—become
eff ective. Hey, nobody ever said English was logical: just memorize it and
get on with your life.
Th e stuff in your purse? Your personal eff ects.
Th e stuff in movies? Sound eff ects and special eff ects.
affl uence/effl uence
Wealth brings affl uence; sewage is effl uence.
African-American
Th ere have been several polite terms used in the US to refer to persons of African
descent: “colored,” “negro,” “Black,” and “African-American.” “Colored”
is defi nitely dated, though “people of color” is now widely used with a broader
meaning, including anyone with non-European ancestry, sometimes even
when their skin is not discernibly darker than that of a typical European. A
few contemporary writers like to defy convention by referring to themselves as
“negro.” “Black,” formerly a proudly assertive label claimed by young radicals
in the 1960s, is now seen by some people as a racist insult. Some people insist
on capitalizing “Black,” but others prefer “black.” Th e safest and most common
neutral term is “African-American,” but Americans sometimes misuse it to label
people of African descent living in other countries or even actual Africans. To
qualify as an “African-American” you have to be an American.
afterwards/afterwords
Like “towards,” “forwards,” and “homewards,” “afterwards” ends with -wards.
“Afterwords” are sometimes the explanatory essays at the ends of books or
speeches uttered at the end of plays or other works. Th ey are made up of words.
afterwards/afterwords
aggravate vs. irritate
Some people claim that “aggravate” can only mean “make worse” and should
not be used to mean “irritate”; but the latter has been a valid use of the word
for four centuries, and “aggravation” means almost exclusively “irritation.”
agnostic/atheist
Both agnostics and atheists are regularly criticized as illogical by people who
don’t understand the meaning of these terms. An agnostic is a person who
believes that the existence of a god or gods cannot be proven or known. Agnosticism
is a statement about the limits of human knowledge. It is an error to suppose
that agnostics perpetually hesitate between faith and doubt: they are confi -
dent they cannot know the ultimate truth. Similarly, atheists believe there are no
gods. Atheists need not be able to disprove the existence of gods to be consistent
just as believers do not need to be able to prove that gods do exist in order to be
regarded as religious. Both attitudes have to do with beliefs, not knowledge.
“Agnostic” is often used metaphorically of any refusal to make a judgment,
usually on the basis of a lack of evidence; people can be agnostic about acupuncture,
for instance, if they believe there is not enough evidence one way or
another to decide its eff ectiveness.
agreeance/agreement
When you agree with someone you are in agreement.
ahold/hold
In standard English you just “get hold” of something or somebody.
aide/aid
In American English, an aide is a personal assistant (nurse’s aide, presidential
aide) but an inanimate object or process is always an aid (hearing aid, fi rst aid).
ain’t/am not/isn’t/aren’t
“Ain’t” has a long and vital history as a substitute for “isn’t,” “aren’t,” and so on.
It was originally formed from a contraction of “am not” and is still commonly
used in that sense. Even though it has been universally condemned as the classic
“mistake” in English, everyone uses it occasionally as part of a joking phrase
or to convey a down-to-earth quality. But if you always use it instead of the
more “proper” contractions you’re sure to be branded as uneducated.
aisle/isle
An aisle is a narrow passageway, especially in a church or store; an isle is an
island. Propose to the person you’re stranded on a desert isle with and maybe
you’ll march down the aisle together after you’re rescued.
all
Put this word where it belongs in the sentence. In negative statements, don’t
write, “All the pictures didn’t show her dimples” when you mean, “Th e pictures
didn’t all show her dimples.”
aggravate vs. irritate
all and all/all in all
“Th e dog got into the fried chicken, we forgot the sunscreen, and the kids
started whining at the end, but all in all the picnic was a success.” “All in all”
is a traditional phrase which can mean “all things considered,” “after all,” or
“nevertheless.” People unfamiliar with the traditional wording often change it
to “all and all,” but this is nonstandard.
all be it/albeit
“Albeit” is a single word meaning “although”: “Rani’s recipe called for a tablespoon
of saff ron, which made it very tasty, albeit rather expensive.” It should
not be broken up into three separate words as “all be it,” just as “although” is
not broken up into “all though.”
all for not/all for naught
“Naught” means “nothing,” and the phrase “all for naught” means “all for
nothing.” Th is is often misspelled “all for not” and occasionally “all for knot.”
all goes well/augurs well
Some folks who don’t understand the word “augur” (to foretell based on
omens) try to make sense of the common phrase “augurs well” by mangling it
into “all goes well.” “Augurs well” is synonymous with “bodes well.”
all of the sudden/all of a sudden
An unexpected event happens not “all of the sudden” but “all of a sudden.”
all ready/already
“All ready” is a phrase meaning “completely prepared,” as in, “As soon as I put
my coat on, I’ll be all ready.” “Already,” however, is an adverb used to describe
something that has happened before a certain time, as in, “What do you mean
you’d rather stay home? I’ve already got my coat on.”
all right/alright
See “alright/all right.”
all the farther/as far as
In some American dialects it is not uncommon to hear sentences such as
“Abilene is all the farther the rustlers got before the posse caught up with
them.” Th e strangely constructed expression “all the farther” should be replaced
with the much more straightforward “as far as.”
all together/altogether
See “altogether/all together.”
alleged, allegedly
Seeking to avoid prejudging the facts in a crime and protect the rights of the
accused, reporters sometimes over-use “alleged” and “allegedly.” If it is clear
that someone has been robbed at gunpoint, it’s not necessary to describe it as
alleged, allegedly
an alleged robbery nor the victim as an alleged victim. Th is practice insultingly
casts doubt on the honesty of the victim and protects no one. An accused perpetrator
is one whose guilt is not yet established, so it is redundant to speak of
an “alleged accused.” If the perpetrator has not yet been identifi ed, it’s pointless
to speak of the search for an “alleged perpetrator.”
allegory
See “parallel/symbol.”
alliterate/illiterate
Pairs of words with the same initial sound alliterate, like “wild and wooly.”
Th ose who can’t read are illiterate.
alls/all
“Alls I know is . . .” may result from anticipating the S in “is,” but the standard
expression is “All I know is. . . .”
allude/elude
You can allude (refer) to your daughter’s membership in the honor society
when boasting about her, but a criminal tries to elude (escape) captivity. Th ere
is no such word as “illude.”
allude/refer
To allude to something is to refer to it indirectly, by suggestion. If you are
being direct and unambiguous, you are referring to the subject rather than
alluding to it.
allusion/illusion
An allusion is a reference, something you allude to: “Her allusion to fl owers
reminded me that Valentine’s Day was coming.” In that English paper, don’t
write “literary illusions” when you mean “allusions.” A mirage, hallucination,
or magic trick is an illusion. (Doesn’t being fooled just make you ill?)
allusive/elusive/illusive
When the defense lawyer alludes to his client’s poor mother, he is being allusive.
When the mole keeps eluding the traps you’ve set in the garden, it’s being
elusive. We also speak of matters that are diffi cult to understand, identify, or
remember as elusive. Illusions can be illusive, but we more often refer to them
as illusory.
almost
Like “only,” “almost” must come immediately before the word or phrase it
modifi es: “She almost gave a million dollars to the museum” means something
quite diff erent from, “She gave almost a million dollars to the museum.” Right?
So you shouldn’t write, “Th ere was almost a riotous reaction when the will was
read” when what you mean is, “Th ere was an almost riotous reaction.”
allegory
almost always/most always
See “most always/almost always.”
along the same vein/in the same vein, along the same line
Th e expressions “in the same vein” and “along the same line” mean the same
thing (“on the same subject”), but those who cross-pollinate them to create the
hybrid “along the same vein” sound a little odd to those who are used to the
standard expressions.
alot/a lot
Perhaps this common spelling error began because there does exist in English
a word spelled “allot” which is a verb
meaning to apportion or grant. Th e correct
form, with “a” and “lot” separated
by a space is perhaps not often encountered
in print because formal writers
usually use other expressions such as “a
great deal,” “often,” etc.
You shouldn’t write “alittle” either.
It’s “a little.”
aloud/allowed
If you think Grandma allowed the kids
to eat too much ice cream, you’d better not say so aloud, or her feelings will be
hurt. “Aloud” means “out loud” and refers to sounds (most often speech) that
can be heard by others. But this word is often misused when people mean “allowed,”
meaning “permitted.”
already/all ready
See “all ready/already.”
alright/all right
Th e correct form of this phrase has become so rare in the popular press that
many readers have probably never noticed that it is actually two words. But if
you want to avoid irritating traditionalists you’d better tell them that you feel
“all right” rather than “alright.”
altar/alter
An altar is that platform at the front of a church or in a temple; to alter something
is to change it.
alterior/ulterior
When you have a concealed reason for doing something, it’s an ulterior motive.
alternate/alternative
Although UK authorities disapprove, in US usage, “alternate” is frequently
an adjective, substituted for the older “alternative”: “an alternate route.”
How much space should you allot for
Farmer Howard’s shipment of hay? A lot!
alternate/alternative
“Alternate” can also be a noun; a substitute delegate is, for instance, called an
“alternate.” But when you’re speaking of “every other” as in “our club meets on
alternate Tuesdays,” you can’t substitute “alternative.”
altogether/all together
“Altogether” is an adverb meaning “completely,” “entirely.” For example:
“When he fi rst saw the examination questions, he was altogether baffl ed.” “All
together,” in contrast, is a phrase meaning “in a group.” For example: “Th e
wedding guests were gathered all together in the garden.” Undressed people are
said in informal speech to be “in the altogether” (perhaps a shortening of the
phrase “altogether naked”).
alumnus/alumni
We used to have “alumnus” (male singular), “alumni” (male plural), “alumna”
(female singular), and “alumnae” (female plural); but the latter two are now
popular only among older female graduates, with the fi rst two terms becoming
unisex. However, it is still important to distinguish between one alumnus and
a stadium full of alumni. Never say, “I am an alumni,” if you don’t want to cast
discredit on your school. Many avoid the whole problem by resorting to the
informal abbreviation “alum.”
Alzheimer’s disease/old-timer’s disease
See “old-timer’s disease/Alzheimer’s disease.”
AM/PM
“AM” stands for the Latin phrase Ante Meridiem—which means “before
noon”—and “PM” stands for Post Meridiem: “after noon.” Although digital
clocks routinely label noon “12:00 PM” you should avoid this expression not
only because it is incorrect, but because many people will imagine you are talking
about midnight instead. Th e same goes for “12:00 AM.” Just say or write
“noon” or “midnight” when you mean those precise times.
It is now rare to see periods placed after these abbreviations: “A.M.,” but
in formal writing it is still preferable to capitalize them, though the lower-case
“am” and “pm” are now so popular they are not likely to get you into trouble.
Occasionally computer programs encourage you to write “AM” and “PM”
without a space before them, but others will misread your data if you omit the
space. Th e nonstandard habit of omitting the space is spreading rapidly, and
should be avoided in formal writing.
am not/isn’t/aren’t/ain’t
See “ain’t/am not/isn’t/aren’t.”
amature/amateur
Most of the words we’ve borrowed from the French that have retained their
“-eur” endings are pretty sophisticated, like “restaurateur” (notice, no N) and
“auteur” (in fi lm criticism), but “amateur” attracts amateurish spelling.
altogether/all together
ambiguous/ambivalent
Even though the prefi x “ambi-” means “both,” “ambiguous” has come to mean
“unclear, undefi ned,” while “ambivalent” means “torn between two opposing
feelings or views.” If your attitude cannot be defi ned into two polarized alternatives,
then you’re ambiguous, not ambivalent.
ambivalent/indiff erent
If you feel pulled in two directions about some issue, you’re ambivalent about it;
but if you have no particular feelings about it, you’re indiff erent.
American
Some Canadians and more Latin Americans are understandably irritated when
US citizens refer to themselves simply as “Americans.” Canadians (and only
Canadians) use the term “North American” to include themselves in a twomember
group with their neighbor to the south, though geographers usually
include Mexico in North America. When addressing an international audience
composed largely of people from the Americas, it is wise to consider their
sensitivities.
However, it is pointless to try to ban this usage in all contexts. Outside of
the Americas, “American” is universally understood to refer to things relating to
the US. Th ere is no good substitute. Brazilians, Argentineans, and Canadians
all have unique terms to refer to themselves. None of them refer routinely to
themselves as “Americans” outside of contexts like the “Organization of American
States.” Frank Lloyd Wright promoted “Usonian,” but it never caught on.
For better or worse, “American” is standard English for “citizen or resident of
the United States of America.”
among/within
See “within/among.”
amongst/among
Although “amongst” has not aged nearly as badly as “whilst,” it is still less common
in standard speech than “among.”
amoral/immoral
“Amoral” is a rather technical word meaning “unrelated to morality.” When
you mean to denounce someone’s behavior, call it “immoral.”
amount/number
Th is is a vast subject. I will try to limit the number of words I expend on it so
as not to use up too great an amount of space. Th e confusion between the two
categories of words relating to amount and number is so pervasive that those of
us who still distinguish between them constitute an endangered species; but if
you want to avoid our ire, learn the diff erence. Amount words relate to quantities
of things that are measured in bulk; number to things that can be counted.
amount/number
In the second sentence above, it would have been improper to write “the
amount of words” because words are discrete entities that can be counted, or
numbered.
Here is a handy chart to distinguish the two categories of words:
amount number
quantity number
little few
less fewer
much many
You can eat fewer cookies, but you drink less milk. If you ate too many
cookies, people would probably think you’ve had too much dessert. If the thing
being measured is being considered in countable units, then use number words.
Even a substance that is considered in bulk can also be measured by number
of units. For instance, you shouldn’t drink too much wine, but you should also
avoid drinking too many glasses of wine. Note that here you are counting glasses.
Th ey can be numbered.
Th e most common mistake of this kind is to refer to an “amount” of people
instead of a “number” of people.
Just to confuse things, “more” can be used either way: you can eat more
cookies and drink more milk.
Exceptions to the less/fewer pattern are references to units of time and money,
which are usually treated as amounts: less than an hour, less than fi ve dollars.
Only when you are referring to specifi c coins or bills would you use fewer:
“I have fewer than fi ve state quarters to go to make my collection complete.”
ampitheater/amphitheater
Th e classy way to pronounce the fi rst syllable of this word is “amf-,” but if you
choose the more popular “amp-” remember that you still have to include the
H after the P when spelling it. UK-standard writers spell it “amphitheatre,” of
course.
amuse/bemuse
See “bemuse/amuse.”
an historic/a historic
See “historic: an historic vs. a historic.”
analog/analogue
See “‘lite’ spelling.”
analogy
See “parallel/symbol.”
ancestor/descendant
When Albus Dumbledore said that Lord Voldemort was “the last remaining
ancestor of Salazar Slytherin,” more than one person noted that he had made a
ampitheater/amphitheater
serious verbal bumble; and in later printings of Harry Potter and the Chamber
of Secrets author J. K. Rowling corrected that to “last remaining descendant.”
People surprisingly often confuse these two terms with each other. Your greatgrandmother
is your ancestor; you are her descendant.
anchors away/anchors aweigh
Anchors are “weighed” by being gathered up on chains. Th e correct expression
is “anchors aweigh.”
and/or
Th e legal phrase “and/or,” indicating that you can either choose between two
alternatives or choose both of them, has proved irresistible in other contexts
and is now widely acceptable though it irritates some readers as jargon. However,
you can logically use it only when you are discussing choices which may
or may not both be done: “Bring chips and/or beer.” It’s very much overused
where simple “or” would do, and it would be wrong to say, “you can get to the
campus for this morning’s meeting on a bike and/or in a car.” Choosing one
eliminates the possibility of the other, so this isn’t an and/or situation.
and also/and, also
“And also” is redundant; say just “and” or “also.”
and plus
See “redundancies.”
anecdote/antidote
A humorist relates “anecdotes.” Th e doctor prescribes “antidotes” for children
who have swallowed poison. Laughter may be the best medicine, but that’s no
reason to confuse these two with each other.
angel/angle
People who want to write about winged beings
from Heaven often miscall them “angles.” A
triangle has three angles. Th e Heavenly Host
is made of angels. Just remember the adjectival
form: “angelic.” If you pronounce it aloud you’ll
be reminded that the E comes before the L.
annihilate
See “decimate/annihilate, slaughter, etc.”
another words/in other words
When you reword a statement, you can preface
it by saying “in other words.” Th e phrase is not “another words.”
anticlimatic/anticlimactic
Th is word has to do with climaxes, not climate, so the word is “anticlimactic.”
anticlimatic/anticlimactic
Th e angel came in
at an odd angle.
antidote/anecdote
See “anecdote/antidote.”
antihero
In literature, theater, and fi lm an antihero is a central character who is not very
admirable: weak, lazy, incompetent, or mean-spirited. However, antiheroes are
rarely actually evil, and you should not use this word as a synonym for “villain”
if you want to get a good grade on your English lit paper.
antisocial/asocial
See “asocial/antisocial.”
anxious/eager
Most people use “anxious” interchangeably with “eager,” but its original meaning
had to do with worrying, being full of anxiety. Perfectly correct phrases like
“anxious to please” obscure the nervous tension implicit in this word and lead
people to say less correct things like, “I’m anxious for Christmas morning to
come so I can open my presents.” Traditionalists frown on anxiety-free anxiousness.
Say instead you are eager for or looking forward to a happy event.
any
Instead of saying, “He was the worst of any of the dancers,” say, “He was the
worst of the dancers.”
any where/anywhere
“Anywhere,” like “somewhere” and “nowhere,” is always one word.
anymore/any more
In the fi rst place, the traditional (though now uncommon) spelling is as two
words: “any more” as in “We do not sell bananas any more.” In the second
place, it should not be used at the beginning of a sentence as a synonym for
“nowadays.” In certain dialects of English it is common to utter phrases like,
“Anymore you have to grow your own if you want really ripe tomatoes,” but
this is guaranteed to jolt listeners who aren’t used to it. Even if they can’t
quite fi gure out what’s wrong, they’ll feel that your speech is vaguely clunky
and awkward. “Any more” always needs to be used as part of an expression of
negation except in questions like, “Do you have any more bananas?” Now you
won’t make that mistake any more, will you?
anytime/any time
Th ough it is often compressed into a single word by analogy with “anywhere”
and similar words, “any time” is traditionally a two-word phrase.
anyways/anyway
“Anyways” at the beginning of a sentence usually indicates that the speaker has
resumed a narrative thread: “Anyways, I told Matilda that guy was a lazy bum
antidote/anecdote
before she ever married him.” It also occurs at the end of phrases and sentences,
meaning “in any case”: “He wasn’t all that good-looking anyways.” A slightly
less rustic quality can be imparted to these sentences by substituting the more
formal “anyway.” Neither expression is a good idea in formal written English.
Th e two-word phrase “any way” has many legitimate uses, however: “Is there
any way to prevent the impending disaster?”
apart/a part
Paradoxically, the one-word form implies separation while the two-word form
implies union. Feuding roommates decide to live apart. Th eir time together
may be a part of their lives they will remember with some bitterness.
apiece/a piece
When you mean “each” the expression is “apiece”: these pizzas are really
cheap—only ten dollars apiece.” But when “piece” actually refers to a piece of
something, the required two-word expression is “a piece”: “Th is pizza is really
expensive—they sell it by the slice for ten dollars a piece.”
Despite misspellings in popular music, the expression is not “down the road
apiece”; it’s “down the road a piece.”
apostrophes
First let’s all join in a hearty curse of the grammarians who inserted the wretched
apostrophe into possessives in the fi rst place. It was all a mistake. Our ancestors
used to write “Johns hat” meaning “the hat of John” without the slightest
ambiguity. However, some time in the Renaissance certain scholars decided
that the simple S of possession must have been formed out of a contraction of
the more “proper” “John his hat.” Since in English we mark contractions with
an apostrophe, they did so, and we were stuck with the stupid “John’s hat.”
Th eir error can be a handy reminder though: if you’re not sure whether a noun
ending in S should be followed by an apostrophe, ask yourself whether you
could plausibly substitute “his” or “her” for the S.
Th e exception to this pattern involves personal pronouns indicating possession
like “his,” “hers,” and “its.” For more on this point, see “its/it’s.”
Get this straight once and for all: when the S is added to a word simply to
make it a plural, no apostrophe is used (except in expressions where letters or
numerals are treated like words, like “mind your P’s and Q’s” and “learn your
ABC’s”).
Apostrophes are also used to indicate omitted letters in real contractions:
“do not” becomes “don’t.”
Why can’t we all agree to do away with the wretched apostrophe? Its two
uses—contraction and possession—have people so thoroughly confused that
they are always putting in apostrophes where they don’t belong, in simple
plurals (“cucumber’s for sale”) and family names when they are referred to collectively
(“the Smith’s”).
apostrophes
Th e practice of putting improper apostrophes in family names on signs in
front yards is an endless source of confusion. “Th e Brown’s” is just plain wrong.
(If you wanted to suggest “the residence of the Browns” you would have to
write “Browns’,” with the apostrophe after the S, which is there to indicate
a plural number, not as an indication of possession.) If you simply want to
indicate that a family named Brown lives here, the sign out front should read
simply “Th e Browns.” When a name ends in an S you need to add an ES to
make it plural: “the Adamses.”
No apostrophes for simple plural names or names ending in S, OK? I get
irritated when people address me as “Mr. Brian’s.” What about when plural
names are used to indicate possession? “Th e Browns’ cat” is standard (the
second S is “understood”), though some prefer “the Browns’s cat.” Th e pattern
is the same with names ending in S: “the Adamses’ cat” or—theoretically—“the
Adamses’s cat,” though that would be mighty awkward.
Apostrophes are also misplaced in common plural nouns on signs: “Restrooms
are for customer’s use only.” Who is this privileged customer to deserve a
private bathroom? Th e sign should read “for customers’ use.”
For ordinary nouns, the pattern for adding an apostrophe to express possession
is straightforward. For singular nouns, add an apostrophe plus an S: “the
duck’s bill.” If the singular noun happens to end in one S or even two, you still
just add an apostrophe and an S: “the boss’s desk.”
For plural nouns which end in S, however, add only the apostrophe: “the
ducks’ bills.” But if a plural noun does not end in S, then you follow the same
pattern as for singular nouns by adding an apostrophe and an S: “the children’s
menu.”
It is not uncommon to see the S wrongly apostrophized even in verbs, as in
the mistaken “He complain’s a lot.”
See also “acronyms and apostrophes.”
appauled/appalled
Th ose of us named Paul are appalled at the misspelling of this word. No U, two
L’s please. And it’s certainly not “uphauled”!
appraise/apprise
When you estimate the value of something, you appraise it. When you inform
people of a situation, you apprise them of it.
apropos/appropriate
“Apropos,” (anglicized from the French phrase “à propos”) means relevant,
connected with what has gone before; it should not be used as an all-purpose
substitute for “appropriate.” It would be inappropriate, for example, to say
“Your tuxedo was perfectly apropos for the opera gala.” Even though it’s not
pronounced, be careful not to omit the fi nal S in spelling “apropos.”
aren’t/ain’t/am not/isn’t
See “ain’t/am not/isn’t/aren’t.”
appauled/appalled
arthuritis/arthritis
If there were such a word as “arthuritis”
it might mean the overwhelming desire
to pull swords out of stones; but that
ache in your joints is caused by “arthritis.”
artic/arctic
Although some brand names have incorporated
this popular error, remember
that the Arctic Circle is an arc. By the
way, Ralph Vaughan Williams called his
suite drawn from the score of the fi lm
Scott of the Antarctic the Sinfonia Antartica,
but that’s Italian, not English.
artical/article
Th e correct spelling is “article.”
artisanal/artesian
For the past half-century foodies have referred to foods and drinks made
in small batches by hand using traditional methods as artisanal—made by
artisans: workers in handicrafts. Th e term has also been extended to a wide
variety of other handmade products. Dictionaries agree that the word should
be pronounced “ARR-tizz-uh-nul” with the accent on the fi rst syllable and the
second syllable rhyming with “fi zz.” Just say “artisan” and add “-ul.”
Diners and restaurant workers alike commonly confuse the pronunciation
of its fi rst three syllables with that of “artesian”—“arr-TEE-zhun”—which is
an adjective to describe water which spurts out of the earth under natural pressure.
In this word the accent falls on the second syllable, pronounced like “tea.”
A spring such as this is called an “artesian spring” or “artesian well.”
If you hand-bottle water from a natural spring in your backyard I suppose
you could call the result artisanal artesian water.
as best as/as best
You can try to be as good as you can be, but it’s not standard to say that you
do something “as best as you can.” You need to eliminate the second “as” when
“good” changes to “best.” You can try to do something as best you can. You can
also do the best that you can (or even better, the best you can).
Unlike asbestos removal, “as best as” removal is easy, and you don’t have to
wear a hazmat suit.
as far as/all the farther
See “all the farther/as far as.”
“No, I do not want to watch
that Dudley Moore movie again
. . . you see, I have Arthur-itis.”
as far as/all the farther
as far as/as far as . . . is concerned
Originally people used to say things like “As far as music is concerned, I
especially love Baroque opera.” Recently they have begun to drop the “is concerned”
part of the phrase. Perhaps this shift was infl uenced by confusion with
a similar phrase, “as for.” “As for money, I don’t have any,” is fi ne; “As far as
money, I don’t have any,” is clumsy.
as follow/as follows
“My birthday requests are as follows.” Th is standard phrase doesn’t change
number when the items to follow grow from one to many. It’s never correct to
say “as follow.”
as if/like
See “like/as if.”
as of yet/yet
“As of yet” is a windy and pretentious substitute for plain old English “yet” or
“as yet,” an unjustifi ed extension of the pattern in sentences like “as of Friday
the 27th of May.”
as per/in accordance with
“Enclosed is the shipment of #2 toggle bolts as per your order of June 14”
writes the businessman, unaware that not only is the “as” redundant, he is
sounding very old-fashioned and pretentious. Th e meaning is “in accordance
with,” or “in response to the request made”; but it is better to avoid these cumbersome
substitutes altogether: “Enclosed is the shipment of bolts you ordered
June 14.”
as such
Th e expression “as such” has to refer to some status mentioned earlier. “Th e
CEO was a former drill sergeant, and as such expected everyone to obey his
orders instantly.” In this case “such” refers back to “former drill sergeant.” But
often people only imply that which is referred to, as in “Th e CEO had a high
opinion of himself and as such expected everyone to obey his orders instantly.”
Here the “such” cannot logically refer back to “opinion.” Replace “as such” with
“therefore.”
ascared/scared
Th e misspelling “ascared” is probably infl uenced by the spelling of the synonym
“afraid,” but the standard English word is “scared.”
ascetic/aesthetic
See “aesthetic/ascetic.”
ascribe/subscribe
If you agree with a theory or belief, you subscribe to it, just as you subscribe to
a magazine.
