![]() |
A: Anyways is not a word. Instead, try anyway. Affect means to influence, while effect means to cause. That's right. |
| B: Biweekly means every other week.
Semiweekly means twice a week. Also, between introduces two items, while among introduces more than two. |
|
| C: Imagine eighth grade: You are able to go to the bathroom (Can I go?) but you should get permission first (May I go?). BONUS "C": Complement vs. Compliment. | |
| D: Dived, not dove. I dived last week. Simple and elegant, and though it may not sound proper, it is. | |
| E: Ensure means to make certain. Insure to to cover with insurance. BONUS "E": Except vs. Accept | |
| F: Funner is not too fun after all. People will laugh at you, not with you. | |
| G: Good vs. Well: Good is an adjective that means something is as it should be or better than average. Well means suitable, proper, or healthy. | |
| H: BAD GRAMMAR: "Hopcfully, I will..." GOOD GRAMMAR: "I am hopeful that..." You're not alone on this one. | |
| I: Irregardless Is not a word. Try its helpful cousin, regardless. BIG BONUS "I": There is no possessive form of its. It's mean's it is. BONUS BONUS "I": Infamous vs. Famous. | |
| J: Jibe means to shift direction. Gibe means to taunt or sneer. | |
| K: "Kind of" is not to be used as a substitute for rather. Restrict it to its literal sense: "Amber is a kind of resin." | |
| L: Use Fewer for individual Items. Less is for bulk quantity. | |
| M: It's Emcee, not M.C. Hammer Time. | |
| N: Nor follows neither. (Embrace your snooty relatives.) | |
| O: Online Is one word with no hyphenation. (By the way, it's a World Wide Web now.) | |
| P: Penultimate means "the next to last," not "the most excellent." | |
| Q: Quotation marks go outside the period at the end of a sentence. BONUS Q: Queue means to stand in line, and that is how to spell it. | |
| R: Renown is a noun. Renowned is an adjective. It's tricky. | |
| S: When speaking, try to avoid "supposibly." It's actually not correct. | |
| T: To vs. Too vs. Two. There vs. Their vs. They're. Ask your parents to sort it out. | |
| U: Unique is a word that cannot be modified (ie. the most unique). | |
| V: Via should only be used in connection with travel or shipping (vs. "by means of"). | |
| W: Whence means "from where." To say, "from whence," is redundant. BONUS "W": Who vs. Whom and Was vs. Were. | |
| X: Never abbreviate Christmas to X-mas, or any other form. | |
| Y: Your vs. You're. (Are you getting the hang of this?) | |
| Z: Zeros vs. zeroes. Remember Dan Quayle's potatoe? |