Category Archives: Commonly Misused Words

“In lieu of” means “instead of”. “In light of” means, roughly, “as a result of.” (The common mistake is to use the former when one means the latter.) “In light of recent focus group findings, we should revisit our marketing … Continue reading →

Note the spelling difference. “Discrete” means individual or separate. “Discreet” means showing good judgment, especially via silence. (The common mistake is using the former when one means the latter.) “The executive assistant was discreet about management’s decision to divide the … Continue reading →

Yup, it’s another episode of “commonly misused words.” Mute means silent — you know, like the button on your TV remote. Moot means irrelevant. The standard mistake is using the former when one means the latter. (There is no such … Continue reading →

Confusion of these two words is absolutely rampant, and always in one direction: Folks use adverse when they mean averse. (“I’m not adverse to that idea” is the most common mistake.) Fortunately, the fix is a very easy one. Just … Continue reading →

Okay, for this coupling of commonly misused words, we can get into all kinds of mutations and permutations. But here’s the simple rule that works 99% of the time: “Effect” is the noun, and “affect” is the verb. “That new … Continue reading →

These two words are commonly misused in written communications. Many people use “loose” when they mean “lose”. The rule here is easy: “Lose” is the verb, and its “s” sounds like a “z”. “Loose” is the adjective, with a hard … Continue reading →