There are a few words that are commonly misspelled or simply used incorrectly. I’m quickly becoming a fan The Oatmeal comics and today they’ve got a good list of ten commonly misspelled words, along with that special brand of Oatmeal drawing and comedy. The words they cover are:
Lose/Loose
Weird not Wierd
Their/They’re/There
Your/You’re
It’s/Its
Definitely
Effect/Affect
Weather/Whether
A lot not alot*
Then/Than
Find the comic and explanations here.
* Also in this category there should be a discussion of any+, such as anywhere or any more. Or Anymore and any where. There’s no clear line here and some people connect any word with any in it and some are selective. Personally, I’m selective. Your thoughts?
.
Consistency + consensus = clarity. Grammar rules may seem overly oppressive to some linguistic free spirits, but if the rules are consistently applied and agreed to by just about everyone, the resulting writing is more clear and more effective. I have spoken.
First you must learn the rules and obey the rules before you are allowed to break the rules.
I have also spoken.
My 9th grade teacher sniffed at me and said ‘If you MUST use a lot, remember that it’s 2 words.’ I never forgot that, or the haughtiness she displayed.
Good teacher!
Though I enjoyed all of the comic, especially drinking malt liquor with the panda, one thing I found helpful: you don’t say alittle, thus you don’t say alot.
I come down on the side of anywhere being a compound word, but any more being two words.
“I don’t want any more.” Two words.
“I don’t want to do that anymore.” One word.
– Laura
Dave – I think anywhere, anything and anyone are compound words. Anything else is two words. At least, I can’t think of any more compounds.
Laura – You can’t do that! Gah!
I thought of another one – anyway.
Are there more?
Anytime – any time.
No, always two words for any time as far as I’m concerned.
Interesting. The dictionary has anytime as an adverb. Maybe the difference between US and Australian?
Maybe, US is usually wrong.
According to MacQuarie (Australian dictionary) the only compound words are: anybody, anyhow, anyone, anything, anyway, anywhere and anywise.
The Cassell (UK dictionary) adds anyplace, anywhen and anywhither.
Neither of them allow anytime.
*snort* I won’t argue with you there…
It’s not just ten words you need to stop misspelling , there are lots of words in which people usually misspelled.
For someone touting freelance writer jobs, that has to be the funniest comment I’ve seen in a long time.