You can Google anything, it’s a verb, a noun, and can even be an adjective in the right circumstances. Much like another of my favourite words; you know the one that starts with the letter F and sounds like duck.
There are literally more than a billion “words people are using incorrectly” lists on the Internet. This hurts me. Physically.
Here is my own list, which I refer to frequently when writing; just to make sure I’m not breaking all the rules.
- Effect/Affect – The first is the result of an action (cause and effect), the second is the impact the action had (I was affected.).
- Travesty/Tragedy – The first is a false representation, the second is a devastating event.
- Who/whom – Use who when the noun is doing an action, and whom when the action is happening to the noun. Who should always be able to replace he, and whom should always be able to replace him.
- Irregardless – IS. NOT. A. WORD.
- Which/That – if I can avoid using the word That I will. Which adds more to a sentence, That makes it less valuable.
- We’re/Were/Where – We are, Werewolf, Where are you going?
- Their/There/They’re – OK this one is first grade. There is their house, where they’re living.
- Principle/Principal – “It’s the principle of the thing,” said the principal of the school.
- Compelled – Means you had no choice, you were forced to do something, not that you felt like you should do that thing.
- Ironic – I don’t have the patience to explain this one.
- Enormity – describes the seriousness of an act, not the size of it.
- Plethora – means an amount more than is needed, not a large amount of something.
- Redundant – means excessive or unnecessary, not repetitive.
- Conversate – IS. ALSO NOT. A. WORD
- Literally – are you actually dying? Cause if not, you’re not literally dying.
- Would of/Should of/Could of/Must of – it’s actually Would’ve/Should’ve/Could've/Must’ve.
- Over/More than – Over means above/more than means more than … come on.
- Assure/ Insure/Ensure - I assure you I can insure your car. I cannot ensure you don't have an accident.
There are so many more Breach vs. Breech, Heels vs. Heals, Scald vs. Scold, Piece vs. Peace, Peak vs. Pique vs. Peek. Dear GOD people, please, if you're not sure, it’s worth a little Google.
Next up, a break from The Rules; with TV!