adverse/averse
"Adverse" means unfavorable. "Averse" means reluctant.

adviser/advisor

"Adviser" is preferred although both are correct.

affect/effect

"To affect" means (1) to influence, change or produce an effect; (2) to like to do, wear or use; or (3) to pretend. "To effect" means to accomplish, complete, cause, make possible or carry out. If you're looking for a noun, you're probably looking for "effect." If you're using a verb, you're safest with "affect."

afterward

not afterwards

all right

not alright

allude/refer

"To allude" means to speak of without mentioning. "To refer" means to speak of directly.

allusion/illusion

An "allusion" is an indirect reference. An "illusion" is a false impression or image.

alumna/ae

An alumna is one woman. Alumnae are a group of women.

alumni/us

Alumni are more than one man or a group of men and women. An alumnus is one man.

around/about

"Around" should refer to a physical proximity or surrounding (I'll look for you around the front of Baker Hall). "About" indicates an approximation (Let's have lunch about 11:30 a.m.).

beside/besides

Use "beside" to mean (1) at the side of (sit beside me); (2) to compare with (beside other studies); or (3) apart from (that's beside the point). Use "besides" to mean (1) further-more (besides, I said so); (2) in addition to (and elm and maple trees besides); or (3) otherwise (there's no one here besides Bill and me).

between/among

Use "between" to show a relationship between two objects only.

Use "among" when it's more than two.

"Between" takes an objective pronoun—me, her, him. "Between you and me" is okay. "Between you and I" is not.

biannual/biennial

"Biannual" is twice a year. "Biennial" is every two years.

complement/compliment

"Complement" is something that supplements. "Compliment" is praise or the expression of courtesy.

compose/comprise/constitute

"Compose" is to create or put together. "Comprise" is to contain, to include all or embrace. "Constitute" is to make up, to be the elements of.

Examples: The whole comprises the parts. The parts constitute the whole. The whole is composed of parts.
The department comprises 12 people. Twelve people constitute the department. The department is composed of 12 people.


continual/continuous

"Continual" is a steady repetition.
"Continuous" is uninterrupted.


criteria

plural (more than one criterion, which is a quality, a value or a standard of judgment)

curricula

plural (more than one curriculum, which is a program of academic courses or learning activities—the H&SS curricula)

curricular

adjective (H&SS' curricular philosophy)

curriculum

singular (the History curriculum)

data

plural noun, usually takes a plural verb; if used as a collective noun, when the group or quantity is regarded as a noun, it takes a singular verb (the data is sound).

daylight-saving time

not daylight-savings time

different from

not different than

disinterested/uninterested

"Disinterested" means impartial. "Uninterested" means someone lacks interest.

dissociate

not disassociate

entitled/titled

"Entitled" means having the right to something (she is entitled to the inheritance). Use "titled" to introduce the name of a publication, speech, musical piece (the piece is titled, "Love and Illusion").

farther/further

"Farther" refers to physical distance. "Further" refers to an extension of time or degree.

fewer/less

In general, use "fewer" for individual items that can be counted. Use "less" for bulk or quantity that is measured (not counted). "Fewer" usually takes a plural noun; "less" usually takes a singular noun.

half-mast/half-staff

To use "half-mast," you must be referring to a flag on a ship or at a naval station. A flag anywhere else is at "half-staff."

historic/historical

"Historic" means important. "Historical" refers to any event in the past.

hopefully

Unless you're describing the way someone spoke, appeared or acted, do not use this one. Too many people use "hopefully," an adverb that must modify a verb only, as if it were a conditional phrase.

Right: I hope we can go.
Wrong: Hopefully, we can go.
Wrong: Hopefully, the report will address that issue.
Right: It is hoped the report will address that issue.
Right: She eyed the interview list hopefully.


important/importantly

"Importantly" is incorrect unless it is an adverb.

Right: He strutted importantly through the castle.
Right: More important, he said, the quality of the program must not suffer.


imply/infer

"Imply" means to suggest or indicate indirectly. To "infer" is to conclude or decide from something known or assumed.

In general, if you imply something, you're sending out a message. If you infer something, you're interpreting a message.

in regard to

not in regards to

"As regards" or "regarding" may also be used.

insure/ensure

"Insure" means to establish a contract for insurance of some type. "Ensure" means to guarantee.

General rule? Use "ensure."

irregardless

The word is "regardless." "Irregardless"? No such word.

-ize

Do not coin verbs with this suffix, and do not use already coined words such as "finalize" (use "end" or "conclude") or "utilize" (use "use").

lay/lie

"Lay" means to place or deposit, and requires a direct object (forms: lay, laid, laid, laying). "Lie" means to be in a reclining position or to be situated. It does not take an object (forms: lie, lay, lain, lying).

lectern/podium

You stand on a podium and behind a lectern.

let/leave

To "let alone" means to leave something undisturbed. To "leave alone" means to depart from or cause to be in solitude.

like/as

Use "like" to compare nouns and pronouns. Use "as" to introduce clauses and phrases.

literally/figuratively

"Literally" means in an exact sense. "Figuratively" means in a comparative sense.

Right: The furnace literally exploded.
Right: He was so furious he figuratively blew his stack.


located

In most cases, you'll find you don't really need this word. Instead of "The store is located in the University Center," you can simply write "The store is in the University Center." Instead of "Where are you located at?" (which is the worst construction of all), write "Where are you?"

many/much

In general, use "many" for individual items that can be counted. Use "much" for bulk or quantity that is measured. midnight/noon
Use instead of 12 a.m. or 12 p.m. Do not put a "12" in front of either one.

me/myself

Avoid using "myself." In most constructions, it's the objective pronoun you really want:

Right: It's between you and me.
Wrong: You can tell your supervisor or myself.


more than/over

Use "more than" when you mean in excess of; use "over" when referring to physical placement of an object, an ending or extent of authority.

Right: More than 25 professors participated.
Wrong: The university has over 50 buildings.


nor

Use this word anytime you use "neither."

oral/verbal

"Oral" refers to spoken words. "Verbal" can refer to either spoken or written words, but most often connotes the process of reducing ideas to writing.

partially/partly

These two are not interchangeable. "Partially" is used to mean to a certain degree when speaking of a condition or state. "Partly" implies the idea of a part, usually of a physical object, as distinct from the whole.

Right: I'm partially convinced.
Wrong: The building is partially completed.
Right: The building is in a state of partial completion.
Right: The building is partly completed.


past experience

What other kind of experience is there? Just use "experience" alone.

peddle/pedal

To "peddle" is to sell. To "pedal" is to use pedals, as on a bicycle.

people/persons

Use "person" when speaking of an individual. The word "people," rather than "persons," is preferred for plural uses.

pom-pom/pompon

"Pom-pom" is a rapidly firing weapon. A cheerleader's prop is correctly called a pompon.

premier/premiere

"Premier" is first in status or importance, chief, or a prime minister or chief executive. "Premiere" is a first performance.

presently/currently

Many writers use these terms as if they were synonymous. But "presently" means in a little while, soon. "Currently" means now. In most cases you can do just fine without using "currently." For example, "we are currently revising the plan" works better when simply stated, "we are revising the plan."

pretense/pretext

"Pretense" is a false show or unsupported claim to some distinction or accomplishment. "Pretext" is a false reason or motive put forth to hide the real one, an excuse or a cover-up.


rebut/refute

To "rebut" is to argue to the contrary. To "refute" is to win the argument.

regardless

"Regardless" is a word. "Irregardless" is not a word.

shall/will

"Shall" is used for the first-person future tense and expresses the speaker's belief regarding his or her future action or state.

If "will" is used for first-person future, it expresses his or her determination or consent. At other times, "will" is used for the second- and third-person future tense.

student body

Use "student" or "students" instead.

that/which

See Common Rules.

theater/theatre

The preferred word in the United States is "theater," unless the British spelling is part of a proper name, as in "Kresge Theatre" or "Chosky Theatre."

toward/towards

"Toward" is correct. "Towards" is not.

unique

Commonly overused, this word literally means one of a kind, without equal. "Unique" should never be modified by "truly," "rather" or "very." Something is either unique or it's not.

use/utilize

Use "use." "Utilize" is the awkward verb form of the obsolete adjective "utile." Why bother?

who/whom

We rarely see the word "whom" in writing. But if your sentence has an objective clause referring to a person or animal with a proper name, you're being ungrammatical if you don't use whom.

The word "who" substitutes for subjective pronouns‹he, she or they; "whom" must be used in the sense of him, her or them. If you don't want to use "whom," restructure your sentence. Don't just stick in "who" when it is incorrect.

-wise

Do not use this suffix to coin words like "weatherwise."

Xerox/photocopy

A trademark for a brand of photocopy machine should never be used as a noun or verb.

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