I just came across this through one of the trending topics on twitter currently and i found that it lay out the differences quite clearly in phrases that are most often used incorrectly, whether it is a word spelled incorrectly or used in the wrong context.
Where i’m editing essays or papers for my little cousins or friends, i noticed some of the mistakes listed below many times over.
The ten that the website lists are:
- Lose (opposite of win) vs. loose (not tight).
- Weird (e before i), not wierd.
- Their (implies a possession, owning something) vs. they’re (a contraction for ‘they are’) vs. there (refers to a place or an idea; or something abstract).
- Your (possessive, the idea that you own something) vs. you’re (a contraction for ‘you are’).
- It’s (a contraction for ‘it is’ or ‘it has’) vs. its (indicates possession).
- Definitely (without an ‘a’).
- Effect (a noun; to cause) vs. affect (a verb; have an influence on).
- Weather vs. whether.
- A lot, not alot (no such word). The site i linked to above humorously (and correctly) notes that ‘you don’t write alittle, abunch, acantaloupe… so don’t write alot‘.
- Then (used for time) vs. than (used for comparison).
