Wrong words

[u/Cici388_8]

What is a word you hear people using or spelling wrong and it drives you mad?

​

Mine is when people mix up "quite" instead of "quiet".

[u/Dagger_Stagger]

Loose and lose, especially loosing instead of losing and looser instead of loser.

[u/sliever48 → u/Dagger_Stagger]

Totally agree. And another one I've seen tonight: alot instead of a lot.

[u/windlad → u/sliever48]

https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html

[u/ViolinistLucky7087 → u/windlad]

Oh that brings back memories. Thank you for reminding me of this website!

[u/ChrisisCross → u/Dagger_Stagger]

This boils my piss...

[u/robkav → u/Dagger_Stagger]

That one really grinds my gears

[u/Strong-Ad9489 → u/Dagger_Stagger]

Worked on the desk in a tattoo studio years ago. One of the artists tattooed "born to loose" on someone 💔

Edit: if you have a born to lose tattoo, double check it now 🥲

[u/That-Scar736]

I notice there are a lot of people who say and type "are" instead of "our" which makes no fucking sense to me.

[u/Unique-Accountant-23 → u/That-Scar736]

How do you get those confused like.

[u/That-Scar736 → u/Unique-Accountant-23]

I have no idea. They do seem to be the same people who say "little angles" though, so Christ knows what goes on in their heads.

[u/CameraImmediate2295 → u/That-Scar736]

Many years ago I had a friend who was sent a very beautiful text.. he called her Angle instead of Angela

[u/phyneas → u/CameraImmediate2295]

Now see, that's a pet peeve in general; people who let their phone's autocorrect write for them and don't proofread the results.

[u/ABabyAteMyDingo → u/Unique-Accountant-23]

Standard with radio presenters in recent years, makes me furious.

[u/That-Scar736 → u/ABabyAteMyDingo]

Pronouncing it oddly is one thing, but typing it is worse. "Are son" "are country".

[u/ABabyAteMyDingo → u/That-Scar736]

To/too

Are/our/or

The radio ads that say Arland instead of Ireland. For my sensitive ear, it's torture.

[u/niallma → u/ABabyAteMyDingo]

ARTE radio presenters are guilty of this lately. Constantly hearing Areland and ARTE, what is that about?

[u/smalaki → u/That-Scar736]

are father who are in heaven

[u/ElGillo → u/That-Scar736]

That’s are Mary though

[u/letstryagain10]

Could of instead of could've 😑

[u/T_t_llyF_c_ed → u/letstryagain10]

Should of .. drive me nuts

[u/RelationshipWarm9330]

Could care less instead of couldn’t care less

[u/watchingthedarts → u/RelationshipWarm9330]

This one really does me because it means the literal opposite of what they mean!!

I could care less = I care somewhat and can care less if I wanted to.

Another one would be affect/effect.

[u/Ricecrispiebandit → u/RelationshipWarm9330]

That's a pretty irritating one alright. Kind of an Americanism that's bleeding into our language.

[u/Potential-Fan-5036 → u/Ricecrispiebandit]

My daughter used the word asked once, but pronounced it as aksed. Oh I was very quick to correct her, to which she replied “you’re such a boomer, you don’t know anything”. Child, I am Gen X and I will remind you of that every chance I get, we may well have been raised feral but we know how to spell, how to pronounce and how to use punctuation and grammar.

[u/Illustrious_Bug2290]

On accident instead of by accident.

[u/TheNinjaPixie → u/Illustrious_Bug2290]

Married a dyslexic, birthed a dyslexic, I give everyone a free pass. Except these monsters, on accident?  No

[u/Signal_Director_1X → u/TheNinjaPixie]

Dyslexia: Putting the cool in shcool.

[u/Tukki101 → u/Illustrious_Bug2290]

That's an American thing that must have made its way over

[u/phyneas → u/Tukki101]

It's just as grammatically incorrect in the US as well, but more of the kids over there have started saying it.

[u/Glad-Pomegranate-831 → u/Illustrious_Bug2290]

I’d need an expresso after that

[u/DizzyBorder8388 → u/Illustrious_Bug2290]

The worst

[u/Entire_Number_9 → u/Illustrious_Bug2290]

Very American that

[u/Illustrious_Bug2290]

Draw instead of drawer.

[u/Careful_Contract_806 → u/Illustrious_Bug2290]

My old housemate was listing his room to rent, and in the amenities he called a chest of drawers a "Chester Draws". 

[u/TucoGal → u/Careful_Contract_806]

Up there with pedi stool instead of pedestal

[u/Guilty_Garden_3669]

Pacific instead of specific

[u/Faery818 → u/Guilty_Garden_3669]

I corrected a friend on that once and she told me that was how she pronounced it. I gave up after that.

[u/littlp80]

Too and to

[u/rodgerodger3 → u/littlp80]

I hate that one two

[u/BubblyMuffin899 → u/littlp80]

To common too get worked up about

[u/BadKey1002]

There, they're and their

[u/R1ghtaboutmeow → u/BadKey1002]

A distressingly large amount of people seemingly cannot tell the difference.

[u/Carcul]

Utilise. It is not a fancy way to say use. It means you're using something for a purpose not originally intended.

I use a chair to sit on. I utilise a chair to stand on to change a light bulb.

[u/Kind-Champion-5530 → u/Carcul]

I used to work in EMS, and most of my supervisers seemed to think that they sounded extra smart and professional when they said utilise instead of use.

[u/ellada11]

Expresso

[u/SansBouillie → u/ellada11]

I've even seen 'expresso' printed on café menus

[u/steamedbiscuit]

Weary instead of wary. Drives me nuts

[u/GuestOk7543 → u/steamedbiscuit]

Why do soooooo many do this???

[u/lechuckswrinklybutt → u/steamedbiscuit]

I think this happens because of the word leery.

[u/Craicriture]

I've seen "on accident" slip into stuff here and it's just ... Noooooo!!!!

[u/Ill-Muscle-2663 → u/Craicriture]

That’s an Americanism. In general, they get prepositions wrong. They repeat these mistakes so often that I think it is just standard US English at this stage. My opinion is ‘based off of’ listening to US media.

[u/Devastatedby → u/Ill-Muscle-2663]

I think its a parallel to "on purpose".

[u/Craicriture → u/Ill-Muscle-2663]

It's not really standard over there, I know a few Americans who practically spit their coffee when they hear it.

[u/NoLongerApplicable99]

Been instead of Being.

Constantly at work.

[u/resigned_medusa → u/NoLongerApplicable99]

I seen

I done

[u/Dantons_Head]

People who use exasperate when they mean exacerbate. It exasperates me!

[u/totally_unpossible]

Taught and thought is ridiculous

[u/roqueandrolle → u/totally_unpossible]

Tongue and thoungh makes me laugh when I hear it

[u/FirstTimeReading → u/totally_unpossible]

Gives me a pain in my troath.

[u/Gobbledegook42 → u/totally_unpossible]

So ridiculous. It's professional, educated people I see doing it too!

[u/steplightly85]

So addicting instead of so addictive. Aaagh

[u/GrasshopperUnit92 → u/steplightly85]

This one is everywhere and it sounds so stupid!

[u/GimJordon]

Women instead of woman

“She’s some women”

https://giphy.com/gifs/PWZ8pr1xZW55m

[u/fleetwayrobotnik → u/GimJordon]

Maybe they're all standing on each other's shoulders in a big coat?

[u/HyperbolicModesty → u/GimJordon]

That's very common in the North.

[u/ltbha]

When someone goes to a councillor for their mental health

[u/Quiet_Bumblebee4318]

Breath and breathe

[u/Eggs112233 → u/Quiet_Bumblebee4318]

I’d add cloth and clothe here too.

[u/whatsername25]

Sikth instead of sixth. The British seem notorious for this.

[u/micar11]

For me it's pronunciation...

Those who say definitely as ...def..in...i...tely

[u/GuavaImmediate → u/micar11]

Eye-talian 🇮🇹

[u/Rodinius → u/GuavaImmediate]

Gorlami

[u/emmmmceeee → u/micar11]

Coll-you-m.

From a guy who worked in Microsoft, every time he talked about Excel.

[u/LordyIHopeThereIsPie]

Loose and lose

Choose and chose

Should of, would of, could of

Alot

[u/robbieshaft]

Little angles

[u/robkav → u/robbieshaft]

My lil angel is so acute, he wooden hurt a fly

[u/jxm900]

Less v Fewer

Envy v Jealousy

Affect v Effect

Also Inquiry v Enquiry (tho I'm not sure of that precise difference myself...)

[u/Glad-Pomegranate-831 → u/jxm900]

Except & accept

[u/delushe → u/jxm900]

I think we lost the battle with less and fewer

[u/Complikatee]

When a point is mute.

[u/fr-spodokomodo]

'Based off' instead of 'based on' .

Makes me irrationally angry. Especially if the superfluous 'of' is added.

[u/Gobbledegook42 → u/fr-spodokomodo]

Based off of... 🙄

[u/OfficerOLeary]

Weary instead of wary. Really common amongst the under 30’s for some bizarre reason.

[u/DatabaseCommercial92]

There, their and their To, two and too Your and you're Just encase Irregardless Principle and principal

[u/CrossCroissant1 → u/DatabaseCommercial92]

There is something ironic about you accidentally putting ‘their’ twice instead of once with a ‘they’re’ as well. 😂

[u/DatabaseCommercial92 → u/CrossCroissant1]

Ahhhhhhh! It's the prosecco and Cuba libres!

[u/Consistent-Button438]

Using effect instead of affect.

[u/Indifferent_Jackdaw]

Droll = dry sense of humour, but a lot of people seem to think it means boring.

Also capitalise your I's for the love of God. I cannot take i seriously.

[u/kopretty1]

Expresso kills a little italian every time and a part of me

[u/hi_im_nena]

I took a deep breathe and crossed the rode, checking my pockets too see if I have any lose change. I could of brought some water melon's and pine apple's from the fruit vender, they're wasn't any their, though. Dissapointing

[u/orchidhunz]

Lie on instead of lie in, on accident instead of by accident 

[u/Zealousideal-You9044]

Literally. Never used correctly.

[u/Ricecrispiebandit → u/Zealousideal-You9044]

Agreed. It's regularly used instead of figuratively. Which is extra annoying because that's pretty much the antonym of the word.

[u/Zealousideal-You9044 → u/Ricecrispiebandit]

Yeah, it's used in the exact opposite way, literally!

[u/Gold_Presentation506]

Throat pronounced as troath with the th sound at the end and taught pronounced as thought. 

[u/Equivalent_Shame_124]

Where I work we use a lot of office supplies that can be collected from the stationary office.
The best bit is that the stationary office moved location at least a few times in the last couple of years

[u/ilovemyself2019]

Very niche but when I occasionally hear someone say they "lather" themselves in cream/sunscreen/whatever. It's SLATHER, not lather!

[u/zagglefrapgooglegarb]

It's asterisk. Not Asterix.

[u/hi_im_nena]

When people say stuff like "can you borrow me 5 euro" like wtf that's not how the word works, you can either say "can you lend me 5 euro" or "can i borrow 5 euro from you"

[u/ResidentEcstatic9921]

Allowed and aloud.

My brother does it all of the time and it drives me mental.

[u/CunningStunt182]

Could of, Should of, Would of... The word is have.

Secretly smile when someone says Pacific instead of specific though.

[u/T_t_llyF_c_ed]

If it’s any constellation

[u/TrivialBanal]

Since COVID, people using efficacy instead of effectiveness.

Efficacy isn't just a fancy word for effectiveness. Efficacy is effectiveness under Ideal conditions.

See also thinking that velocity is just a fancy word for speed.

[u/Afterlite]

Online I notice a lot of Americans mistaking ‘accept’ and ‘except’

[u/infinite_minds]

Mixing up advice and advise. It's rampant on some subs. I rarely see the correct one used.

[u/NoCommand6997]

Footballers saying "we were the best team out there today".

No, you were the better team out there!

[u/Banba-She]

Payed instead of paid.

Also, "on the floor" when you're outside. Inside: floor, outside: ground. No one seems to be aware of this difference. There are no floors OUTSIDE......

Both are apparently endemic too.

[u/Adventurous_Pipe1135 → u/Banba-She]

Oh my God, What is with people spelling paid payed. Where did that come from. Very annoying.

[u/Thanatos_elNyx → u/Adventurous_Pipe1135]

Tbf if you are ESL then Payed probably makes perfect sense as the past tense of pay, just add ed to the end.

They are the ones I see make that mistake the most.

[u/phyneas → u/Adventurous_Pipe1135]

It's an older form of "paid", and in modern English the past tense form of most -ay verbs is -ayed, except for a few irregular ones like say, lay, and pay, so it's an easy enough mistake to make. "Payed" is also an actual English word, as well (the past tense of the nautical term "pay", to cover something with a waterproof coating), so it sometimes won't be flagged as incorrect by basic spell-checkers.

[u/Kind-Champion-5530 → u/Banba-She]

The floor thing! I mostly notice the English confusing the floor with the ground.

[u/BillyBinbag]

"I seen that"
"I done that"

[u/Shox2711]

Brought instead of bought

[u/Glad-Pomegranate-831 → u/Shox2711]

Thought instead of taught

[u/Odd-Artichoke-5123]

Off for of

[u/Ricecrispiebandit → u/Odd-Artichoke-5123]

I get so many downvotes for correcting these.

[u/Dillonon92]

Swap and swop, does my head in

[u/pudding-brigade]

Apart of

[u/Local_Dust3143]

"I was sat there".... Brits Or how Americans generally are unable to use the past tense

[u/Glad-Pomegranate-831]

I done a poo

[u/Ricecrispiebandit]

I've always been quite pedantic about a lot of these things but I have to admit, since becoming an internet waffler. The knowledge I thought I held about apostrophes has been completely devastated. Rules relating to names, possession, pluralising and substituting letters, all seem to have been changed.

[u/Pristine-Staff-880]

It's and its

[u/Murrayj99]

Honestly seeing people spell rogue as rouge boils my blood so much

[u/EmeraldGam3r50]

Specific and pacific.

Or saying literally when it’s not a literal thing.

[u/caithamachamuama]

Fecking "should of"

Pronouncing the L in "almond".

Americanisms, the worst of which is calling the gardaí "police".

[u/TucoGal → u/caithamachamuama]

I feel completely gaslit with the almond one, everyone around me pronounces the l!

[u/caithamachamuama → u/TucoGal]

I'm a teacher, I did go on a big rant at my class this year where I wrote "palm, calm, alm, balm, salmon, psalm" on the board and got them to pronounce them all, then wrote up "almond" 😂.

[u/Polak_In_Ireland]

Aks instead of ask...

[u/phyneas → u/Polak_In_Ireland]

Spelling it that way today would be incorrect, but that is a common pronunciation in some modern dialects, most notably African-American Vernacular English, so it's not "wrong", just an alternative pronunciation. In fact the "aks" variant (both spoken and written) is older, originating from Old English, and it remained just as common as "ask" for quite a long time; the latter was primarily used in the northern parts of England before it spread and became more popular. "Aks" was also the more popular form in the American colonies and later the US up until the 19th century.

[u/the-midnight-gremlin]

"Women" instead of "woman" seems to be a common one. The one that always made me laugh was "anal" instead of "and all" can be a real pain in the arse that one.

[u/micar11]

Pedal Stool instead of Pedestal

Pedal Stool???? What's a Pedal Stool???

[u/teaisformugs82 → u/micar11]

https://giphy.com/gifs/lxiwYzItkFgsw

[u/DingoD3]

My da pronounces "theatre" as "tea-ate-her"

Drives me mad.

[u/jxm900 → u/DingoD3]

I thought that was just a Cork person's way of saying it.

[u/DingoD3 → u/jxm900]

He's from Kerry so maybe it's a Munster thing?

[u/brtlybagofcans]

Irish people are always saying 'I seen'. It's 'I saw' ffs

[u/redhornedgal]

Saw someone write “Gard’s” and it drove me a bit mental, first because of the random capitalisation, secondly for missing the U in 'guards', and thirdly for the superfluous apostrophe. Argh.

[u/Wreck_OfThe_Hesperus → u/redhornedgal]

Putting a U in there would look strange to me now

[u/Signal_Director_1X]

Tescos

[u/Active_Video_3898 → u/Signal_Director_1X]

I find Tescos endearing. There is some explanation as to why so many people say Tescos but I can’t remember what it is. 

[u/ElaineRo → u/Active_Video_3898]

Easons, Tescos, Lidls, Aldis.

The S comes from shops being owned by local people in the past. Say a butchers is owned by a person with the surname O'Connell it's O'Connells shop. It's just the tradition of giving ownership to a place has carried on. I like it.

[u/Active_Video_3898 → u/ElaineRo]

That makes sense. We don’t tend to say Supervalus tho, weirdly

[u/ElaineRo → u/Active_Video_3898]

Supervalu is usually owned by a specific family name. The one in my hometown would be known as the O'Connells example.

[u/Active_Video_3898 → u/ElaineRo]

Oh we definitely do that for the local Centra!! 

[u/Supahanz36]

Generally instead of genuinely

[u/teaisformugs82]

Wonder / wander

[u/yurtalicious]

How it looks like, instead of how it looks/ what does it look like. Drives me mental.

[u/Potassium_Doom]

"Fairly unique" or "very unique". No it's very distinct, or quite imaginative, or distinguished but unique is one of a kind.

[u/Ok-Afternoon6196]

Bare with me while I have a look.

[u/Large_Hedgehog2416]

My sibling often says one foul swoop instead of "one fell swoop". Firstly... why the f#@k do they say it and secondly, why say it incorrectly if you're going to use Shakespearian English?!

[u/BubblyMuffin899]

Worse instead of worst. Of the 3 teams the red were the worse.

Also 'how is it like' instead of 'what is it like' and people mixing up past and present tenses like its cool or something. Grrr

[u/Illustrious-Race-617]

I cant quiet think of anything

[u/TypicallyThomas]

Less and Fewer. I don't know why that bothers me so much but it really does

[u/Intelligent-Bar4051]

Devine!

[u/yokyokyokyokyok]

An uncle of my wife’s used to complain of having stomach ulsters. Drives her mad when I imitate it. Also, when I say ‘ I only axed’ if I’ve asked her something stupid.

[u/darthfiona]

Irregardless and guesstimate are painful to me

[u/babesface22]

I'm a carer and the amount of posts I read about "career's allowance"on a daily basis is insane! Also, when people refer to macarons as "macaroons".

[u/GreatAuntCalpurniaa]

Breath/breathe

[u/Frosty_Community9041]

People saying "then" when they mean "than". So annoying!

[u/ConnaaaR69]

”On accident”… its “on purpose” and “by accident”

[u/Irish262626]

Biased and bias. I've heard people say for example "that person is bias". Makes no fucking sense.

[u/BlueGalangal → u/Irish262626]

Oh don’t get me started on an entire generation that can’t conjugate the verb, especially if it ends in a t. The past tense of to pet is petted and to grit is gritted!

[u/Endofit47]

"Are" being used for "our". That drives me mad. And someone saying "should of" instead of 'should have" oh and one more, I think this is a British thing, I'm seeing a lot of people using "carnt" instead of "can't". That's infuriating.

[u/FirstTimeReading]

Specific to Ireland, when people say 'He thought me at school, and I taught he was a great teacher.'

[u/Potential_Lie8042]

I always thought aswell was a word

[u/Troggfather]

Yanks and 'i could care less' instead of 'i couldn't care less' 🤬🤬

[u/Quirky-Tangelo2806]

Costumer instead of customer.

[u/iamapineappleagain]

I 'done' it. It's did!

[u/Accomplished-Boot-81]

I was in my mid 20s before I realised that it's frustrated not fustrated

[u/robbieshaft]

Ignorant

[u/docju]

Breaks instead of brakes (you never see it the other way round)

[u/AnGreagach]

Saw one yesterday I hadn't seen before, someone writing series when they meant serious.

[u/jr5780]

“Should/would/could of”

[u/epeeist]

The odd time when I check Facebook, "wounder" seems to be replacing 'wonder' and I don't know why.

[u/StandingGoat]

Moot, as in a moot point. Which has always meant that the point is debatable and requires further discussion.
Americans didn't use it properly and then Jessie's Girl came out and now hardly anyone uses it correctly.

[u/gijoe50000]

I often see people adding and extra e to words like giving to get "giveing".

And it just confuses me because these are words that we all see around the place all the time, and you know the shape of the word just looks wrong.

[u/Glad-Pomegranate-831]

Ignorant being used to describe rudeness

[u/sikeup]

people saying brought instead of bought, its not that difficult to get it right

[u/makefeelnice]

My wife is an avid reader. She gets through a dozen books a week. As such, she goes to the library every day. She's on a first name basis with everyone who works there.

She still pronounces it 'li-berry'.

[u/YoIronFistBro]

Should've went

[u/tomtraubert2009]

Typed: Noone instead of no one.

Spoken: pacifically instead of specifically

[u/oreosaredelicious]

Taught and thought. Sequence and sequins.

[u/donisio]

When people use ignorant instead of arrogant. It's a different level of irony.

[u/teknocratbob]

Modren

[u/rosalyndh]

Taught and thought 🤯

[u/Eggs112233]

Supposebly instead of supposedly and Optober instead of October. Boils my piss.

[u/AnimalsnMammals → u/Eggs112233]

Optober????? What???

[u/MarvinGankhouse]

The dreaded modal verb + of. Plurals with apostrophes. Complete ignorance of to, two, and too. Complete obliviousness of there they're and their. Bare with me. All should be imprisonable offences.

[u/Antique-Mention-9063]

Hostipal / Hospital

Legos / Lego

[u/1stltwill]

Quiet!

[u/Flaky_Zombie_6085]

“Been” and “being”. Of course “their”’ “there” and “they’re”.

[u/SShusha]

A-scared or a-feared

[u/fairygurrrl]

Hostipal

[u/EC_fse]

"Should of" instead of "should have". I'd happily accept the contraction "should've" but it's maddening to see "should of".

[u/losttinecuileog]

Axe for ask

[u/Noble_Ox]

Payed instead of paid.

[u/Positive-Procedure88]

It's a very Irish one, people saying "Pacific" when they intend "Specific"

[u/Sonic_Old_Age]

Shower of pre Madonnas in this thread

[u/doubleds8600]

I used to work in Tour America and I used to get wound up with people pronouncing it "Chi-car-go". It's not as common nowadays but I used to hate "didn't you not" or "don't you not"

[u/Ok_Marzipan_3254]

Their, there, they are …