There are numerous lists of commonly misspelled or misused words out there. Ironically, I don’t have any issues with the majority of those. I’m well versed in there, their and they’re and I don’t have to stop and think to know if it’s its turn or not. This is a list of words I do struggle with and repeatedly have to stop and think or even look up to make sure I’m spelling or using them correctly. I hope that, by listing them out here, I may finally get them stuck in my head.
- Breathe vs breath
- Cloth vs clothe
- Clung vs clinged (Yes, I know the latter is not a word at all, but it jumps into my writing without me realizing it.)
- Principle vs principal
- Counsel vs council
- Taunt vs taut
- Smooth vs smoothe (Another word that likes me though it doesn’t exist.)
- Embarrass vs embarass (I was reminded of this as I was typing the next section.)
While thinking of these, some of my more common typos came to mind, as well. In some cases, they make for a moment of hilarity.
- Beast vs breast – Either way, it comes out comical. Someone is running from the growling “breast” that is trying to attack them or, in a more sensual situation, a man may find himself caressing her “beast”.
- Lips vs hips – Both body parts, right? Right. However, there is a big difference between a hip bump and a lip bump.
- Coke vs cock – Need I say more?
- Thigh vs thing – I can’t imagine how embarrassing it would be for a lady to try to pat her companion’s thigh and find she’s patting his thing instead.
I am sure there are many more that will come to mind (or fingers) as time goes on, but these are the ones I can think of at the moment.
Crazy Cohorts 