12 of the Most Misused English Words

A group of English experts recently did a study and came up with the 12 most misused words in the English language. How many are on YOUR list?

Peruse

• Peruse means to review something in depth, while many people think it means to skim over something quickly.

Capital vs Capitol

• Capital refers to a city or providence that holds the government officials of a country, while the specific building that those government officials meet in is called the capitol.

Irregardless

• This is actually a made up word. It is often meant to be the opposite of regardless. This word does not exist in the dictionary.

Lightening vs Lightning

• Lightening means to light up and is used as a verb, while lightning is a noun that refers to the flashes of light that occur during storms.

Lay vs Lie

• Lay means to set an object in a location, while lie means to rest on something.

Bemused

• "Bemused" and "amused" are not related as many people think. Bemused means to be puzzled at something.

Affect vs Effect

• Effect is a noun referring to the result of something, while affect is a verb referring to influencing that result.

Farther vs Further

• Farther is a distance between two objects and/or people, while further means to advance or progress.

Complement vs Compliment

• Complement can be used as a noun or verb for something that completes a whole, while a compliment is also a noun or verb used to communicate an admiration of something or someone.

Illusion vs Allusion

• Illusion is a noun that refers to a mistaken belief, while allusion is a noun that refers to a reference.

Flaunt vs Flout

• Flaunt means to show something off, while flout means to communicate a dislike for something or someone.

Hung vs Hanged

• Hung is in the past tense and refers to dangling something above the ground, while hanged is also a past tense that refers to executing someone by holding him or her above the ground at his or her neck.