Plus, it gives you permission to be a pedant when others make the mistakes.
1. Enormity
We use this to mean “enormous,” but it really means evil.
2. Affect/effect
Affect is a verb, something can affect something else. Effect is a noun (an effect of something).
3. Nauseous
If you tell someone you feel nauseous, it’s likely you mean you feel sick. But the word you’re looking for is nauseated; nauseous means to cause feelings of illness – so thinking of your parents in bed together, that’s nauseous, not how you feel after a big night out.
4. Less/fewer
You can have less of something that we refer to as a singular object – so less time, money, patience or food. Fewer is anything that we refer to as plural, so you can have fewer options, clothes or trees.
5. Dilemma
Often mistaken for “problem,” a dilemma means you have a two options and neither one is attractive.
6. Virtually
We say virtually to mean “almost all,” when it actually describes something that’s close to, more or less something, so a heavily discounted pair of shoes can be "virtually free".
7. Ultimate
We use this to mean the best, but it actually means the last item on a list – you know, after “penultimate”.
8. Irregardless
This just isn’t a word. You’re thinking of regardless.
9. Lie/lay
To lay something means to put an object down flat, “lie” means to put yourself in that position.
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