Spelling, Vocabulary, and Confusing Words




As a noun, cache refers to a hidden supply of valuables, such as food, jewels, and cash. But it can also refer to the hiding place where you keep those items. The verb cache means "to hide treasure in a secret place": He cached all his cash in a cache.


I can go means I have the ability and freedom to go.

I may go means I have either an option or permission to go.


Cannon: a large, mounted gun.

Canon: a body of writings; a principle or set of principles.


One word; avoid "can not."


Canvas is a durable fabric.

Canvass as a noun or a verb refers to the door-to-door gathering of votes or opinions.


Just remember: the o means it's a building. A capitol is a government building where a state legislature meets, and the Capitol is the building where the U.S. Congress meets.

A capital is a city that serves as the seat of government. We got a tour of the capitol when we went to the capital.


Most of the confusion is caused by carat and karat because both are associated with jewelry. The purity of gold is measured in karats. Twenty-four-karat gold is 99.9 percent pure, but so soft that it is considered impractical for most jewelry.

A carat is a weight measurement for gemstones: a two-carat diamond set in an eighteen-karat gold ring.

A caret has nothing to do with any of this. It is a mark an editor makes in a document to show where additional material should be inserted.


Grammar sticklers are a stubborn lot. They use career the way everyone else uses careen. It is career, not careen, that means "to veer out of control": The car careered wildly across three lanes. Careen means "to lean or tip over," and strictly speaking, it's more suitable for describing boats than cars.


Cast: a group of actors or individuals.

Caste: a social class; a rigid system of social distinctions.


People constantly refer to "cement" sidewalks, driveways, walls, etc. However, cement is a powder that, when mixed with sand or gravel and water, becomes concrete.


They sound similar, and both words deal with negative criticism. Censor as a verb means "to remove unacceptable material." As a noun, it means "someone who censors."

Censure as a verb means "to disapprove of" or "to criticize strongly." As a noun, it means "disapproval," even "scorn."


The lecture will center around the economy. The center is the middle point. Would you say "point around"? This common, muddleheaded expression results from scrambling center on and revolve around. Because those idioms are roughly synonymous, if you use them both enough, they merge in the mind.


Cereal: a breakfast food.

Serial: a story told in regular installments (noun); ongoing, in a series (adjectives).


This example of cultural dyslexia should be avoided at all costs. The correct term is chaise longue, meaning "long chair" in French.


Both are comparisons with children. The difference is that childish is unflattering; it's equivalent to infantile and only a small improvement on babyish. Someone is childish when acting unreasonable or bratty.

Not so with childlike, a word that extols youthful virtues, such as sweetness, purity, and innocence.


If life were fair, Chile with an e would refer only to a country in South America, and chili with a second i would refer to a type of pepper, and also to a spicy stew. These spellings are recommended, but with the caveat that not everyone agrees. In New Mexico, the stew they eat is chile, not chili. The stylebook of the Los Angeles Times says the dish is chili, but the pepper is a chile. And there are even some who spell the pepper or the dish chilli.


It started out as champing at the bit, which is still preferred by most dictionaries.


Choral: relating to or sung by a choir.

Coral: an underwater organism that makes up reefs; a shade of orange.


A chorale can be both a piece of music and a singing group.

A corral is an enclosure for horses or other livestock.


When two or more musical tones are sounded simultaneously, the result is a chord.

A cord is a rope or strand of flexible material.


Cite: to quote; to praise; to mention; to order to appear in court.

Sight: the ability to see; a scene or view.

Site: a location or position.


Classic, adjective or noun, is a term of high praise: "of the finest quality" or "a prime example of": a classic play, a classic pizza.

The adjective classical applies to traditions going back to the ancient Greeks and Romans: The house featured an array of classical influences.

Classical music is marked by formal, sophisticated, extended compositions.


It's a noun, not an adjective. Yet more and more you see or hear things like I know it sounds cliché, but...Make it I know it sounds like a cliché.


A click is a brief percussive noise, but some mistakenly write it when they mean clique, a close, exclusive group of people.


Climactic—note that middle c—means "exciting" or "decisive." It is often confused with climatic, which means "resulting from or influenced by climate."


This phrase is a pompous and redundant way of saying "near." Proximity does not mean "distance"; it means "nearness," so close proximity means "close nearness."





Your friend is a crony, confidant, or collaborator, but not a cohort. In ancient Rome, a cohort was a division of three hundred to six hundred soldiers. So careful speakers and writers avoid cohort when referring to one person. Your cohort is not your comrade, ally, teammate, or assistant. It's a whole group, gang, team, posse: A cohort of laborers went on strike.


To coin a phrase is to make one up. But many misuse it when citing or quoting familiar expressions: His bright idea was, to coin a phrase, dead on arrival. Since dead on arrival is a well-known idiom, the writer didn't "coin" it; he merely repeated it.


See irony.


Both are acceptable, but collectible has a slight edge in popularity, especially as a noun.


A collision involves two moving objects. A car does not collide with a lamppost; it crashes into a lamppost.


As both noun and verb, complement refers to an added element that enhances, rounds out, or puts a final touch on something.

Compliment, noun and verb, is about nice words or gestures. Try this perfect complement to your order, with our compliments.


These words are often unnecessary. What is the difference between a complete meltdown and a meltdown? How is completely exhausted different from exhausted?








One person cannot make a concerted effort. A concert implies an orchestra. As Paul Brians points out in his Common Errors in English Usage, "To work 'in concert' is to work together with others. One can, however, make a concentrated effort."


See cement, concrete.


Confidant: a trusted adviser.

Confident: certain, self-assured.


One who connives pretends not to know while others are collaborating on something sneaky, wrong, or illegal.

To conspire is to work together on a secret scheme.


Denote is used for descriptions that stick to the facts. The word "dog" denotes a domesticated animal.

Connote reveals additional meanings beyond what is clinical or objective. It is used when expressing what a word implies or reminds us of. The word "dog" connotes loyalty.


The difference between continual and continuous is the subtle difference between regular and nonstop. If your car continually breaks down, it also runs some of the time.

A faucet that drips continuously never stops dripping, twenty-four hours a day. If a faucet drips continually, there are interludes when it's not dripping.






See choral, coral.


See chord, cord.


See chorale, corral.


Council: a group of people meeting for a purpose.

Counsel: advice (noun); an attorney (noun); to give advice or guidance (verb).


The of stays. These days, even veteran communicators are saying and writing "couple miles from here" or "costs a couple bucks." That used to be the jargon of tough guys in gangster movies.


See coarse, course.


See collide, crash.


To many people, a craven scoundrel is a flagrant or shameless rogue, not a spineless one. But craven means "cowardly," "weak."


Criteria is the plural of criterion, a standard used for judging, deciding, or acting. The sentence Honesty is our chief criteria is ungrammatical; there can't be only one criteria. Make it Honesty is our chief criterion or Honesty is one of our chief criteria. Your criteria are your standards, plural.

Those who know that criteria is plural aren't out of the woods yet either: many believe the singular is "criterium." And there are some who will reveal to you their "criterias."


Often unnecessary. What is the difference between I'm currently writing a book and I'm writing a book?

Misused Words
