Well, because English language is one of the most flexible and easy manipulative language, no wonder that some of the most renowned poets and authors prefer English over other languages. Its a beautiful language that can lead to some common errors that we make not out of ignorance but perhaps out of presumptions or a bad habit of relying on spell check too much. Many bloggers, authors or eBook writers tend to turn a blind eye towards certain errors, check out some examples below:
Practice/Practise or Advice/Advise
As per US English, 'practice' is either used as noun or verb, whereas as per UK English, practise is a verb and practice is a noun. Similarly, 'advise' is a verb, and advice is a noun. Eg: 'She advised me.' and 'She gave me some advice.' Words like licence and license fall in the same category.
Lose/Loose
Pronunciation of these two words is the same, therefore many make the mistake of writing lose when they really mean loose or vice-versa. 'Loose' means when something is not tight or not fastened, whereas 'lose' means lack of possession or to part with something (intentionally or unintentionally).
Affect/Effect
Another set of words that often create confusion or rather are utilized in the wrong places out of lack of attention due to which the meaning of a sentence can change entirely. 'Affect' (verb) is to have influence on something, and 'effect' (noun) is a result or outcome out of something. Eg: 'Smoking affects our lungs' and 'Aspirin has immediate effect on pain.'
Ain't
There are many who believe that the word 'ain't' should not be used in English language, but still there are many who use this word in place of 'isn't', 'aren't', 'is not', 'are not' etc. The word 'ain't' is originally a contraction of 'am not', therefore if you say 'I ain't going to the movie tonight' then you are correct, however you can occasionally use it for a phrase to add some sense of humor but usually it is considered 'improper'.
In Time/ On Time
Both phrases are very similar to each other, the difference between the two is that 'In time' refers to a having enough time to spare after completion of certain task, whereas 'On time' refer to completion of a certain task as planned or being punctual. Eg: 'I went for the movie because I had completed my work in time.' and 'You better not be late, because the movie will start on time'.
Literally
The literal meaning of the word 'literally' is word for word or in strict sense, without any exaggeration or inaccuracy. It is often used figuratively, as an idiom or metaphorically, which is incorrect. You can't say that 'he literally flew off in his new sports car' because he actually can't, but you can say that 'He literally jumped in the fire to save the kid' when he actually jumps in the fire and not metaphorically.
There are many more phrases or words that create confusion or are misused, watch out for the sequel of this article to learn about some more words/phrases like this.
Practice/Practise or Advice/Advise
As per US English, 'practice' is either used as noun or verb, whereas as per UK English, practise is a verb and practice is a noun. Similarly, 'advise' is a verb, and advice is a noun. Eg: 'She advised me.' and 'She gave me some advice.' Words like licence and license fall in the same category.
Lose/Loose
Pronunciation of these two words is the same, therefore many make the mistake of writing lose when they really mean loose or vice-versa. 'Loose' means when something is not tight or not fastened, whereas 'lose' means lack of possession or to part with something (intentionally or unintentionally).
Affect/Effect
Another set of words that often create confusion or rather are utilized in the wrong places out of lack of attention due to which the meaning of a sentence can change entirely. 'Affect' (verb) is to have influence on something, and 'effect' (noun) is a result or outcome out of something. Eg: 'Smoking affects our lungs' and 'Aspirin has immediate effect on pain.'
Ain't
There are many who believe that the word 'ain't' should not be used in English language, but still there are many who use this word in place of 'isn't', 'aren't', 'is not', 'are not' etc. The word 'ain't' is originally a contraction of 'am not', therefore if you say 'I ain't going to the movie tonight' then you are correct, however you can occasionally use it for a phrase to add some sense of humor but usually it is considered 'improper'.
In Time/ On Time
Both phrases are very similar to each other, the difference between the two is that 'In time' refers to a having enough time to spare after completion of certain task, whereas 'On time' refer to completion of a certain task as planned or being punctual. Eg: 'I went for the movie because I had completed my work in time.' and 'You better not be late, because the movie will start on time'.
Literally
The literal meaning of the word 'literally' is word for word or in strict sense, without any exaggeration or inaccuracy. It is often used figuratively, as an idiom or metaphorically, which is incorrect. You can't say that 'he literally flew off in his new sports car' because he actually can't, but you can say that 'He literally jumped in the fire to save the kid' when he actually jumps in the fire and not metaphorically.
There are many more phrases or words that create confusion or are misused, watch out for the sequel of this article to learn about some more words/phrases like this.
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