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8 Spelling Mistakes Good Writers Should Never Make

October 2, 2019

What’s the best way to look like an amateur writer?

Misspell these common words.

1. its vs. it’s

  • “its” is a possessive, meaning something belongs to the “it”
  • “it’s” is a contraction for “it is”

Most people add the apostrophe by default. Good writers know when NOT to. When in doubt, add the word is. If it doesn’t sound right, remove the apostrophe.
The dog licked its paws.
The dog licked it’s paws. (The dog licked it is paws. NOPE!)

2. your vs. you’re

  • “your” is possessive, meaning something belongs to “you”
  • “you’re” is a contraction for “you are”

When in doubt, add the word are. If it doesn’t sound right, remove the apostrophe.
When is your birthday?
When is you’re birthday? (When is you are birthday? NOPE!)

3. their vs. there vs. they’re

  • “their” is possessive, meaning something belongs to “them”
  • “there” is a location
  • “they’re” is a contraction for “they are”

4. then vs. than

  • “then” is used to indicate time; it is usually an adjective or adverb
  • “than” is used to make comparisons; it is a conjunction

THEN
First we hiked the west trail, then we caught a bus to the town square.
The bike costs $50, then don’t forget about sales tax.
Pick me up at noon; I’ll be ready then.
If it rains, then the game will be canceled.

Note: In some cases, “then” is a junk word and can be eliminated.

Pick me up at noon; I’ll be ready then.
BETTER: Pick me up at noon; I’ll be ready.

If it rains, then the game will be canceled.
BETTER: If it rains, the game will be canceled.

THAN
Jane is taller than John.
My horse runs faster than your horse.
Hummus is tastier than veggie dip.

NOTE: “different from” vs. “different than” — which is correct?
The correct grammar is “different from.”
Hamsters are different from guinea pigs.
Heels are different from flats.
Men are different from women.

5. loose vs. lose

  • “loose” is an adjective; it means “not tight”
  • “lose” is a verb; it means to fail to win, to misplace, or to free oneself

LOOSE
My tooth is loose.
Her chair leg broke loose, and she crashed to the floor.
The red-light district is crawling with loose women.

LOSE
How did you lose your car keys again?
The team vowed never to lose another game to the Tigers.
Carl sped toward the intersection, desperate to lose the cop that kept trailing him.

6. affect vs. effect

  • “affect” is a verb; it means to impact or change
  • “effect” is usually a noun; it means a result

Rule of thumb: If an event affects your life, you will feel the event’s effect.*

However, “effect” is also sometimes (although rarely) a verb; it means to bring about a result or accomplish something.

AFFECT
Lack of sleep can affect your mood.
The drought affected this year’s crop yield.
How did the class affect your view of modern art?

EFFECT—as a noun
Her pleas had no effect on his decision.
The most common side effect of this medication is stomach upset.
Did your mother’s illness have any effect on you as a child?

EFFECT—as a verb
We must work together to effect change in our community.
Her new boss attempted to effect trust among the staff.

* Source: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/affect-vs-effect/

7. could of vs. could have

  • could of, would of, should of — not correct!
  • could have, would have, should have — correct!

Why do people do this? The contractions “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve” are correct (short for “could have, would have, should have”). However, when spoken, they create a homophone, meaning a word that as pronounced sounds like a word with a different meaning. Be aware the actual words you’re speaking and writing are “could have” not “could of.”

8. Apostrophes are for possessives, not plurals!

YES: This product is for moms.
NO: This product is for mom’s.

YES: Moms love my product!
NO: Mom’s love my product!

YES: Open Sundays
NO: Open Sunday’s


Spell and use these words correctly, and you’ll be leaps ahead of most English language writers on the planet. For more writing tips, check out my online course, Write Like a Pro.

Write on!
Becky

What to Read Next: One Word That Changes the Way Your Readers Feel About You

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