People send me quite a few word confusions which don’t seem worth writing up but which are nevertheless entertaining or interesting. I simply list a number of these below for your amusement. Many of them are discussed on the Eggcorn Database site.
Note: if you don’t find what you’re looking for below, please be aware that this is only a supplementary page to a much more extensive site: the primary Common Errors in English Usage index.
| What was said | What was meant |
|---|---|
| a stigmatism | astigmatism |
| abolishment | abolition |
| abraded | upbraided |
| acrosst | across |
| ad homonym | ad hominem |
| aerobic numbers | Arabic numbers |
| affidavid | affidavit |
| alphabeticalize | alphabetize |
| alsome, allsome | awesome |
| altercations | alterations |
| alterior | ulterior |
| anachronism | acronym |
| ambliance | ambulance |
| anticlimatic | anticlimactic |
| anchors away | anchors aweigh |
| ancy | antsy |
| aperpo | à propos |
| apples and organs | apples and oranges |
| arm’s way | harm’s way |
| artical | article |
| as a pose to | as opposed to |
| ashfault | asphalt |
| assessible | accessible |
| assumably | presumably |
| at leased | at least |
| authoritarian source | authoritative source |
| back round | background |
| balling out | bawling out |
| based around | based on |
| batter an eyelid | bat an eyelid |
| bear the blunt | bear the brunt |
| beautify a saint | beatify a saint |
| beckon call | beck and call |
| begs belief | beggars belief |
| besiege | beseech |
| beyond approach | beyond reproach |
| bids well | bids fair, bodes well |
| binded | bound |
| Bladerunner (film title) | Blade Runner |
| bled like a stuffed pig | bled like a stuck pig |
| blessing in the sky | blessing in disguise |
| blindsighted | blindsided |
| blow a casket | blow a gasket |
| a board of director | a member of a board of directors |
| boom to the economy | boon to the economy |
| bonafied | bona fide |
| bored of | bored with |
| bottles the mind | boggles the mind |
| bowl in a china shop | bull in a china shop |
| bran new | brand new |
| built off of | built on or upon |
| BVD player | DVD player |
| by in large or enlarge | by and large |
| Cadillac converter | catalytic converter |
| card shark | cardsharp |
| carport tunnel | carpal tunnel |
| case and point | case in point |
| cease and decease | cease and desist |
| cease the day | seize the day |
| chalked full | chock-full |
| cheap at half the price | cheap at twice the price |
| chester drawers | chest of drawers |
| chicken pops | chicken pox |
| chomp at the bit | champ at the bit |
| chow | ciao |
| circus sized | circumcised |
| clearified | clarified |
| cohabitate | cohabit |
| collaborating evidence | corroborating evidence |
| component | opponent |
| conversate | converse |
| conservative effort | concerted effort |
| copywrite | copyright |
| copywritten | copyrighted |
| coronated | crowned |
| coronet | cornet |
| cortage | cortege |
| coruscating | excoriating |
| a couple guys | a couple of guys |
| coup de gras | coup de grace |
| cream de mint | creme de menthe |
| crimp my style | cramp my style |
| crossified | crucified |
| the crutch of the matter | the crux of the matter |
| culvert sack | cul de sac |
| cumberbun | cummerbund |
| cursing through his veins | coursing through his veins |
| cut to the chaff | cut to the chase |
| dappled in | dabbled in |
| darkest before the storm | darkest before the dawn |
| dead wringer | dead ringer |
| debockle | debacle |
| decidated | dedicated |
| deformation of character | defamation of character |
| deja vous | deja vu |
| Samuel R. Delaney | Samuel R. Delany |
| detrius | detritus |
| diabolically opposed | diametrically opposed |
| dialate | dilate |
| differ payment | defer payment |
| die heart | diehard |
| diswraught | distraught |
| do diligence | due diligence |
| do to | due to |
| documentated | documented |
| doggy dog world | dog-eat-dog world |
| dottering | doddering |
| down the pipe | down the pike |
| dresser draw | dresser drawer |
| drownded | drowned |
| drownding | drowning |
| drudged up | dredged up |
| dry reach | dry retch |
| electorial college | electoral college |
| end justifies the meaning | end justifies the means |
| enervate | energize |
| Episcopalian church | Episcopal church |
| escape goat | scapegoat |
| esculate | escalate |
| exasperated | exacerbated |
| excape | escape |
| exhilarator | accelerator |
| expecially | especially |
| expeculation | speculation |
| expediate | expedite |
| exuberant price | exorbitant price |
| exulted status | exalted status |
| eyesaw, eye soar | eyesore |
| face the piper | face the music, pay the piper |
| fair to midland | fair to middling |
| far and few between | few and far between |
| fathom a guess | hazard a guess |
| fast majority | vast majority |
| fate accompli | fait accompli |
| Federal Drug Administration | Food and Drug Administration |
| final throws | final throes |
| first come, first serve | first come, first served |
| flamingo dancer | flamenco dancer |
| flustrated | frustrated |
| focus like a razor | focus like a laser |
| foilage | foliage |
| foul swoop | fell swoop |
| four-stair heating | forced-air heating |
| Franklin Delanor Roosevelt | Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| frentic | frantic or frenetic |
| front in center | front and center |
| full ball | full bore |
| garner wages | garnish wages |
| gave me slack | gave me flak |
| gentile manners | genteel manners |
| gentlelady | gentlewoman |
| genuses | genera |
| glaucomole | glaucoma |
| glaze over | gloss over |
| gleam | glean |
| godforsaken right | God-given right |
| gone array | gone awry |
| gorilla warfare | guerilla warfare |
| got my dandruff up | got my dander up |
| grant it | granted |
| greatfruit | grapefruit |
| harbringer | harbinger |
| heared | heard |
| harps back | harks back |
| hearst | hearse |
| heart-rendering | heart-rending |
| Heineken remover | Heimlich maneuver |
| here on end | here on in |
| hewn cry | hue and cry |
| High Iraqi | hierarchy |
| hobbiest | hobbyist |
| hold down the fort | hold the fort |
| hurtles to overcome | hurdles to overcome |
| howsomever | however |
| I seen | I saw or I’ve seen |
| ice tea | iced tea |
| imbedded | embedded |
| flaw in the ointment | fly in the ointment |
| hare’s breath | hair’s breadth |
| high dungeon | high dudgeon |
| hit a high bar | clear a high bar |
| ideallic | ideal or idyllic |
| immaculate degeneration | macular degeneration |
| impaling doom | impending doom |
| imput | input |
| in another words | in other words |
| in lieu of | in light of |
| in loo of | in lieu of |
| in mass | en masse |
| if I don’t say so myself | if I do say so myself |
| in sink | in synch |
| in the same vane or vain | in the same vein |
| incredulous | incredible |
| indiscrepancy | discrepancy |
| insinnuendo | insinuation or innuendo |
| insuremountable | insurmountable |
| in tact | intact |
| interduce | introduce |
| internally grateful | eternally grateful |
| International Workers of the World | Industrial Workers of the World |
| intragul | integral |
| Issac | Isaac |
| it’s beggars belief | it beggars belief |
| ivy tower | ivory tower |
| jack of all traits | jack of all trades |
| jaundra | genre |
| just assume | just as soon |
| key fab | key fob |
| kindly | kind of |
| kit gloves | kid gloves |
| klu klux klan | ku klux klan |
| lacksadaisical | lackadaisical |
| lamblasted, landblasted | lambasted |
| land up | end up, land |
| landlover | landlubber |
| lapse into a comma | lapse into a coma |
| larnyx | larynx |
| laxidaisical | lackadaisical |
| lively hood | livelihood |
| love nuts | lug nuts |
| love one and other | love one another |
| low and behold | lo and behold |
| ludicrust | ludicrous |
| Lex Luther | Lex Luthor |
| Martin Luthor King | Martin Luther King |
| Lykert scale | Likert scale |
| magnate school | magnet school |
| make ends meat | make ends meet |
| make head or tale | make head or tail |
| marquis | marquee |
| masonary | masonry |
| mean time | meantime |
| memorized | mesmerized |
| menestrate | menstruate |
| meter out justice | mete out justice |
| misconscrew | misconstrue |
| Mississippi Marsala | Mississippi Masala |
| mister meaner | misdemeanor |
| mix words | mince words |
| momento | memento |
| muncho man | macho man |
| muriel | mural |
| myocardial infraction | myocardial infarction |
| new leash on life | new lease on life |
| neck in neck | neck and neck |
| needles to say | needless to say |
| nitch | niche |
| no holes barred, no bars held | no holds barred |
| Nobel lariat | Nobel laureate |
| notary republic | notary public |
| notch it up a bit | take it up a notch |
| odiferous | odoriferous |
| odviously | obviously |
| oject d’art | objet d’art |
| off my own back | off my own bat |
| off the deep edge | off the deep end, over the edge |
| on mass | en masse |
| on the same hand | on the other hand, by the same token |
| once and a while | once in a while |
| one pony-trick | one-trick pony |
| orthoscopic | arthroscopic |
| overhauls | overalls |
| overjealous | overzealous |
| pacific | specific |
| paddle lock | padlock |
| pain-staking | painstaking |
| pair of parenthesis | pair of parentheses |
| palatable feeling | palpable feeling |
| pantent | patent |
| parody of virtue | paragon of virtue |
| part in parcel | part and parcel |
| partying gift | parting gift |
| pastorial | pastoral |
| patriarticle | patriarchal |
| permiscuous | promiscuous |
| peacemeal | piecemeal |
| peak of health | pink of health |
| pedastool | pedestal |
| pension | penchant |
| pentacle of his career | pinnacle of his career |
| peon of praise | paean |
| periphial | peripheral |
| perk up its ears | prick up its ears |
| perscription | prescription |
| Peruvian interest | prurient interest |
| perverbial | proverbial |
| phantom | fathom |
| pick fun | poke fun or pick on |
| piece of mind | peace of mind |
| pigment of his imagination | figment of his imagination |
| pillow to post | pillar to post |
| pin a finger | pin the blame on, point a finger at |
| plain around | playing around |
| play it by year | play it by ear |
| plentitude | plenitude |
| plural pneumonia | double pneumonia, pleural pneumonia |
| poison ivory | poison ivy |
| portentious | portentous |
| poseable thumbs | opposable thumbs |
| pot-bellied politics | pork-barrel politics |
| poultrygeist | poltergeist |
| predominately | predominantly |
| pratfall | pitfall |
| present company accepted | present company excepted |
| prevaricate | procrastinate |
| prevert | pervert |
| prolong the inevitable | delay the inevitable |
| protagonist | proponent |
| punkin, pumkin | pumpkin |
| radical chick | radical chic |
| radioactive increase | retroactive increase |
| ramsack | ransack |
| ranking file | rank and file |
| readdress the balance | redress the balance |
| rebel rouser | rabble rouser |
| recluse | recuse |
| recreate the wheel | reinvent the wheel |
| repel | rappel |
| repungent | repugnant |
| roiling boil | rolling boil |
| rotating rumors | circulating rumors |
| rubble rousing | rabble rousing |
| rockweiler | rottweiler |
| ruffled grouse | ruffed grouse |
| run rapid | run rampant |
| schrap metal | scrap metal or shrapnel |
| screed door | screen door |
| seizure salad | Caesar salad |
| self-defacing | self-effacing |
| sense of false security | false sense of security |
| sequences | sequins |
| set a president | set a precedent |
| shock ways | shockwaves |
| short sided | shortsighted |
| should’ve went | should’ve gone |
| shutter to think | shudder to think |
| side by each | side by side |
| similiar or simular | similar |
| six and a half of one, a dozen of the other | six of one, half a dozen of the other |
| skewer the results | skew the results |
| skiddish | skittish |
| skun your knee | skinned your knee |
| sleep acnea | sleep apnea |
| slither of cake | sliver of cake |
| smack dad | smack dab |
| smashed potatoes | mashed potatoes |
| smoking mirrors | smoke and mirrors |
| smothered onions | smothered with onions |
| soak and wet | soaking wet |
| something or rather | something or other |
| somulent | somnolent |
| sorted past or story | sordid past or story |
| St. John’s wart | St. John’s wort |
| stain glass | stained glass |
| stainless teal | stainless steel |
| stolled | stole |
| strident | stringent |
| strum up support | drum up support |
| subsiding on | subsisting on |
| substantative | substantive |
| sufficive to say | it suffices to say |
| supremist | supremacist |
| tactile squad | tactical squad |
| terminity | temerity |
| thankyou | thank you |
| techknowledgy | technology |
| Theolonius Monk | Thelonious Monk |
| time and memorial | time immemorial |
| time and time and again | time and time again |
| thread a fine line | tread a fine line |
| Tiajuana | Tijuana |
| tie me over | tide me over |
| times the number | multiply the number |
| tittering on the brink | teetering on the brink |
| to eaches own | to each his own |
| took it for granite | took it for granted |
| tooth and tong | tooth and nail, hammer and tongs |
| trader to the cause | traitor to the cause |
| turpentime | turpentine |
| two sense worth | two cents’ worth |
| tyrannical yolk | tyrannical yoke |
| unchartered territory | uncharted territory |
| ungangly | ungainly |
| unloosen | loosen |
| udderly | utterly |
| underlying contest | underlying context |
| up and adam | up and at ’em |
| upgraded | upbraided |
| valevictorian | valedictorian |
| Valentimes | Valentines |
| vaulted | vaunted |
| verbage | verbiage |
| very close veins | varicose veins |
| viadock | viaduct |
| visa versa | vice versa |
| vocal chords | vocal cords |
| voiceterous | boisterous |
| vunerable | vulnerable |
| wait ago | way to go |
| weary | wary |
| wetted to the idea | wedded to the idea |
| wheedle down | whittle down |
| whelp | welt |
| Wimbleton | Wimbledon |
| wideth | width |
| windshield factor | wind chill factor |
| witch | which |
| without further adieu | without further ado |
| wither in agony | writhe in agony |
| withering around | writhing around |
| world-renown | world-renowned |
| worldwind | whirlwind |
| working progress | work in progress |
| worse case scenario | worst-case scenario |
| worth its weight in salt | worth its salt or worth its weight in gold |
| worth wild | worthwhile |