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 whose home page is at www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/.
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 |
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 |
sequences | sequins |
shock ways | shockwaves |
short sided | shortsighted |
skewer the results | skew the results |
something or rather | something or other |
seizure salad | Caesar salad |
self-defacing | self-effacing |
sense of false security | false sense of security |
set a president | set a precedent |
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 |
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 | 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 |
Add your own suggestions. But first read the paragraph in red at the top of this page.
Want more? Browse the Eggcorn Database.
Return to list of errors
Read about the book.