I knew it would happen one day; I yell at the television presenter or radio announcer alerting them that their pronunciation is incorrect, they are stressing the wrong syllable in a word and if they would only think they would learn something.
Hello, my name is Karen and I am a grammar nazi.
Today I found a writer who shares my passion for finding phrases we use incorrectly. Granted some of these have a similar sound, but the author found many of these examples on the websites of establishments of higher learning.
| What they say | What they mean |
| Prostrate cancer | Prostate cancer |
| First-come, first-serve | First-come, First-served |
| Sneak peak | Sneak peek |
| Deep seeded | Deep seated |
| Extract revenge | Exact revenge |
| I could care less | I couldn’t care less |
| Shoe-in | Shoo-in |
| Emigrated to / Immigrated from | Emigrated from / Immigrated to |
| Slight of hand | Sleight of hand |
| Honed in | Homed in |
| Baited breath | Bated breath |
| Piece of mind | Peace of mind |
| Wet your appetite | Whet your appetite |
| For all intensive purposes | For all intents and purposes |
| One in the same | One and the same |
| Make due | Make do |
| By in large | By and large |
| Do diligence | Due diligence |
| Peaked my interest | Piqued my interest |
| Case and point | Case in point |
For the full explanations you can read the original article here.
Some of these mistakes are used so frequently we hardly notice them anymore. What’s more galling is realising you use some of them yourself!
Have you any to add to these examples? Do you like me find yourself so familiar with the incorrect phrase you use it? Please share?