# Most annoying misspellings **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 3, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123 "2010-03-03T14:56:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/81 "2010-03-04T19:20:04Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Mine will always be _chaise lounge_ for _chaise longue_, although it’s been misspelled that way in the US since about 1950 so it’s included in some US dictionaries as an alternative spelling. :smack: > > Please find link. I must see this. I have e-mailed writers to thank them for correct usage of _chaise longue_. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Everyday. When it’s an adverb, it’s TWO WORDS. “I shampoo my wombat every day.” It’s only “everyday” when you use it as an adjective. > > But what I’m really tired of is people who use “criteria” or “phenomena” when they mean “criterion” or “phenomenon.” These are my everyday shoes. I wear them every day. > [@RoniaBorkason](#): > > My least favorite common misspelling is discrete/discreet. That one bothers me too, as does trooper/trouper. Also, “dinning” room. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/82 "2010-03-04T19:23:19Z")
It’s “just deserts,” dammit. Not butterscotch pudding. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/83 "2010-03-04T19:55:45Z")
Every time I see “woah” I say WHOA! and slam on my metaphorical (not literal) brakes. ---
**Author:** ![Dancer\_Flight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dancer_flight/32/7601_2.png) [@Dancer\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancer_Flight)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/84 "2010-03-04T20:21:48Z")
> [@Incref](#): > > Alot. It’s two words damn it! I blame elementary school drills for this, as it spent a few turns on our spelling tests. My simple rule of thumb was that every word on a spelling test was a single word. So when the teacher had us spell “a lot,” I figured spelling test words are single words so: “alot.” It took a couple of years to unlearn that. Of course that doesn’t excuse those that merely substitute “allot.” Now, I sometimes need to double check myself on “alright” (agreement/okay) vs. “all right” (everything’s correct) and “already” (now) vs. “all ready” (everything’s prepared). -DF I don’t ever screw up “continuous(ly)” vs. “continual(ly).” ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/85 "2010-03-04T20:44:28Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Baseball, the great American past time. Baseball\*\*:\*\* The great American pastime. Kneel before the mighty colon! ---
**Author:** ![Dancer\_Flight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dancer_flight/32/7601_2.png) [@Dancer\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancer_Flight)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/86 "2010-03-04T20:49:57Z")
Apparently, Lose vs Loose has attracted the ire of at least one web cartoonist: [Queen of Wands](http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20050909.html) -DF ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/87 "2010-03-04T20:53:15Z")
Does this count? I know more than a few people who express holding a long vowel in word something like this: \*Sweetttttttttttttttttt! \* ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/88 "2010-03-04T20:57:19Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Baseball\*\*:\*\* The great American pastime. > > Kneel before the mighty colon! [Bartolo?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartolo_Col%C3%B3n) ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/89 "2010-03-04T20:58:23Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > Every time I see “woah” I say WHOA! and slam on my metaphorical (not literal) brakes. This makes me laugh, as WOAH is a radio station in Akron. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/90 "2010-03-04T21:13:59Z")
> [@RoniaBorkason](#): > > My least favorite common misspelling is discrete/discreet. I don’t like that either. Would you please tell Bioware to learn the difference? I think every game of theirs I have played has gotten this wrong. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/91 "2010-03-05T07:40:55Z")
> [@metronome](#): > > I really miss the letter D, which seems to be vanishing from the ends of words. I see a lot of misspellings like, “I’m suppose to buy slice ham like I use to.” This drives me crazy, too. “Mash potatoes” and “whip cream” annoy me far more than they should. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/92 "2010-03-05T08:23:55Z")
> [@Vernon\_Vernons](#): > > I keep seeing people typing “of” for “have” and it’s melting my will to live. > > “We could of gone, but we decided not to.” I loved the book _Good Omens_, but this little… er… “convention” drove me up a wall. Look, I understand you’re trying to evoke a particular British dialect, but you can do so _just as well_ by using the **'ve** contraction. Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve. Heck, as far as I’m concerned **couldn’t’ve** is just fine, too. **Couldn’t of** , on the other hand, makes the anti-christ cry. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/93 "2010-03-05T09:16:11Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > I loved the book _Good Omens_, but this little… er… “convention” drove me up a wall. > > Look, I understand you’re trying to evoke a particular British dialect, but you can do so _just as well_ by using the **'ve** contraction. Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve. Heck, as far as I’m concerned **couldn’t’ve** is just fine, too. > > **Couldn’t of** , on the other hand, makes the anti-christ cry. Mmm, no you can’t, really. Obviously, dialects vary, but in many there is a clear audible difference between “could’ve” and “could of”. Which is precisely why he does it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/94 "2010-03-05T10:38:41Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > Mmm, no you can’t, really. Obviously, dialects vary, but in many there is a clear audible difference between “could’ve” and “could of”. Which is precisely why he does it. Concur - it’s used quite deliberately for effect. (He uses a few of the other things people have mentioned here, for the same reasons) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/95 "2010-03-05T14:46:53Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > \*Sweetttttttttttttttttt! \* “Say it, don’t spray it” would be my response. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/96 "2010-03-05T16:21:56Z")
I used to work for a wonderful guy, who was sharp, but not great with grammar. He wrote up a flyer promoting a particular payment plan that would save video renters about 20%. At the end of the page, he wanted to emphasize the customers’ savings - “NOW that’s a deal!” Pisses me off when I see [this music series](http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Thats-What-Call-Music/dp/B001PXYHD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267806123&sr=8-1)… Joe ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/97 "2010-03-05T16:42:06Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > And _ghee_? Well, that too, but how many Americans cook Indian food? ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/98 "2010-03-05T16:49:11Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Well, that too, but how many Americans cook Indian food? I don’t know. How many other countries do you think of as part of “the west”? ---
**Author:** ![ragerdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ragerdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ragerdude)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/99 "2010-03-05T17:06:31Z")
> [@Dancer\_Flight](#): > > Now, I sometimes need to double check myself on “alright” (agreement/okay) vs. “all right” (everything’s correct) and “already” (now) vs. “all ready” (everything’s prepared). I think that “alright” is still nonstandard, and “all right” is the standard spelling for all usages. ---
**Author:** ![ragerdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ragerdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ragerdude)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123/100 "2010-03-05T17:07:53Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > Mmm, no you can’t, really. Obviously, dialects vary, but in many there is a clear audible difference between “could’ve” and “could of”. Which is precisely why he does it. I pronounce “could’ve” and “could of” identically. What dialects pronounce them distinctly? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-misspellings/531123.md?page=6)