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Many times, people hear a word, and think they understand what it means from the context, without looking it up. So then they use it wrong, and contribute to the confusion. Newsmen are especially likely to do this, because they are in a hurry. But because people are too lazy to look up words, they confuse the meanings of those words, and dilute their usefulness. |
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| THE CONFUSED WORD | WHAT IT REALLY MEANS | THE ERRONEOUS USE | THE CORRECT WORD TO USE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altitude | Height above sea level (Scientific term) |
The angle above or below horizontal | Elevation |
| Assault | Threatening to cause death or injury (Legal term) |
Causing bodily injury | Battery |
| Buss | A kiss (Also a brand name of fuses) |
An electrical carrier of signal or power | Bus |
| Caduceus | Symbol for messenger (Wings and serpents on standard) |
Symbol for medicine (Single serpent on standard) | Rod of Asclepius |
| Capital | The city where government meets (Also something that is important) |
The building where government meets | Capitol |
| Computer | Programmable data processor (Has many different uses) |
Calculating machine (Has very few uses) | Calculator |
| Conservative | Restraining government action (Less government control) |
Restraining the population | Totalitary |
| Conservative | Restraining government action (Less government control) |
Saving natural resources | Conservationist |
| Consul | An official at an embassy (An agent for a foreign government) |
An advisor or his advice | Counsel Consultant |
| Contribution | Voluntary donation (Charitable or other) |
Required payment to government | Tax |
| Copywrite | Writing text for a publication ("Writing copy") |
Intellectual property right (Right to control copying) | Copyright |
| Council | A government body of legislators (They make the rules) |
An advisor or his advice | Counsel Consultant |
| Counsel | An advisor or his advice (Legal counsel = lawyer) |
A government body of legislators | Council |
| Counsel | An advisor or his advice (Legal counsel = lawyer) |
An official at an embassy | Consul |
| Debunk | Remove falsehood from something (Expose the lies) |
Mislead the public | Disinform |
| THE CONFUSED WORD | WHAT IT REALLY MEANS | THE ERRONEOUS USE | THE CORRECT WORD TO USE |
| Democracy | Government by everyone (People vote on issues) |
Government by elected officials (People vote on officials) | Republic |
| Democratic | Government by people (Vote to decide) |
Political party (Suppresses some votes) | Democrat |
| Dignitary | Person demanding special treatment (Self-centered person) |
Public official | Politician |
| Discreet | Discernment in behavior (Unobtrusive) |
Individually distinct items (Kept separated) | Discrete |
| Discrete | Individually distinct items (Kept separated) |
Discernment in behavior (Unobtrusive) | Discreet |
| e.g. | For example (Exempli gratia) |
In other words | i.e. |
| Educate | To teach indisputably known facts (As in a classroom) |
To spread political beliefs | Indoctrinate Propagandize |
| Elevation | The angle above or below horizontal (scientific term) |
Height above sea level | Altitude |
| Engineer | An expert at engineering (Designs equipment or structures) |
Person who operates engines (e.g. a railroad locomotive) | Engine driver Engine operator |
| Flaunt | Boast or brandish (Show off what you have) |
Defy authority | Flout |
| Flounder | To thrash around (Trying to extricate oneself) |
Sink underwater | Founder |
| Flout | Defy authority (Disobey authority or the law) |
Boast or brandish | Flaunt |
| Foreword | A note at the front of a book (Not by the author) |
Toward the front | Forward |
| Founder | Sink underwater (Literally or figuratively) |
Thrash around | Flounder |
| Fundamentalism | Belief in authority of scripture (Bible written by God) |
Strict religious code | Hardline |
| THE CONFUSED WORD | WHAT IT REALLY MEANS | THE ERRONEOUS USE | THE CORRECT WORD TO USE |
| Graduate | How a school bestows a diploma (The school graduates the student) |
What students do to earn diplomas | To be graduated |
| Humanism | Belief that aggregate humanity is the deity |
Belief that humanity is good | Confucianism Unitarianism |
| Humanitarianism | Belief that Jesus was only human (i.e. Christians are wrong.) |
Belief in doing good | Philanthropy |
| Hung | Past tense of suspending something (but not executing a prisoner) |
Execution of a prisoner by hanging (legal term) | Hanged |
| i.e. | In other words (Id est) |
For example | e.g. |
| Insure | To buy an insurance policy (from an insurer) |
To make sure something happens | Ensure |
| It's | A contraction of "it is" (A state of being) |
The property of some object (Only possessive with no apostrophe) | Its |
| Liberal | Letting government do anything (More government control) |
Letting people do anything | Anarchy Ultrapermissiveness |
| Luminaire | A light fixture (A streetlight) |
A well-respected person | Luminary |
| Luminary | A well-respected person (A figurative light in the community) |
A light fixture | Luminaire |
| Matriculate | To enroll in a school (or move to a higher grade) |
To complete schooling | To be graduated To be promoted |
| Mic | Abbreviation for a microphone (Used as a noun) |
The act of using a microphone (Used as a verb) | Mike |
| Mute | Unable to speak or make sound (Or a device to reduce sound) |
Inconsequential | Moot |
| Nadir | Straight down (direction) (scientific term) |
Lowest point | Minimum, lowest depth Hit bottom |
| Pavilion | An ornate tent (Or a temporary structure) |
Large structure (Or large paved area) | Exhibit hall Arena |
| THE CONFUSED WORD | WHAT IT REALLY MEANS | THE ERRONEOUS USE | THE CORRECT WORD TO USE |
| Penultimate | The next to the last (just before the ultimate) |
Greater than the ultimate | Super-ultimate (???) |
| Podium | The box an orator stands on (It raises him higher.) |
The stand in front of an orator | Lectern Pulpit |
| Political Correctness | The Baha'i Faith tenets (A behavior code) |
The Democrat religion (Plagiarized Baha'i tenets) | Liberal Orthopraxy Liberal tenets |
| Professor | A job title (Hired to teach at the highest rank) |
A distinction bestowed by a university | PHD, Doctor, or Master |
| Professor | A high-ranking job title (Hired to teach at the highest rank) |
Anyone who teaches a college class | Instructor (and other ranks) |
| Progress | Moving in the desired direction (No matter which way it is.) |
More Socialism | Socialization Progressivist gain |
| Regressive tax | Higher tax rates for poorer people (e.g. Social Security) |
The same tax rate for all | Flat tax |
| Statism | Worshiping government (Government is god) |
Government is superior (Religion is nothing) | Atheism |
| Theory | A proposal about how things happen (Not proved) |
Something that is scientifically proved | Scientific fact |
| Transpire | To become known (literally to leak out) |
To occur (usually a series of events) | Happen Occur |
| Trickle-down economics | Not taxing employers as much (thus creating jobs) |
Tax breaks for the rich | Regressive tax |
| Tuba | Bass brass orchestral instrument (Held in front of the musician) |
Bass brass marching band instrument (Wraps around the musician) | Sousaphone |
| UFO | Unidentified Flying Object (We don't know what it is.) |
Vehicle from another planet (But it's no longer unidentified) | Alien spacecraft Flying saucer |
| University | Combined college, graduate school, and seminary |
Campus with many colleges | Undergraduate school College |
| Zenith | Straight up (direction) (scientific term) |
Highest point | Maximum height Hit the top |
| COLORS | |||
| THE CONFUSED WORD | WHAT COLOR IT IS | THE ERRONEOUS COLOR | CORRECT WORD FOR COLOR |
| Red | Red |
Magenta | Magenta |
| Pink | Pink |
Magenta | Magenta |
| Blue | Blue |
Cyan | Cyan |