• A LOT

    She doesn’t look impressed.
    She takes a red pen and circles alot. She tells you that, ‘alot’ is not a word. It should be ‘a lot’, with a space in between. Its two words, not one.

  • A OR AN

    Why is it an honest man, not a honest man?
    Just remember, when deciding whether to use ‘a’ or ‘an’, it is not how the following word is spelt, but how it sounds!
    If the following word starts with a vowel sound, that is, an aeiou sound, use ‘an’. So it’s an umbrella, an hour, an extreme incident.
    If the following word starts with a consonant sound, use ‘a’. So, it’s a hotel, a university, a dog.

  • Accept or Except

    Avoid this embarrassing mistake by keeping this tip in mind.

  • Adapt or Adopt


  • Affect and Effect

    There are many factors that can affect our performance at work.
    ‘Affect’ is often used as a verb to mean ‘have an effect’ or ‘make a difference to’.
    This is not to be confused with ‘effect’, which is often used as a noun to mean ‘a result’ or as a verb to mean ‘to bring about a result’.
    So while there are many factors that ‘affect’ your performance at work, we must be resilient to avoid any negative ‘effects’!

  • Among or Between


  • Among or Between


  • Amount or Number


  • Amused or Bemused

    ‘Bemused’ and ‘Amused’ sounds similar. But that do not mean they have the same meaning. In fact, ‘amused’ and ‘bemused’ mean two completely different things.
    ‘Amused’ means entertained or made to laugh while ‘bemused’ means to find something confusing or puzzling.
    For example, ‘Sarah was amused by his antics and enjoyed his company’. But ‘She was bemused by his sudden decision to quit as she thought he enjoyed working for the organization’.

  • Anxious

    When meeting friends who you haven’t seen for a long time, do you say you are ‘anxious’ to see them?
    This actually means that you are frightened of them!
    ‘Anxious’ implies a looming fear, dread or anxiety.
    Say you’re ‘eager’ or ‘excited’ to see your friends instead.
    Unless of course, you really are dreading to meet them!

  • Any

    The word ‘any’ can mean one or all. When asking for any of something, the item that is being asked for needs to be plural in form.
    For example, ‘Did you make any phone calls?’ or ‘Did you read any books today?’
    And here’s another tip, the ‘b’ in ‘subtle’ is silent, so it’s sa-tle, not sub-tle.

  • At or In

    Is it ‘I stayed at London for a month’ or ‘I stayed in London for a month’?
    An easy way to choose between ‘at’ or ‘in’ is to remember that people stay ‘in’ cities and countries and other general locations, while people ‘stay’ at hotel’s, people’s homes, and other specific locations.
    So the correct answer would be, ‘I stayed in London for a month’.

  • Attain or Obtain


  • Between... and

    You see a sign hanging outside a clinic which says ‘We are open between 9am to 2pm.’
    When using ‘between’, the correct preposition to go with it should be ‘and’.
    So, the correct phrasing is ‘between 9am and 2pm’.
    When we use ‘from’, we pair it up with ‘to’. For instance, ‘You can collect the prize from 10am to 6pm.

  • Bi or Semi

    ‘Bi’ and ‘semi’ are prefixes related to the concept of two. Though they seem similar, they are not synonymous.
    ‘Bi’ means every two or every other, while ‘Semi’ means twice.
    An example of ‘Bi’ would be, ‘The magazine is published bi-weekly, every other Wednesday’.
    An example of ‘Semi’ would be, ‘Our semi-annual appraisals are in January and July’.

  • Borrow or Lend

    The owner of the object lends the object to someone.

  • Chop

    Returning from an overseas trip, your friend tells you “Looking at my passport chop makes me happy. It reminds me of the countries I have been to”.
    In this instance, the word ‘chop’ refers to a stamp. While Singaporeans would understand this, most people would be shocked, as they would imagine your passport being cut into pieces, based on the word ‘chop’.
    So the correct word to use in this instance would be, passport ‘stamp’.
    Another example of a common error often overheard in the workplace with regard to the word ‘chop’ would be, “Can you please chop and sign?”. This statement would be absurd as after chopping something into smaller bits, where would you put your signature? Instead, you should ask, “Can you please stamp and sign?”

  • Close or Closed


  • Complement or Compliment

    Why not make someone’s day by giving them a compliment!

  • Comprise Of

    A travel agent told you, “This package comprises of a two night stay at the resort and three meals a day.”
    The word ‘comprise’ is defined as ‘made up of’. It is therefore redundant to say comprise of. Just comprise will do.

  • Condemn or Condone

    Did the principal condemn or condone the students for misbehaving.

  • Continuous and Continual

    Something that is ‘continuous’ happens without stopping. So, you might say ‘It rained continuously for two days.’
    Something that is ‘continual’ happens again and again. Ever since the scandal happened, the phone has been ringing continually.

  • Convince or Persuade

    Though ‘persuade’ and ‘convince’ seem synonymous, they do not mean the same thing.
    The root of ‘persuade’ is ‘sweet talk’. It means bringing someone to the desired point by means of clever argument, enticement or appeal.
    For example, ‘I persuaded them to stay for dinner’.
    The root of convince however, is to ‘overpower’. It means to make a person unable to maintain a contrary position by force of logic.
    For example, ‘She convinced the police she was telling the truth’.

  • Could or Would

    When do you use could or would?

  • Cut

    While driving, your friend angrily tells you, “His car cut mine!”
    The correct phrase would be either ‘to cut in front of’ or ‘to cut off’. So the next time you want to express your displeasure, it should be, “His car cut in front of mine!” or “His car cut me off!”

  • Day Off or Off Day


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