Five of the Most Commonly Misspelled Expressions in the English Language
Not only is the English language one of the most complex languages on the planet; it is also one of the most verbose, awkward, and contradictory. That being said, here are the five most commonly misspelled expressions in the English Language.
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Pored Over Texts, NOT Poured Over Texts
This one probably stuck with me the longest in terms of misspelled expressions but among the public it’s also one of the most misspelled expressions as well. Want to know what “pouring” over texts has to do with water. Absolutely nothing. While it’s easy to assume that one might pore over a document the way water pours over a surface, the two have nothing in common. In this case, “pore” means “to read or study with steady attention or application“. -
Just Deserts, NOT Just Desserts
A lot of people think that when you say to someone they will get their just deserts, it somehow relates to a giant sundae you will get to eat and the other person won’t, but actually the expression “just deserts” relates to the way you’d spell an arid piece of sandy land. “Deserts”, however, can also mean “‘that which is deserved” from the Latin desiree meaning to get one’s come uppance. Don’t fall into this common trap. -
Wreak Havoc, NOT Wreck Havoc
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When spelt “wreck” (pronounced reek) the general public believes to wreak havoc is synonymous with taking your car out on the highway and wreaking havoc on the road, and while “wreck” means to destroy or cause chaos it is used completely out of context. Havoc itself as a noun means chaos, destruction, and general disorder, but so does wreck when used as a verb. To be used beside one another would be a double negative, for example, to cause destruction to chaos, meaning in the wrong sense, to cause order. In the correct version, “wreak havoc” means “to inflict or execute (punishment, vengeance, etc.)“.
Free Rein, NOT Free Reign
“Free rein” is commonly misspelled because the term “reign” brings up several connotations of authority, rule, and power and thus giving someone free reign would be to give up one’s power. However, this expression is incorrect. The correct phrase lends itself to the old horse and buggie transportation. When naviagting a tricky slope drivers would give the horses “free rein” (as in the reins of a horse) to navigate the roads if the terrain were to become suddenly too tracherous, allowing the horses to circumnavigate the unweildy paths on their own accord and not the driver’s.
Moot Point, NOT Mute Point
Typically, a “moot point” is a point “of little or no practical value or meaning“, however, for many it’s become an argument raised that doesn’t go anywhere, so that it doesn’t support or go against the debate to the point where it doesn’t get heard at all, in other words, it becomes mute. However, the above is the actual correct term of the phrase.
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