English Common Words

8/6/2019 English Common Words

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A

active = always doing something: "She's an active person and never wants to stay in."

aggressive = being angry or threatening: "He's aggressive and starts arguments."

ambitious = wanting to succeed: "He's ambitious and wants to lead the company."

argumentative = always arguing with people: "He won't accept what you say he's argumentative and

loves to disagree!"

arrogant = thinking you are better than anyone else: "He always behaves as if nobody else's opinion is

important "I find him very arrogant."

assertive = being confident, so people can't force you to do things you don't want to do: "It's important to

be assertive at work."

Bbad-tempered = in a bad mood: "What's got into him lately? He's so bad-tempered."

big-headed = thinking you're very important or clever: "I've never met anyone so big-headed!"

bossy = telling people what to do all the time: "He's so bossy- he never lets me do things the way I want

to do them."

C

careless = not taking care: "He's a careless driver "I'm sure he'll have an accident."

caring = wanting to help people: "My boss is caring and often asks me how things are going."

catty = saying nasty or spiteful things about other people: "I know you don't like her, but calling hernames is a bit catty."

cautious = being careful, so that you avoid mistakes: "He's cautious about investing money in the stock

market."

charming = pleasant and likeable: "What a charming man!"

cheeky = being rude or disrespectful: "It was a bit cheeky of him to ask for more money."

clever= intelligent: "She's a clever student and picks things up quickly."

conceited = thinking you're very clever, or better than others: "He's so conceited he thinks everyoneshould admire him."

conscientious = doing something carefully, because you want to do it well: "She's a conscientious

student and always does her homework."


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considerate = thinking and caring about others: "My neighbour brought me flowers when I was in hospital

he's very considerate." ("That was considerate of him.")

coy = pretending to be shy so that you don't have to give information: "He's very coy about his

qualifications maybe he doesn't have any."

creative = someone who can make or design things, or can think of solutions to a problem: "She'screative and artistic."

curious = wanting to know things: "I'm curious to find out what you think of the situation."

D

deceitful = trying to make people think something, so that you get what you want: "He lied to get this job

he's so deceitful."

docile = quiet and submissive: "She's a docile child and always does what she's told."

dogmatic = wanting others to accept your ideas without discussion: "He's a dogmatic politician andalways thinks he's right."

domineering = trying to control other people: "He's loud and domineering in the office it's difficult to get

him to listen to us."

E

enthusiastic = having a lot of interest in something: "He's an enthusiastic supporter of equal rights."

excitable = someone who easily gets excited: "He gets very excitable about politics it's one of his

passions in life."

extroverted = outgoing and lively: "She's extroverted and loves going out with people."

F

faithful = being loyal to someone or something: "She's a faithful friend."

fickle = changing your mind and being unpredictable: "Politicians can be fickle when it suits them!"

flaky = slightly unstable and unreliable: "She's a little flaky at times, but otherwise she's a good worker."

full of himself= acting proud of yourself: "He was full of himself after he got the promotion it gotannoying after a while."

funny = making other people laugh: "He can be extremely funny when he's in the mood."

fussy = only liking certain things: "She's fussy about what she wears."

G


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good-natured = kind and thoughtful: "She's good-natured and always tries to help."

grumpy = someone who tends to be in a bad mood: "He's always grumpy in the morning and never says

'hello'."

Hhappy-go-lucky = not worrying about what might happen in the future: "He's a bit happy-go-lucky and

doesn't think about the future."

I

impulsive = doing things without thinking first: "If he sees something he likes, he just buys it he can be

so impulsive at times!"

inconsiderate = not considering other people or their feelings: "It was a little inconsiderate of him not to

give you a get-well card."

introverted = opposite of extroverted: "He was introverted as a teenager, but became more confident as

he got older."

inventive = able to think up new ideas: "As head of Marketing, he can often think of inventive ways to

keep his customers happy."

irritating = annoying others: "He can be very irritating to work with."

J

jokey = making jokes: "You're in a jokey mood today, but we've got work to do!"

jolly = happy and cheerful: "It was the weekend and everyone was in a jolly mood."

K

kind = thoughtful and caring: "My neighbour is kind she looked after my cat when I was on holiday."

L

loud-mouthed = someone who talks a lot and often says offensive things: "Don't worry about what he

said he's loud-mouthed at times."

loyal = someone who is faithful and stands by you: "His colleagues were loyal to him when he was having

problems with his boss."

M

manic = behaving in a slightly crazy way: "We're a bit manic at the moment we're rushing to finish the

work before our deadline."


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manipulative = trying to get people to do what you want, by influencing or deceiving them: "She's very

manipulative when she wants something."

moody = having unpredictable moods: "Some people think he's moody you never know if he's happy or

grumpy."

N

nervous = uncomfortable with a situation: "I'm always nervous before an exam."

O

old-fashioned = behaving or thinking in a way that isn't modern: "He's a bit old-fashioned and thinks

women shouldn't work."

opinionated = having strong opinions: "He's opinionated and dogmatic the last person you want to

negotiate with."

P

passive = not assertive doing what other people want you to do without arguing: "He's passive at work,

but domineering at home."

perfectionist = someone who wants perfection: "Her boss is a perfectionnist no spelling mistakes are

allowed."

persuasive = being able to persuade people to do things or to accept your ideas: "He's a persuasive

talker."

picky = only liking certain things or people: "She's picky about her friends."

playful = someone who likes to play and have fun: "You're in a playful mood today!"

pleasant = nice and polite: "The bank manager was pleasant to me today."

polite = showing good manners: "She's polite and never forgets to say 'please' or 'thank you'."

pragmatic = being practical and aware of your limitations: "She's pragmatic at work and only does whatshe can."

Qquick-tempered = getting angry quickly: "He was quick-tempered when he was young, but he's more

relaxed now."

R

reserved = keeping your ideas and thoughts to yourself: "He's reserved, but polite."


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rude = impolite: "He's very rude and never says 'please' or 'thank you'."

S

scatter-brained / scatty= someone who often forgets things: "Don't you remember where you put your

wallet? You're so scatter-brained!"

serious = not light-hearted: "He's a serious student and always does his homework."

shy = quiet, because you are not very confident: "He's so shy and hates saying anything to people he

doesn't know."

sincere = saying what you believe (opposite ofinsincere): "He's sincere in his beliefs."

slapdash = doing your work quickly and carelessly: "He's got a very slapdash attitude I doubt he'll ever

become a lawyer."

slimy = trying to get what you want by being over-friendly: "That man is so slimy he makes me feel

sick!"

sly = doing things in a secretive way: "You never know what he's up to he's sly and manipulative."

spiteful = trying to hurt other people because you didn't get what you wanted: "If she doesn't get what

she wants, she can be quite spiteful."

T

thoughtful = someone who thinks a lot: "He's a thoughtful person and won't do anything unless he hasconsidered the consequences."

thoughtless = not thinking about people or the consequences of your actions: "I'm sure he didn't mean to

be rude he can be thoughtless at times."

trustworthy = someone you can trust: "My accountant is really trustworthy."

V

volatile quickly changing moods: "He's easily excitable and pretty volatile."

W

witty = being able to make other people laugh by what you say: "He's witty and charming the perfect

person to invite to a party."

A

Don't say: acrossed | Do say:across


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Comment: It is easy to confuse "across" with "crossed" but better to keep them

separate.

Don't say: affidavid | Do say: affidavit

Comment: Even if your lawyer's name is ''David,'' he issues affidavits.

Don't say: Old-timer's disease | Do say: Alzheimer's disease

Comment: While it is a disease of old-timers, it is named for the German neurologist,

Dr. Alois Alzheimer.

Don't say: Antartic | Do say: Antarctic

Comment: Just think of an arc of ants (an ant arc) and that should help you keep the

[c] in the pronunciation of this word.

Don't say: Artic | Do say: Arctic

Comment: Another hard-to-see [c] but it is there.

Don't say: aks | Do say: ask

Comment: This mispronunciation has been around for so long (over 1,000 years) that

linguist Mark Aronoffthinks we should cherish it as a part of our linguistic heritage.

Most of us would give the axe to "aks."

Don't say: athelete, atheletic | Do say: athlete, athletic

Comment: Two syllables are enough for "athlete."

B

Don't say: barbituate | Do say: barbiturate

Comment: Don't forget this word contains three others: bar+bit+u+rate


7/25

Don't say: bob wire | Do say: barbed wire

Comment: No, this word wasn't named for anyone named ''Bob;'' it should be "barbed

wire," although the suffix -ed, meaning ''having,'' is fading away in the U.S.

Don't say: bidness | Do say: business

Comment: The change of [s] to [d] before [n] is spreading throughout the US and

when the unaccented [I] drops from this word the [s] finds itself in the same

environment as in "isn't" and "wasn't."

Don't say: a blessing in the skies | Do say: a blessing in disguise

Comment: This phrase is no blessing if it comes from the skies. (Pronounce it correctly

and help maintain the disguise.)

C

Don't say: Calvary | Do say: cavalry

Comment: It isn't clear why we say, ''Mind your Ps and Qs'' when we have more

difficulty keeping up with our Ls and Rs. Had there been a cavalry in Jesus' time,

perhaps Calvary would not have been so tragic.

Don't say: cannidate | Do say: candidate

Comment: You aren't being canny to drop the [d] in this word. Remember, it is the

same as "candy date." (This should help guys remember how to prepare for dates, too.)

Don't say: card shark | Do say: cardsharp

Comment: Cardsharps probably won't eat you alive, though they are adept at cutting

your purse strings.

Don't say: Carpool tunnel syndrome | Do say: Carpal tunnel syndrome

Comment: This one is mispronounced (and misspelled) several different ways; we just

picked the funniest. Carpal means ''pertaining to the wrist.''


8/25

Don't say: caucaphony | Do say: cacophony

Comment: There is no greater cacophony [k'kafni] to the ears than to hear the

vowels switched in the pronunciation of this word.

Don't say: The Caucases | Do say: The Caucasus

Comment: Although there are more than one mountain in this chain, their name is not

a plural noun.

Don't say: chester drawers | Do say: chest of drawers

Comment: The drawers of Chester is a typical way of looking at these chests down

South but it misses the point.

Don't say: chomp at the bit | Do say: champ at the bit

Comment: "Chomp" has probably replaced "champ" in the U.S. but we thought you

might like to be reminded that the vowel should be [] not [o].

Don't say: close | Do say: clothes

Comment: The [th] is a very soft sound likely to be overlooked. Show your linguistic

sensitivity and always pronounce it.

Don't say: coronet | Do say: cornet

Comment: Playing a crown (coronet) will make you about as popular as wearing a

trumpet (cornet) on your head; reason enough to keep these two words straight.

D

Don't say: dialate | Do say: dilate

Comment: The [i] in this word is so long there is time for another vowel but don't

succumb to the temptation.


9/25

Don't say: diptheria | Do say: diphtheria

Comment: The ''ph'' in this word is pronounced [f], not [p].

Don't say: doggy dog world | Do say: dog-eat-dog world

Comment: The world is even worse than you think if you think it merely a "doggy-dog

world." Sorry to be the bearer of such bad news.

Don't say: drownd | Do say: drown

Comment: You add the [d] only to the past tense and past participle.

E

Don't say: elec'toral | Do say: e'lectoral

Comment: The accent is on the second, not the third, syllable and there is no [i] in

it; not"electorial." (By the way, the same applies to "mayoral" and "pastoral.")

Don't say: excape | Do say: escape

Comment: The good news is, if you say "excape," you've mastered the prefix ex-

because its meaning does fit this word. The bad news is, you don't use this prefix on

"escape."

Don't say: expresso | Do say: espresso

Comment: While I can't express my love for espresso enough, this word was borrowed

from Italian well after the Latin prefix ex- had developed into es-.

Don't say: excetera | Do say: et cetera

Comment: Latin for "and" (et) "the rest" (cetera) are actually two words that probably

should be written separately.


10/25

Don't say: expecially | Do say: especially

Comment: Things especial are usually not expected, so don't confuse these words.

F

Don't say: Febyuary | Do say: February

Comment: We don't like two syllables in succession with an [r] so some of us dump

the first one in this word. Most dictionaries now accept the single [r] pronunciation but,

if you have an agile tongue, you may want to shoot for the original.

Don't say: fedral | Do say: federal

Comment: Syncopation of an unaccented vowel is fairly common in rapid speech but in

careful speech it should be avoided. See also "plute" and read more about the

problemhere.

Don't say: fillum | Do say: film

Comment: We also do not like the combination [l] + [m]. One solution is to pronounce

the [l] as [w] ("film" [fiwm}, "palm" [pawm]) but some prefer adding a vowel in this

word.

Don't say: fisical | Do say: fiscal

Comment: In fact, we don't seem to like any consonants together. Here is another

word, like athlete and film that is often forced to swallow an unwanted vowel.

Don't say: flounder | Do say: founder

Comment: Since it is unlikely that a boat would founder on a flounder, we should

distinguish the verb from the fish as spelling suggests.

Don't say: foilage | Do say: foliage

Comment: Here is another case of metathesis, place-switching of sounds. Remember,

the [i] comes after the [l], as in related "folio."


11/25

Don't say: For all intensive purposes | Do say: For all intents and purposes

Comment: The younger generation is mispronouncing this phrase so intensively that it

has become popular both as a mispronunciation and misspelling.

Don't say: forte | Do say: fort

Comment: The word is spelled "forte" but the [e] is pronounced only when speaking of

music, as a "forte passage." The words for a strong point and a stronghold are

pronounced the same: [fort].

H

Don't say: Heineken remover | Do say: Heimlich maneuver (or manoeuvre, Br.)

Comment: This term is mispronounced many different ways. This is just the funniest

one we have heard. This maneuver (manoeuvre) was named for US surgeon Henry Jay

Heimlich (1920- ).

Don't say: heighth | Do say: height

Comment: The analogy with "width" misleads many of us in the pronunciation of this

word. 'erb herb Does, ''My friend Herb grows 'erbs,'' sound right to you? This is a US

oddity generated by the melting pot (mixed dialects). Initial [h] is always pronounced

outside America and should be in all dialects of English.

Don't say: hi-archy | Do say: hierarchy

Comment: Remember, hierarchies go higher than you might think. This one is

pronounced "higher archy" and not "high archy."

I

Don't say: in parenthesis | Do say: in parentheses

Comment: No one can enclose an expression in one parenthesis; at least two

parentheses are required.


12/25

Don't say: interpretate | Do say: interpret

Comment: This error results from the back-formation of "interpretate" from

"interpretation." But back formation isn't needed; we already have "interpret." (See

also 'orientate')

Don't say: irregardless | Do say: regardless

Comment: "-Less" already says ''without'' so there is no need to repeat the same

sentiment with "ir-." idn't isn't Again, the struggle of [s] before [n]. (See also "bidness"

and "wadn't")

J

Don't say: jewlery | Do say:jewelry

Comment: The root of this word is "jewel" and that doesn't change for either "jeweler"

or "jewelry." The British add a syllable: "jewellery" (See also its spelling.)

Don't say: jist nor dis | Do say:just

Comment: As opposed to the adjective "just," this word is always unaccented, which

encourages vowel reduction. However, it sounds better to reduce the [] rather than

replace it with [i].

K

Don't say: Klu Klux Klan | Do say: Ku Klux Klan

Comment: Well, there is an [l] in the other two, why not the first? Well, that is just the

way it is; don't expect rationality from this organization.

L

Don't say: lambast | Do say: lambaste

Comment: Better to lambaste the lamb than to baste him remember, the words

rhyme. "Bast" has nothing to do with it.

Don't say: arnyx | Do say: larynx


13/25

Comment: More metathesis. Here the [n] and [y] switch places. Mind your [n]s and

[y]s as you mind your [p]s and [q]s.

Don't say: Laura Norder | Do say: law and order

Comment: The sound [aw] picks up an [r] in some dialects (also "sawr" and "gnawr").

Avoid it and keep Laura Norder in her place.

Don't say: leash | Do say: lease

Comment: Southern Americans are particularly liable to confuse these two distinct

words but the confusion occurs elsewhere. Look out for it.

Don't say: libel | Do say: liable

Comment: You are liable for the damages if you are successfully sued for libel. But

don't confuse these discrete words.

Don't say: libary | Do say: library

Comment: As mentioned before, English speakers dislike two [r]s in the same word.

However, we have to buck up and pronounce them all.

Don't say: long-lived | Do say: long-lived

Comment: This compound is not derived from ''to live longly'' (you can't say that) but

from ''having a long life'' and should be pronounced accordingly. The plural stem,

live(s), is always used: "short-lived," "many-lived," "triple-lived."

M

Don't say: masonary | Do say: masonry

Comment: We have been told that masons are most likely to insert a spare vowel into

this word describing their occupation but we know others do, too. Don't you.


14/25

Don't say: mawv | Do say: mauve

Comment: This word has not moved far enough away from French to assume an

English pronunciation, [mawv], and should still be pronounced [mowv].

Don't say: mannaise | Do say: mayonnaise

Comment: Ever wonder why the short form of a word pronounced "mannaise" is

"mayo"? Well, it is because the original should be pronounced "mayo-nnaise." Just

remember: what would mayonnaise be without "mayo"?

Don't say: miniture | Do say: miniature

Comment: Here is another word frequently syncopated. Don't leave out the third

syllable, [a].

Don't say: mute | Do say: moot

Comment: The definition of "moot" is moot (open to debate) but not the

pronunciation: [mut] and not [myut].

Don't say: mis'chievous | Do say: mischievous

Comment: It would be mischievous of me not to point out the frequent misplacement

of the accent on this word. Remember, it is accented the same as mischief. Look out for

the order of the [i] and [e] in the spelling, too and don't add another [i] in the ending

(notmischievious).

N

Don't say: nother | Do say: other

Comment: Misanalysis is a common type of speech error based on the misperception

of where to draw the line between components of a word of phrase. "A whole nother"

comes from misanalyzing "an other" as "a nother." Not good. Not good.

Don't say: nucular | Do say: nuclear


15/25

Comment: The British and Australians find the American repetition of the [u] between

the [k] and [l] quaintly amusing. Good reason to get it right.

Don't say: nuptual | Do say: nuptial

Comment: Many speakers in the US add a spurious [u] to this word, too. It should be

pronounced [npchl], not or [npchul].

O

Don't say: off ten | Do say: ofen

Comment: We have mastered the spelling of this word so well, its spelling influences

the pronunciation: DON'T pronounce the [t]! This is an exception to the rule that

spelling helps pronunciation.

Don't say: ordinance | Do say: ordnance

Comment: You may have to use ordnance to enforce an ordinance but you should not

pronounce the words the same.

Don't say: orientate | Do say: orient

Comment: Another pointless back-formation. We don't need this mispronunciation

from "orientation" when we already have "orient." (See also "interpretate")

Don't say: ostensively | Do say: ostensibly

Comment: Be sure to keep your suffixes straight on this one.

Don't say: Ostraya | Do say: Australia

Comment: This pronunciation particularly bothers Australians themselves, most of

whom can manage the [l] quite easily, thank you.

P

Don't say: parlament | Do say: parliament


16/25

Comment: Although some dictionaries have given up on it, there should be a [y] after

[l]: [pahr-ly-mnt]

Don't say: perculate | Do say: percolate

Comment: Pronouncing this word as "perculate" is quite peculiar. (Also, remember

that it means ''drip down'' not ''up.'')

Don't say: pottable | Do say: potable

Comment: The adjective meaning "drinkable" rhymes with "floatable" and is not to be

confused with the one that means "capable of being potted."

Don't say: perogative | Do say: prerogative

Comment: Even in dialects where [r] does not always trade places with the preceding

vowel (as the Texan pronunciations "differnce," "vetern," etc.), the [r] in this prefix

often gets switched.

Don't say: perscription | Do say: prescription

Comment: Same as above. It is possible that we simply confuse "pre-" and "per-"

since both are legitimate prefixes.

Don't say: persnickety | Do say: pernickety

Comment: You may think us too pernickety to even mention this one. It is a Scottish

nonce word to which U.S. speakers have added a spurious [s].

Don't say: preemptory | Do say: peremptory

Comment: The old pre-/per- problem. Do not confuse this word with "preemptive;" the

prefix here is per-.

Don't say: prespire | Do say: perspire


17/25

Comment: "Per-" has become such a regular mispronunciation of "pre-," many people

now correct themselves where they don't need to.

Don't say: plute | Do say: pollute

Comment: This one, like "plice" [police], spose [suppose], and others, commonly

result from rapid speech syncope, the loss of unaccented vowels. Just be sure you

pronounce the vowel when you are speaking slowly. Read here for more on the

problem.

Don't say: probly, prolly | Do say: probably

Comment: Haplology is the dropping of one of two identical syllables such as the [ob]and [ab] in this word, usually the result of fast speech. Slow down and pronounce the

whole word for maximum clarity and to reduce your chances of misspelling the word.

Don't say: pronounciation | Do say:pronunciation

Comment: Just as "misspelling" is among the most commonly misspelled words,

"pronunciation" is among the most commonly mispronounced words. Fitting, no?

Don't say: prostrate | Do say: prostate

Comment: Though a pain in the prostate may leave a man prostrate, the gland

contains no [r].

R

Don't say: realator | Do say: realtor

Comment: As you avoid the extra vowel in "masonry," remember to do the same for

"realtor," the guy who sells what the mason creates.

Don't say: revelant | Do say: relevant

Comment: Here is another word that seems to invite metathesis.


18/25

Don't say: reoccur | Do say: recur

Comment: You don't have to invent a new word from "occur." We already have a verb

"recur" that does the trick.

Don't say: respite | Do say: respite

Comment: Despite the spelling similarity, this word does not rhyme with despite; it is

pronounced ['re-spit]. Give yourself a permanent respite from mispronouncing it.

S

Don't say: sherbert | Do say: sherbet

Comment: Some of the same people who do not like two [r]s in their words can't help

repeating the one in this word.

Don't say: silicone | Do say: silicon

Comment: Silicon is the material they make computer chips from but implants are

made of silicone.

Don't say: snuck | Do say: sneaked

Comment: I doubt we will get "snuck" out of the language any time soon but here is a

reminder that it really isn't a word.

Don't say: sose | Do say: so

Comment: The phrase "so as" has been reduced to a single word "sose" even when it

is not called for. "Sose I can go" should be simply "so I can go." By the way, the same

applies to alls, as in "Alls I want is to never hear 'alls' again."

Don't say: spade | Do say: spay

Comment: You can have your dog spayed but so long as she is a good dog, please

don't spade her.


19/25

Don't say: spitting image | Do say: spit and image

Comment: The very spit of someone is an exact likeness. "The spit and image" or "spit

image" emphasizes the exactness.

Don't say: stob | Do say: stub

Comment: In some areas the vowel in this word has slid a bit too far back in the

mouth. Don't choke on it.

Don't say: stomp | Do say: stamp

Comment: Stamps are so called because they were originally stamped (not stomped)

on a letter. You stamp your feet, too.

Don't say: suit | Do say: suite

Comment: If you don't wear it (a suit [sut]), then it is a suite [sweet], as in a living

room suite or a suite of rooms.

Don't say: supposably | Do say: supposedly

Comment: Adding -ly to participles is rarely possible, so some people try to avoid it

altogether. You can't avoid it here.

Don't say: supremist | Do say: supremacist

Comment: This word is derived from "supremacy," not "supreme." A supremist would

be someone who considers himself supreme. You know there is no one like that.

T

Don't say: tact | Do say: tack

Comment: If things are not going your way, do not lose your tact that would be

tactless but take a different tack.


20/25

Don't say: take for granite | Do say: take for granted

Comment: We do tend to take granite for granted, it is so ubiquitous. But that, of

course, is not the point.

Don't say: tenant | Do say: tenet

Comment: A tenant is a renter who may not hold a tenet (a doctrine or dogma).

Don't say: tenderhooks | Do say: tenterhooks

Comment: Tenters are frames for stretching cloth while it dries. Hanging on

tenterhooks might leave you tender but that doesn't change the pronunciation of the

word.

Don't say: Tiajuana | Do say: Tijuana

Comment: Why make Spanish words more difficult than they already are? Just three

syllables here, thank you.

Don't say: triathalon | Do say: triathlon

Comment: We don't like [th] and [l] together, so some of us insert a spare vowel.

Pronounce it right, spell it right.

U

Don't say: upmost | Do say: utmost

Comment: While this word does indicate that efforts are up, the word is "utmost," a(!)

historical variation of "outmost."

V

Don't say: verbage | Do say: verbiage

Comment: Here is another word that loses its [i] in speech. Pronouncing it correctly

will help you spell it correctly.


21/25

Don't say: volumptuous | Do say: voluptuous

Comment: Some voluptuous women may be lumpy, but please avoid this Freudian slip

that apprises them of it.

W

Don't say: wadn't | Do say: wasn't

Comment: That pesky [s] before [n] again. See "bidness" and "idn't." ways way "I

have a ways to go" should be "I have a way to go." The article "a" does not fit well with

a plural.

Don't say: wet | Do say: whet

Comment: In the Northeastern US the sound [hw], spelled "wh," is vanishing and

these two words are pronounced the same. Elsewhere they should be distinguished.

Y

Don't say: yoke | Do say: yolk

Comment: Another dialectal change we probably should not call an error: [l] becomes

[w] or [u] when not followed by a vowel. Some people just confuse these two words,

though. That should be avoided.

Z

Don't say: zuology | Do say: zoology

Quotes for Happy Birthdays

y Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are. -

Muhammad Ali

y The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your

age. - Lucille Ball

y Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed. - Charles

Schultz


22/25

y May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live. - Irish

Blessing

y Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. -

Jack Benny

y A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never

remembers her age. - Robert Frost

y Robert Brault said, I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I

cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar. Your birthday was

penciled in as soon as I got this calendar! Happy birthday.

y According to Emerson, it is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford

to be stupid with them. Lets be stupid today. Happy birthday.

Milestone Birthdays

y You're halfway to 42.

y Twenty-one is the age of responsibility. Give it a few months and you will be

wondering why you are in such a hurry to get here. - Anonymous

y The first twenty years are the best half of your life. Happy 39th!

y At the age of twenty, we don't care what the world thinks of us; at thirty, we

worry about what it is thinking of us; at forty, we discover that it wasn't thinking

of us at all - Anonymous

y Youre not fifty yet. Youre $49.95. Happy Birthday.

y The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted

thirty years of his life - Muhammad Ali

Friendly Happy Birthdays

y On your birthday, today, I wish you a year with loads of fun, excitement and

beautiful memories. Happy birthday.

y Birthdays are nature's way of telling us to eat more cake.

y A birthday only happens once in a lifetime. Today, I am celebrating the

anniversary of your birth.


23/25

y You are a good friend and and even better person. May God bless you with

wonderful times ahead. Happy Birthday and thanks for the friendship we share.

y The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you. I still like

you. Happy birthday.

y I wish for you to have people to love, people in your life who will care about you

as much as I do. Happy birthday.

y Youve been my friend for ___ birthdays. Ive been yours for ___. I winso

happy birthday.

y Happy birthday, my friend. I cant imagine celebrating with anyone else.

y Im so proud of all youve accomplished, but Im more proud that youre my

friend. Happy birthday.

Romantic Happy Birthdays

y Falling in love with you was easy. Staying in love with you is easier. Happy

birthday. I cant wait until next year.

y Being in love doesnt make me happy. Its being in love with you, year after

year, that does the trick.

y With each year, I love you even more. Happy birthday, darling.

y Youre not growing older. Youre growing better. I love you! Happy birthday.

y Were one year closer to growing old together. Its just what Ive alwaysdreamed.

y I never thought wed make it this far, but now I know that well keep going

forever. Happy birthday, baby.

y I already gave you my heart ___ years agothis year all I can give you is a

simple wish: Happy Birthday. And I hope youre happier and more in love with

me than you were last year.

"Old Age" Happy Birthdays

y Over the hill is a relative termbut heres a sled, just in case. Happy Birthday!

y Statistics have proven that those who have the most birthdays live the

longest. Youre statistically guaranteed to have a happy birthday.


24/25

y Growing old is mandatory. Growing up, however, is optional. Happy Birthday, old

friend!

y At this point, you probably want to forget your birthday. Fortunately, I

havent. Happy ____th Birthday!

y So many birthdays. So few candles. Next year, may your birthday wish be a

bigger cake.

y Lets take a birthday photo. Smile while youve still got the teeth!

y In spite of the advances in science, weve still found no cure for excessive

birthdays. Happy Birthdayhope to see you next year!

y Old age isnt so bad. After all, consider the alternative. Happy Birthday.

Belated Birthday Wishes

y Forget your pastits already done. Forget your present, too; because I

forgot. Happy Birthday!

y Happy birthday. Wait, that was last week? Guess Im getting old!

y I hope your birthday was as special as you are.

y If I couldn't be the first one to wish you, at least I can be the last one to cross

your mind this birthday! Happy Belated Birthday. I hope you had an amazing

day!

Saying Happy Birthday In Different Languages

y Veels geluk met jou verjaarsdag! (Afrikaans)

y Ois guade winsch i dia zum Gbuadsdog! (Austrian)

y Chestit Rojden Den! (Bulgarian)

y Sun Yat Fai Lok! (Cantonese)

y Qu ni sheng er kuai le. (Mandarin)

y

Tillykke med fodselsdagen! (Danish)y Palju onne sunnipaevaks! (Estonian)

y Tavalodet Mobarak! (Farsi)

y Bonne Fete! (French)

y Haerzliche Glueckwuensche zum Geburtstag! (German)

y Hau`oli la hanau! (Hawaiian)


25/25

y Yom Huledet Same'ach! (Hebrew)

y Boldog szuletesnapot! (Hungarian)

y Buon Compleanno! (Italian)

yQuchjaj qoSlIj! (Klingon)

y Fortuna dies natalis! (Latin)

y Torson odriin mend hurgee! (Mongolian)

y Gratulerer med dagen! (Norwegian)

y Parabens! (Portuguese)

y Feliz Cumpleanos! (Spanish)

y Brigo! (Syriac)

y Chuc Mung Sinh Nhat! (Vietnamese)

y A Freilekhn Gebortstog! (Yiddish)

Documents

English Common Words