Guide to Writing

Commonly misused words: a directory

On Wattpad it can be scarily common how often writers use the wrong type of word, or have several spelling errors.

Whilst a spell checker can obviously tell you if a word is spelled wrong, it normally won't tell you if you have used the wrong word entirely. Here's a massive list of all the errors we regularly see, and the correct uses of these words. Hopefully they will help you all in editing your stories!

Their, there, they're

Their: belonging to them. "Leave their shoes alone."

There: in that place. "Her car's over there."

They're: they are. "They're very funny."

Definitely, defiantly

Definitely: For certain. "I'm definitely going to that party"

Defiantly: Boldly resistant, challenging. "She glared at him defiantly."

Rogue, rouge

Rogue: a dishonest or unprincipled man; an animal living apart from the herd or group, having savage or destructive tendencies. "The rogue wolf would always be an outsider."

Rouge: Red powder or cream, used for cosmetic purposes; French for red. "I applied the rouge to my cheeks."

Where, wear

Where: In what place? "Where is she?"

Wear: To have something on one's body; to erode or destroy. "I decided to wear a scarf because of the cold weather."

Lose, loose

Lose: to be unable to find something; to be deprived of something. "You're going to lose."

Loose: To not fit tightly; to not be fixed tightly or firmly in place. "My jeans were loose."

You're, your

You're: You are. "You're funny."

Your: Belonging to you. "Your room is upstairs."

Weather, whether

Weather: the state of the atmosphere. "The weather in England is horrible; it rains all the time."

Whether: Doubt or uncertainty between two choices. "I didn't know whether or not I should say yes."

It's, its

It's: It is. "It's a long story..."

Its: Belonging to or associated with a thing previously mentioned. "The dog was smelly. Its fur was covered in mud."

To, too, two

To: Expressing motion in a direction; approaching or reaching. "She went to the shops."

Too: An excess of. "The club was too loud."

Two: A mathematical quantity; the number 2. "I have two pairs of shoes."

Peak, peek, pique/ peaked, peeked, piqued

Peak: The top of a mountain; the pointed part of a shape; the highest level, or the maximum. "A year ago, he was at the peak of his success."

Peek: A quick look or glance. "She sneaked a peek at the diary."

Pique: To arouse interest or curiosity; a feeling of irritation or resentment. "Alright, you've managed to pique my interest."