Oft-confused words

Rredwell

Has anyone else noticed how the words 'discrete' and 'discreet' are too often confused (not least on Boards)?

For the record, 'discreet' can mean prudent, cautious, showing restraint, or just generally doing something on the QT.

'Discrete' on the other hand, describes unconnected, separate entities. It is usually a mathematical term, to describe points on a line, for example.

Is this so hard to grasp?

PurpleFistMixer

Wow, and I thought people were just repetitively misspelling discreet.

I dislike people confusing accept and except. It's highly irritating.

Healio

just like affect and effect aswell.

Zaph

The one that really bugs me is how "loose" (not tight) has almost replaced "lose" (misplace) in the English language. Even people I would consider intelligent have sent me e-mails with the misspelling in it.

PurpleFistMixer

Now that one is annoying. It's funny when someone calls someone else a "looser". I can understand how people make the mistake, phoenetically thinking, but still... they're common enough words, people shouldn't be making the mistake at all.

Drag00n79

The way people misuse "less" and fewer" annoys me.,

Eoin

I know it has been mentioned on another thread in this forum, but the "you're" and "your" thing really annoys me - e.g. "your an idiot".

pickarooney

I hate when people confuse 'employee' and 'slave'.

Frankie Smith

i, like, have a friend who's, you know, bad at english? it's like, so annoying?

the old there, their, they're mistake is shockingly prevalent. it's primary school stuff, not to mention use of the apostrophe for plurals, eg. "the boy's went to the shop"