List Of English Words With Disputed Usage
Some English words are often used in ways that are contentious between writers on usage and prescriptive commentators. The contentious usages are especially common in spoken English. While in some circles the usages below may make the speaker sound uneducated or illiterate, in other circles the more standard or more traditional usage may make the speaker sound stilted or pretentious.
| Abbrev. | Dictionary | Further details |
|---|---|---|
| AHD4 | American Heritage Dictionary | fourth edition |
| CHAMBERS | Chambers 21st Century Dictionary | 2006 |
| COD11 | Concise Oxford English Dictionary | 11th edition |
| COED | Compact Oxford English Dictionary | AskOxford.com |
| ENCARTA | Encarta World English Dictionary | online |
| FOWLER | The New Fowler's Modern English Usage | Revised Third Edition (1998) |
| M-W | Merriam-Webster | online |
| OED | Oxford English Dictionary | online |
| RH | Random House Unabridged Dictionary | 2006; at Dictionary.com |
| Contents: |
Top 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
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Read more about List Of English Words With Disputed Usage: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, W
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“...Often the accurate answer to a usage question begins, “It depends.” And what it depends on most often is where you are, who you are, who your listeners or readers are, and what your purpose in speaking or writing is.”
—Kenneth G. Wilson (b. 1923)