List of English Words With Disputed Usage

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.

Abbreviations of dictionaries cited
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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