8 Spelling Mistakes Even Smart People Make

English is a screwy language. There’s just no logic to it. Why is daughter pronounced daw-ter, but laughter not law-ter? How can though, through, and tough look so similar and yet sound so different? Why does I come before E except after C? What’s so effing SPECIAL about C?

There are some crimes of confusion—particularly when it comes to spelling—encountered on an almost daily basis.

Such as: 1. YOU’RE and YOUR
If you have no idea when to use which … well, you’re not on your own. This is perhaps the most common mistake of all. Heaven knows why. The distinction is really quite simple:
• You’re is used to substitute the words you are.
• Your is a word you use when referring to something that belongs to the person you’re speaking to. “Your purse,” “your coat,” and so on—and not “Your late!” or “Your wrong!”

2. IT’S and ITS
Close cousins of you’re and your, it’s and its suffer about the same amount of misuse.
• It’s (with an apostrophe) replaces It is or It has. (It’s easy to remember!)
• Its (with no apostrophe) refers to something that belongs to “it.” (Its meaning is clear!)

3. THEY’RE, THEIR, and THERE
Ah, the triple treat … or terror, as the case may be:
• They’re is short for They are.
• Their refers to something that belongs to “them.”
• And there is simply “not here.”
“They’re going to their house, which is over there.”

4. TO and TOO
When you mean overly, please remember to add the extra O—or face the consequences. The author of this article once received a heated text message that was meant to make her angry: “TO BAD!” it shouted in loud, aggressive capitals. The recipient of message ended up in uncontrollable giggles instead. Too bad indeed.

5. LOOSE and LOSE
This one really drives one batty. When what you want to say is the opposite of find, then lose the extra O. Loose (with two o’s) is the opposite of tight.

These little confusions are pretty common. Besides, there are the non-words littering notes, emails … even official business memos. Words like:

6. IRREGARDLESS
Hundreds of people use this word (often with passion!), both in speech and writing, every day—but the truth is, it doesn’t exist! The real word is regardless.

7. ALOT
Anyone who insists this is a word is spouting ALOT of baloney. If you’ve ever written this non-word, what you probably meant was either a lot (meaning “many”) or allot (to ration or allocate).

8. AHOLD
Boy, would I love to get a hold (two words, not one) of the person who decided to just forget the space and make up “ahold new word.”