The Most Commonly Misused Words and Phrases in America

Learning English as a second language can be quite challenging, but even native English speakers experience their fair share of linguistic mishaps. There are many words and phrases that — despite their simplicity and familiarity — often trip people up. To determine which English terms are most commonly misused, the online tutoring platform Preply surveyed 2,000 native English speakers, asking about the common mistakes they hear all the time. Here’s a look at the top 10 offenders, according to Preply’s survey.

Liberry

Correct: Library

More than 40% of survey respondents admitted to mispronouncing or misusing phrases for more than a year before learning about the error of their ways. One of the most troublesome pronunciations that respondents claimed to hear is “liberry” instead of “library.” “Library” comes from the Latin liber, meaning “book,” which contains that “ber” sound, but “library” contains a second “r” sound in the middle of the word.

Pitcher

Correct: Picture

According to the survey, the pronunciation of “picture” also proved to be particularly challenging. Many people reported hearing it pronounced more like “pitcher,” as in a jug of liquid. But “picture” should be pronounced with a hard “c” sound in the middle.

Prolly

Correct: Probably

While “prolly” may be acceptable when casually texting with friends, it’s far from the correct spelling. This misinterpretation of “probably” drops an entire syllable, including both “b” sounds, resulting in a word that’s unduly abbreviated and badly corrupted.

Probly

Correct: Probably (again)

When it comes to the term “probably,” the spelling “probly” is even more common than “prolly.” While it does incorporate one “b” sound, it omits the second and remains one syllable short.

Could Of

Correct: Could Have

When speaking the contraction “could’ve,” it sounds like it could be either a shortening of “could have” or the two words “could of.” But in this case, “could” is being used as a helper verb, so it needs to be paired with another verb such as “have” in order for the phrase to make sense. While “of” may sound similar, that word is a preposition and not a verb, which means it shouldn’t be used in this context.

Should Of

Correct: Should Have

The same logic applies to the phrase “should have,” which ranked as the fifth most commonly misused term in the survey. The phrase is often incorrectly written out as “should of,” but it should always include the word “have.”

Irregardless

Correct: Regardless

There’s a long-standing debate about “regardless” and “irregardless.” The former is technically correct, but despite how many people despise “irregardless,” it has its supporters. One such defender is Merriam-Webster, which acknowledges “irregardless” as a word that means the same thing as “regardless.” This is based on the fact that so many people use “irregardless” (albeit technically incorrectly) that it’s grown into an established part of the English language that can’t be ignored. Despite being used for almost 200 years, “irregardess” is still classified as a nonstandard usage.

Anyways

Correct: Anyway

The word “anyway” is correct, and yet 55% of people tack on an “s” at the end. The “s” is unnecessary, but Merriam-Webster has come to accept “anyways.” Much like “irregardless,” “anyways” has become so common among English speakers that it’s considered acceptable in practice.

Would Of

Correct: Would Have

Once again, we have an entry in the “have” vs. “of” debate. This time it’s the phrase “would have.” It ranks as the second most commonly misused phrase, as Preply found that 58% of survey respondents mentioned this mistake. At this point you probably know why it’s “would have” and not “would of,” so we’ll spare you the spiel.

I Could Care Less

Correct: I Couldn’t Care Less

Claiming the top spot is the phrase “I could care less,” with 59% of survey respondents stating that they often hear this wording. Many people use “I could care less” to mean they barely care about something, despite the fact that the literal interpretation suggests that the person cares at least a little bit. 

For this reason, it would seem like “I couldn’t care less” is the only correct option, since it makes the speaker’s disinterest very clear. However, this is yet another instance where Merriam-Webster says both phrases are acceptable, even though one is more technically correct than the other. This is due to the fact they’ve become so common among English speakers that both phrases are practically and widely understood to express disinterest.