Letter Aa Vocabulary Mistakes that Bedevil English Speakers and Learners
10 Common Vocabulary Errors in Letter Aa
Native English speakers and learners of English as a foreign and second language often make vocabulary errors.
This is because many English words have similar pronunciations and/or spellings but different meanings.
Having a perfect English vocabulary can take time and get a bit overwhelming, especially for English learners.
Still, it is possible to avoid committing common vocabulary mistakes that bedevil English users.
Below is a list of the most common blunders in English vocabulary that start in Letter Aa and ways to avoid them.
1. Ability versus Capacity
Ability means skill/s while capacity means power/s.
Example:
Wrong: As the most powerful politician in this country, the president has the ability to veto laws.
Right: As the most powerful politician in this country, the president has the capacity to veto laws.
2. Accompanied with versus Accompanied by
Accompanied with is used to refer to inanimate object/s while accompanied by is used to refer to person/s.
Example:
Wrong: Weak and fragile, Thelma was accompanied with her mom to the hospital.
Right: Weak and fragile, Thelma was accompanied by her mom to the hospital.
3. Accountable for versus Accountable to
Accountable for refers to actions or events while accountable to refers to person/s.
Example:
Wrong: Elected by the people, parliament members are accountable for the voters.
Right: Elected by the people, parliament members are accountable to the voters.
4. Adverse versus Averse
Adverse implies being disagreeable while averse implies being unwilling.
Example:
Wrong: A staunch animal lover, Gale is adverse to eating all kinds of meat.
Right: A staunch animal lover, Gale is averse to eating all kinds of meat.
5. Advice versus Advise
Advice indicates a proposal or a suggestion while advise indicates the action of proposing or suggesting.
Example:
Wrong: Unsolicited, the advise from mom just drew flak.
Right: Unsolicited, the advice from mom just drew flak.
6. Affect versus Effect
Affect is to influence while effect is a result or an outcome.
Example:
Wrong: Ever the agent of change, Crissy tried to effect his wicked ways.
Right: Ever the agent of change, Crissy tried to affect his wicked ways.
7. Aid versus Aide
Aid indicates the verb help while aide indicates the noun assistant.
Example:
Wrong: She is the pop star’s aid. She takes care of her wardrobe, make-ups, and accessories.
Right: She is the pop star’s aide. She takes care of her wardrobe, make-ups, and accessories.
8. Altogether versus All Together
Altogether stands for in sum or in total while all together is everything at the same time.
Example:
Wrong: All together, your total bill racked up to $15,000.
Right: Altogether, your total bill racked up to $15,000.
9. Among versus Between
Among points to more than two elements while between points to only two elements.
Example:
Wrong: Just among the two of us, I do not like her at all.
Right: Just between the two of us, I do not like her at all.
10. Assume versus Presume
Assume signifies taking on or taking up something while presume signifies either reality or certainty.
Example:
Wrong: The accused ought to be assumed innocent until proven otherwise – that’s what the law says.
Right: The accused ought to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise – that’s what the law says.
Copyright © 2011 Kerlyn Bautista
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