Here’s a five-minute exercise that will vastly improve your site’s credibility: Fix your typos.
Use this quick guide to the most commonly misused words and misspelled words we’ve found on websites. Your spell checker won’t catch most of them (you ARE using your spell checker on your website copy, aren’t you?). So go find them and fix them and you’ll automatically smarten up your site.
Wrong Right
alot a lot
definately definitely
should of should have (would have, could have, etc.)
use to (past) used to
your’s yours
Confusions
anecdote A quick story of something that happened, often used as an illustration of a point.
antidote A drug that counteracts a poison.
He told an anecdote about how they discovered which antidote the patient needed.
complimentary Free; or saying nice things.
complementary Related to; going well with something else.
She was very complimentary about the main course and the complementary side dishes.
everyday Commonplace, not remarkable.
every day Two words meaning… well… every 24-hour period.
I call it my everyday china, but I eat out so much I don’t use it every day.
farther Describes physical distance.
further Anything other than physical distance.
The farther I traveled from home, the further I came to understand how others live.
home in To get closer and closer to a target, as in radar.
hone To polish or perfect.
I’m honing my skills at homing in on a niche market.
i.e., That is… in other words… what I really mean is…
e.g., For example…
X and I Use “I” when you’re performing an action.
X and me Use “me” when you’re the object of the action.
X and myself Wrong in all circumstances.
Simple rule: if you eliminated the “X and” part of the sentence; which word would you use?
The tickets were given to Jarrod and me, but Lisa and I went to the show.
its Belonging to it. Possessive, but there’s no apostrophe.
it’s It is. This a contraction, so the apostrophe takes the place of the missing letters and sticks the two words together.
It’s rumored that the company will lay off half its workforce.
lay, laying, laid You lay something down, you were laying something down, you did or have laid something down.
lie, lying, lay, lain You lie down, you were lying down, you lay down in the past, you have lain down.
I always have to lie down after I lay tile.
He was just lying around when he was supposed to be laying down the rhythm tracks.
After the paramedics laid him on the stretcher, he lay there, terrified.
peak The highest point, the ultimate.
peek A quick look at something. (So you want to invite people to take a sneak peek, not a sneak peak.)
pique Annoyance (noun); to provoke, invite, or arouse (verb)
their Belonging to them.
there Over there, there is.
There’s a spot over there where they keep their tools.
whose Who owns it.
who’s Who is. That contraction thing again.
Abbott and Costello are the act whose classic bit was “Who’s on First.”
your Belonging to you. But almost universially misused in Internet communications to mean…
you’re You are. Again, it’s a contraction so it gets an apostrophe.
You’re about to get a big credibility boost to your site if you fix this one mistake.
A word about apostrophes. You don’t need one when you turn a singular noun into a plural.
It doesn’t matter what letter the word ends with; it doesn’t matter if it’s a proper noun; it doesn’t matter if it comes from another language; it doesn’t matter what part of speech it is when it’s not busy being a noun.
Videos have been replaced by DVDs.
The Cratchits had us over for Christmas dinner.
Petunias are easy to grow.
Fastenings gave way in the storm.
Porsches and Mercedes Benzes are in demand.
Opt-ins signed up in droves.
The ten-year-olds hated the clown.
Cafes are open for breakfast.
See? Not an apostrophe in the bunch.
Finally, don’t capitalize random words. If it’s a proper name of a person, place, or thing, capitalize. If it’s just a regular run-of-the-mill word, don’t. If you’re in doubt, check the dictionary.
So there you go! Just take just a few minutes to clean up these very common errors in your copy and you’ll put a professional polish on your site.
{ 90 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
Great weblog here! Additionally your site so much up very fast! What host are you using? Can I am getting your associate link in your host? I wish my website loaded up as quickly as yours lol
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all folks you really recognise what you’re talking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly additionally discuss with my web site =). We may have a link trade contract between us!
I relish, result in I found exactly what I used to be taking a look for. You have ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
These days of austerity and relative panic about running into debt, a lot of people balk contrary to the idea of using a credit card to make acquisition of merchandise or pay for a trip, preferring, instead to rely on this tried along with trusted means of making settlement – hard cash. However, if you possess cash available to make the purchase in whole, then, paradoxically, that is the best time for you to use the credit card for several motives.
I have learned some new points from your site about desktops. Another thing I have always presumed is that computer systems have become a specific thing that each house must have for many people reasons. They offer convenient ways to organize homes, pay bills, search for information, study, focus on music and even watch tv programs. An innovative way to complete many of these tasks is a notebook. These pc’s are portable ones, small, powerful and lightweight.
Hello! Nice posting! I am just a ordinary visitor (somewhat more like addict
) to your website but yet I had a concern. I am just not necessarily for sure whether its the right web site to ask, but you have no spam comments. I receive comments day by day. Are you going to you help me? Thanks much!
Simply wanna tell that this is invaluable , Thanks for taking your time to write this.
You have brought up a very wonderful details , thanks for the post. “Beginnings are apt to be shadowy and so it is the beginnings of the great mother life, the sea.” by Rachel Carson.
Purely to follow up on the up-date of this topic on your web-site and want to let you know how much I treasured the time you took to publish this helpful post. Within the post, you actually spoke on how to seriously handle this matter with all comfort. It would be my pleasure to build up some more concepts from your website and come up to offer people what I learned from you. Thank you for your usual terrific effort.
I truly appreciate this post. I’ve been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You have made my day! Thanks again!
I like this site very much so much great info.
I’m often to blogging and i in actual fact respect your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your page and preserve checking for brand new information.
I have been checking out many of your posts and it’s nice stuff. I will surely bookmark your website.
Men and women are almost always concerned about the long run and have invested heavily to make sure that tomorrow is really as good as can be. Many individuals even become involved in so many different methods, strategies or a name change to always make sure that they have a bright future.
I love your writing style truly enjoying this web site. “I’ve wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I’m happy to state I finally won out over it.” by Jimmy Stewart.
Excellent read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch since I found it for him smile Therefore let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch! “We strain to renew our capacity for wonder, to shock ourselves into astonishment once again.” by Shana Alexander.
I really like your writing style, excellent information, appreciate it for posting : D.
I was studying some of your articles on this internet site and I think this web site is real instructive! Keep posting.
I was examining some of your articles on this internet site and I believe this internet site is rattling instructive! Retain posting.
Very wonderful visual appeal on this web site , I’d value it 10 10.
Very interesting details you have noted, regards for posting.
Excellent article. I really enjoyed perusing it. I have been a fairly constant reader of your blog lately, as you always have lots of great information, but I decided I’d at long last switch from lurker to commenter
Have a good day, look forwards to visiting more!
I conceive other website proprietors should take this site as an example , very clean and great user pleasant layout. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” by Aesop.
Yeah bookmaking this wasn’t a speculative conclusion great post!
I haven’t checked in here for some time because I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are great quality so I guess I will add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend
Some genuinely excellent information, Gladiolus I found this. “Reprove thy friend privately commend him publicly.” by Solon.
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this weblog and I’m impressed! Very useful information particularly the remaining part
I maintain such information a lot. I used to be looking for this certain information for a very long time. Thank you and best of luck.
Thanks for sharing excellent informations. Your site is very cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this web site. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for more articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found just the info I already searched all over the place and simply could not come across. What a great website.
As soon as I discovered this site I went on reddit to share some of the love with them.
I don’t recommend going for the frist bonus found. Most of the time, they just want to have your data and give you money after very complicated procedure, sometimes you are not able to even comply to rules. Go for easiest and checked one.
I have been examinating out many of your posts and i can claim nice stuff. I will definitely bookmark your blog.
Simply wanna input on few general things, The website layout is perfect, the written content is really fantastic : D.
Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your web site in web explorer, would check this… IE nonetheless is the market leader and a large component to people will leave out your excellent writing because of this problem.
I really appreciate this post. I’ve been looking all over for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thanks again!
You have brought up a very excellent points , appreciate it for the post. “For visions come not to polluted eyes.” by Mary Howitt.
Undeniably believe that which you stated. Your favourite reason appeared to be on the web the easiest factor to be mindful of. I say to you, I definitely get irked whilst people consider concerns that they plainly don’t recognize about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also outlined out the whole thing with no need side effect , folks can take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thanks!
Some really fantastic info , Glad I discovered this. “Ours is a world where people don’t know what they want and are willing to go through hell to get it.” by Donald Robert Perry Marquis.
I always was interested in this subject 5-Minute Credibility Booster for Your Site | InternetMarketing.com and still am, appreciate it for posting.
This is very interesting, You are an excessively skilled blogger. I have joined your rss feed and sit up for in the hunt for more of your great post. Additionally, I have shared your web site in my social networks!
I like this site very much, Its a very nice office to read and get info .
← Previous Comments