Common English Mistakes – Part 14

1) ATHIEST / ATHEIST

An atheist is the opposite of a theist. Theos is Greek for “god.” Make sure the “TH” is followed immediately by an “E.”

2) ATTRIBUTE/CONTRIBUTE

When trying to give credit to someone, say that you attribute your success to their help, not contribute. (Of course, a politician may attribute his success to those who contribute to his campaign fund, but probably only in private.)

3) AURAL/ORAL

“Aural” has to do with things you hear, “oral” with things you say, or relating to your mouth.

4) AUGER/AUGUR

An augur was an ancient Roman prophet, and as a verb the word means “foretell”—“their love augurs well for a successful marriage.” Don’t mix this word up with “auger,” a tool for boring holes. Some people mishear the phrase “augurs well” as “all goes well” and mistakenly use that instead.

5) AVOCATION/VOCATION

Your avocation is just your hobby; don’t mix it up with your job: your vocation.