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Word Usage & Abusage

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This guide to word usage is based upon several sources, which are not always in agreement. Remember American English is a “living” language. Also, writers must always consider their audiences.

In our original draft of the usage guide, when we weren’t sure about one of these words or phrases, we checked American Usage and Style, by Roy H. Copperud. We could compare various dictionaries and grammar guides… if we had a year or two. Copperud compares at least nine sources, noting when major references differ.

As of 2006, we are now relying on Garner’s Modern American Usage by Bryan A. Garner.

Usage Guidelines

Any usage guide is just that — a guide. There are few strict rules and no “laws” in English composition. Fiction writers should learn the basics of both usage and style, but are under no obligations to use a style guide. We encourage fiction writers to comply with word usage guidelines, but question any publisher or editor beholden to a style guide for fiction.

Creative writing is not meant to be newspaper or journal style. A publisher might have minimal style requirements for fiction, but all good publishers wisely allow for creative uses of English. Also, the genre of a work dictates its style and its adherence to a usage guide. You would not write a Western or Regency novel using a modern AP Stylebook — it would be terrible to read.

AP Style

The Associated Press has long been the arbiter of American English grammar and word usage among the popular media. Fiction writers should use the AP style for basic questions of spelling and usage, but should not attempt adherence to the AP Stylebook. The AP establishes basic style for the writing of newspaper and non-fiction articles, not novels.

According to the AP, the following books should be consulted whenever you have a word usage or grammar question:

1. Associated Press Stylebook (or Tameri Style Guide)
2. Webster’s New World College Dictionary
3. The Word, by Rene Cappon
4. The Chicago Manual of Style
5. The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White

The list appears in order of AP preference, which applies to professional journalists. Consult the official AP guidelines before proceeding to other references. The other texts might not agree with the AP or each other, which is why the order of preference matters.

- A -

a / an - Use a before consonant sounds and an before vowel sounds. Examples: a historic, an honorable.

about - Avoid when approximating measures. Use approximately when citing one number, otherwise use a range.

There were about 130 people at the concert.

Edited:
The manager said there were approximately 130 people at the concert.
There were 120 to 150 people at the concert.

above - Words do not appear above other words on paper. Words and statements precede each other. Remember Web sites are printed by some readers.

The above section applies only to screenwriting.
Edited:
The preceding section applies only to screenwriting.

accustomed to - Do not use with in place of to. A common mistake is using accustomed with in place of familiar with.

We were accustomed to small paychecks.
We were familiar with cheap publishers.

A.D. - Anno Domini, or Year of he Lord, is preferred for calendar years in popular writing, including most newspapers and magazines. The suggested standard for technical and non-fiction writing is C.E., “Common Era,” which was adopted by some scientific journals and universities to respect non-Christian readers. This standard was prompted by complaints from one group, as far as I can tell from limited research. I assumed it was an atheists’ organization, but was incorrect.

Fox Newswire
Monday, December 09, 2002
By Scott Norvell

The Royal Ontario Museum in Canada has stopped marking calendar years on its exhibits with A.D. and B.C. because the terms are ethnocentric and not inclusive enough for the modern era, reports the National Post.

Instead, the museum will use the terms BCE (“before the common era”) and CE (“common era”) or ACE. “Anno Domini,” which means “year of the Lord,” and “before Christ” have been deemed too religious.

“A lot of people accept the reality of Jesus as a historical figure but don’t accept him as Christ, and to use the words ‘before Christ’ is really quite ethnocentric of European Christians,” said Dan Rahimi, the Toronto museum’s director of collections management. “And to use ‘the year of our Lord’ is also quite insensitive to huge populations in Toronto who have other lords.”

A.C.E. - Alternative Common Era or After Common Era (among other phrases, used to add the “A” to the notation), is used in some texts and periodicals. Most texts use C.E. for “Common Era” for our current calendar years. We suspect the use of A.C.E is an absurd attempt to balance B.C.E. without a logical need to do so. See B.C. for further discussion.

add an additional - Simplify, replace with add when possible. Use another or more when needed.

Add an additional three cups of flour to the mixture.
Edited:
Add another three cups of flour to the mixture.
Add three cups of flour to the mixture.

adequate / enough - Choose one; they are synonymous.

admit - Do not use admit to, use admit or admitted.

He will admit nothing.
She admitted borrowing the love scene from his novel.

adviser / advisor - Advisor is standard in American English. Most dictionaries list both as acceptable.

affect / effect - Affect is the verb and effect is generally the result.

The moon affects lovers, and the effects can be deadly.

after / afterwards - Afterwards is considered proper. Most Americans use afterward.

aid / aide - Aide applies to the military, diplomacy, and nursing. Aid refers to medical attention or any personal assistant.

The general’s aide needed first aid after tripping.

aim to - Use intend to.

I intend to correct my errors.

ain’t - Does anything need to be stated?

air - Often ambiguous, air has more than a dozen accepted definitions. Use air for the atmospheric mix of gasses.

Replacements for the expression (“airing”) of an idea: expose, discuss, explore, broadcast, express, and others.

alive and well - Avoid unless the person was previously not well or, worse, was not alive.

all - Do not use all of.

All of the writers had carpal-tunnel syndrome.
Edited:
All the writers had carpal-tunnel syndrome.

all-around /all-round - Most common in sports stories, all-round is preferred.

all ready / already - All ready means completely prepared and already means previously.

He was all ready to wait for his date. She was already dressed when he arrived.

all right /alright - Use all right in American English.

all that - Superfluous. Remove all that unless writing dialogue.

It wasn’t all that bad. 
Edited:
It wasn’t bad.

all the - Use the when possible, unless all is not obvious.

The writers owned pens.

all the farther - Use as far as.

This is as far as I can walk.

all-time record - It is a record, which implies “all-time” best.

all together / altogether - All together means in a group. The phrase can be removed in most instances. Altogether means either entirely, or mentally stable.

The writers met all together. Only one was altogether.

allude / refer - To allude is to suggest without naming. To refer is to name the object.

allude / elude - To allude is to hint or suggest. To elude is to escape.

allusion / elusion / illusion - Allusion is a suggestion without a specific reference to a concept or thing. Elusion is to avoid or escape. Illusion is deception.

almost - Avoid when possible due to its vague nature. Almost lacks precision.

He almost won the election
Edited:
He lost the election by five votes.

also - Avoid when possible and never use as a conjunction in place of and.

alternate / alternative - Alternate means by turns, first one then another. An alternative is a choice.

The writers alternated writing alternative scenarios.

although / though - Avoid both when possible. Although is a concession, though can replace however in English. We would avoid though and however.

Although the manuscript was handwritten, the publisher accepted it. Though, later he realized his mistake.

alumnus / alumni - The masculine singular is alumnus. Alumni is the plural. In Latin, alumna is the feminine singular, but has fallen from usage.

a.m. - Use lower case and periods but do not duplicate a period at the end of a sentence. Avoid phrases such as “9 p.m. tonight.”

among / amongst - In American English use among to mean within a group. Amongst is antiquated for in the middle of a situation or gathering.

amoral - Immoral means contrary to accepted standards. Amoral and unmoral mean without regard to moral standards. See immoral.

amount - Avoid when superfluous.

The amount of sugar in the recipe was three cups.
Edited:
The recipe contained three cups of sugar.

angry / mad - To be angry is to be displeased while to be mad is to be insane.

another - Avoid when superfluous.

Harry is one student and Ralph is another.
Edited:
Harry and Ralph are students.

anticipate - Use expect when appropriate. Anticipate expresses eagerness towards an unpredictable event, not a planned event.

anxious - Never use in place of eager. Anxiety is nervousness and foreboding. One is eager to and anxious about.

He was anxious about seeing the doctor; he was eager to be done with it.

any and all - Do not use.

approximately - When using approximately, give readers a narrow range of values.

The script is to be approximately 500 to 525 words long.

as - Avoid when possible, using alternatives.

As no one could stop him, we ran.
Edited:
Since no one could stop him, we ran.

assure / ensure / insure - Assure is give confidence to someone or assurances that something is true. Ensure is to make certain something will occur. Insure is is to make a financial guarantee.

at - Use to refer to a specific location or time. You are at a city or building, not in, even though you are likely inside the building. Use in to refer to cities or places following an adverb

While in San Francisco, we will be staying at the Hilton.

at this point in time - Use now.

aught - Do not use. Aught is an antiquated pronoun, not a synonym for ought.

author - Books are written, not authored. Use author as a noun.

awful - Now overused with the misuse approaching accepted use, awful properly means awe-inspiring yet dangerous, not merely dreadful.

The tornado was an awful sight.

awhile / a while - Awhile is an adverb for time. A while is synonymous for a moment and should be replaced when possible. If a preposition appears before a while, the usage is correct.

The writer stared at the blank page awhile. We watched him for a while.

- B -

back of / in back of - Use behind instead of in back of. Use on [the] back of to refer to a physical location. Indicate locations for effective writing.

Standing in back of him, we could see the stain on his shirt.
Edited:
Standing behind him, we could see the stain on the back of his shirt.

back up / backup - Use back up as the verb and backup as the noun or adjective.

He is so paranoid, he will back up his backup copy.

bad / badly - Bad is an adjective or noun, meaning undesirable or ill-prepared. Badly is an adverb of manner implying sloppy, incomplete, improper, or extreme.

He is a bad golfer who hates to practice. No wonder he played badly today.

B.C. - Preferred for years preceding the current era in popular writing. The new standard is B.C.E., “Before Common Era,” to respect non-Christian readers. From the Columbia University Guide to Standard American English, 1993:

Recently B.C.E., meaning either “before the Christian era” or more frequently “before the common era,” has had some champions, but Edited English seems only rarely to have adopted it thus far. (A.)C.E., “(after the) common (or Christian) era,” seems to have prospered even less, perhaps because some regard it as slighting Christianity (which is ironic, given that both alternatives were proposed to avoid the possible disrespect implied by the more popular terms).

because - Avoid using because of when possible. Due to works better in some cases and is now commonly accepted as proper usage. Traditionally, due to was only used when following a form of to be.

Because of the war, many went hungry.
Edited:
Due to the war, many went hungry.

blame - Blame on is considered incorrect while blame…for is proper.

We blame him for the accident.

believe / know / think - Avoid all three in essays and non-fiction unless quoting or explaining what other people believed, knew, or thought. The words are weak and sound defensive in rhetoric.

I believe there are three reasons his script failed.
Edited:
There are three reasons his script failed.

As you know, stories have character-driven or plot-driven structures.
Edited:
Stories have character-driven or plot-driven structures.

I think his story lacked structure.
Edited:
His story lacked structure.

blond / blonde - Blonde refers to a woman, blond refers to a man. Some object to the gender distinction and use “blond” exclusively.

both - Avoid when possible.

John and Mary are both writers.
Edited:
John and Mary are writers.

break / broke - An action results in a break. According to some editors, few people would intentionally break a limb

The writer broke his leg.
(Why would one intentionally break a bone? Or did a writer break another person’s arm?)
Edited:
The fall broke the writer’s arm. The break required a cast

breakthrough - A cliché. Avoid when possible and remember — not every “discovery” is a breakthrough.

brunet / brunette - Similar to blond, brunette refers to a woman, a brunet is a man.

bureaucrat - Now considered an insult by most American English dictionaries. (As if civil servant is better?)

but - Often redundant, avoid when possible.

by - Avoid when possible. Use synonyms for clarity, since by has many definitions. When used with a verb phrase, change the sentence to an active form to remove by.

As we drove by the store, we saw him standing by a mysterious woman.
Edited:
As we drove past the store, we saw him standing next to a mysterious woman.

The essay was written by Gretchen
Edited:
Gretchen wrote the essay.

- C -

can / may - Can means a possibility, may indicates permission granted or a polite request.

She can write the story, and the editor may let her.

caused - Use with the preposition by, not from.

Death was caused by drowning.

C.E. - Common Era has replaced A.D. in scientific texts.

cement / concrete - Cement is an ingredient of concrete. Cement is a stone powder used with sand, gravel, and water to create concrete. Cement is also synonymous with glue.

We cemented our friendship by writing our names in the wet concrete.

close to - Avoid when possible. Use near or next.

compose / comprise - The whole comprises the parts; is comprised of is incorrect. Composed of is considered proper for a list of parts.

The book comprises four chapters.
Or:
The book is composed of four chapters.

confessed to - Eliminate to. There must be an object of the confession.

He confessed an interest in romance novels.

conservative - Technically conservative means resistant to change. Most Americans associate the term with anti-government and pro-business political views. If a publications uses “conservative” to describe political views, it is obligated to use “liberal” as well. We prefer using neither unless an individual self-identifies with a term.

consist in / consist of - To consist in is to inherit from, to consist of is to be composed of.

The value of love consists in its passion. Passion consists of biology and insanity.

contagious / infectious - Contagious diseases are transferred by contact. Infections are carried by organisms and may or may not be contagious. Not all diseases are either.

continue on - Avoid when possible, especially in clichés.

cool - Avoid when possible, and never use the slang form unless quoting.

corpus delicti - Evidence necessary to establish that a crime, not always a murder, has occurred. Often misused by mystery writers.

could care less - Should be replaced with the phrase “could not care less” or “couldn’t care less.”

I could care less what she thinks.
Edited:
I couldn’t care less what she thinks.

course - Avoid of course as superfluous. Also avoid course when used to indicate the passage of time. Replace with during or another word when possible.

Of course he lied, like he always does.
Edited:
He lied, like he always does.

In the course of history, few have been more feared.
Edited:
Few have been more feared.

couple - Requires a plural verb when referring to people. Test sentences by using they in place of couple.

The couple were embracing in the moonlight.
The couple are happily married.

crackdown on - Avoid as a cliché. Rarely is it needed.

cut in half - Grammatically this should be “cut in halves.”

He cut the loaf in half.
Edited:
He cut the loaf in halves.

czar - Preferred to tsar.

- D -

damn - Use sparingly for increased effect. All “profanity” (or swearing) should be used judiciously.

damn it - A blasphemy, while dammit is a non-specific profanity.

data - A plural referring to a collection of statistics. Therefore, use a plural verb.

The data are inconclusive.

daylight saving time - The use of savings is a common error.

dead body - Use body; it is assumed to be dead.

The victim’s dead body laid in a crimson pool of blood.
Edited:
The body laid in a crimson pool of blood.

desert - Both dry, barren land and what one deserves. A common mistake is the phrase “just desserts,” implying one deserves a sweet treat. The phrase has changed over time.

Walking across the desert, he dreamed of a cool dessert. It was just desert for an ice cream thief.

destined - Use the preposition to.

The book was destined to collect dust.

diagnose - A doctor can diagnose a disease or condition, which means to recognize the cause. Seldom is the patient the cause, so you cannot diagnose a patient.

The doctor diagnosed asthma in Mrs. Jones.

dialog / dialogue - Dialogue is preferred by most sources, but dialog is becoming standard in American English. A dialog box is a computer interface, while dialogue is spoken lines.

die - Use the preposition of not from.

He died of a gunshot wound.

different - Often redundant; most things are different — even twins. When necessary, use different from, not different than. Different is an adjective and should not be used in place of differently. One thinks differently but is different.

This novel is different from her last.

The young man might look nice, but he acts differently.

dilemma - A choice between bad and worse, not a choice between positive alternatives. Good versus bad is an easy choice; dilemmas are not easy.

It was a dilemma, whether to cross the shark-infested waters or starve on the island.

disinterested / uninterested - Disinterested means unbiased, uninterested means lacking attention.

We needed a disinterested judge. Instead, we got an uninterested one.

doubt - Do not follow doubt with that unless a negative connotation is wanted. Shorten the sentence for effect.

I don’t doubt that his statement is the truth.
Edited:
I don't doubt his statement.

Dr. - Use only with doctors of medicine and dentists. Some writer’s guides include veterinarians. For other doctors, use the accepted doctorate abbreviations. Do not add M.D. to a person’s title.

drunk / drunken - Drunken is the adjective, drunk is a verb or noun. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving failed to consult a grammarian.)

The drunken driver crashed his car. He is a drunk. He drank six beers before trying to drive home.

due to - See because of.

due to the fact - Use because.

- E -

each - According to the Associated Press and Strunk and White, each is a singular pronoun.

each other - The possessive is each other’s and is followed by a plural noun.

We gathered to critique each other’s works.

eager - Wanting a positive event to occur. See anxious.

He was eager for the meeting with his new publisher.

East - Capitalize when referring to a region of the United States.

e.g. / i.e. - Erroneously interchanged: e.g. is exempli gratia, meaning “for example.” i.e. is id est, meaning “that is.”

effect - The result of an action is its effect. See affect.

either - According to the Associated Press and Strunk and White, either is a singular pronoun. Use a singular verb unless a joining noun is plural.

Either paper or diskettes are required to save a novel.

elderly - Too ambiguous, since the people live longer each generation. Be specific when possible.

She was an elderly poet.
Edited:
She was a 95-year-old poet.

else - It is now common in American English to use the form everyone else’s as a possessive. Everyone’s else is correct, but antiquated. Most editors prefer the American standard — the antiquated form is awkward.

elusion / elusive - Difficult to understand or well-hidden. See allusion.

e-mail / email - E-mail is considered correct, but email is increasingly common.

emergency situation - Simply an emergency.

emote - To feign an emotion.

engine / motor - An engine converts chemical energy to mechanical energy. A motor converts electrical energy to mechanical energy. Also, an engine develops its own power internally, a motor receives power externally.

Scientists hope to replace the gasoline combustion engine with electric motors… if they can generate enough electricity cleanly.

endemic / epidemic - An endemic is local, an epidemic is not.

We must act while the disease is endemic to this city, before it becomes an epidemic.

end result - Redundant. Use result.

The end result was disastrous.
Edited:
The result was disastrous.

ensure - To ensure is to make certain while to insure is to financially guarantee. See assure.

epidemic - See endemic.

estate - Avoid in modern fiction because in America trailer parks are now named “Estates” along with nearly any class neighborhood.

et al. - Et alii means “and others,” referring exclusively to people.

etc. - The abbreviation for et cetera, meaning “and so forth.” Avoid when possible.

even - Avoid when possible, using alternative constructions. Use for equal, as in ratios, height, and other measures.

There were even odds on the game.
The headstones were even, to signify the equality of men.

Questionable:
Even the coach was late to practice.
I even like anchovies on pizza.

every - Avoid when possible, using absolutes only when accurate.

Every person I meet on this trip seems rude.
Edited:
Most people I meet on this trip seem rude.

everyday / every day - If every- is used as a prefix, the meaning shifts to “common” or “average” instead of the adverbial every as in “all” of something.

No one likes everyday chores, like washing dishes. Doing them every day is even worse!

everyone - According to the Associated Press and Strunk and White, everyone is a singular pronoun.

everybody - According to the Associated Press and Strunk and White, everybody is a singular pronoun.

exaggerate - Must be an intentional mistake of measure, not an accidental statement.

exist - Preferred for things that are alive, but proper for all things, even concepts.

eye of the storm - Remember in fiction to use as a dead-calm, not a disturbance.

The eye of the storm was eerily quiet.

- F -

faerie / faery / fairy - Faerie refers to mythical winged creatures, faery is common to Celtic mythology, and fairy is used in American English to refer to something feminine, as well as mythical creatures.

feel - An emotion, not to be confused with think or believe.

few - Avoid as imprecise in journalistic writing. Use a number instead.

fewer / less - In technical writing, use fewer when referring to a plural noun or a number of items. Use less when referring to a singular noun or unit of measure. Using fewer numbers or few in number is therefore redundant.

The magazine has fewer subscribers this year.
I need less than six feet of wood.
We need less documentation and fewer documents.

fiancé / fiancée - An engaged male is a fiancé. An engaged female is a fiancée.

finalize - Use finish for complete and finalize for approval or acceptance of a finished product.

flautist / flutist - Flutist is proper, flautist looks antique.

flounder / founder - Flounder means to struggle, founder means to sink or fail.

As their ship began to founder, hapless crew members floundered in the water.

foreword - Material appearing before the text of a book. See introduction and preface.

free gift - Redundant; a gift is free. If you pay for something, it wasn’t a gift.

fun - Avoid when possible. Fun is overused.

- G -

gage / gauge - Gage is a financial security or a pledge of honor. A gauge is a measuring device. Technical writers often use gage in error. In American English, gage might become common in all writing.

general public - Redundant. Use public.

The general public does not understand most legislation.
Edited:
The public does not understand most legislation.

get - Use obtain when possible unless no effort was made to receive something.

He will get permission to go with us.
Edited:
He will obtain permission to go with us.

gobbledygook- Often misspelled, gobbledygook is the language of a bureaucracy.

good - Good is an adjective, never an adverb. For an adverb, use well. Good means acceptable or average. See well.

He is a good person.

Incorrect:
The student did good on the spelling test.
Edited: The student did well on the spelling test.

He did not feel good.
Edited: He did not feel well.

gray / grey - Either is considered proper when referring to color, with gray preferred by most. As an adjective in American English, gray is used.

The color grey was long a favorite of the gray-bearded writer.

grisly - Often mistaken for grizzly, which means gray in color and is a type of grayish bear. Use grisly for “horrible or gruesome” sights.

The grizzly bear attack resulted in a grisly scene.

guarantee / guaranty - Guarantee is common in American English. Guaranty is used in the names of financial firms.

Acme Guaranty Bank offers no guarantee on returns.

guerrilla - The preferred American spelling for a rebel soldier or extreme military tactics.

- H -

half - The proposition of is not needed without numbers. If a number is used, half of is acceptable. Also see cut in half.

Half the students were early
Five is half of ten.

hazardous condition - Use hazard.

heart attack - Use a technical term when possible.

heroic - Use with care, not every good deed is heroic. A heroic action is beyond normal for a particular person or profession. A heroic act requires greater personal risk than normally expected; the risk may be to body, mind, or career.

The fireman’s rescue of his colleagues was heroic.
Revealing the murderer’s identity cost the heroic priest his position.

Hispanic - Some consider this offensive and prefer origin-specific ethnic descriptions. We aren’t positive readers are so politically correct.

She was Hispanic.
Optionally:
She was a Mexican-American.

historic / historical - Important events are historic in nature, while historical events are any past events.

The signing of the treaty was historic.
Historical evidence revealed violations of past agreements.

home / house - A home is an occupied dwelling, a house is a stand-alone building.

She planned to make the house a home for her new family.

homosexual - Applies to men and women attracted to the same sex, not only men. Some editors prefer gay and lesbian, but we leave it to the author.

hung / hanged - Hanged is proper for executions. Items are hung, people are hanged.

The delinquent would not be hanged for his theft of clothes hung on the line.

- I -

I - Use careful grammar when selecting I or me. I is a subject, me an object.

i.e. - id est, meaning “that is.” See e.g.

ideology - A system of political beliefs. Do not use for non-political systems.

if / whether - Whether is preferred when offering alternatives. Use if for conditional statements.

I am unsure whether or not I will go.

Conditional:
If the writer receives a Hugo he can decide whether or not to attend the ceremony.

illegible / unreadable - Illegible means difficult to decipher due to poor handwriting, printing, or damage. Unreadable means dull or poorly written.

The illegible note had been retrieved from a puddle.

His dull prose was unreadable.

illusion - A deception. See allusion.

impact - To either strike with force or compress. Impact is not influence or effect. Use affected or influenced.

Weather is impacted by global warming.
Edited:
Weather is influenced by global warming.

immoral / amoral / unmoral - Immoral means contrary to accepted standards. Amoral and unmoral mean without regard to moral standards.

Society considered murder immoral, but sociopaths are amoral and do not care.

imply / infer - To imply is to hint. To infer is to conclude rightly or wrongly.

She implied he was not in her home, but from her trembling voice we inferred he was hiding there.

in / into - Use into with verbs of motion. Use in as a preposition for location.

The writer jumped into his car eager to leave, but his keys were in the house.

inasmuch - While correct, avoid. Superfluous.

in close proximity - Redundant.

indexes / indices - Indexes is now common, however, indices should be used in technical writing.

Indian - Avoid for Native American, unless writing a Western novel or quoting.

in effect - Do not set off by commas. Synonymous with implying.

When telling his agent he was tired, the author was in effect saying his deadline would not be met.

infectious - Infections are carried by organisms and may or may not be contagious. See contagious.

in nothing flat - Cliché. Avoid.

in order to - Use to.

in routine fashion - Use routinely.

in spite of - Cliché. Use despite.

insure - To insure is to financially guarantee. See ensure, assure.

interesting - Overused.

in the final analysis - Cliché. Avoid.

into / in to - Into is a preposition while in to is the adverbial use of in followed by the preposition to. Also, in is a final location, into follows a verb and indicates movement, change, or contact. A rule of thumb: if the “in” can be dropped, then use in to, oterwise use into.

Earlier in the day, she ran into a parked car. The mystery writer turned herself in to the police. An officer allowed me in to see her.

in view of - Cliché. Use since or because.

in which - Avoid.

irregardless - Not a word. See regardless.

We will act irregardless.
Edited:
We will act regardless.

it goes without saying - Then why are you saying it? Avoid.

- J -

judgment - Correct American English spelling.

just - Avoid unless referring to honor or trust. Usually redundant.

- K -

know - Avoid when possible, especially within essays and non-fiction. See believe.

As you know, eliminate some phrases for concise writing.
Edited:
Eliminate some phrases for concise writing.

- L -

lay / lie - To lay an object requires a subject, object, and usually a preposition describing the destination for the object. To lie is to recline or rest, which is something a subject does alone.

to lie:
I shall lie on my couch to rest.
She is lying in bed.

to lay:
I will lay the kitten in its bed.

leave / let - To leave someone alone means to isolate or to go away from. To let someone alone means to avoid bothering or imposing upon the person.

We decided to leave him alone in the library after he screamed, “Let me alone!”

less - See fewer.

libel - Libel is to defame using any medium such as a news broadcast. See slander.

liberal - Technically liberal means open-minded. Most Americans associate the term with pro-labor and pro-government political beliefs. See conservative.

lightening / lightning - Lightening means to reduce the weight. Lightning is a flash in the sky.

loath / loathe - Loath is an adjective that means reluctant. Loathe is a verb meaning to hate or detest.

The writer was loath to criticize another even though she loathed his novel.

- M -

mad - Insane. See angry.

madam / madame - Madame is a formal title. Use madam for the mistress of a whorehouse or a polite address. You’re expected to be polite in a brothel.

mantel / mantle - A mantel is a shelf and a mantle is a facade or cloak.

Taking his pipe from the mantel, he wore the mantle of a scholar.

may - May is permission granted or a polite request. If there is not request, use can or might. See can, might.

“You may write the article,” said the editor, “but I might not publish it.”

May Day / mayday - May Day is the international workers’ holiday, which was really a pagan holiday. Mayday is an Anglicized version of the French phrase m’aidez, meaning “help me!”

By Neale Towart
May Day as a modern working class celebration and commemoration began from the 1886 events in Chicago, where workers were demonstrating for an eight-hour workday. But the day already had special significance for working people before then. As a working peoples’ celebration its origins go back much further, with connections to Ancient Roman rituals. In pagan Europe it was a festive holy day celebrating the first spring planting. The ancient Celts and Saxons celebrated May 1st as Beltane, or the “day of fire.” Bel was the Celtic god of the sun.

Midwest - A region of the United States.

might - Use might for a hypothetical condition.

I might help edit the story if he asks nicely.

Mohammed - The preferred spelling according to the Associated Press. See our Style Guide.

Moslem - The traditional British term for an adherent of Islam. The Associated Press prefers Muslim.

motor - A motor converts electrical energy to mechanical energy. Also, a motor receives power externally. See engine.

Ms. - Avoid when possible. According to American Usage and Style, the salutation Ms. first appeared in the Standard Handbook for Secretaries (1956) as a way to address a woman in formal correspondence when her marital status was unknown.

much - Avoid, much is imprecise. How much? Why? To what extent?

Muslim - Preferred term for an adherent of Islam according to the Associated Press.

must - Avoid when possible. Someone must do something rarely, since it implies an ultimatum has been issued.

myself - Avoid when I or me can substitute. Myself is a reflexive pronoun and should be used as such.

I wrote this myself.

[Usage N-Z]

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Our guide to word usage is based on American Usage and Style, by Roy H. Copperud. We could compare various dictionaries and grammar guides… if we had a year or two. Copperud compares at least nine sources, noting when major references differ. We also use the Associated Press Stylebook , which is the primary style guide for reporters and editors at daily newspapers and many periodicals. The AP is not the Modern Language Association, nor does the AP adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style so many graduate students have struggled to master. Never assume the style of a publication, publisher, or university. Always ask for the name of the current standard to save yourself rewrites or rejection.

Writer: C. S. Wyatt
Updated: 07-Jan-2009
Editor: S. D. Schnelbach