The editors of the American Heritage dictionaries are pleased to reissue the third book in our “100 Words” series, 100 Words Almost Everyone Confuses and Misuses, 12 years after its initial publication. This has long been one of the best sellers in this popular series, which has grown to include 14 titles. Language usage shifts and changes over time, and every year we ballot our Usage Panel (see ahdictionary.com/word/usagepanel.html for more information and the current list of Panelists) to analyze the most recent trends in language usage. This updated edition incorporates results from our latest ballots to reflect the current status of problematic usages.
This book is for people who remember that their English teachers had something to say about how these words are used, but often forget what exactly was said. How do flaunt and flout differ? Why do people mispronounce nuclear? Is kudos singular or plural? This book gives you the answers! You’ll learn how things can go wrong, and you’ll learn how to make them right.
Entries, based on the content of the American Heritage dictionaries, are presented in an expanded layout that’s easy to read and comprehend. Each word, such as presently, or each word group, such as affect/effect, is discussed in a note derived from the usage program of the American Heritage dictionaries. Additionally, we show the use of many words in context using quotations from a wide mix of classical novelists (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice; Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), contemporary authors (Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm; William Least Heat-Moon, River-Horse) and current journalists (Jane E. Brody, New York Times; Chet Raymo, Boston Globe; Corby Kummer, Atlantic Monthly).
We hope that you will find 100 Words Almost Everyone Confuses and Misuses to be a helpful reference book for improving your confidence in speaking and writing.
Steve Kleinedler,
Executive Editor