20 misused words that make smart people look stupid

20 misused words that make smart people look stupid20 misused words that make smart people look stupidWere all tempted to use words that were notlage too familiar with. We throw them around in meetings, e-mails and important documents (such as resumes and client proposals), and they land, like fingernails across a chalkboard, on everyone who has to hear or read them.No matter how talented you are or what youve accomplished, using words incorrectly can change the way people see you and forever cast you in a negative light. You may not think its a big deal, but if your language is driving people up the wall you need to do something about it.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraIts the words that we think were using correctly that wreak the most havoc, because we dont even realize how poorly were coming across. After all,TalentSmarthas tested the emotional intelligence of more than a mi llion people and found that self-awareness is the area where most people score the lowest.Were all guilty of this from time to time, myself included.When I write, I hire an editor to review my articles before I post them online. Its bad enough to have a roomful of people witness your blunder and something else entirely to stumble in front of 100,000Point is, we can all benefit from opportunities to sharpen the saw and minimize our mistakes. Often, its the words we perceive as being more correct or sophisticated that catch us by surprise when they dont really mean what we think they do. These words have a tendency to make even really smart people stumble.Have a look to see which of these commonly confused words throw you off.Acceptvs. ExceptThese two words sound similar but have very different meanings.Acceptmeans to receive something willingly His momacceptedhis explanation or Sheacceptedthe gift graciously.Exceptsignifies exclusion I can attend every meetingexceptthe one next week. To help you remember, note that bothexceptandexclusionbegin withex.Affectvs. EffectTo make these words even more confusing than they already are, both can be used as either a noun or a verb.Lets start with the verbs.Affectmeans to influence something or someoneeffectmeans to accomplish something. Your job wasaffectedby the organizational restructuring but These changes will beeffectedon Monday.As a noun, aneffectis the result of something The sunny weather had a hugeeffecton sales. Its almost always the right choice because the nounaffectrefers to an emotional state and is rarely used outside of psychological circles The patientsaffectwas flat.Lievs. LayWere all pretty clear on theliethat means an untruth. Its the other usage that trips us up.Liealso means to recline Why dont youliedown and rest?Layrequires an object Laythe book on the table.Lieis something you can do by yourself, but you need an object tolay.Its more confusing in the past tense. The past tense oflieis- you guessed it- lay Ilaydown for an hour last night. And the past tense oflayis laid Ilaidthe book on the table.Bringvs. TakeBringandtakeboth describe transporting something or someone from one place to another, but the correct usage depends on the speakers point of view. Somebodybringssomething to you, but youtakeit to somewhere else Bringme the mail, thentakeyour shoes to your room.Just remember, if the movement is toward you, usebringif the movement is away from you, usetake.Ironicvs. CoincidentalA lot of people get this wrong. If you break your leg the day before a ski trip, thats notironic- itscoincidental(and bad luck).Ironichas several meanings, all of which include some schrift of reversal of what was expected. Verbal irony is when a person says one thing but clearly means another. Situational irony is when a result is the opposite of what was expected. O. Henry was a master of situational irony. In The Gift of the Magi, Jim sells his watch to buy combs for his wifes hair, and she sells her hair to buy a chain for Jims watch. Each character sold something precious to buy a gift for the other, but those gifts were intended for what the other person sold. That is true irony.If you break your leg the day before a ski trip, thatscoincidental.If you drive up to the mountains to ski, and there was more snow back at your house, thatsironic.Implyvs. InferToimplymeans to suggest something without saying it outright. Toinfermeans to draw a conclusion from what someone else implies. As a general rule, the speaker/writerimplies, and the listener/readerinfers.Nauseousvs. NauseatedNauseoushas been misused so often that the incorrect usage is accepted in some circles. Still, its important to note the difference.Nauseousmeans causing nauseanauseatedmeans experiencing nausea.So, ifyourcircle includes ultra-particular grammar sticklers, never say Imnauseous unless you want them to be snickering behind your back.Comprisevs. ComposeThese are two of the most commonly misused words in the English language.Comprisemeans to includecomposemeans to make up.It all comes down to parts versus the whole. When you usecomprise, you put the whole first A soccer gamecomprises(includes) two halves. When you usecompose, you put the pieces first Fifty statescompose(make up) the United States of America.Farthervs. FurtherFartherrefers to physical distance, whilefurtherdescribes the degree or extent of an action or situation. I cant run anyfarther, but I have nothingfurtherto say.If you can substitute more or additional, usefurther.Fewervs. LessUsefewerwhen youre referring to separate items that can be counted uselesswhen referring to a whole You havefewerdollars, butlessmoney.Bringing It All TogetherEnglish grammar can be tricky, and, a lot of times, the words that sound right are actually wrong.With words such as those listed above, you just have to memorize the rules so that when you are about to use them, youll catch yourself in the act and know for certain that youve written or said the right one.What other words do you or people you know have trouble with?Please share them in the comments section below, as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.Dr. Travis Bradberryis the award-winning co-author of the 1 bestselling book,Emotional Intelligence 2.0,and the co-founder ofTalentSmart, the worlds leading provider ofemotional intelligence testsandtraining, serving more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies. His bestselling books have been translated into 25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries. Dr. Bradberry has written for, or been covered by,Newsweek, TIME, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, andThe Harvard Business Review.If youd like to learn how to increase your emotional intelligence (EQ), consider taking the online Emotional Intelligence Appraisal test thats included with theEmotional Intelligence 2.0book. Your test results will pinpoint which of the books 6 6 emotional intelligence strategies will increase your EQ the most.This article first appeared on Linkedin.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people