Most Common Errors in English | BeeDictionary.com

jack vs plug

A plug is a part of a cable that connects to a port.<pre>"The wire is plugged to my socket."</pre>A jack on the other hand is similar to a port, It is used as a connection for a plug.<p…

jam vs jamb

Jam is a sweet mixture of boiled fruits with sugar and allowed to congeal. It is offer spread on bread or toast or used as jam tarts.<pre>"I need more jam for my toast!"</pre>Jamb is the ve…

jerry-built vs jury-rigged

Although their etymologies are obscure and their meanings overlap, these are two distinct expressions. Something poorly built is “jerry-built.” Something rigged up temporarily in a makeshift manner w…

jew vs jewish

“Jew” as an adjective (“Jew lawyer”) is an ethnic insult; the word is“Jewish.” But people who object to “Jew” as a noun are beingoversensitive. Most Jews are proud to be called Jews. The expression “…

jew vs hebrew

These terms overlap but are often distinguished in usage. In the older portions of the Bible the descendants of Abraham and Sarah are referred to as “Hebrews.” Since the 6th century BCE Babylonian ca…

jewelry

Often mispronounced “joolereee.” To remember the standard pronunciation, just say “jewel” and add “-ree”on the end. The British spelling is muchfancier: “jewellery.”

job titles

The general rule is to capitalize a title like “President” only when it is prefixed to a particular president’s name: “It is notable that President Grover Cleveland was the first Democratic president…

john henry vs john hancock

John Hancock signed the Declaration of Independence so flamboyantly that his name became a synonym for “signature.” Don’t mix him up with John Henry, who was a steel-drivin’ man.

john hopkins vs johns hopkins

The famous university and hospital named Johns Hopkins derives its peculiar name from its founder. “Johns” was his great-grandmother’s maiden name. It is an error to call these institutions “John Hop…

joint possessives

When writing about jointly owned objects, people often fret about where to place apostrophes. The standard pattern is to treat the two partners as a single unit—a couple—and put an apostrophe only af…

judgement vs judgment

Surprisingly, ‘judgment’ is the correct spelling of this noun. It’s easy to see why many people make a mistake and write ‘judgement’ instead, because the meaning is ‘to judge’, as it seems like we…

junta

The original and most sophisticated pronunciation of this Spanish-derived word for an unelected military government is “HOON-tah.” Those who prefer an angicized pronunciation say “JUNN-tuh.” Those wh…

just assume vs just as soon

People sometimes write, “I’d just assume stay home and watch TV.” The expression is “just as soon.”

Common Errors Starting with J