The common fixes index.

As a noun meaning 'the result', you want 'effect'. 'Affect' as a noun exists only in psychology.

'Effected' is almost never right as a verb. You want 'affected' — meaning to influence or impact something.

'Illicit' = illegal or forbidden. 'Elicit' = to draw out (a response, a reaction).

'Elicit' (a verb) = to draw something out. 'Illicit' (an adjective) = illegal.

'Irregardless' adds a double negative prefix — 'ir-' and '-less' both negate the root. It's not standard English.

'Averse' describes a person's reluctance or opposition. 'Adverse' describes conditions or effects (adverse weather).

'Illusion' = a false perception. 'Allusion' = an indirect reference.

'Adverse' describes conditions, effects, or outcomes. 'Averse' describes a person's feelings.

'Bemused' = puzzled, not entertained. 'Amused' = entertained or finding funny.

'Biannual' = twice a year. 'Biennial' = every two years. Easy to swap — and often misused.

A capitol (with an o) is the building where legislators meet. Capital (with an a) is the city or money.

The city, the money, and the letter are all 'capital'. 'Capitol' is only the legislative building.

'Complimented' = praised someone. 'Complemented' = completed or enhanced something.

'Complemented' = completed or enhanced. 'Complimented' = gave a compliment/praise.

'Comprised of' is widely flagged as an error. Use 'composed of' or 'consists of'. 'The whole comprises the parts' — not the other way.

'Discrete' = distinct, separate. 'Discreet' = careful or private. Use 'discrete' for things you can count.

'Discreet' = careful, private. 'Discrete' = separate, individual. Very different meanings.

'Disinterested' means impartial or unbiased — not the same as uninterested (bored/indifferent).

'i.e.' = that is (in other words). 'e.g.' = for example. They are not interchangeable.

You emigrate FROM a country. You immigrate TO a country. The prefix signals direction.

'Flout' = to openly disregard a rule. 'Flaunt' = to show off. People flout laws; they flaunt wealth.

'Flaunt' = to show off. 'Flout' = to defy. You flaunt jewelry; you flout a ban.

'e.g.' = for example (exempli gratia). 'i.e.' = that is (id est). Use e.g. when listing examples.

'Allusion' = an indirect reference to something. 'Illusion' = something that deceives the senses.

Use 'emigrate' for leaving a country. 'Immigrate' means to arrive in one.

Listeners infer (draw conclusions). Speakers imply (hint). If you're the one receiving the message, use 'infer'.

Speakers imply (hint at something). Listeners infer (draw conclusions). Only listeners can infer.

'Ensure' = to make certain something happens. 'Insure' = to take out insurance. 'Assure' = to reassure a person.

Storm electricity is 'lightning' (no e). 'Lightening' (with e) means making lighter.

'Proceed' = to go forward or continue. 'Precede' = to come before.

'Principle' is a rule, belief, or standard. 'Principal' is a person (school principal) or adjective meaning main/chief.

As an adjective meaning 'main' or 'chief', use 'principal' — not 'principle'.

'Precede' = come before. 'Proceed' = move forward. If the meaning is 'came before', use precede.

'Stationery' (with an e) = writing paper. 'Stationary' (with an a) = not moving.

'Stationary' (with an a) = not moving. 'Stationery' (with an e) = paper and envelopes.

'Anxious' carries worry or dread. For positive anticipation, 'eager' is cleaner.

'Continuous' means without any break. 'Continual' means recurring with breaks in between.

Repeated actions with pauses are 'continual'. 'Continuous' means unbroken.

'Enormity' classically means great evil. For sheer size, 'enormousness' or 'vastness' is safer.

'Envelope' (with an e) = the paper cover. 'Envelop' (no e) is a verb meaning to wrap.

As a verb meaning 'to wrap or surround', use 'envelop' (no final e).

'Farther' refers to physical distance. 'Further' refers to figurative or metaphorical distance.

For objects, use 'hung' (hung on the wall). 'Hanged' is reserved for executions.

'Historical' = relating to history or the past. 'Historic' = famous or important in history. Not all past events are historic.

For executions, tradition uses 'hanged'. For objects, 'hung'.

Irony involves a contradiction with expectation. A coincidence is just two things happening together — not automatically ironic.

If it didn't actually happen, 'literally' is misleading. 'Figuratively' is the traditional counterpart.

Traditionally, 'nauseous' = causing nausea (the smell was nauseous). 'Nauseated' = feeling sick. Though 'nauseous' is now widely accepted for both.

'Sensual' suggests sexual pleasure. 'Sensuous' refers to the senses in an aesthetic way.

'It's' = it is or it has. 'Its' = belongs to it. If you can say 'it is', add the apostrophe.

'Its' is the possessive form. No apostrophe. 'It's' is the contraction.

'Loose' (adjective) means not tight. 'Lose' (verb) means to fail to win or misplace something.

'Piqued my curiosity' = stimulated my interest. 'Peaked' = reached a summit. 'Peeked' = took a glance.

'There' = in that place. 'Their' = belonging to them. 'They're' = they are.

'Their' = belonging to them. 'There' = in that place. If it's showing ownership, it's their.

'They're' = 'they are'. If 'they are' doesn't fit, you want 'their' (possessive) or 'there' (place).

'Too' = also, or excessively. 'To' is the preposition/infinitive marker.

As a preposition (go to the store) or infinitive marker (to run), use 'to'. 'Too' means also/excessively.

'Whose' asks about ownership. 'Who's' is a contraction of 'who is'. Different jobs.

'Who's' = who is / who has. 'Whose' = belongs to whom. Unpack it.

'You're' = you are. 'Your' = belonging to you. If you can say 'you are', add the apostrophe.

'Your' = belongs to you. 'You're' = you are. Possessive takes no apostrophe.

'Aloud' = spoken out loud. 'Allowed' = permitted.

'Allowed' = permitted. 'Aloud' = spoken.

'Bear' = to endure or carry. 'Bare' = to uncover or expose. You bear a burden; you bare your skin.

'Break' = to fracture, or a pause. 'Brake' = the pedal that stops a car.

The pedal is 'brake'. 'Break' means to fracture or to pause.

A location is a 'site'. 'Cite' means to reference or quote.

'Course' = a class, a route, or the phrase 'of course'. 'Coarse' = rough in texture.

Rough texture or manners are 'coarse'. A class or route is 'course'.

'Flair' = a natural talent or style. 'Flare' = a burst of light or flame. Very different words.

'Here' = in this place. 'Hear' = to perceive with the ear.

To listen is to 'hear'. 'Here' is a location.

Time gone by is 'past' (in the past). 'Passed' is the past tense of 'pass'.

Past tense of 'pass' = 'passed'. 'Past' is a time noun or adjective.

'Peaked' = reached a summit. 'Peeked' = took a glance. 'Piqued' = stimulated.

'Pore over' = to study carefully. 'Pour over' = to drizzle liquid. You pore over books; you pour water.

'Rein in' comes from horse reins — to control or restrain. 'Reign' is what kings do.

A location is a 'site' (construction site, website). 'Sight' is what you see.

'Sight' = what you see. 'Site' = a location. 'Cite' = to reference.

'Waste' = trash, or to squander. 'Waist' = the part of the body around the middle.

The body part is 'waist'. 'Waste' means trash or to squander.

'Whether' introduces a choice (whether or not). 'Weather' is rain, sun, wind.

'Whether' needs the h. 'Wether' is an archaic word for a castrated ram — almost never what you mean.

The climate is 'weather'. 'Whether' introduces a choice.

'Pare' = to trim or shave (pare back the budget). 'Pair' is two. 'Pear' is fruit.

'Pair' = two of something. 'Pear' = the fruit.

'Roll' = a motion, or a bread, or a list. 'Role' = a part someone plays.

A character or job is a 'role'. 'Roll' is motion, bread, or a list.

'Accommodate' has two c's AND two m's. It's the only way.

'Alot' is not a word. It should always be written as two words: 'a lot'.

'Believe' follows i-before-e. 'Lie' is inside it.

'Definately' is a misspelling. The root is 'definite' + '-ly'.

'Occurred' has two c's and two r's. The stress falls on the second syllable, so the r doubles.

'Receive' follows the classic rule: i before e, except after c.

'Separate' has an 'a' in the middle, not an 'e'.

'Which' needs the H. Without it, 'wich' is not a standard English word.

'Achieve' follows i-before-e, not after c.

'A part of' (two words) means a piece of something. 'Apart' (one word) means separated.

'Calendar' ends in -ar, not -er.

'Cemetery' has three e's — no a.

'Defiantly' means in a defiant/rebellious manner. 'Definitely' means certainly. These are often confused in typing.

'Embarrass' has two r's and two s's.

'Existence' ends in -ence, not -ance.

'Government' needs the N — it comes from 'govern' + 'ment'.

'Grateful' comes from 'grate' meaning pleasing — not 'great'.

'Independent' ends in -ent, not -ant.

'Maintenance' drops the 'ai' — 'main' becomes 'men' in the middle.

'Misspell' has two s's — the prefix 'mis' plus 'spell'.

'Necessary' has one c, two s's.

'Occasion' has two c's but only one s.

Singular 'potato' has no e. Plural 'potatoes' does.

'Privilege' has no d. It comes from privus (private) + lex (law).

Past-tense 'referred' doubles the r because the stress is on the last syllable.

'Rhythm' has two h's — unusual, but it comes from Greek.

'Seize' is another i-before-e exception. Take it.

'Successful' has two c's, two s's, and one l at the end.

'Tomorrow' has one m and two r's.

'Truly' drops the silent e from 'true' before adding -ly.

'Until' has one L. 'Till' with two L's is a different (older) word.

'Vacuum' has one C and two U's.

In almost every modern context, you want 'whether' (with the h).

'Weird' is one of the exceptions to i-before-e. Memorize it.

'Writing' has one T. Only the past tense ('written') doubles it.

In formal writing, 'all right' (two words) is standard. 'Alright' is common but still flagged.

'Dilemma' ends in -mma, not -mna. It's Greek, not Latin.

'Millennium' has two l's and two n's — from mille (thousand) + annum (year).

'Minuscule' comes from 'minus', not 'mini'. The U is the surprise.

'Parallel' has two l's in the middle and one at the end.

'Publicly' is the standard form. 'Publically' is a common but non-standard variant.

'Supersede' is the only English verb that ends in -sede. Every other looks-alike uses -cede or -ceed.

'Threshold' has one h, not two.

'Thru' is informal shorthand (drive-thru). In prose, 'through' is correct.

'Revert' already means 'to go back'. Writing 'revert back' says the same thing twice — it's redundant.

A bonus is already something added. 'Added bonus' repeats.

All planning is done in advance. 'Advance planning' doubles the idea.

A gunman carries a gun. 'Armed gunman' doubles the point.

ATM already stands for Automated Teller Machine. 'ATM machine' = 'machine machine'.

Proximity already means closeness. 'Close proximity' is doubled.

Combine already means to bring together. 'Combine together' doubles up.

Finished already means done. 'Completely finished' doubles for emphasis only.

Consensus is already a shared opinion. 'Consensus of opinion' is tautology.

'Each' and 'every' mean nearly the same thing. 'Each and every' is filler.

A result is already the end of the process. 'End result' is tautological.

Fall already implies downward motion. 'Fall down' is often redundant in writing.

Originally 'priority' meant the first thing — you can't have multiple first priorities. Modern usage has relaxed, but 'top priority' or just 'priority' reads cleaner.

A gift is by definition free. 'Free gift' repeats the idea.

Free already means no charge. 'Free of charge' works in formal or legal contexts, but 'free' is tighter in prose.

Plans are about the future. 'Future plans' is a double.

Gather already means to bring together. 'Gather together' doubles.

To join already means to bring together. 'Join together' is redundant.

Merge already implies togetherness. 'Merge together' is a double.

An innovation is new by definition. 'New innovation' doubles.

History is by definition the past. 'Past history' repeats.

PIN already stands for Personal Identification Number. 'PIN number' = 'Number number'.

To repeat already means to say or do again. 'Repeat again' is tautology.

A reply is already a response going back. 'Reply back' is doubled.

Return already means to come or go back. 'Return back' is redundant.

Rise already means to go up. 'Rise up' is redundant outside idioms like 'rise up against'.

Destroyed already means wiped out. 'Totally destroyed' is emphatic tautology.

A fact is by definition true. If it's false, it's not a fact.

Twins come in pairs. 'Two twins' means four people.

A surprise is by definition unexpected. No extra word needed.

'Could've' sounds like 'could of', but the correct form is 'could have'.

Interest is 'piqued' — stimulated. Not 'peaked' (summited) or 'peeked' (glanced).

Writers mishear 'should've' (should have) as 'should of'. The correct form is 'should have'.

The contraction is 'would've', which unpacks to 'would have' — never 'would of'.

'Bated' = abated, held back. 'Baited' means with bait, like fishing.

The phrase is 'at someone's beck and call' — from 'beck' (a beckoning gesture) + 'call'.

The idiom is 'case in point' — a relevant example.

'Chock-full' = packed tight. 'Chalk' is a material; 'chock' is a wedge.

The idiom is 'deep-seated' — meaning firmly set in place. Not related to planting seeds.

An 'expatriate' (from ex + patria, outside the homeland) is someone living abroad. 'Ex-patriot' is a mondegreen.

The idiom is 'for all intents and purposes' — meaning in every practical sense. 'Intensive purposes' is a mondegreen.

The idiom comes from horses — giving a horse free 'rein' (the leather strap). Not 'reign' (royal rule).

The idiom means you care so little that caring less is impossible. 'I could care less' reverses the logic.

A moot point is a debatable or irrelevant one. 'Mute' means silent — different word entirely.

The idiom comes from gardening — cutting a bud before it blooms. Not anatomy.

The idiom is 'one and the same' — meaning identical.

'Scot' is an old word for tax. 'Scot-free' means tax-free, so unpunished. Nothing to do with Scotland or whisky.

A 'shoo-in' is a certain winner — from 'shoo' (to urge along). Not 'shoe'.

A 'statute' is a law. A 'statue' is a sculpture. The legal term uses statute.

The idiom comes from sports or drills — toes touching a starting line. You toe it, not tow it.

'Whet' means to sharpen or stimulate. Whetting appetite = sharpening hunger.

'Wreak' (pronounced 'reek' or 'rake') means to cause. 'Wreck' means to destroy.

Traditional form: 'If you think X, you've got another think coming.' 'Thing' is now widely used but breaks the wordplay.

'Pangs' (a sharp pain) is the traditional word for hunger sensations. 'Pains' is common but non-standard.

'Hunker down' (not 'hunkered down') is the imperative form. Past tense is fine, but 'hunker down' is the base.

'Per se' is two Latin words, always separated. 'Perse' is not standard.

The original term is 'safe deposit box' — a deposit box that is safe. 'Safety deposit' is a modern re-analysis.

'There is' introduces a fact or existence. 'Their' is possessive and can't start this construction.

'Ain't' is a nonstandard contraction. In formal writing, use 'isn't', 'aren't', or 'am not' as appropriate.

For countable nouns (people, books), use 'number of'. For mass nouns (water, sugar), use 'amount of'.

After a preposition (between), pronouns take the object form. 'Me', not 'I'.

'Broadcast' is an irregular verb — its past tense is 'broadcast', not 'broadcasted'. Like cut, put, set.

Two independent clauses joined by only a comma is a comma splice. Use a semicolon, a period, or a conjunction.

The idiom means you care so little that caring less is impossible. 'Could care less' accidentally reverses it.

'Walking down the street, the tree was beautiful' — the tree wasn't walking. Put the modifier next to what it describes.

'Good' is an adjective. To modify a verb, use the adverb 'well': she sings well.

Both pronouns need to match the grammatical slot. As subjects, use 'she and I'. As objects, 'her and me'.

'Home in on' = to target or zero in on. 'Hone' = to sharpen a blade. 'Hone in' is widely flagged as an error.

You lie down (no object). You lay something else down (with object). 'Lay' always needs a direct object.

People are countable, so the correct word is 'fewer'. 'Less' is for mass quantities.

The past tense of 'lie' (recline) is 'lay'. 'Lied' is the past of 'lie' (tell a falsehood).

As the subject of a sentence, use subject pronouns: 'she and I went'. 'Me and her' is object form.

'Better' is already the comparative of 'good'. Adding 'more' doubles the comparison.

'Best' is already the superlative of 'good'. 'Most best' doubles the superlative.

'Myself' is reflexive (I hurt myself) or emphatic (I myself saw it). Don't use it as a plain object.

Prepositional phrases can fool you — 'the bag of apples is' (bag, not apples, is the subject).

'Then' refers to time. 'Than' is used for comparisons. 'Better then' should be 'better than'.

In the subject slot (the doer of the action), use 'who'. 'Whom' is for object slots only.

Reflexive pronouns (yourself, myself) mirror the subject. 'Please contact yourself' is wrong — use 'you'.

In scientific and formal writing, 'data' is plural. In everyday usage, 'data is' has become standard.

'Disoriented' is the standard form. 'Disorientated' is informal and regional — mostly British English.

'None' can be either singular or plural. With a plural referent and plural meaning, 'none are' fits.

In non-restrictive clauses (with a comma), use 'which'. For restrictive clauses (no comma), use 'that'.

In the object slot (the one acted on), strict prose uses 'whom'.