English is full of words that sound convincing enough to slip into everyday chat, even though they’ve never been part of the language at all.
They pop up because someone heard them once, guessed the meaning or blended two real words together and hoped for the best. Before you know it, they’re being tossed around as if they’ve always existed. Most of the time, you don’t question them until someone points out they aren’t actually real.
What catches people off guard is how familiar some of these invented terms feel. They look right, they sound right, and they fit neatly into sentences, which is why they spread so easily. You might have even used a few without realising you’d wandered off the edge of the dictionary. Once you see which ones don’t really exist, you start noticing them everywhere, and you’ll probably laugh at how confidently you used them.
Orientate
The correct term is “orient,” and it means to align or position yourself in a particular direction. It comes from the Latin word “oriens,” which means “rising” or “east.” So, when you’re trying to find your way, just remember to orient yourself, not orientate yourself. It’s a small difference, but it makes a big impact on how people perceive your intelligence and attention to detail.
Funnest
“Fun” is an adjective, which means it describes a noun. When you want to compare two things, you use the comparative form, which is “more fun.” And when you want to say something is the most fun out of all the options, you use the superlative form, which is “most fun.” Adding “-est” to “fun” is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It just doesn’t work.
Irregardless
“Regardless” means “without regard,” so adding “ir-” to the beginning of it is like saying “not without regard,” which is just a convoluted way of saying “with regard.” It’s a common mistake, but it’s one that can make you sound uneducated if you’re not careful. Stick with “regardless,” and you’ll be able to express yourself clearly and concisely.
Supposably
“Supposedly” means “according to what is assumed or believed,” and it comes from the verb “suppose.” “Supposably,” on the other hand, isn’t a real word at all. It sounds magical, but it doesn’t actually exist. If you want to be taken seriously, stick with “supposedly” and leave “supposably” to the amateurs.
Heighth
“Height” is already a noun, so adding “-th” to the end of it is like putting a hat on top of a hat. It’s redundant and unnecessary. “Height” comes from the Old English word “hiehþu,” which means “highest point or summit.” Over time, the spelling changed to “height,” but the meaning stayed the same. So, when you’re talking about how tall something is, just use “height” and leave the extra “-th” out of it.
Conversate
“Converse” means “to engage in conversation,” and it comes from the Latin word “conversari,” which means “to live with or keep company with.” Adding “-ate” to the end of “converse” is a way of trying to make a verb out of a verb; it’s redundant and unnecessary. If you want to have a conversation with someone, just say “converse” or “have a conversation.” It’s simple, clear, and correct.
Preventative
“Preventive” means “designed to keep something undesirable from occurring,” and it comes from the verb “prevent.” Adding “-ative” to the end of “prevent” doesn’t make an adjective out of an adjective, as much as you might hope it would. Really, it’s redundant and unnecessary. Stick with “preventive,” and you’ll be able to express yourself clearly and concisely.
Deliciouse
“Delicious” is already an adjective, so adding an extra “e” to the end of it is like putting a cherry on top of a cherry. It’s redundant and unnecessary. “Delicious” comes from the Latin word “deliciosus,” which means “delightful or pleasing.” Over time, the spelling changed to “delicious,” but the meaning stayed the same. So, when you’re describing how tasty something is, just use “delicious” and leave the extra “e” out of it.
Sherbert
“Sherbet” is the real term here, even though people pronounce it with the extra r. It’s confusing and unnecessary. “Sherbet” comes from the Turkish word “şerbet,” which means “a cold, sweetened drink.” Over time, the spelling changed to “sherbet,” but the meaning stayed the same. So, when you’re ordering a frozen treat, just use “sherbet” and leave the extra “r” out of it.
Excetera
“Et cetera” a Latin phrase that means “and other similar things,” and “excetera” isn’t a real word at all. Combining two words that don’t belong together is the equivalent of trying to combine oil and water. It just doesn’t work. If you want to express that there are other similar things, just use “et cetera” and leave the made-up words out of it.
Expresso
“Espresso” is an Italian word that means “pressed out,” and it refers to the way the coffee is made. Adding an “x” to the beginning of it is just weird (and kind of lazy speech). If you want to order a strong, concentrated coffee, just use “espresso” and leave the “x” out of it.
Misunderestimated
“Underestimate” means “to estimate something to be smaller or less important than it actually is.” Adding “mis-” to the beginning of it basically makes a double negative, which is a linguistic no-no. If you want to express that someone has underestimated something, just use “underestimated” and leave the made-up words out of it.
Brung
“Bring” is an irregular verb, which means it doesn’t follow the normal rules for conjugation. The past tense of “bring” is “brought,” not “brung.” Using “brung” instead of “brought” is like using “runned” instead of “ran”; it’s just not correct. If you want to express that someone brought something in the past, just use “brought” and leave the made-up words out of it.
Prolly
“Prolly” is a word that people use when they’re trying to say “probably,” but they’re too lazy to type out the whole word. “Probably” means “most likely,” and it comes from the Latin word “probabilis,” which means “worthy of approval.” Shortening it to “prolly” seems like a shortcut, but is really a dead end. It might seem like a good idea at the time, but it’s just going to lead you astray. If you want to express that something is likely, just use “probably” and take the time to spell it out.
