Words That Even Native Speakers Use Incorrectly
I often hear my students say they want to speak like a native, and I think to myself if only they knew that not all that glitters is gold. There are many words that even so called native speakers use incorrectly. My task is to help you speak even better than a native speaker🕺 Here are some examples of words used incorrectly.
"Poisonous" vs. "Venomous"
Something that's poisonous will harm you if you ingest/eat it, while something that is venomous will harm you if it bites you. For example, some plants are poisonous, while some snakes are venomous. However, you will hear many natives say "poisonous snake".
"Nauseous" vs. "Nauseated"
You might hear a native say, "I feel nauseous after a roller coaster-ride or a spin. However, they should say "nauseated". Something that causes nausea is "nauseous" and makes people feel "nauseated"🤷.
The mistake I highlighted is so common that some dictionaries even have a second definition for nauseous🤦🙄.
"Depraved" or "Deprived"
You are depraved when you do unthinkable bad things! For Example one could say Trump is depraved. But, if someone is deprived, it means they do not have something they need. For example, I am sleep deprived👀 .
"Infamous"
Some native speakers use the word "infamous" to mean very famous🤦 . However, if you are infamous, basically you are well known for bad things. For example Pablo Escobar is infamous😉.
....so maybe its better to speak better than a native, wouldn't you agree😉???
27 gennaio 2020
