5 Words We Use Incorrectly

The English language is a difficult one- what with all the different pronunciations and spellings, the Michael vs Michelle, the good vs flood and all that confusion. While the language has spread far and wide and has been developed into different dialects and accents according to region and country, there are some words that the common English speaker, at least here, may use incorrectly. I was one to use some of these terms at random, very wrongly myself. An article of this sort had helped me, so here I am helping you! 

Here are 5 words you may have been using incorrectly –   

Irregardless- believe it or not, this word does not exist. Irregardless is a word that contradicts itself. The prefix- 'ir' and the suffix- 'less' both have the same use in a word. Thus, the correct use of this word would be 'regardless' or 'irrespective'. 

Enormity- many tend to believe this word means 'on a large scale' or to 'a great extent', whereas they usually miss the negativity attached to the word. Enormity means the great or extreme scale, seriousness, or extent of something perceived as bad or morally wrong- usually a crime or a sin. 

Peruse- a lot of people tend to think the meaning of this word to be the exact opposite of what it actually means. Maybe because of the way it sounds, who knows, but a lot of people think 'perusing' through something is skimming or scanning through something while examining or reading it. The word actually means the opposite- to examine carefully or at length.

Nauseous- have you ever said 'I am nauseous'? Well, unfortunately, you have used it incorrectly. We call something nauseous when it makes one feel nauseated. For example, 'that smell was so nauseous, it left me nauseated for hours.'

Chronic- because of terms like 'chronic appendicitis' or 'chronic depression' people tend to give the word a darker meaning than it has in reality. A lot of people tend to believe that 'chronic' means 'deadly' or 'of great danger'. The word 'chronic' actually means 'for a long period of time'. So when someone says they have been diagnosed with 'chronic appendicitis', it does not mean they will die, just means they have had the disease for a long time. 

These are some words that I used to mess up myself, and have heard others mess up too. So with this guide, hopefully, we'll all know how to use these words better, to their truest meaning and fullest potential!