Words And Phrases You Shouldnt Use If You Want To Sound Smart

Words And Phrases You Shouldnt Use If You Want To Sound Smart The way we communicate with others reveals a lot about us, and in a work setting, its important to be mindful of our choice of words and phrases to ensure we are perceived as being smart. After all, we work really hard. Who wants to throw all that away by sounding dumb?Here are some words and phrases you should take care to use properly.1. I could care less. I know there are times when you really dont care, but the correct use is I couldnt care less.2. I should of. Regardless of the fact that we often should all over ourselves for unnecessary reasons, the proper use of this phrase is I should have.3.When we are binnenseeking hausintern peace, we should use the phrase peace of mind. If we say piece of mind, we are letting someone know that we strongly disagree with them.4.You may accept someones invitation, except when you have a conflict.5. Irregardless is not a word Its regardless.6. Farther refers to physical distance, a nd further is used to describe the extent of an action or situation. I cant drive much farther, but There is nothing further to say about that. I often catch myself using further in both situations.7.A whole nother way of saying this phrase correctly is whole other way or another way.8.Sneak peak is not about looking at a mountain peaks. It means sneaking a quick look, andsneak peek is the correct phrase to use.9. Toward, afterward, and anyway do not have an s at the end. I think so many of us add the s that this is a habit thats hard to break.10.I thought I was a shoo-in for that position, not shoe-in. (Ive made this mistake numerous times)11.For all intensive purposes is really for all intents and purposes.12. Wet your appetite should be whet your appetite. Whet means to stimulate.13. Principal and principle. So many people mix these two words up. Principal is a person who is in leadership or is used to describe the importance of something. Principle refers to a standard, rule, or guiding belief.14. Affect and effect. It might make you feel better to know that fruchtwein people mix these two words up. The best way to distinguish the two is to remember affect as a verb and effect as a noun.15. Lay and Lie. OK. Admit it. How many times have you said you are going to lay down and take a nap? You should use lie instead which is defined as, to be, to stay or to assume rest in a horizontal position, so the subject is the one doing the lyingI lie down to sleep. But lay means to put or set something down, so if the subject is acting on an object, its lay. For example, I lay down the book. Got it?Some of these words and phrases are so commonly misused that its challenging to catch them ourselves, especially when we speak. In written form, its easier to see the grammatical errors so be careful with content for a presentation or report or on your website where your audience is much larger.--Bonnie Marcus, M.Ed, is an executive coach, author and keynote speaker focused on womens advancement in the workplace. A former corporate executive and CEO, Bonnie is the author of The Politics of Promotion How High Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead, and co-author of Lost Leaders in the Pipeline Capitalizing on Womens Ambition to Offset the Future Leadership Shortage.