Grammar/language peeve of the day

[aadler]

discreet/discrete

I’ve been spotting this one a lot lately, including in formal professional publications. The second is not a more refined way of saying/spelling the first; they’re different words, with the same pronunciation but absolutely different meanings.

discreet:

1. having or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct and especially in speech
2. unpretentious, modest
3. unobtrusive, unnoticeable

discrete:

1. constituting a separate entity; individually distinct
2. consisting of distinct or unconnected elements

As in, There are discrete [distinct] advantages to being discreet in one’s words and behavior.

A few years ago, I saw a quote that stuck with me: “Never make fun of somebody for mispronouncing a word. That means they learned it reading.” The increasingly common misspelling of homophones indicates, to me, that too many people are writing without having done enough reading.

Comments

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I've come across this a few times - this thread on the Twisting the Hellmouth has lots of other examples:

Earth to writers: THE FOLLOWING WORDS ARE *NOT* INTERCHANGEABLE

Warning - it's a LONG thread!

[aadler]

That one was funny. I’m not trying for a comprehensive list, though, just noting things when they jump out at me. Online ineptitude in language is generally annoying but understandable, but it really does bother me when I start seeing more and more of the same errors in actual published (rather than just posted) material.