Be confident in how you express yourself with our comprehensive guide to correct usage of English phrases and expressions.

When you see and hear the similarities between the correct and incorrect versions of these expressions, it's easy to understand why mistakes are so common. This guide provides clear explanations to help you learn the right way to use these colorful expressions.

Commonly Confused Phrases and Expressions:

"a moot point" vs. "a mute point"
"a scapegoat" vs. "escape goat"
"all intents and purposes" vs. "all intensive purposes"
"another think coming" vs. "another thing coming"
"bated breath" vs. "baited breath"
"beck and call" vs. "beckon call"
"biding my time" vs. "biting my time"
"by accident" vs. "on accident"
"card sharp" vs. "card shark"
"case in point" vs. "case and point"
"could have / should have" vs. "could of / should of"
"deep-seated" vs. "deep-seeded"
"different tack" vs. "different tact"
"dog eat dog" vs. "doggy dog"
"due diligence" vs. "do diligence"
"first come, first served" vs. "first come, first serve"
"free rein" vs. "free reign"
"homed in" vs. "honed in"
"hunger pangs" vs. "hunger pains"
"I couldn't care less" vs. "I could care less"
"in the throes of" vs. "in the throws of"
"just deserts" vs. "just desserts"
"nip it in the bud" vs. "nip it in the butt"
"on tenterhooks" vs. "on tender hooks"
"pass muster" vs. "pass mustard"
"peace of mind" vs. "piece of mind"
"piqued my interest" vs. "peaked my interest"
"pore over" vs. "pour over"
"say one's peace" vs. "say one's piece"
"shoo-in" vs. "shoe-in"
"sleight of hand" vs. "slight of hand"
"statute of limitations" vs. "statue of limitations"
"toe the line" vs. "tow the line"
"tongue-in-cheek" vs. "tongue and cheek"
"whet your appetite" vs. "wet your appetite"
"wreak havoc" vs. "wreck havoc"