Style Specifics - Writing for Computer Science - page 106

Table 7.1 Misused words

Usual Other

Alternative Alternate

Coarse Course

Comparable Comparative

Complement Compliment

Dependent Dependant

Descendant Descendent

Discrete Discreet

Elusive Illusive

Emit Omit

Ensure Insure

Ensure Assure

Envelope Envelop

Excerpt Exert

Foregoing Forgoing

Further Farther

Insight Incite

Lose Loose

Omit Emit

Partly Partially

Practice Practise

Principle Principal

Simple Simplistic

Solvable Soluble

Stationary Stationery

There is one method which is acceptable.
There is one method that is acceptable.
There are three options, of which only one is tractable.

The word “that” is often underused. Use of “that” can make a sentence seem stilted,
but its absence can make the sentence unclear.

It is true the result is hard to generalize.
It is true that the result is hard to generalize.

On the other hand, “the” is often used unnecessarily; delete it where doing so does
not change the meaning.

Less, fewer . Use “less” for continuous quantities (“it used less space”) and “fewer”
for discrete quantities (“there were fewer errors”).