Correct verbal usage (both, written and oral) is a hallmark of the educated. Nowhere is the correct usage more important in your professional life than it is in your résumé. Improper usage, spelling, or grammatical errors reflect poorly on a person’s professional image. Below is a list of such commonly misused words, phrases, and idioms. Although not all of them see their usage in a typical résumé, knowing their correct usage can help you in your everyday professional life. When one uses these idioms or words as shown below they may come across as careless—even uneducated—to a person who cares about such things. So, here is a list I have compiled from the commonly abused words, phrases, and idioms that are easy to correct once you know how they came about in everyday usage.

Wrong: You’ve another thing coming
Right: You’ve another think coming
Think is what is coming your way

Wrong: The car careened off the road
Right: The car careered off the road
Career is verb meaning to go at top speed. Even journalists and TV news people get this wrong each time!

Wrong: As a restauranteur he failed again
Right: As a restaurateur he failed again
There is NO restaurant in restaurateur.

Wrong: For all intensive purposes
Right: For all intents and purposes
Not all purposes are intense.

Wrong: By in large
Right: By and large
Remember, you are NOT in Costco, where we buy in large.

Wrong: One in the same
Right: One and the same
When in doubt, use “and.” (See above.)

Wrong: Case and point
Right: Case in point
Except in this case.

Wrong: I could care less
Right: I couldn’t care less
To care or not to care?

Wrong: Flush out.
Right: Flesh out.
Unless you’re talking about toilets, you’re fleshing out a scenario to make it more detailed. Remember, flesh out a skeleton to make it human.

Wrong: Spitting image
Right: Spit and image
The original phrase was spit and image from the Biblical God’s use of spit and mud to create Adam in his image

Wrong: Hone in
Right: Home in
As in: “I am homing in on the proper way to use all these phrases!”

Wrong: Irregardless
Right: Regardless
Although many use “irregardless,” that does not make it right!

Adapted from PureWow!