predominate/predominant
PREDOMINATE/PREDOMINANT
“Predominate” is a verb: “In the royal throne room, the color red predominates.” “Predominant” is an
adjective: “The predominant view among the touts is that Fancy Dancer is the best bet in the third
race.”
See also
predominately.
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predominately
PREDOMINATELY
PREDOMINANTLY
“Predominantly” is formed on the adjective “predominant,” not the verb “predominate.” See predominate/predominant.
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preemptory
PREEMPTORY
PEREMPTORY
“Peremptory” (meaning “imperative” ) is often misspelled and mispronounced “preemptory” through confusion caused by the influence of the verb
“preempt,” whose adjectival form is actually “preemptive.” “Preemptory” exists only as an obscure legal term you’re not likely to have use for.
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preferably
PREFERABLY
Although some U.S. dictionaries now recognize the pronunciation of “preferably” with the first two
syllables pronounced just like “prefer”—first “E” long and and the stress on the second syllable—the
standard pronunciation is “PREFFerublee,” with the first syllable stressed, just like in “preference.”
The alternative pronunciation sounds awkward to some people.
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prejudice/prejudiced

their dialect will be baffled by this word.
List of errors
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prepositions (repeated)
PREPOSITIONS (REPEATED)
In the sentence “Alex liked Nancy, with whom he shared his Snickers bar with” only one “with” is
needed—eliminate either one. Look out for similarly duplicated prepositions.
Incidentally, an often-cited example of this pattern is from Paul McCartney’s Live and Let Die: “In
this ever-changing world in which we live in”; but if you listen closely, you’ll hear instead a quite
correct “In this ever-changing world in which we’re livin’.” Americans have a hard time hearing the
soft British “R” in “we’re.”
List of errors
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prepositions (wrong)
PREPOSITIONS (WRONG)
One of the clearest indications that a person reads little and doesn’t hear much formal English is a
failure to use the right preposition in a common expression. You aren’t ignorant to a fact; you’re
ignorant of it. Things don’t happen on accident, but by accident (though they do happen “on
purpose” ). There are no simple rules governing preposition usage: you just have to immerse yourself
in good English in order to write it naturally.
See also
different than/different from/to.
List of errors
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prescribe/proscribe
PRESCRIBE/PROSCRIBE
You recommend something when you prescribe it, but you forbid it when you proscribe it. The
usually positive function of “pro-” confuses many people.
List of errors
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