If you’ve ever been corrected for saying irregardless, scolded for using literally “wrong,” or told that impact “isn’t a verb,” welcome to the funhouse mirror of English. The language is full of words that people insist are incorrecteven though major dictionaries record them, and real writers and speakers use them every day.

This isn’t a “rules don’t matter” pep talk. It’s a practical guide for writers who want to sound smart and be understood. We’ll look at 10 “wrong” words that are actually right, explain why they annoy people, and show how to use them without triggering your most grammar-enthusiastic friend.

Why “wrong” words keep showing up in dictionaries

English has two forces constantly arm-wrestling: prescriptive rules (what people think you should say) and descriptive reality (what people actually say). Dictionaries mostly describe real usage. Style guides are more prescriptive, because they’re trying to keep writing consistent in a specific context (newsrooms, academic journals, business writing, and so on).

That’s why a word can be “real” and still be a bad choice for a résumé. In other words: correctness isn’t the same as appropriateness. Let’s get into the words that live in that messy, fascinating middle.

1) Irregardless

Why people think it’s wrong

Critics argue it’s a double negative: ir- plus -less looks like it should cancel itself out. It also feels unnecessary because regardless already exists.

Why it’s actually right

Like it or not, irregardless has been used for a long time with a consistent meaning: regardless. Dictionaries include it because people use itand have used itfor generations.

How to use it well

• In formal writing: Skip it. Use regardless.
• In dialogue or casual voice: It can signal a conversational, regional, or character-driven tone.

Example: “Irregardless of what the weather does, we’re grilling.”

2) Anyways

Why people think it’s wrong

A lot of folks were taught that only anyway is acceptable and that anyways is slang, lazy, or “not a real word.”

Why it’s actually right

Anyways is recorded in dictionaries and has a long history in English. In modern American usage, it’s often labeled as dialectal or informal, but it’s still legitimate.

How to use it well

• Formal/academic: Prefer anyway.
• Conversational writing: Anyways can sound natural, especially as a topic-shift (“Anyways, back to…”).

Example: “Anyways, what were we saying before the dog stole the sock?”

3) Conversate

Why people think it’s wrong

Many people dislike it because it sounds like a made-up “business-y” version of converse. Some call it slang. Others call it an earache.

Why it’s actually right

Conversate appears in dictionaries with the meaning “to converse,” though it’s commonly labeled nonstandard. That label matters: it signals that the word exists, but it may be frowned upon in formal writing.

How to use it well

• Professional, academic, edited prose: Use converse or talk.
• Dialogue, character voice, informal content: conversate can fitespecially if you’re capturing real speech patterns.

Example: “We were just conversating about the game when the lights went out.”

4) Orientate

Why people think it’s wrong

Some people say it’s an unnecessary, clunkier version of orient. Others insist it’s “British” and therefore suspicious (which is not how language works, but okay).

Why it’s actually right

Orientate is a recognized synonym of orient. In American English, orient is usually more common, while orientate shows up more often in British usageyet it’s still valid English.

How to use it well

• US formal writing: Prefer orient for a cleaner, more familiar sound.
• International or mixed-audience writing: Either can work; choose consistency.

Example: “The first day helps new hires orientate themselves to the team’s workflow.”

5) Preventative

Why people think it’s wrong

Some insist preventive is the only correct form and preventative is a mistakelike adding an extra Lego brick and claiming the set is “enhanced.”

Why it’s actually right

Dictionaries treat preventive and preventative as equivalent in meaning. The difference is mainly frequency and style: preventive is more common in American edited writing, especially in medicine and public health.

How to use it well

• Healthcare/academic writing: Prefer preventive (it’s the more standard choice).
• General writing: Either is acceptable, but don’t mix them in the same piece.

Example: “Preventative maintenance is cheaper than emergency repairs.”

6) Literally (used for emphasis)

Why people think it’s wrong

“I literally died laughing” makes literal-minded readers want to stage a memorial service for the speaker. The complaint is that literally should mean “not figuratively,” period.

Why it’s actually right

Many dictionaries record a long-established, common use of literally as an intensifierused for emphasis even when the statement isn’t literally true. It’s controversial, but it’s not new, and it’s not imaginary.

How to use it well

• Precision writing: Use literally only when you mean “in a literal sense.”
• Casual tone, humor, personal essays: Intensifier literally can be effectivejust don’t overuse it.
• Tip: If your audience includes strict editors, swap in truly, genuinely, or rewrite the sentence.

Example: “The package literally arrived at the exact second I stopped refreshing the tracking page.”

7) Hopefully (as a sentence adverb)

Why people think it’s wrong

The classic complaint: only a person can be hopeful, so “Hopefully, it won’t rain” is supposedly nonsense. The “correct” version, critics say, is “I hope it won’t rain.”

Why it’s actually right

Style and grammar references recognize hopefully as a sentence adverblike fortunately or sadlythat can modify an entire statement. It’s common, established, and understood.

How to use it well

• Formal writing: Consider clarity. “I hope” can feel more direct.
• General writing: Sentence-adverb hopefully is fine if it won’t distract your audience.

Example: “Hopefully, the meeting will end before my coffee gives up.”

8) Impact (as a verb)

Why people think it’s wrong

Some people believe impact should only be a noun (a collision, an effect) and that using it as a verb is corporate jargon“We’ll impact synergy metrics,” said no human ever while hugging a tree.

Why it’s actually right

Impact has been used as a verb for a long time, and dictionaries recognize it. That said, some usage panels and editors prefer alternatives like affect, influence, or hit, especially in formal writing, because impact can sound vague.

How to use it well

• When you want precision: Choose a more specific verb (e.g., “reduce,” “increase,” “delay,” “harm,” “improve”).
• When you want neutrality: impact works as a broad, noncommittal verbuseful in policy and business contexts.

Example: “Supply chain delays will impact delivery times.”

9) Singular they

Why people think it’s wrong

Many of us were taught that they is strictly plural and that “Someone left their jacket” is incorrect. The old-school “solution” was clunky: “Someone left his or her jacket.” (And then everyone fell asleep mid-sentence.)

Why it’s actually right

Singular they has been used for centuries in English, and it’s widely accepted today in major style guides and dictionariesboth as a gender-neutral pronoun for an unknown person and as the correct pronoun for people who use they/them.

How to use it well

• General reference: “If anyone calls, tell them I’ll call back.”
• Respecting identity: Use the pronouns a person asks you to usefull stop.
• Editing tip: If you’re worried about agreement, rewrite: “All callers should leave a message.”

Example: “A good editor knows when to be quiet and let the writer find their voice.”

10) Nauseous (meaning “feeling sick”)

Why people think it’s wrong

You may have heard: “You’re not nauseous, you’re nauseated. Nauseous means you cause nausea.” In other words, if you’re nauseous, you’re the problem. Rude.

Why it’s actually right

While nauseous can mean “causing nausea,” it also has a long, well-established history of meaning “feeling nauseated.” Modern usage recognizes both senses, and context usually makes the intended meaning obvious.

How to use it well

• If you want maximum clarity: Use nauseated for “I feel sick” and nauseating for “that thing is gross.”
• If you want natural speech: “I feel nauseous” is widely understood.

Example: “That spinning carnival ride made me nauseous in under 12 seconds.”

What writers should take from all this

A word can be “right” in the dictionary and still be a poor choice for your audience. The secret isn’t winning arguments about grammarit’s choosing the word that best fits your situation:

• Audience: Who’s reading, and what do they expect?
• Register: Formal, neutral, or conversational?
• Clarity: Will anyone misunderstandor get distracted by the word itself?
• Consistency: Pick a form and stick with it (preventive vs. preventative, anyway vs. anyways).

Real-World Experiences: Living With “Wrong” Words

If you write for the internet long enough, you learn that the fiercest battles aren’t fought over ideasthey’re fought over single syllables. I’ve had drafts come back with comments like “Delete hopefullyungrammatical” sitting right next to “Make this sound more natural.” Which is like being told, “Please bake a cake, but don’t use flour.”

One time I swapped impact for affect in a report because I wanted the sentence to feel crisp and human. The next reviewer changed it back to impact because “that’s what leadership uses.” In a different project, the reverse happened: I wrote impact and an editor insisted it was corporate fog. Same word, two different rooms, two different rules. That’s when it clicked: a lot of “grammar feedback” is really “brand voice feedback” wearing a tweed jacket.

Then there’s the emotional whiplash of literally. In casual blog writing, it’s a great comedic tool“I literally stared at the fridge like it owed me rent.” Readers get the joke. But in medical or technical content, that same word becomes a liability because readers need literal truth. So I’ll keep it in a personal essay and ban it from anything that might end up in a PDF with a logo.

The most meaningful shift I’ve seen is with singular they. Early on, some editors treated it as a stylistic compromise; now it’s often the cleanest, most respectful option. It also saves timeno one misses the old “he or she” tangle, and your sentences instantly feel less like they’re walking in dress shoes on gravel.

And yes, I’ve watched people argue about anyways as if the fate of civilization depends on that final s. But here’s what actually matters: do readers understand you quickly, accurately, and without friction? If a word turns your sentence into a speed bump, pick a smoother route. If the word adds voice, authenticity, or rhythmand your audience won’t clutch their pearlsuse it. English is a toolbox, not a museum. The goal isn’t to keep every tool pristine. The goal is to build something that works.