Commonly misused/misspelled words and phrases (part 22)

Here are some more commonly confused words:

Auger vs. augur

Wrong: That doesn’t auger well for him.
Right: That doesn’t augur well for him.

An auger is a device for boring holes, something like a drill bit, while augur means bode or portend. If your auger breaks, that doesn’t augur well for completing your drilling on time.

Site vs. sight vs. cite

Wrong: Check out my web sight.
Right: Check out my web site.

A site is a location. (“This is the site of our upcoming restaurant.”) A sight is a vision or a glimpse of something. (“She was quite a sight in that dress.”) Cite isn’t even a noun, it’s a verb. It means to quote as an authority (“Cite your sources.”), to commend for outstanding service (“He was cited for bravery.”) or to summon to court (“She was cited for speeding.”).

More next time.

Mark.