Monday, August 18, 2014

Frequently Misused and Misspelled Words and Phrases, part 93

From my upcoming book, Frequently Misused and Misspelled Words and Phrases (and how to use them correctly).

People vs. Peoples vs. Persons

Wrong: The many people of Africa offer diverse cultures.
Right: The many peoples of Africa offer diverse cultures.

Wrong: The incredibly huge number of peoples in India leads to economic hardship and health problems.
Right: The incredibly huge number of people in India leads to economic hardship and health problems.

Wrong: We’re hunting for three specific people who escaped from jail.
Right: We’re hunting for three specific persons who escaped from jail.

The word people refers to a group of human beings in a general sense. But a people is used for a body of people sharing a similar culture. When discussing multiple such bodies of people, use peoples. Persons is a plural of person, naturally, and refers to particular individuals, even if unidentified (as in “person or persons unknown”).

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