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After 12 years of teaching English to non-native speakers, I’ve noticed something: the same mistakes come up over and over. A student will say “I’m broken” instead of “I’m tired,” or ask a professor “Is it okay if I don’t come tomorrow?” in the same tone they’d use to ask a friend. These aren’t random errors — they’re predictable patterns that happen when learners either translate directly from their native language or misapply a rule they’ve partially learned. You’ll covers 30 of the most common mistakes I see, organized by type, so you can catch yourself before making them.
The goal isn’t to shame anyone for these slip-ups — they’re a natural part of learning. But if you can recognize them now, you’ll avoid them later and sound far more like a native speaker.
Key Takeaways
- Word-choice mistakes are #1 — choosing the wrong synonym because it “sounds right” or translating literally from your language.
- False cognates trip everyone up — words that look or sound the same in English and another language but mean something different (e.g., “embarrassed” ≠ “pregnant”).
- Register matters — using formal phrases with friends or casual slang in business emails.
- Verb tenses have rules — using present simple where present perfect is needed (“I am here since 2015” → “I’ve been here since 2015”).
- Idioms can’t be translated literally — “It’s raining cats and dogs” doesn’t mean actual animals are falling from the sky.
Category 1: Word-Choice Mistakes
These are the most frequent errors I see. Students choose a real English word, but it’s the wrong word for the context.
Mistake 1: “Broken” vs. “Tired”
✗ Incorrect: “I’m so broken, I can’t work today.”
✓ Correct: “I’m so tired, I can’t work today.” OR “I’m exhausted.”
Why: “Broken” means physically damaged or snapped (a broken chair, a broken leg). It doesn’t describe a person’s fatigue. Students often translate from languages where the word for “tired” can mean “broken.”
Mistake 2: “Hear” vs. “Listen”
✗ Incorrect: “Can you hear me when I’m speaking?”
✓ Correct: “Can you listen to me when I’m speaking?” OR “Can you hear me okay?”
Why: “Hear” is passive (your ears receive sound). “Listen” is active (you pay attention). Use “hear” for whether someone can receive the sound; use “listen” when asking them to pay attention.
Mistake 3: “Shirt” vs. “Jacket”
✗ Incorrect: “I need to put on my shirt because it’s cold.”
✓ Correct: “I need to put on my jacket because it’s cold.” OR “I need to put on a sweater.”
Why: “Shirt” is a lightweight top. “Jacket,” “sweater,” or “coat” are outer layers for warmth. If a shirt is your only layer in winter, you’ll freeze!
Mistake 4: “Advice” vs. “Advise”
✗ Incorrect: “Can you advise me some tips?” OR “My advise is to study hard.”
✓ Correct: “Can you give me some advice?” OR “My advice is to study hard.”
Why: “Advice” is a noun (the thing you’re giving). “Advise” is a verb (the action). Pronunciation differs too: ad-VICE (noun) vs. ad-VISE (verb).
Mistake 5: “Fun” vs. “Funny”
✗ Incorrect: “That movie is very funny — I loved it!”
✓ Correct: “That movie is very fun — I loved it!” (if enjoyable) OR “That movie is very funny — I laughed a lot!” (if humorous).
Why: “Fun” means enjoyable. “Funny” means humorous or causing laughter. A movie can be fun but not funny (action movie) or funny but not fun (cringe comedy).
Mistake 6: “Remember” vs. “Remind”
✗ Incorrect: “Can you remind me that meeting is at 3 pm?” OR “I remembered the keys on the table.”
✓ Correct: “Can you remind me that the meeting is at 3 pm?” OR “I remembered the keys were on the table.” OR “I left my keys on the table and then reminded myself.”
Why: “Remember” is about recalling something yourself. “Remind” is about someone else helping you recall. You can’t “remind yourself” in the sense of self-notification without external prompt.
Category 2: False Cognates & Embarrassing Mistakes
These are words that appear to mean the same thing in English and another language, but they don’t — sometimes with mortifying results.
Mistake 7: “Embarrassed” vs. “Pregnant”
✗ Incorrect: “I’m very embarrassed to be here today.” (in Spanish/Portuguese, “embarazada” = pregnant)
✓ Correct: “I’m a bit shy to be here,” OR “I’m feeling awkward,” OR (if truly pregnant) “I’m pregnant and very tired.”
Why: In Spanish, French, and Portuguese, the word for “pregnant” sounds like English “embarrassed.” Direct translation is a disaster. This is the classic false cognate.
Mistake 8: “Constipated” vs. “Annoyed”
✗ Incorrect: “I’m constipated with this situation.” (in Italian, “costipato” = annoyed, stuffy)
✓ Correct: “I’m frustrated with this situation.” OR “I’m annoyed by this.”
Why: “Constipated” is a medical term about bowel function. Using it to mean “annoyed” is both confusing and crude in English.
Mistake 9: “Actual” vs. “Current”
✗ Incorrect: “My actual job is software engineering.” (in French/German/Spanish, “actual” = current)
✓ Correct: “My current job is software engineering.” OR “Actually, I’m a software engineer.”
Why: In English, “actual” means “real” (as opposed to theoretical). “Current” means “present” or “happening now.” French learners especially mix these up.
Mistake 10: “Sympathize” vs. “Emphasize”
✗ Incorrect: “I want to emphasize with your situation.” (in German/Dutch, “empathie” = sympathy)
✓ Correct: “I want to sympathize with your situation.” OR “I emphasize the importance of this.”
Why: “Sympathize” = share feelings. “Emphasize” = stress or highlight importance. These are completely different concepts.
Category 3: Tense and Grammar Errors
These mistakes happen when learners apply one tense rule where another is needed.
Mistake 11: Present Simple vs. Present Perfect
✗ Incorrect: “I am here since 2015.” OR “How long you live in this city?”
✓ Correct: “I’ve been here since 2015.” OR “How long have you lived in this city?”
Why: Use present perfect (have + past participle) for actions that started in the past and continue to the present. “Since” is a clue word for present perfect.
Mistake 12: Countable vs. Uncountable
✗ Incorrect: “I have many informations to share.” OR “I need some advices.”
✓ Correct: “I have much information to share.” OR “I need some advice.”
Why: “Information,” “advice,” “homework,” and “luggage” are uncountable. Use “much” or “some,” not “many.” Add a counter noun if you need specificity: “pieces of information,” “items of advice.”
Mistake 13: Gerund vs. Infinitive
✗ Incorrect: “I recommend you to study harder.” OR “I enjoy to read books.”
✓ Correct: “I recommend that you study harder.” OR “I recommend studying harder.” OR “I enjoy reading books.”
Why: Some verbs take gerunds (-ing), others take infinitives (to + base verb). “Enjoy” + gerund. “Recommend” + gerund or that-clause, not infinitive.
Mistake 14: Subject-Verb Agreement
✗ Incorrect: “The team are playing well.” (in some languages, teams are plural) OR “Mathematics are difficult.”
✓ Correct: “The team is playing well.” (in American English, team = singular) OR “Mathematics is difficult.”
Why: In American English, collective nouns (team, group, family) take singular verbs. In British English, they can take plural. Subjects like “mathematics” and “physics” are singular despite ending in -s.
Mistake 15: Double Negatives
✗ Incorrect: “I don’t know nothing about that.” OR “I can’t go nowhere.”
✓ Correct: “I don’t know anything about that.” OR “I can’t go anywhere.”
Why: In standard English, two negatives cancel each other and create an unintended positive. Use one negative per clause. (Note: in some dialects, double negatives are standard, but they’re marked as non-standard in formal writing.)
Category 4: Register and Formality Errors
These happen when learners use the right words but in the wrong context — too formal for friends, too casual for bosses.
Mistake 16: “Would you mind ___ing?” Response
✗ Incorrect: “Would you mind helping me?” — “Yes, certainly.”
✓ Correct: “Would you mind helping me?” — “Of course!” OR “Sure!” OR “Not at all.”
Why: “Would you mind?” is asking for permission or a favour. “Yes” seems like yes you mind (i.e., you refuse). Always answer with “No, of course not!” or “Of course!” to confirm you’ll help.
Mistake 17: Formal Phrase with Boss
✗ Incorrect: “Hey boss, what’s up? Let’s grab coffee and chat about the project.”
✓ Correct: “Good morning. Do you have time for a brief meeting about the project?”
Why: Mixing casual slang (“What’s up?”) with someone senior is register mismatch. Keep it professional until you know them well.
Mistake 18: Formal Phrase with Friends
✗ Incorrect: “I shall be returning home at approximately 19:00 hours.”
✓ Correct: “I’ll be home around 7 pm.” OR “I’m heading home soon.”
Why: Overly formal language with friends sounds robotic and creates distance. Learners often do this when nervous or unsure of the right register.
Mistake 19: “Must” vs. “Have to”
✗ Incorrect: “You must come to the office tomorrow.” (sounds like a strict order)
✓ Correct: “You need to come to the office tomorrow.” OR “Please come to the office.”
Why: “Must” sounds like a harsh command. “Have to,” “need to,” or “should” are softer. In American English, “have to” is more common than “must” in everyday speech.
Category 5: Idiom and Phrasal Verb Mistakes
These happen when learners translate idioms word-for-word, creating nonsense.
Mistake 20: Literal Translation of Idioms
✗ Incorrect: “It is raining dogs and cats outside.” OR “That person is very cool — he has ice water in his veins.”
✓ Correct: “It’s raining hard/heavily.” OR “It’s pouring.” OR “That person is very calm and collected.”
Why: Idioms can’t be translated literally. “Raining cats and dogs” means heavy rain, not actual animals. “Ice water in veins” is an idiom for being calm, not a medical condition.
Mistake 21: “Would like to” vs. “Like to”
✗ Incorrect: “I would like you help me.” OR “Do you would like coffee?”
✓ Correct: “I would like you to help me.” OR “Would you like coffee?”
Why: “Would like” takes an infinitive (to + verb) or a noun object. “Like” (without would) describes habits or preferences. Missing the “to” is a common error.
Mistake 22: Phrasal Verb Word Order
✗ Incorrect: “Can you turn up the volume off?” OR “I have to look after my little sister up.”
✓ Correct: “Can you turn the volume up?” OR “I have to look after my little sister.”
Why: With separable phrasal verbs (turn up, turn off, look after), place the object between the verb and particle. “Turn off the light” or “Turn the light off,” but not “Turn light off.”
Mistake 23: Confusing “For” and “During”
✗ Incorrect: “I lived there for three years during I was working.” OR “I was sick during two weeks.”
✓ Correct: “I lived there for three years while I was working.” OR “I was sick for two weeks.”
Why: “For” + duration (for 3 days, for 2 hours). “During” + a period with a name (during summer, during the meeting). “While” is used with clauses.
Category 6: Other Common Slip-ups
Mistake 24: Pronunciation-Spelling Confusion
✗ Incorrect: “I have a present from my girlfriend.” (sounds like “present” as in here)
✓ Correct: “My girlfriend gave me a gift.” OR “I received a gift.”
Why: Homographs (same spelling, different pronunciation) trip up everyone. “Present” (here) ≠ “present” (gift). In speech, context matters.
Mistake 25: Article Errors with Professions
✗ Incorrect: “He is a doctor.” (fine) BUT “She is teacher.” (missing article)
✓ Correct: “She is a teacher.” OR “She teaches.” (if no article, use verb instead)
Why: Professions need an article in English. Learners from languages without articles often omit them.
Mistake 26: “It’s” vs. “Its”
✗ Incorrect: “The cat lost it’s toy.” OR “Its raining today.”
✓ Correct: “The cat lost its toy.” OR “It’s raining today.”
Why: “It’s” = “it is” (contraction). “Its” = possessive. Reverse them and the meaning breaks. Always expand mentally: “The cat lost it is toy” (nonsense) vs. “It is raining” (makes sense).
Sample Dialogue: At a Job Interview
Interviewer: What are your current responsibilities?
Candidate: I am working here since two years, and I responsibility for customer service.
Interviewer: I see. Can you listen to feedback well?
Candidate: Yes, I am very fun to work with and I like to take advice.
Interviewer (thinking): Wait — “since two years” should be “for two years,” “responsibility” should be “I’m responsible,” “listen” should be “take” or just removed, and “fun” should be “easy to get along with.”
What the candidate meant to say: “I’ve been working here for two years and I’m responsible for customer service. Yes, I listen to feedback well. I’m easy to work with and I value advice from my colleagues.”
Quick Fixes: The Most Important Rules
| Error Type | Wrong | Right | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word choice | I’m broken | I’m tired | Choose the right synonym for context |
| Tense | I am here since 2015 | I’ve been here since 2015 | Use present perfect for “since” |
| Article | She is teacher | She is a teacher | Professions need “a” or “an” |
| Register | Hey boss, what’s up? | Good morning | Match formality to audience |
| Phrasal verb | Turn off the volume up | Turn the volume off/up | Object goes between verb and particle |
Common Mistakes Learners Make
✗ Incorrect: “I know him since 10 years.”
✓ Correct: “I’ve known him for 10 years.”
Why: “For” measures duration. “Since” marks a starting point. With “how long,” always use present perfect.
✗ Incorrect: “Can you do me a favour please?”
✓ Correct: “Can you do me a favour, please?”
Why: This is technically correct, but missing punctuation. Add a comma before “please” for clarity in written English.
✗ Incorrect: “I am boring by this lesson.”
✓ Correct: “I am bored by this lesson.” OR “This lesson is boring.”
Why: “Bored” = I feel bored (recipient of the emotion). “Boring” = it causes boredom (the source). Mixing them inverts the meaning.
Quick Quiz: Spot the Mistake
- Which sentence is correct? A) “I am here since 2010.” B) “I have been here since 2010.” C) “I’ve been here for 2010.”
- Fill in the blank: “Can you give me some ______?” A) advice B) advise C) advices
- Which response is correct to “Would you mind helping?”? A) “Yes, certainly.” B) “Of course.” C) “Sure, I don’t mind.”
- True or False: “Its” is a contraction meaning “it is.”
- Which is the right phrasal verb order? A) “Turn off the light.” B) “Turn the light off.” C) Both A and B.
Answers: 1. B (present perfect with “since”). · 2. A (advice is uncountable noun). · 3. B and C (not A — “Yes, certainly” means “Yes, I do mind” which is confusing). · 4. False (“Its” is possessive; “it’s” = contraction). · 5. C (both are correct with separable phrasal verbs).
Related Articles
- Commonly Confused Words in English: 50+ Pairs
- English Phrasal Verbs: 100+ Examples and Uses
- English Idioms: 50+ Expressions Explained
- ↑ Back to pillar: English Vocabulary: Topical Lists
Frequently Asked Questions
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