List of English words with disputed usage

Some English words are often used in ways that are contentious among writers on usage and prescriptive commentators. The contentious usages are especially common in spoken English, and academic linguists point out that they are accepted by many listeners. While in some circles the usages below may make the speaker sound uneducated or illiterate, in other circles the more standard or more traditional usage may make the speaker sound stilted or pretentious.

For a list of disputes more complicated than the usage of a single word or phrase, see English usage controversies.

{| class="wikitable" |+ Abbreviations of dictionaries cited !Abbrev. || Dictionary || Further details |- | AHD4 || The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language || 4th Edition |- | AHD5 || The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language || 5th Edition, 2013, online |- | CHAMBERS || Chambers 21st Century Dictionary || 2006 |- | COD11 || Concise Oxford English Dictionary || 11th Edition |- | COED || Compact Oxford English Dictionary || Lexico |- | ENCARTA || Encarta World English Dictionary || online |- | FOWLER || The New Fowler's Modern English Usage || Revised 3rd Edition (1998) |- | MAU || Garner's Modern American Usage || 3rd Edition (2009) |- | M-W || Merriam-Webster || online |- | OED || Oxford English Dictionary || online |- | RH || Random House Unabridged Dictionary || 2006; on Dictionary.com |- |}

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