Even strong writing can be undermined by small mistakes. These commonly misused words and phrases creep in everywhere and tarnish credibility and impact.
Could Have/Should Have
The proper phrase is “could have” or “should have”, and the contraction is “could’ve”. In patterns of speech in American English, both the phrase and the contraction sound like “could of” or “should of” when pronounced (and that’s likely why this confusion started in the first place) but they’re incorrect.
Couldn’t Care Less
If you could care less, that means you actually are capable of caring less, which isn’t what you’re going for when you’re driven to use this phrase. If the truth is that you can’t imagine caring any less than you do about something, the proper phrase is “couldn’t care less.”
Supposedly
Not “supposably”. Ever.
Enamoured of
This one isn’t nearly as common, and I confess it’s a bit nitpicky, as the incorrect version is pretty widely accepted now. The correct phrase is actually “enamoured of”, not “enamoured by”. “Enamoured with” is okay, but not preferred. If you’re “enamoured by” Jason Momoa, that actually means he’s all smitten with you, you lucky dog.
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