Have you ever used a word, and found out, to your horror, it doesn’t remotely mean what you intended? Here are a few words that just might fit in that list.
[found on buzzfeed.com; by Patrick Smith]
“INFER or IMPLY
What you think: They mean the same thing.
What they actually mean: To infer is to form an opinion based on evidence and reasoning. The listener infers. To imply is to express something in an indirect way without saying it plainly. The speaker implies.
FACTOID
What you think it means: A fun fact of little consequence.
What it actually means: A fun fact that is not true.
INVARIABLY
What you think it means: When something doesn’t happen very often.
What it actually means: Something that’s unchanging and constant, e.g., “The football season invariably starts in August.”
PALATE or PALETTE or PALLET
What you think they mean: The same thing.
What they actually mean: The palate is the roof of the mouth and also a person’s ability to discern different flavours, while a palette is what an artist uses to mix paints.
Neither are to be confused with pallet, which is a wooden platform used to stack things.”
Editing Addict, LLC 