8 Common English Mistakes You Should Stop Making

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Do you sometimes make small English mistakes that seem correct at first? You are not alone. Many English learners make the same grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, and usage mistakes even when they can communicate well in English.

In this article, we’ll look at 8 common English mistakes and their correct forms, including “today morning” vs. “this morning,” “different” vs. “difference,” “before” vs. “ago,” “loose” vs. “lose,” and “free time.”

Learning these common errors can help you speak English more naturally, write more accurately, and avoid mistakes in everyday conversations.

 

1. “Today Morning” vs. “This Morning”

One common mistake among English learners is saying “today morning.”

Incorrect: Today morning I woke up late.

Correct: This morning I woke up late.

In standard English, we normally use “this morning” when referring to the morning of today.

More examples:

• I went to school this morning.
• She called me this morning.
• What did you do this morning?
• I saw him today morning.

You can use “today” by itself:

• I woke up late today.

But when specifically referring to the morning, “this morning” is the natural expression.

2. “Different” vs. “Difference”

Another frequent English grammar mistake is confusing different and difference.

Incorrect: What's the different?

Correct: What's the difference?

The reason is simple:

• Different is an adjective.
• Difference is a noun.

Compare:

Different describes something:

These two phones are different.

Difference refers to the way things are not the same:

What's the difference between these two phones?

More examples:

• What is the difference between British and American English?
• These two answers are different.
• Can you explain the difference?
• Their opinions are different.

A useful tip is to remember:

• different = adjective
• difference = noun

3. “Before” vs. “Ago”

Many English learners also confuse before and ago.

Incorrect: I met John two years before.

Correct: I met John two years ago.

We commonly use ago to say how long before the present something happened.

Examples:

• I graduated three years ago.
• She moved here six months ago.
• We met ten years ago.
• He called me two hours ago.

However, before is used differently.

For example:

I met John before I graduated.

Here, before introduces another event.

You can also say:

I had seen that movie before.

Easy rule

Use ago when counting backward from now:

two years ago
five minutes ago
three weeks ago

Use before when referring to another event or time:

before I left
before school started
before the meeting

4. “Six Months Course” vs. “Six-Month Course”

This is another common mistake involving numbers and nouns used as adjectives.

Incorrect: This is a six months course.

Correct: This is a six-month course.

When a measurement expression comes before a noun and functions as a compound adjective, the measurement noun normally stays singular.

Examples:

• a six-month course
• a two-year program
• a three-day trip
• a five-minute break
• a ten-page report

Notice that month, year, day, minute, and page are singular.

However, when the expression is not functioning as an adjective, we use the plural:

The course lasts six months.

Compare:

It is a six-month course.
The course lasts six months.

Another example:

I took a three years program.
I took a three-year program.

Learn how to improve your English skills here

5. “I Really Enjoyed” vs. “I Really Enjoyed Myself”

The verb enjoy is commonly used with an object. When you mean that you had a good time, you can say “I enjoyed myself.”

Incorrect: Thank you, I really enjoyed.

Correct: Thank you, I really enjoyed myself.

You can also use enjoy with a direct object:

I really enjoyed the movie.

She enjoyed the party.

We enjoyed the trip.

But when you mean that you personally had a good time, “enjoyed myself” is a natural expression.

Examples:

• I really enjoyed myself at the party.
• We enjoyed ourselves during the trip.
• She enjoyed herself at the concert.

Remember the reflexive forms:

I------> myself
you---> yourself
he-----> himself
she----> herself
we-------> ourselves
they-----> themselves

6. “Loose” vs. “Lose”

Loose and lose are two different English words that are often confused because their spelling is similar.

Lose

Lose means to no longer have something, fail to win, or be unable to find something.

Did you lose your cell phone?

Don't lose your keys.

Our team might lose the match.

Loose

Loose usually means not tight or not firmly attached.

My shirt is too loose.

This tooth feels loose.

The screw is loose.

Easy way to remember

Lose = misplace / not win

Loose = not tight

So:

Did you loose your phone?

Did you lose your phone?

This is both a spelling mistake and a vocabulary mistake, so learning the difference is important.

7. How to pronounce “Academic”

The word academic is another word that English learners sometimes pronounce incorrectly.

The word is:

academic

Its main stress falls on the middle syllable:

aca-DEM-ic

The stressed syllable is DEM.

Examples:

• She has an excellent academic record.
• Academic success requires consistent effort.
• He is interested in academic research.
• The university offers several academic programs.

When learning English pronunciation, don't focus only on individual sounds. Word stress is also important because incorrect stress can make a familiar word difficult for listeners to understand.

8. “Free Time” vs. “A Free Time”

The word time can be countable or uncountable depending on how it is used.

When we mean time available for relaxation or activities, we normally use free time without “a.”

Incorrect: Yes, I have a free time.

Correct: Yes, I have free time.

Examples:

• I don't have much free time.
• What do you do in your free time?
• I usually read books in my free time.
• She spends her free time learning English.

However, time can be countable when referring to occasions:

I have visited Kigali three times.

This is the first time I've been here.

So, the important point is that “free time” is an uncountable expression when referring to available time.

Quick summary of the common English mistakes

Common mistake	Correct form
Today morning	This morning
What's the different?	What's the difference?
Two years before	Two years ago
A six months course	A six-month course
I really enjoyed	I really enjoyed myself
Did you loose your phone?	Did you lose your phone?
Wrong stress in academic	aca-DEM-ic
I have a free time	I have free time

Why learning common English errors matters

Making occasional mistakes is a normal part of learning English. However, identifying common English mistakes can help you improve faster because you can recognize errors before they become habits.

Pay particular attention to mistakes involving:

• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Spelling
• Pronunciation
• Countable and uncountable nouns
• Prepositions and time expressions
• Word forms

The goal is not to speak perfect English immediately. Instead, focus on learning from your mistakes and gradually making your English clearer, more natural, and more accurate.

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