Word conundrums – especially ones that sound or look similar – constantly rear their ugly heads when we’re writing. There’s nothing worse than re-reading a sent email or a published report to find a glaring mistake. Not a simple typo but a ‘confusable’. Let’s look at the difference between ITS and IT’S.

To avoid getting other confusing words wrong, I’ve compiled a list of the words I most often see written in the wrong context.

Download your cheat sheet, and keep it handy when you’re writing.

First, be assured its’ is not a word – and should never be used.

The other two? A little confusing – especially when you so often see them used incorrectly. Here’s the explanation.

Its

In most cases, apostrophes indicate ownership – possession. However its is a rare exception. Its is the possessive form of it.

• The CEO resigned as soon as the company lost its main investor.

It’s

The only time an apostrophe should appear is to signify a contraction (abbreviation) of it is or it has.

• It’s been a week since we met, so it’s time to follow up with a phone call.

Tip: To check you’ve used the correct word, spell any abbreviated words out in full. You’ll know immediately if you’ve got it wrong, eg:

Incorrect

• The CEO resigned as soon as the company lost it’s main investor.
• The CEO resigned as soon as the company lost it is main investor.

Download the entire list of ‘confusable’ solutions.
Keep it handy and be confident whenever you face a word conundrum.

Questions? Thoughts? Leave a comment below.

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