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Thought bubbles with text overlay – Personal v Personnel – Your guide to confusing words

Confusing word choices

Personal v personnel
Thought bubbles with text overlay – Personal v Personnel – Your guide to confusing words

Stumped on yet another confusing word choice?

Whether you’re a blogger, entrepreneur or simply write for work, producing your best written communication is vital to getting your message across – and to your professional credibility.

Typos are one thing, but using the wrong word in the wrong context? There’s a chance your reader will think twice about engaging with you. We’re all human and make mistakes, but you’ve undermined your credibility – which in your readers’ eyes can equate to ‘not capable of getting a professional job done’.

To avoid further confusion, I’ve compiled a list of the confusing words I most often see written in the wrong context. Download it, and keep it handy when you’re writing.

Thought bubbles with text overlay – Writing tip – PERSONAL v PERSONNEL – Your guide to confusing words + free cheat sheet

Today we’re looking at…

Orange borders on white with orange text overlay – Personal v Personnel – Your guide to confusing words

Personal

Adjective. Private or individual.

  • The woman’s personal belongings were among the items stolen from the office.

Personnel

Noun. People employed in an organisation or business.

  • All personnel were to report to the commanding officer prior to boarding the ship.
  • The receptionist accidentally sent the CEO’s personal email to all personnel.

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

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