It isn't very high on my list of annoyances, but I was reading an article by somoene who doesn't know the difference between loath and loathe.
They look similar. They sound similar. But the meaning is as different as disinterested is from uninterested.
Loathe is a verb, a bit stronger than hate. I loathe boiled carrots.
Loath is an adjective, meaning "unwilling". I am loath to go out in the rain.
Loth is an alternative spelling of loath.
So now you know why, at that point in the article, I was loath to read on.
You can see the same thing with:
bath and bathe
breath and breathe
cloth and clothe
Actually, Alan, do you not think it could be a simple typo? Mind you I am always amused when journalists get the disinterested / uninterested meanings wrong, English is such a difficult language, perhaps we should make it simples especially as more people are going to be speaking it nowadays.
ReplyDeleteYes, it could be a typo. But it's a mistake that a lot of people make.
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