What is the most common mistake in English?

Forgetting the -s on third person verbs, as in he go instead of he goes, is one of the most frequent errors. Article mistakes with a, an and the are just as common.

How can I stop making the same English mistakes?

Write down your repeated mistakes, learn the correct version in a full sentence, and practice it out loud. Short daily review works better than long sessions once a week.

Is it OK to make mistakes when speaking English?

Yes. Mistakes are a normal part of learning, and most listeners care more about understanding you than about perfect grammar. Fix errors gradually instead of staying silent.

Are these mistakes the same in British and American English?

Almost all of them are mistakes in both varieties. A few points differ slightly, such as on the weekend in American English and at the weekend in British English, and this guide notes those.

Common Mistakes · A2

25 Common English Mistakes and How to Fix Them

The 25 most common English mistakes learners make, from grammar to word choice, with clear corrections and examples you can use today.

By LearnLingo Team · Updated October 12, 2026 · 7 min read

Quick Answer: The most common English mistakes are a missing third person -s (she work instead of she works), missing articles (I am teacher instead of I am a teacher), confused pairs like say and tell or make and do, and wrong prepositions (married with instead of married to). The fastest fix is to learn each correct form as a full sentence and review it on several separate days.

Key takeaways

He, she and it take -s in the present simple: she works, he doesn't.
A singular countable noun needs a word like a, an, the or my in front: I am a teacher.
Finished time words (yesterday, last week, in 2020) take the past simple, not the present perfect.
Use for with a length of time (for five years) and since with a starting point (since 2019).
Advice, information, news, furniture and luggage are uncountable: no -s and no a.
Tell takes a person (tell me), say does not (say something to me).

The 25 errors below are grouped by type. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form and the rule in one line.

Grammar mistakes

1. Forgetting the third person -s

Wrong: She work in a bank.
Right: She works in a bank.

In the present simple, he, she and it need -s on the verb. See our guide to present simple vs present continuous for more.

2. Using the present simple for actions happening now

Wrong: Please be quiet, the baby sleeps.
Right: Please be quiet, the baby is sleeping.

3. Missing articles

Wrong: I am teacher.
Right: I am a teacher.

Jobs and singular countable nouns need an article. Our full guide to a, an and the explains the rules.

4. Using "the" with general ideas

Wrong: The life is beautiful.
Right: Life is beautiful.

5. Present perfect with a finished time

Wrong: I have seen him yesterday.
Right: I saw him yesterday.

Words like yesterday, last week and in 2020 need the past simple.

6. Double negatives

Wrong: I don't know nothing.
Right: I don't know anything.

7. Wrong question word order

Wrong: Where you are going?
Right: Where are you going?

8. "Since" and "for" confused

Wrong: I have lived here since five years.
Right: I have lived here for five years.

Use for with a length of time and since with a starting point (since 2019).

9. Adjectives ending in -ed and -ing

Wrong: I am very boring in this class.
Right: I am very bored in this class.

Bored describes how you feel. Boring describes the thing that causes it.

10. Plural uncountable nouns

Wrong: Can you give me some advices?
Right: Can you give me some advice?

Advice, information, furniture, luggage and news are uncountable in English.

Word choice mistakes

11. Say vs tell

Wrong: He said me the truth.
Right: He told me the truth.

Tell needs a person after it. Read the full guide on say vs tell.

12. Make vs do

Wrong: I need to make my homework.
Right: I need to do my homework.

13. Borrow vs lend

Wrong: Can you borrow me your pen?
Right: Can you lend me your pen?

14. Fun vs funny

Wrong: The party was very funny. (if you mean enjoyable)
Right: The party was a lot of fun.

Funny means it made you laugh.

15. Actually and eventually

Wrong: Actually, I live in Ankara. (meaning "currently")
Right: Currently, I live in Ankara.

Actually means "in fact". Eventually means "in the end".

16. Lose vs loose

Wrong: Don't loose your keys.
Right: Don't lose your keys.

Loose is an adjective meaning not tight.

17. Its vs it's

Wrong: The dog wagged it's tail.
Right: The dog wagged its tail.

It's always means it is or it has.

18. Then vs than

Wrong: She is taller then me.
Right: She is taller than me.

Preposition mistakes

19. Married with

Wrong: She is married with a doctor.
Right: She is married to a doctor.

20. Depend of

Wrong: It depends of the weather.
Right: It depends on the weather.

21. Arrive to

Wrong: We arrived to London at night.
Right: We arrived in London at night.

Use arrive in for cities and countries, and arrive at for buildings and places like the airport.

22. In the weekend

American English: on the weekend
British English: at the weekend

Both are correct in their variety. In the weekend is not standard.

Everyday expression mistakes

23. "I am agree"

Wrong: I am agree with you.
Right: I agree with you.

Agree is a verb, so it does not need am.

24. "How do you call this?"

Wrong: How do you call this in English?
Right: What do you call this in English?

25. "I have 25 years"

Wrong: I have 25 years.
Right: I am 25 years old.

English uses be for age, not have.

Quick reference table

Mistake	Correction	Rule
He don't like it	He doesn't like it	Third person uses does
I am student	I am a student	Singular jobs need a or an
Explain me	Explain to me	Explain something to someone
Discuss about	Discuss	Discuss takes no preposition
Informations	Information	Uncountable noun
More better	Better	Do not double comparatives

The last three rows are bonus mistakes that teachers hear every day. Explain, discuss and better trip up learners at every level.

Why learners make these mistakes

Most of these errors come from three sources:

Your first language. If your language has no articles, or uses one verb where English uses two (like say and tell), you will naturally transfer that pattern.
Overgeneralizing rules. Learners who know that most plurals take -s will write informations or advices.
Fossilization. A mistake repeated for years becomes automatic. It feels right even when you know the rule.

The cure for all three is the same: notice the mistake, learn the correct sentence as a chunk, and repeat it until it feels natural. A tool like spaced repetition makes this much easier.

Practice quiz

Correct each sentence. Answers are below.

My brother live in Izmir.
Can you explain me this word?
I have been here since three hours.
She is married with an engineer.
I am agree with your idea.
The news are bad today.

Answers:

My brother lives in Izmir.
Can you explain this word to me?
I have been here for three hours.
She is married to an engineer.
I agree with your idea.
The news is bad today.

Start fixing your mistakes today

If you want structured practice that catches these errors before they become habits, start the free LearnLingo course. Sage the Turtle gives you short lessons with instant feedback, so you learn the correct form at the moment you make a mistake.

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