Perpetually for Continually.  “The child is perpetually asking questions.”  What is done perpetually is done continually and forever.

Phenomenal for Extraordinary, or Surprising.  Everything that occurs is phenomenal, for all that we know about is phenomena, appearances.  Of realities, noumena, we are ignorant.

Plead (pronounced “pled”) for Pleaded.  “He plead guilty.”

Plenty for Plentiful.  “Fish and fowl were plenty.”

Poetess.  A foolish word, like “authoress.”

Poetry for Verse.  Not all verse is poetry; not all poetry is verse.  Few persons can know, or hope to know, the one from the other, but he who has the humility to doubt (if such a one there be) should say verse if the composition is metrical.

Point Blank.  “He fired at him point blank.”  This usually is intended to mean directly, or at short range.  But point blank means the point at which the line of sight is crossed downward by the trajectory—­the curve described by the missile.

Poisonous for Venomous.  Hemlock is poisonous, but a rattlesnake is venomous.

Politics.  The word is not plural because it happens to end with s.

Possess for Have.  “To possess knowledge is to possess power.”  Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.

Practically for Virtually.  This error is very common.  “It is practically conceded.”  “The decision was practically unanimous.”  “The panther and the cougar are practically the same animal.”  These and similar misapplications of the word are virtually without excuse.

Predicate for Found, or Base.  “I predicate my argument on universal experience.”  What is predicated of something is affirmed as an attribute of it, as omnipotence is predicated of the Deity.

Prejudice for Prepossession.  Literally, a prejudice is merely a prejudgment—­a decision before evidence—­and may be favorable or unfavorable, but it is so much more frequently used in the latter sense than in the former that clarity is better got by the other word for reasonless approval.

Preparedness for Readiness.  An awkward and needless word much used in discussion of national armaments, as, “Our preparedness for war.”

Preside.  “Professor Swackenhauer presided at the piano.”  “The deviled crab table was presided over by Mrs. Dooley.”  How would this sound?  “The ginger pop stand was under the administration of President Woolwit, and Professor Sooffle presided at the flute.”

Pretend for Profess.  “I do not pretend to be infallible.”  Of course not; one does not care to confess oneself a pretender.  To pretend is to try to deceive; one may profess quite honestly.

Preventative for Preventive.  No such word as preventative.