Previous for Previously.  “The man died previous to receipt of the letter.”

Prior to for Before.  Stilted.

Propose for Purpose, or Intend.  “I propose to go to Europe.”  A mere intention is not a proposal.

Proposition for Proposal.  “He made a proposition.”  In current slang almost anything is a proposition.  A difficult enterprise is “a tough proposition,” an agile wrestler, “a slippery proposition,” and so forth.

Proportions for Dimensions.  “A rock of vast proportions.”  Proportions relate to form; dimensions to magnitude.

Proven for Proved.  Good Scotch, but bad English.

Proverbial for Familiar.  “The proverbial dog in the manger.”  The animal is not “proverbial” for it is not mentioned in a proverb, but in a fable.

Quit for Cease, Stop.  “Jones promises to quit drinking.”  In another sense, too, the word is commonly misused, as, “He has quit the town.”  Say, quitted.

Quite.  “She is quite charming.”  If it is meant that she is entirely charming this is right, but usually the meaning intended to be conveyed is less than that—­that she is rather, or somewhat, charming.

Raise for Bring up, Grow, Breed, etc.  In this country a word-of-all-work:  “raise children,” “raise wheat,” “raise cattle.”  Children are brought up, grain, hay and vegetables are grown, animals and poultry are bred.

Real for Really, or Very.  “It is real good of him.”  “The weather was real cold.”

Realize for Conceive, or Comprehend.  “I could not realize the situation.”  Writers caring for precision use this word in the sense of to make real, not to make seem real.  A dream seems real, but is actually realized when made to come true.

Recollect for Remember.  To remember is to have in memory; to recollect is to recall what has escaped from memory.  We remember automatically; in recollecting we make a conscious effort.

Redeem for Retrieve.  “He redeemed his good name.”  Redemption (Latin redemptio, from re and dimere) is allied to ransom, and carries the sense of buying back; whereas to retrieve is merely to recover what was lost.

Redound for Conduce.  “A man’s honesty redounds to his advantage.”  We make a better use of the word if we say of one (for example) who has squandered a fortune, that its loss redounds to his advantage, for the word denotes a fluctuation, as from seeming evil to actual good; as villification may direct attention to one’s excellent character.

Refused.  “He was refused a crown.”  It is the crown that was refused to him.  See Given.

Regular for Natural, or Customary.  “Flattery of the people is the demagogue’s regular means to political preferment.”  Regular properly relates to a rule (regula) more definite than the law of antecedent and consequent.