{"id":115897,"date":"2019-03-05T19:24:53","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T18:24:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/?p=115897"},"modified":"2026-06-02T15:26:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T13:26:54","slug":"hypercorrections-when-we-correct-what-isnt-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/hypercorrections-when-we-correct-what-isnt-wrong\/","title":{"rendered":"Hypercorrections: When We Correct What Isn&#8217;t Wrong"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"model-response-message-contentr_8663a3bef823a713\" class=\"markdown markdown-main-panel enable-updated-hr-color\" dir=\"ltr\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-busy=\"false\">\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">Have you ever corrected someone else or yourself because you felt that something was wrong with a word or a sentence, but later it turned out to be correct? Surely you have. What we do in those moments is a perfect example of what we call &#8220;hypercorrection&#8221;: our tendency to correct or modify something that doesn&#8217;t need correction, simply because we believe it is a common or &#8220;ugly&#8221; mistake in the language.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"4\">It&#8217;s as if you had a radar that detects &#8220;errors&#8221; in the language, but sometimes it goes a little crazy and, instead of helping, ends up creating confusion or distortions. In this article, I am going to tell you what hypercorrections are, what types there are, and I will give you examples so you can identify them and avoid falling into them.<\/p>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"5\">What Exactly Is a Hypercorrection?<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"6\">Hypercorrection occurs when someone corrects a word or an expression thinking it is wrong, when in reality it isn&#8217;t. It is an over-correction, which is why it is called &#8220;hyper.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"7\">For example, imagine you hear the Spanish word <i data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"47\">espont\u00e1neo<\/i> (spontaneous) and, because you think the word sounds strange or incomplete, you say <i data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"142\">expont\u00e1neo<\/i>. Even though your intention is good (it seems to you that it sounds more &#8220;correct&#8221; or &#8220;complete&#8221; that way), you are actually creating an error that didn&#8217;t exist before.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">This urge to correct can stem from:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"9,0,0\">The desire to sound more educated or formal.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"9,1,0\">The influence of other words that sound similar.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"9,2,0\">Insecurity about how something should be written or pronounced.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"9,3,0\">Confusion caused by analogies between words.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"10\">In short, hypercorrection is a sincere attempt to improve language, but it ends in a mistake that most native speakers wouldn&#8217;t make.<\/p>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"11\">Types of Hypercorrections<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"12\">Hypercorrections don&#8217;t just happen in pronunciation or spelling; they can affect various parts of language. Here are the main types:<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13\"><b data-path-to-node=\"13\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">1. Grammatical Hypercorrections<\/b><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13\">These occur when we modify a grammatical structure to appear more educated, but we end up using it incorrectly. (For example, using a fancier verb form in a context where it doesn&#8217;t belong simply because it looks more elegant).<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"14\"><b data-path-to-node=\"14\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">2. Morphological Hypercorrections<\/b><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"14\">These happen when we change the form of a word to avoid a supposed error that isn&#8217;t actually real. (For example, adding an extra plural ending because we believe it looks better).<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"15\"><b data-path-to-node=\"15\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">3. Spelling Hypercorrections<\/b><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"15\">These are the most common. Here, we change the spelling of a word because we believe the traditional form is incorrect. (Example: writing <i data-path-to-node=\"15\" data-index-in-node=\"167\">expont\u00e1neo<\/i> instead of <i data-path-to-node=\"15\" data-index-in-node=\"189\">espont\u00e1neo<\/i>).<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"16\"><b data-path-to-node=\"16\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">4. Semantic Hypercorrections<\/b><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"16\">This occurs when we use words that seem more &#8220;educated&#8221; or sophisticated to us, but they don&#8217;t mean what we want to express or are inappropriate for the context. (Example: saying the Spanish word <i data-path-to-node=\"16\" data-index-in-node=\"225\">peculiar<\/i> when we mean <i data-path-to-node=\"16\" data-index-in-node=\"247\">raro<\/i> (weird), even though the word has different nuances).<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"17\"><b data-path-to-node=\"17\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">5. Phonetic Hypercorrections<\/b><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"17\">These happen when we add, remove, or modify sounds in pronunciation to sound more correct. (Such as pronouncing a silent letter or adding an &#8216;s&#8217; to the end of words that shouldn&#8217;t have one).<\/p>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"18\">Practical Examples to Recognize and Avoid Hypercorrections<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"19\">Let&#8217;s look at some very clear Spanish examples that will help you identify hypercorrections and avoid using them:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"20,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Espont\u00e1neo vs. Expont\u00e1neo:<\/b> The correct form is <i data-path-to-node=\"20,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"47\">espont\u00e1neo<\/i>. Saying <i data-path-to-node=\"20,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"66\">expont\u00e1neo<\/i> is a very common mistake, probably because people try to make the word &#8220;more complete&#8221; or because it gets confused with words that start with &#8220;ex-&#8220;. This is a spelling hypercorrection.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"20,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Esc\u00e9ptico vs. Exc\u00e9ptico:<\/b> Something similar happens here: the correct form is <i data-path-to-node=\"20,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"77\">esc\u00e9ptico<\/i> (which means skeptical or distrustful). <i data-path-to-node=\"20,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"127\">Exc\u00e9ptico<\/i> does not exist and is considered incorrect. This hypercorrection can arise from the influence of words like <i data-path-to-node=\"20,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"245\">excepto<\/i> (except) or <i data-path-to-node=\"20,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"265\">excepci\u00f3n<\/i> (exception).<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"20,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Afici\u00f3n vs. Aficci\u00f3n:<\/b> The correct term is <i data-path-to-node=\"20,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"42\">afici\u00f3n<\/i> (passion or hobby). <i data-path-to-node=\"20,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"70\">Aficci\u00f3n<\/i> does not exist and is usually a spelling mistake caused by confusion with words ending in &#8220;-cci\u00f3n&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"20,3,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Titanio vs. Tit\u00e1neo:<\/b> This is a very curious spelling hypercorrection. The correct form is <i data-path-to-node=\"20,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"90\">titanio<\/i> (the metal titanium). <i data-path-to-node=\"20,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"120\">Tit\u00e1neo<\/i> is not correct, even though it might sound grander or more high-sounding.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"20,4,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,4,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Trasplante vs. Transplante:<\/b> The accepted form is <i data-path-to-node=\"20,4,0\" data-index-in-node=\"49\">trasplante<\/i> (an organ or tissue transplant). The form with an &#8216;n&#8217;, <i data-path-to-node=\"20,4,0\" data-index-in-node=\"115\">transplante<\/i>, is incorrect and very common, probably because adding the &#8216;n&#8217; sounds more &#8220;natural&#8221; by analogy with words like <i data-path-to-node=\"20,4,0\" data-index-in-node=\"239\">transportar<\/i> (to transport).<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"20,5,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,5,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Sujeci\u00f3n vs. Sujecci\u00f3n:<\/b> The correct one is <i data-path-to-node=\"20,5,0\" data-index-in-node=\"43\">sujeci\u00f3n<\/i> (the act of fastening or holding). <i data-path-to-node=\"20,5,0\" data-index-in-node=\"87\">Sujecci\u00f3n<\/i> with a double &#8216;c&#8217; is not correct, although it is sometimes written that way due to hypercorrection.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"20,6,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,6,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Trastorno vs. Transtorno:<\/b> The correct form is <i data-path-to-node=\"20,6,0\" data-index-in-node=\"46\">trastorno<\/i> (disorder or problem). <i data-path-to-node=\"20,6,0\" data-index-in-node=\"79\">Transtorno<\/i> does not officially exist and is a common mistake, perhaps influenced by mixing it with words like <i data-path-to-node=\"20,6,0\" data-index-in-node=\"189\">transporte<\/i> or <i data-path-to-node=\"20,6,0\" data-index-in-node=\"203\">transitorio<\/i>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"21\">Why Do Hypercorrections Occur?<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"22\">Now that you know what they are and have seen examples, you might ask yourself: why do we do it? The reason is simple, but it has a lot to do with the psychology of language. Hypercorrections arise from a desire for perfection or correctness, motivated by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"23,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"23,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Fear of making mistakes:<\/b> Many people don&#8217;t want to &#8220;put their foot in it&#8221; and prefer to correct more than necessary.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"23,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"23,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Social pressure:<\/b> The pressure to speak &#8220;correctly&#8221; or to appear educated can lead to correcting things without any foundation.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"23,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"23,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Confusion between similar words:<\/b> Similarity in sound or spelling causes terms to get mixed up.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"23,3,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"23,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Misunderstood rules:<\/b> Sometimes we were taught something wrong or incompletely, and that&#8217;s why we try to &#8220;fix&#8221; something that isn&#8217;t actually wrong.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"24\">In short, hypercorrection is like that friend who wants to help you dress up for a party, but ends up picking a shirt that doesn&#8217;t match the rest of the outfit at all. The intention is good, but the result is not.<\/p>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"25\">Curious and Fun Hypercorrections<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"26\">Hypercorrections don&#8217;t just exist on paper or in grammar; they can also be phonetic and cause comical situations.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"27\">For example, pronouncing the Spanish word <i data-path-to-node=\"27\" data-index-in-node=\"42\">hombre<\/i> (man) with an audible, voiced &#8216;h&#8217; (as if it were &#8220;jombre&#8221;, even though the h is silent), or adding an &#8216;s&#8217; to the end of <i data-path-to-node=\"27\" data-index-in-node=\"169\">caf\u00e9<\/i> and saying <i data-path-to-node=\"27\" data-index-in-node=\"185\">caf\u00e9s<\/i> when you are speaking in the singular. These distortions happen because people are trying to sound &#8220;more correct&#8221; or because they think they are imitating an educated person.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"28\">A very famous Spanish case is the word <i data-path-to-node=\"28\" data-index-in-node=\"39\">ah\u00ed<\/i> (there), which is sometimes pronounced <i data-path-to-node=\"28\" data-index-in-node=\"82\">aj\u00ed<\/i> (chili pepper), probably due to hypercorrection or sound confusion. And even though it sounds funny, it proves that language is alive and constantly changing.<\/p>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"29\">How to Avoid Falling into Hypercorrections?<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"30\">Here are some practical tips to avoid making hypercorrections and to always speak or write well:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"31,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"31,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Consult reliable sources:<\/b> Dictionaries, language academies, or language professionals are a huge help.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"31,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"31,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Don&#8217;t just trust what sounds &#8220;right&#8221;:<\/b> Sometimes our intuition fails us, and it&#8217;s better to double-check.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"31,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"31,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Learn the etymology:<\/b> Understanding where a word comes from helps prevent modifying it without reason.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"31,3,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"31,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Read a lot:<\/b> Exposure to correct texts improves your ear and your eye for the language.<\/li>\n<li data-path-to-node=\"31,4,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"31,4,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Don&#8217;t obsess over sounding &#8220;educated&#8221;:<\/b> The important thing is to communicate well, not to use sophisticated words without knowing their actual meaning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"32\">In Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"33\">The world of hypercorrections is a fascinating example of how language is a living thing that evolves, but it is also full of traps for those of us who speak it.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"34\">The next time you feel the urge to correct someone else or yourself, ask yourself: is it really a mistake, or am I hypercorrecting? Sometimes, less is more.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"35\">And if you enjoyed this journey through &#8220;mistakes that aren&#8217;t mistakes,&#8221; I invite you to keep exploring the richness and magic of the language with us. Because knowing a language deeply is also a way to understand each other better.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever corrected someone else or yourself because you felt that something was wrong with a word or a sentence, but later it turned out to be correct? Surely you have. What we do in those moments is a perfect example of what we call &#8220;hypercorrection&#8221;: our tendency to correct or modify something that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":29273,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[650],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115897"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115897\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}