en English es español fr française it italiano de deutsche ja 日本語 pl polski cs česky sv svenska tr Türkçe nl Nederlands

Why "faired poorly" fares poorly: an error explained

Reviewed and edited by Lloyd Cooper 30/09/2024, 19:17
English.me team member

What kind of error is it?

Faired poorly or fared poorly. What's correct?

Spelling error

Why do people make this mistake?

The error occurs because "faired" is a homophone of "fared". People often confuse homophones, as they sound identical but have different meanings and spellings. In this case, "faired" is a form of the word "fair", which means light in color or equitable, whereas "fared" is the correct past tense of "fare", meaning to perform or get along.

What is correct?

The correct term is "fared poorly", using "fared" as the past tense of "fare".

Examples of correct usage

  • She fared poorly on the exam because she didn't study.
  • The athlete fared poorly in the competition due to an injury.
  • During the storm, the town fared poorly, suffering significant damage.

Recommended posts in Grammar

Why "split in to" doesn’t quite fit the bill

Why "split in to" doesn’t quite fit the bill

People often make this error because "into" is a preposition ... Learn more →

Why "could of" is a language blunder you shouldn't make

Why "could of" is a language blunder you shouldn't make

People often make this error due to mishearing or misinterpreting ... Learn more →

Why "de factor" is a factor of error

Why "de factor" is a factor of error

The phrase "de factor" is a misspelling of the Latin ... Learn more →

Why "must of" is a common mistake you must avoid

Why "must of" is a common mistake you must avoid

People make this error because "must of" is a phonetic ... Learn more →