English 
español 
française 
italiano 
deutsche 
日本語 
polski 
česky 
svenska 
Türkçe 
Nederlands 
Why "wet my appetite" doesn't hold water
Lloyd Cooper 24/10/2024, 06:05English.me team member
What kind of error is it?
This is an idiomatic error resulting from a homophonic mix-up.
Why do people make this mistake?
People often confuse "wet" with "whet" due to their similar pronunciation, leading to the incorrect usage in the phrase "wet my appetite".
What is correct?
The correct phrase is "whet my appetite", where "whet" means to sharpen or stimulate.
Examples of correct usage
- The aroma of the baking bread served to whet my appetite.
- The appetizer was designed to whet the guests" appetites before the main course.
- Reading the book's introduction whetted my appetite for more of the author's work.
Recommended posts in 
Grammar
Loathe the error: why "to loath" doesn't work
People often mistakenly drop the "e" in "loathe", confusing it ... Learn more →
Why "each criteria" needs its own singular story
The confusion typically arises because people don't recognize "criteria" as ... Learn more →
Why "sneak peak" doesn't quite hit the summit
People often make this error because "peak" and "peek" are ... Learn more →
Why "faired poorly" fares poorly: an error explained
The error occurs because "faired" is a homophone of "fared". ... Learn more →