English 
español 
française 
italiano 
deutsche 
日本語 
polski 
česky 
svenska 
Türkçe 
Nederlands 
Correcting the chaos: why "wreck havoc" is a language misstep
Lloyd Cooper 21/10/2024, 07:08English.me team member
What kind of error is it?
Spelling and idiomatic expression error
Why do people make this mistake?
People often confuse "wreck" with "wreak" because they sound somewhat similar and are both associated with destructive actions. The phrase "wreck havoc" seems to make intuitive sense to some, as "wreck" means to cause destruction.
What is correct?
The correct expression is "wreak havoc", where "wreak" means to cause or inflict, particularly in the context of causing chaos or destruction.
Examples of correct usage
- The storm will wreak havoc on the coastal villages.
- Decisions made in haste may wreak havoc on the company's future.
- The virus wreaked havoc across the entire population.
Recommended posts in 
Grammar
Bear with me: the mammoth mistake of "bare in mind"
The words "bare" and "bear" are homophones, meaning they sound ... Learn more →
Worse yet: why "more worse" is the worst
People make this error when they try to add emphasis ... Learn more →
Why 'wreckless' isn't the word for careless driving
People often confuse the word "wreckless" with "reckless". The error ... Learn more →
In case of linguistic emergency: why "incase of" needs a space lift!
People often make this error due to phonetic blending, where ... Learn more →