Revised as of
9 Jan 2023
It’s a wonder, I’m thinking, as I wander down this path of wander versus wonder, how easy it is to confuse an a for an o and end up with a misspelled word.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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Wander | Wonder |
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Part of Grammar: | |
Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive
Plural for the noun: wanders Third person present verb: wanders |
Adjective; Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive Plural for the noun: wonders Third person present verb: wonders |
Noun: An act or instance of wandering [Mechanics] The drift of a gyroscope or a similar device Verb, intransitive:
To extend in an irregular course or direction To move, pass, or turn idly, as the hand or the eyes [Of the mind, thoughts, desires, etc.] To take one direction or another without conscious intent or control To stray from a path, place, companions, etc. To deviate in conduct, belief, etc.
Verb, transitive: |
Adjective: Remarkable or extraordinary, especially in being beneficial Noun:
Verb, intransitive:
Feel admiration and amazement
Verb, transitive:
To feel wonder at |
Examples: | |
Noun: She’d go on wanders like that in her nightgown. Let’s go for a wander round the shops. She only goes for a wander when she’s upset. “Transport wander may also occur when a gyroscope is transported from one point on the Earth to another” (Apparent). Verb, intransitive: Please don’t wander off again. His attention had wandered from the lecture. The car wandered from side to side, leaving me wonder if the driver was drunk. Helen didn’t know how to tell her sister that her husband wandered. The foothills wandered off to the south. Let me not wander from Thy Commandments. During the storm the ship wandered from its course. Verb, transitive: Derrick wandered down the path. Stevie had a wandering eye, in more ways than one. |
Adjective: Scientists consider quinoa a wonder grain. Polyester was a wonder fabric when it first came out. Trigger was one of the wonder horses in Hollywood. Noun: Athens was a place of wonder and beauty. The electric trolley car was looked upon as the wonder of the age. Penicillin was and still is a wonder drug. It is a wonder that losses were not much greater. Verb, intransitive: I can’t help wondering how Stasia and Katie are feeling. I wonder whether you have thought more about it? Patsy had wondered about such a marriage. People stood by and wondered at such bravery. I looked up at the Eiffel Tower with a wondering look on my face. If I feel compassion for her, it is not to be wondered at. Verb, transitive: I wonder that you went. I wondered what kind of costume she would wear. I wondered why I said that. |
Derivatives: | |
Noun: wanderer, wanderings, Wanderjahr, wanderlust Verb, transitive: outwander |
Adjective: wonderless Adverb: wonderingly Noun: wonderer |
History of the Word: | |
Old English wandrian is related to wend and wind. | Old English wundor (noun), wundrian (verb), is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch wonder and the German Wunder. It is of unknown ultimate origin. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Wander versus Wonder
“Apparent Wander of a Gyroscope.” Sphaera Training Systems. <https://www.sphaera.co.uk/apparent_wander.htm>.
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: wander, wonder
The Free Dictionary: wander, wonder
Merriam-Webster: wonder
Pinterest Photo Credits:
American Falls From Goat Island, Niagara Falls, New York, by the Detroit Publishing Company is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.