I was surprised how often this word confusion undo vs undue, a homophone, has recently been throwing itself in my face. It sure gives me a slight giggle (followed by a sigh) when I read the various sentences.
I mean, “with undo vigilance” has a different meaning from “with undue vigilance”.
The first is to cancel the vigilance while the latter is to exceed (or improper or illegal) that vigilance.
Sounds like opposites to me.
Well, there’s also that ticklish grammar issue in that undo is a noun and a verb while undue is strictly an adjective.
Exploring Later . . .
You may want to explore “Dew vs Do vs Due“, “Do versus Make“, “Does vs Doughs vs Doze“, and/or “Dos, Do’s versus Dues“.
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.
If you found this post on “Undo versus Undue” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.
| Undo | Undue |
|---|---|
 — |
 — |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive
Plural for the noun: undos Third person present verb: undoes |
Adjective |
| Noun: [Computing] A feature of a computer program that allows a user to cancel or reverse the last one or more commands executed Verb, intransitive:
Verb, transitive: To cancel or reverse the effects or results of (a previous action or measure) To open (a parcel)
[Formal] To cause the downfall or ruin of
To seduce [Obsolete] To explain or solve |
Adjective: Unwarranted or inappropriate because excessive or disproportionate Exceeding what is appropriate or normal Not just Not proper Not legal Not owed or currently payable |
| Examples: | |
| Noun: Use the undo command. Performing an undo can restore the previous command. “With the possibility of undo, users can explore and work without fear of making mistakes, because they can easily be undone” (Undo). It proved his undoing. Verb, intransitive: “But, fittingly, such simplistic thinking is undone by this engrossing exhibition” (Knight). “Still more to undo; and Mrs. Coulter was hauling herself up with shaking hands” (Pullman). Verb, transitive: There wasn’t any way Evelyn could undo the damage. impossible to undo the suffering caused by the war. You can frequently undo the error if you notice it in time. Iago’s hatred of women undoes him. I managed to undo a corner of the parcel. It would be difficult to undo the damage that had been done. The Taliban will seek to undo the progress of women in Afghanistan. “Hence it follows that those things he does one day he undoes the next, and no one ever understands what he wishes or intends to do, and no one can rely on his resolutions” (Machiavelli). In the end, his lies undid him. He was undone by greed. Murder once done cannot be undone. |
Adjective: This figure did not give rise to undue concern. Undue influence was used to coerce the witness. Can we prove the use of undue force? “I was grateful, without showing undue excitement” (Mansfield) That debt is yet undue. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: undoable, undone Noun: undoer, undoing |
Adverb: unduly |
| History of the Word: | |
| Old English undōn meaning un (deprivation, separation, or reduction) + do (perform). | First recorded in 1350–1400 from the Middle English undewe meaning un (not) + deu (to owe). |
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, Building Your Website, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Marketing Help & Resources, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, and/or Writing Ideas and Resources.
Resources for Undo versus Undue
Some of these links may be affiliate links, and I will earn a small percentage, if you should buy it. It does not affect the price you pay.
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: undo
Knight, Christopher. “Art Review: ‘Siqueiros: Landscape Painter’ at Museum of Latin American Art and ‘Siqueiros in L.A.: Censorship Defied’ at Autry National Center.” Los Angeles Times. 12 Oct 2010. Accessed 23 Jan 2025. <https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/culture-monster-blog/story/2010-10-12/art-review-siqueiros-landscape-painter-at-museum-of-latin-american-art-and-siqueiros-in-l-a-censorship-defied-at-autry-national-center>. Article.
Machiavelli, Niccoló. The Prince. WK Marriott (trans). Originally published 1532. Project Gutenberg. <https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1232/1232-h/1232-h.htm>. Ebook.
Mansfield, Katherine. In a German Pension. Originally published London: Stephen Swift, 1911. Project Gutenberg. <https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1472/1472-h/1472-h.htm>. Ebook.
Merriam-Webster: undo
Pullman, Philip. The Amber Spyglass. Originally published 2000. Laurel Leaf, 2003. <https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18122.The_Amber_Spyglass>. Print.
“Undo.” Wikipedia. 26 July 2024. Accessed 23 Jan 2025. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undo>. Article.
Pinterest Photo Credits
Last Will and Testament by Nick Youngson is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Pix4free.
