Sep 03 2008
Lose Irregardless
I just heard someone explain that there is no such word as “irregardless.”
That is wrong. Of course the word exists. People use it all the time. He should have said that it’s an improper word that should not be used under any circumstances, except to make the point that it’s not a proper word, as I’m doing here.
Some writing rules and issues are complex and confusing. This is not one of them. Simply remember this:
The correct word is “regardless.” Never use “irregardless.”
When people say or write “irregardless,” they are saying “in spite of” or “anyway.” But that’s what the proper word “regardless” means. So why tack on an “ir” to the front of it? Doing so not only makes the word incorrect, but also longer.
Whenever I hear irregardless used in conversation, it pours out of a person who is trying to sound smarter than they are. They are usually trying to impress me by constructing what they think is proper english. Needless to say, it backfires.
Similarly, there is a lot of confusion in using inflammable and highly flammable. The latter is more common in the British Commonwealth countries whereas in the USA, the former is in use.