Correct Synonym List: Fix It, or Get It Right

Verb or adjective first

Try this test. If you can put please or will in front of it, it is the verb: please correct the date. If it describes a noun or follows is, it is the adjective: the correct date, the date is correct. The verb swaps with fixing words; the adjective swaps with accuracy words. Mixing them gives sentences like the answer is rectify, which no reader will accept.

Correct synonym table for the verb

The color strip follows the same order from casual to formal: fix, adjust, revise, amend, rectify.

Adjective swaps and their shades

Right is the everyday choice. Accurate stresses careful facts or numbers. Exact and precise add detail: the exact amount, a precise measurement. Valid means logically sound or officially accepted, as in a valid ticket. Spot on is informal and chiefly British. For the etiquette sense, proper and appropriate fit dress codes and behavior, while seemly sounds old-fashioned.

Real swaps at school and work

• Please correct the invoice becomes please amend the invoice.
• We will correct the problem today becomes we will rectify the problem today in a client email.
• The teacher corrected our tests becomes the teacher marked our tests or graded our tests.
• Is this the correct address becomes is this the right address.
• Your figures are correct becomes your figures are accurate.
• Correct behavior at a funeral becomes appropriate behavior at a funeral.

Corrected, correction and correctly

For corrected, try fixed, amended or revised: the revised schedule. For correcting, try fixing, editing or proofreading. The noun correction swaps with amendment, revision, fix or, in a newspaper, erratum. The adverb correctly becomes accurately, properly or right in speech: you spelled it right.

Swaps that miss the mark

Improve raises quality without implying it was wrong; you can improve a good essay. Update brings something up to date, so old but accurate data is updated, not corrected. Punish goes beyond correcting a person; it adds a penalty. Perfect as an adjective claims no flaws at all, which is stronger than correct.

Opposites for both uses

The adjective has clear antonyms: wrong, incorrect, inaccurate, mistaken, false and, for manners, improper. The verb is harder; the closest opposites are worsen, spoil or introduce an error. The edit worsened the layout. That data is inaccurate. Learn more from the mistake synonyms page.