100 Common English Mistakes Singaporeans Make You Must Know

Singaporean English, or "Singlish," is a vibrant and efficient creole that acts as a social glue in our multicultural society. However, in professional and academic settings, Standard English is the currency of success. Mixing the two can lead to misunderstandings with international clients, lower grades in exams, and a perception of unprofessionalism.

The challenge for many Singaporeans is not a lack of vocabulary, but "mother tongue interference" and the habitual use of direct translation from Chinese (Mandarin/Dialects) or Malay. As Singapore's workforce becomes even more global, the ability to code-switch seamlessly between casual Singlish and polished Standard English is a vital skill. This guide compiles the 100 most common errors, categorizes them for easy learning, and provides the "Standard English" corrections you need to know.

Section 1: The "Can" and "Got" Syndrome (Verbs & Existence)

The misuse of "can" and "got" is the hallmark of Singlish grammar.

1. Mistake: "Can or not?"
   • Correction: "Is it possible?" / "Can we do this?"
2. Mistake: "I got go there yesterday."
   • Correction: "I went there yesterday." (Avoid using 'got' as a past tense marker).
3. Mistake: "Got people calling you."
   • Correction: "There is someone calling you." (Avoid using 'got' to mean 'there is/are').
4. Mistake: "He surely can one."
   • Correction: "He can surely do it." / "He is definitely capable."
5. Mistake: "You eat already or not?"
   • Correction: "Have you eaten?"
6. Mistake: "Can send me the file?"
   • Correction: "Could you please send me the file?" (Subject 'You' is missing).
7. Mistake: "I cannot tahan."
   • Correction: "I cannot tolerate it." / "I can't stand it."
8. Mistake: "Why you never come?"
   • Correction: "Why didn't you come?" ('Never' implies 'not ever', not just a single instance).
9. Mistake: "He is like that one."
   • Correction: "That is just how he is."
10. Mistake: "Last time I stay Bedok."
    • Correction: "I used to live in Bedok." ('Last time' means a specific previous occasion, not 'in the past').

Section 2: Preposition Problems (In, On, At, To)

Direct translation often leads to the wrong preposition.

11. Mistake: "Discussion on the meeting."
    • Correction: "Discussion during the meeting" or "Discussion about the project."
12. Mistake: "Voice out your opinion."
    • Correction: "Voice your opinion." ('Out' is redundant).
13. Mistake: "List out the points."
    • Correction: "List the points."
14. Mistake: "Stress on this point."
    • Correction: "Stress this point." / "Emphasize this point."
15. Mistake: "Consider about it."
    • Correction: "Consider it."
16. Mistake: "Discuss about the matter."
    • Correction: "Discuss the matter."
17. Mistake: "Return back the book."
    • Correction: "Return the book." ('Return' already implies 'back').
18. Mistake: "Revert back to me."
    • Correction: "Revert to me" (Formal) or "Reply to me."
19. Mistake: "Repeat again."
    • Correction: "Repeat."
20. Mistake: "Share with you." (Used when giving info).
    • Correction: "Share something with you." (e.g., "I'd like to share a story with you.")
21. Mistake: "Spend time at there."
    • Correction: "Spend time there."
22. Mistake: "Go house."
    • Correction: "Go home."
23. Mistake: "Wait for me at the downstairs."
    • Correction: "Wait for me downstairs."
24. Mistake: "Put the paper on the table." (When putting it into a drawer).
    • Correction: "Put the paper in the drawer."
25. Mistake: "Calling to you."
    • Correction: "Calling you."

Section 3: Vocabulary Mix-ups (False Friends)

Words that sound right but mean something else.

26. Mistake: "Please off the light."
    • Correction: "Please turn off the light." ('Off' is not a verb).
27. Mistake: "Please on the fan."
    • Correction: "Please turn on the fan."
28. Mistake: "Open the light." (Direct Chinese translation).
    • Correction: "Turn on the light."
29. Mistake: "Close the light."
    • Correction: "Turn off the light."
30. Mistake: "Spoilt." (For food). "The milk is spoilt."
    • Correction: "The milk has gone bad" or "The milk is sour." ('Spoilt' is usually for children or mechanical things).
31. Mistake: "Keep the file." (Meaning 'put away').
    • Correction: "Put away the file." ('Keep' means to retain possession).
32. Mistake: "Fetch." (Meaning 'send'). "I fetch you to the airport."
    • Correction: "I will take/drive/send you to the airport." ('Fetch' means go and get, then bring back).
33. Mistake: "Send." (Meaning 'take'). "I send my daughter to school."
    • Correction: "I take my daughter to school." (Acceptable, but 'take' is more precise).
34. Mistake: "Follow." (Meaning 'come with'). "Can I follow you?"
    • Correction: "Can I come with you?"
35. Mistake: "Stay." (Meaning 'live'). "Where do you stay?"
    • Correction: "Where do you live?" ('Stay' implies temporary, like a hotel).
36. Mistake: "Alphabet." (Meaning 'letter'). "Fill in the alphabets."
    • Correction: "Fill in the letters." (The 'alphabet' is the whole set A-Z).
37. Mistake: "Scold." (Meaning 'reprimand'). "My boss scolded me."
    • Correction: "My boss reprimanded/told me off." ('Scold' sounds childish).
38. Mistake: "Pain." (As an adjective). "My leg is pain."
    • Correction: "My leg is painful" or "My leg hurts."
39. Mistake: "Giddy." (Meaning 'dizzy').
    • Correction: "I feel dizzy."
40. Mistake: "Heatiness." (TCM concept).
    • Correction: "I feel overheated" or "I have too much 'internal heat' (cultural)."
41. Mistake: "Take logic." (Meaning 'makes sense').
    • Correction: "That makes sense" or "That is logical."
42. Mistake: "Last time." (Meaning 'previously').
    • Correction: "Previously," "In the past."
43. Mistake: "Standard." (Meaning 'quality'). "His standard is very high."
    • Correction: "His standards are very high." (Plural).
44. Mistake: "Blur." (Meaning 'confused'). "He looks very blur."
    • Correction: "He looks confused/clueless."
45. Mistake: "Sabo." (Sabotage).
    • Correction: "He sabotaged me."

Section 4: Grammar & Syntax (Sentence Structure)

46. Mistake: "I help you call him."
    • Correction: "I will call him for you."
47. Mistake: "You go where?"
    • Correction: "Where are you going?"
48. Mistake: "Better you go now."
    • Correction: "It would be better if you went now" or "You had better go now."
49. Mistake: "Although it rained, but I still went."
    • Correction: "Although it rained, I still went." (Do not use 'Although' and 'But' together).
50. Mistake: "Because he was sick, so he didn't come."
    • Correction: "Because he was sick, he didn't come." (Do not use 'Because' and 'So' together).
51. Mistake: "Ask you do, you never do."
    • Correction: "I asked you to do it, but you didn't."
52. Mistake: "Same like me."
    • Correction: "The same as me" or "Just like me."
53. Mistake: "Double confirm."
    • Correction: "Reconfirm" or "Verify."
54. Mistake: "Use to." "I use to eat rice."
    • Correction: "I used to eat rice."
55. Mistake: "Supposed to." "I suppose to go."
    • Correction: "I am supposed to go."
56. Mistake: "Unless you don't go." (Double negative confusion).
    • Correction: "Unless you go..."
57. Mistake: "Borrow me $10."
    • Correction: "Lend me $10." (You borrow from; You lend to).
58. Mistake: "Lend from him."
    • Correction: "Borrow from him."
59. Mistake: "I win him."
    • Correction: "I beat him." (You win a game; You beat a person).
60. Mistake: "He win the game."
    • Correction: "He won the game."
61. Mistake: "One of the friend."
    • Correction: "One of my friends." (Must be plural).
62. Mistake: "Datas."
    • Correction: "Data." (Uncountable/Plural).
63. Mistake: "Equipments."
    • Correction: "Equipment." (Uncountable).
64. Mistake: "Furnitures."
    • Correction: "Furniture." (Uncountable).
65. Mistake: "Feedbacks."
    • Correction: "Feedback." (Uncountable).
66. Mistake: "Infos."
    • Correction: "Information."
67. Mistake: "Staffs."
    • Correction: "Staff." (Collective noun).
68. Mistake: "Air-cons."
    • Correction: "Air-conditioners" or "AC units."
69. Mistake: "Hobbies is reading."
    • Correction: "My hobby is reading."
70. Mistake: "Running nose."
    • Correction: "Runny nose."

Section 5: Business & Polite English (Tone)

71. Mistake: "I want to apply leave."
    • Correction: "I would like to apply for leave."
72. Mistake: "Please revert ASAP." (Can sound rude).
    • Correction: "I would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience."
73. Mistake: "Noted with thanks." (Can sound robotic/dismissive).
    • Correction: "Thank you for the update. I have noted the details."
74. Mistake: "For your perusal." (Archaic).
    • Correction: "For your review."
75. Mistake: "Kindly do the needful." (Indian/Singaporean English archaic).
    • Correction: "Please take the necessary action."
76. Mistake: "Who is on the line?" (Answering phone).
    • Correction: "May I ask who is calling?"
77. Mistake: "Hang on." (Too casual).
    • Correction: "Please hold for a moment."
78. Mistake: "No stock."
    • Correction: "It is currently out of stock."
79. Mistake: "Cannot make it."
    • Correction: "I am unable to attend" or "I won't be able to make it."
80. Mistake: "Confirm plus chop."
    • Correction: "It is absolutely confirmed."

Section 6: Pronunciation Pitfalls (The Singaporean Accent)

81. Three vs Tree: "Three" needs the 'th' sound.
82. Thin vs Tin: "Thin" needs the 'th' sound.
83. Film vs Fil-lum: Do not add an extra syllable.
84. Colleague: Stress the first syllable (COL-league), not the second (col-LEAGUE).
85. Purchase: It is 'Pur-chuhs', not 'Pur-chase'.
86. Lettuce: It is 'Let-tis', not 'Let-tuce'.
87. Salmon: The 'l' is silent. 'Sam-on'.
88. Almond: The 'l' is often silent. 'Ah-mond'.
89. Sword: The 'w' is silent. 'Sord'.
90. Vehicle: 'VEE-hik-le', not 'Ve-HI-cle'.
91. Opportunity: 'Op-por-TU-ni-ty', not 'Op-por-tun-ni-ty'.
92. Photography: Stress the second syllable (Pho-TOG-raphy).
93. Calendar: 'Cal-en-dar', not 'Cal-en-der'.
94. Flour: Sounds like 'Flower', not 'Flar'.
95. Pizza: 'Peet-za', not 'Pee-za'.
96. Women: 'Wim-in', not 'Wu-man'.
97. Wednesday: 'Wenz-day', not 'Wed-nes-day'.
98. Clothes: Sounds like 'Close', not 'Clo-thes'.
99. Ask: Do not say 'Aks'.
100. Etcetera (etc.): 'Et-cet-er-a', not 'Ek-cet-er-a'.

Singapore Context: When to Use Which?

Code-Switching is a Skill:

Understanding these mistakes doesn't mean you must abandon Singlish. Singlish is perfect for:

• Bonding with local colleagues over lunch.
• Ordering food at the hawker center ("Uncle, Kopi O Kosong!").
• Expressing urgency or annoyance with friends ("Walau eh!").

Standard English is required for:

• Client meetings and presentations.
• Emails and reports.
• Interviews.
• Interacting with non-Singaporeans who won't understand "Can or not?".

The "High-Status" Speaker:

The most respected professionals in Singapore are those who can switch effortlessly. They sound "local" when buying chicken rice and "global" when negotiating a contract.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is Singlish "bad" English?

A: Linguistically, no. It is a creole with its own grammar rules. However, socially and professionally, using it in the wrong context can limit your career opportunities.

Q: How can I fix my grammar?

A: Read widely. Reading high-quality international publications (The Economist, BBC, New York Times) exposes you to correct sentence structures.

Q: My boss uses Singlish errors. Should I correct him?

A: Generally, no. Correcting a superior can cause a loss of face. Instead, model the correct usage in your own speech. If he says "Revert back," you simply reply "I will revert by 5 PM."

Q: How long does it take to fix these habits?

A: It requires conscious effort. Pick 5 mistakes from this list per week and focus on correcting them in your daily speech.

Conclusion

Mastering English in Singapore is about awareness. It is about knowing that "I got go" is a translation, not a sentence. By recognizing these 100 common mistakes, you take the first step towards clearer, more professional, and more confident communication.

Let your English be a bridge to the world, while keeping Singlish as a badge of your unique identity. Use the right tool for the right job, and you will thrive in any environment.