The understanding and use of selected paronyms by students and graduates of Gdańsk University of Technology and students of Speech Therapy at the University of Gdańsk

Abstract

Frequently confused words or so-called ‘paronyms’, when they are used in everyday communication, can be challenging for native speakers of Polish. Sometimes language users find it difficult to decide which word they should choose in a given context. There are also situations in which speakers make unconscious errors in the use of a word, assuming that its meaning is exactly what they expect it to be and that the specific word is appropriate in a given situation. Inaccurate usage of paronyms is a perennial problem that language users face daily. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire-based survey on the understanding and use of paronyms conducted among students and graduates of Gdańsk University of Technology and the University of Gdańsk. The study was conducted online in March 2017. On the basis of the collected data, the present author attempted to describe issues related to the phenomenon of paronymia and mistakes made in everyday communication of educated speakers of Polish.