10 Words For Someone Who Corrects Your Grammar

Grammar is difficult to get right at the best of times. Having someone consistently try to correct you for the little mistakes you make can be exhausting. This article will explore some good words for someone who corrects grammar and how you can use them.

The preferred words are “perfectionist,” “grammar n*zi,” and “pedant.” These words work well to show that someone has a hard time letting grammar mistakes go. They will let everyone know that you’ve made a mistake because it makes them feel better about themselves.

Perfectionist

“Perfectionist” is a great word for when someone corrects your grammar. It works well because it refers to them being incapable of letting your mistakes go.

They strive for “perfection,” which is why they have the name “perfectionist.” It shows that they simply cannot let mistakes go by because then their idea of “perfection” would be destroyed.

The definition of “perfectionist,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a person who wants everything to be perfect and demands the highest standards possible.”

• Oh, stop being such a perfectionist! So what if I made a mistake? These things happen, okay?
• You don’t have to be such a perfectionist. I know I made a grammar error, but I moved past it!
• I don’t care about the mistake! You don’t have to be a perfectionist all the time. Sometimes you can turn it off.

Grammar N*zi

“Grammar n*zi” might seem harsh, but it works well to talk about someone who constantly talks about your grammar mistakes. Likening them to a n*zi is a good way of showing that they don’t let anyone slip up, and they strive for perfection in most people.

If you don’t know what to say when someone corrects your spelling, that’s okay. Usually, you just have to tell them off for being so rude. Calling them a “n*zi” might not always be the most professional choice, but it still gets your point across.

• Do you have to be such a grammar n*zi? I don’t understand why you always call me out for these menial mistakes.
• You’re a grammar n*zi, and it drives the people around you insane. You don’t have to constantly correct us all the time.
• I’m not trying to be a grammar n*zi! All I’m saying is that you need to make sure you don’t make that mistake again!

Pedant

“Pedant” is a good way to describe someone who wants to keep formal language rules intact. They will even apply these rules when they are speaking with someone informally.

Pedants will often correct people through text messages. It’s universally accepted that text messages do not require as formal language compared to other outlets. Thus, making mistakes is acceptable to them. However, pedants have a hard time dealing with this.

The definition of “pedant,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a person who is too interested in formal rules and small details that are not important.”

• As a pedant, he has a hard time letting people make mistakes with their grammar. It’s very frustrating for us.
• I think she’s too much of a pedant to let you get away with that. You made a mistake, and she’s going to call you out for it.
• You’re just being a pedant again! Why can’t you just let us have our fun for once and stop trying to correct us about this stuff?

Orthographer

“Orthographer” relates to someone who likes to spell and write in correct ways. They will often try to push this belief on to other people to make sure that everyone is getting their grammar correct in their speaking and writing.

The definition of “orthographer,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “connected with the accepted way of spelling and writing words.”

• I’m an orthographer by choice. I want to make sure these people see the light of day when they make silly mistakes!
• I want to see him come at me and correct my grammar. No orthographer is going to get away with talking to me like that.
• You’re an orthographer, and that’s very annoying for me to deal with. I’m sorry, but I really don’t think I want to be your friend.

Nitpicker

“Nitpicker” works well to show that someone is picking out the small holes in your grammar. It will feel like they’re specifically looking for these problems as a way to make themselves feel like they know more than you do.

The definition of “nitpicker,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “someone who finds faults in details that are not important.”

• I might be a nitpicker, but it’s only because I strive for excellence. I want to make sure I find it in those around me.
• She’s a nitpicker, so you’ll want to make sure that you get all of your grammar correct. It would be foolish not to!
• I think you’re just a nitpicker, and that’s not on! We don’t need you to come around here and tell us that we’re speaking incorrectly!

Stickler

“Stickler” is good when talking about someone who always follows the rules. They will follow language rules even when they know that the people around them might not agree with their decisions.

Sticklers tend to have a hard time making friends. Of course, most people on this list have a hard time with friendships, but sticklers often extend their rule-abiding natures to all aspects of life.

The definition of “stickler,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a person who thinks that a particular type of behavior is very important, and always follows it or tries to make other people follow it.”

• You’re such a stickler for the rules. Don’t you realize that they’re mostly irrelevant when we’re talking informally like this?
• You don’t have to be a stickler in these situations. So people make mistakes! It happens! Move past it.
• I think you’re just a stickler. You need to get over yourself because people don’t want to have to listen to you correct them all the time.

Doctrinaire

“Doctrinaire” is a good way to show that someone believes that good and correct grammar is the only way people should communicate. They believe there is no room for error, even in more informal situations when errors are usually welcomed.

The definition of “doctrinaire,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “based on and following fixed beliefs rather than considering practical problems.”

• Your doctrinaire attitude to grammar rules is putting a lot of people off. You really should be careful with what you’re saying to them.
• I don’t get why you’re so doctrinaire about all of this stuff. It’s not going to help you make friends!
• I think you’re just doctrinaire for the sake of it. You like to think that you’re better than everyone else, but that’s not true at all!

Purist

“Purist” is a great way to show that someone strives to keep things “Pure.” This extends to language choices, and they will often call other people out if they do not have “pure” language.

Even the simplest of spelling or grammar mistakes can be damning for a purist. Be careful what you say or write around them.

The definition of “purist,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “someone who believes in and follows very traditional rules or ideas in a subject.”

• I get that you’re a purist, but the rest of us aren’t. We don’t care if we make silly little mistakes in our grammar.
• I’m sorry that I’m such a purist, but I really think you should correct those mistakes. It’s not professional at all!
• You’re just being a purist. It’s time that you got over yourself because nobody listens to you when you correct our grammar anyway.

Pettifogger

“Pettifoggers” are people that pay too much attention to small (and often irrelevant) details. Correcting grammar is an excellent example of something that should be seen as small and irrelevant.

Most people avoid doing it, but pettifoggers can’t seem to help themselves.

The definition of “pettifogger,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “giving too much attention to small, unimportant details in a way that shows a limited mind.”

• She’s a pettifogger. Just wait and hear what she has to say. She’ll show you that she can’t handle grammatical mistakes.
• I think you’re a pettifogger, and you don’t open your mind to the possibility that some people deliberately make mistakes.
• As a pettifogger, he has a hard time letting other people’s mistakes pass him by. It’s quite embarrassing, really.

Anally Retentive

“Anally retentive” is a great phrase to use to refer to someone who corrects your grammar. You could also use the slang term for it, which is shortened to “an*l.”

They both mean that someone is too worried about correcting grammar and sticking to the finer rules of language.

The definition of “anally retentive,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “too worried about being organized and tidy.”

• You’re so anally retentive that it pains me to talk to you! Do you have to correct me every step of the way?
• You don’t have to be so an*l about my grammar. I understand that I’m not perfect, but you don’t need to say that.
• I know I can be quite an*l. I’m trying to work on it, but I would at least appreciate it if you tried harder with your grammar.

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