deaf. Use it only in its literal sense. The figurative sense may hurt the feelings of the deaf.

decimate. Means destroy a tenth of. Use with care.

decline. You decline an offer but deny a charge. See also absolutes.

definite. Not the same as definitive. Definite means distinct. Definitive means final/authoritative.

definitive. See definite.

defuse. Means make harmless. Write defuse a bomb. Diffuse means to spread. Do not confuse.

deliver. Do not write a woman delivers baby. Write a woman was delivered of a baby.

demolish. See absolutes.

deny. See decline and absolutes.

depend. It is always followed by on or upon.

desist. Prefer stop/refrain to desist.

destroy. See absolutes.

determine. Prefer settle/decide to determine.

device. See advice.

devise. See advice.

diagnose. Illnesses are diagnosed. Patients are examined.

differ. Differ with means to disagree. Differ from means to be different from.

different. Write different from, not different to or different than.

diffuse. See defuse.

dilemma. A dilemma offers only two choices which are equally bad. If there are more choices, then there is no dilemma. Also, prefer dilemma to horns of a dilemma.

disabled. Use it only in its literal sense. The figurative sense may hurt the feelings of the disabled. Do not write Lack of funds has disabled/handicapped us.

disassociate. Prefer dissociate to disassociate.

disburse. Prefer pay to disburse.

discharge. Patients are discharged from hospital. Thugs are released from jail.

disclose. Prefer tell/show unless disclose is used to mean reveal.

discover. Use find wherever possible.

disinterested. Means impartial. Do not use it as a synonym for uninterested.

dismount. See alight.

dissociate. See disassociate.

dramatic. Do not write dramatic episode. If it is really dramatic, why state the obvious? Avoid it.

due. Do not use it as a synonymn for because. Due to means caused by. Do not write He died due to cancer. Write his death was due to cancer. Due to is always attached to a noun or pronoun.

dumb. Use it only in its literal sense. The figurative sense may hurt the feelings of the dumb.