Okay, so here’s a word usage rule that bugs me to no end. And smart people mess this one up all the time. What’s wrong with this sentence? Louisa May Alcott wrote a book entitled “Little Women.”

Correct; the sentence should say the book is titled. Books, movies and plays have titles. I am entitled to read them. This mistake is super common. Even many of my coworkers — professional writers — improperly use entitled all the time.

The dictionary can help clear this up if you often find this confusing:

  • entitled: qualified for by right according to law; “We are all entitled to equal protection under the law.”
  • titled: having or given a name or title; “Many paintings are titled simply ‘Untitled’.”