The 39 recurring errors

ASD-STE100 Issue 9 closes its dictionary introduction with a list of the errors that writers make most often — the words people reach for on autopilot, with the approved replacement for each. This file is that list, as data. It is a small factual excerpt; the full standard is free at https://asd-ste100.org.

Approved replacements are UPPERCASE, the way the dictionary prints them. Some replacements change the part of speech (check as a verb becomes CHECK the noun: "do a check") — those need a different sentence construction, not a word-for-word swap.

The ones that matter for software docs#

Most of this list is aerospace muscle memory. Ten entries show up constantly in engineering prose and are worth internalizing even in flavored mode:

• ensure → make sure — the single most common one in READMEs.
• however → but and therefore → thus / as a result — cheaper connectors, same logic.
• since → because — "since" is banned because it can mean time or cause. In docs this ambiguity is real: "since the server restarted" is both.
• may → can and should / shall → must — permission and obligation language. If it is optional, say "can". If it is not, say "must".
• perform → do — "perform an analysis" is the nominalization pattern.
• using → use / with — "Using the CLI, run…" hides the actor. "Run … with the CLI."
• check / test as verbs — STE makes them nouns ("do a check", "do a test") so the action verb stays unambiguous. In software prose, keeping "check" as a verb is fine — but pick one word for the action and never rotate synonyms.

The --strict flag of ste-lint.py enforces the strict subset (however, since, may, should, shall, using, follow). Flavored mode leaves them alone.