Wander vs. Wonder

How to use "wander" and "wonder" correctly

This is an entry on my list of Common Errors in English Usage. Visit the main page for direct links to additional entries.

Although one’s thoughts might wander, “to speculate about something” is to wonder:

wandering through the forest

wondering whether he should go

Wonder can also act as a noun:

a profound sense of wonder

Common Errors in English Usage: Errors in diction and idiom commonly made by native speakers of English

List of Common Errors in English Usage (PDF): Printable version of the complete list

Common Grammar Errors: A list of common errors in grammar (topics like subject-verb agreement and parallelism) as distinct from usage