[Grammar] everybody can err or mistake?

If I say: Everybody can err! Are you sure somebody understand me? It's so strange to pronounce "err". :-D
Thanks
Luigi

English teacher

"Everybody can make mistakes" is pretty common. "To err" is pretty old-fashioned. However, as far as I know, it is still used in law courts.
But: "To err is human" is OK.
Let's wait for natives, though.
WW

I agree that the word seems dated. "Make mistakes" or (somewhat impolite) "screw up" are common.

Really funny "screw up". It sounds a slang word. Well, because I am a lawyer I could use "err" very often.
But that's so strange, it looks like an onomatopoeic sound.
Isn't it?

"To err" in this sense is a bit old fashioned, but it can be used to say "to err on the side of caution", which means to not take any risks, e.g. "I think we ought to err on the side of caution."

[Not a teacher]

scrooge1974 said:

If I say: Everybody can err! Are you sure somebody understand me? It's so strange to pronounce "err". :-D
Thanks
Luigi

Click to expand...

The important point is, do people understand you? If they do, then there's no problem.
You don't pronounce it as: "Did you ... er ...?" (I hope).