play video his or her
Usage Notes

Is singular 'they' a better choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'


"Everyone should do his or her best in whatever situations he or she happens to find himself or herself in?" That's awkward. Perhaps everyone should just do their best in the situations they find themselves in. Even if their best involves they as a singular pronoun.

Up next

play video his or her
Is singular 'they' a better choice?

 

The awkward case of 'his or her'

play video literally
Literally

 

A word that (literally) drives people nuts

play body parts video
When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

 

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes

play serenity carr next to an illustration of a refrigerator with the letter d in it
Why is there a 'd' in 'fridge' but not in 'refrigerator'?

 

Thawing one of the mysteries of English

play fun funner funnest
Fun, Funner, Funnest

 

Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'

play video soup vs soop
An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

 

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut