Grammar & Usage

Are You Misusing These 10 Common Words?

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Jealous vs. Envious

Choose your words carefully

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

The dictionary is always here to help

Popular

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Sorting out eggcorns, mondegreens, and more

What does 'etcetera' mean?

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

And what about 'barefaced'?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

For example, the different ways to use them

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

A learned explanation that is not wicked hard

Commonly Misspelled Words

Spelling is hard

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

And which is the United States?

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Be dashing—and do it well

Commonly Confused

Commonly Confused

'Awhile' vs. 'A While'

There are rules, but who's listening?

Usage Notes

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Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

Some words resemble other words enough to make you think you know them. You might not.

A Comprehensive Guide to Forming Compounds

Everything you need to know

'Broadcast' or 'Broadcasted'?

Conjugating an irregular verb

Can ‘criteria’ ever be singular?

It depends on what you base your decision.

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

A guide to plural and possessive names
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Spelling & Pronunciation

Spelling & Pronunciation

10 Words You See But Don't Hear

How to pronounce 10 words with unpredictable stress and vowel sounds

Punctuation

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To Use or Not Use the "?" in Requests

"Would you read this, please."

All About Ellipses ...

How to use them … and talk about them

The History of 'Ampersand'

How the '&' got its name

Comma Splices: What They Are and How to Correct Them (or not)

Adventurous writers pull them off regularly

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

The shifting role of the apostrophe
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