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Est. 1828

Grammar & Usage

‘Metaphor’ vs. ‘Simile’

Shall we compare thee to a summer’s day?

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

A guide to plural and possessive names

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

How to pick the right one
  • Commonly Confused
  • Usage Notes
  • Spelling & Pronunciation
  • Punctuation

Popular

Putting Adjectives in the Right Order

You do this without even thinking

Using Bullet Points ( • )

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

For example, the different ways to use them

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

And which is the United States?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

We promise you're not the only one who has trouble with these words

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

When each letter can be seen but not heard

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

We're here to help

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

Be dashing—and do it well

Commonly Confused

Commonly Confused

  • Is it 'forty' or 'fourty'?

    This is usage
  • When to Use It's vs. Its

    A Simple Rule to Avoid Embarrassment
  • Is it 'used to' or 'use to'?

    You'll get used to it
  • Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

    The whole truth about a confusing idiom.
  • See All

'Awhile' vs. 'A While'

There are rules, but who's listening?

Usage Notes

See More

Can you end a sentence with a preposition?

Yes, a preposition is something you can end with.

First, Second and Third Person Explained

First, second, and third person explained

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

Beyond 'simile' and 'metaphor'

Are 'funner' and 'funnest' real words?

We got a whole mess of fun here, folks

Can you use 'comprised of'?

It's been in use for centuries.
See More

Spelling & Pronunciation

Spelling & Pronunciation

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

    A learned explanation that is not wicked hard
  • 10 Words You See But Don't Hear

    How to pronounce 10 words with unpredictable stress and vowel sounds
  • How to Remember the Spelling of 'Definitely'

    A definitive answer.
  • Why does English have so many silent letters?

    Inexplicable silent letters, explained
  • See All

The Many Plurals of 'Octopus'

But which is correct?

Punctuation

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

The shifting role of the apostrophe

A Guide to Using Colons

We'll get to semicolons later.

To Use or Not Use the "?" in Requests

"Would you read this, please."

All About Ellipses ...

How to use them … and talk about them

How to Use Word Division Dots and Syllable Hyphens

Dictionary secrets, revealed!
See More
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