Menu Toggle
Merriam-Webster Logo
Games
Word of the Day
Grammar
Wordplay
New
Slang
Rhymes
Word Finder
Thesaurus
Join MWU
More
Games
Word of the Day
Grammar
Wordplay
Slang
Rhymes
Word Finder
Thesaurus
Join MWU
Shop
Books
Merch
Log In
Username
My Words
Recents
Account
Log Out
Est. 1828
Grammar & Usage
More Words You Always Have to Look Up
The dictionary is always here to help
Commonly Misspelled Words
Spelling is hard
'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
How to pick the right one
Commonly Confused
Usage Notes
Spelling & Pronunciation
Punctuation
Popular
Using Bullet Points ( • )
How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
Be dashing—and do it well
Homophones, Homographs, and Homonyms
The same, but different
Words You Always Have to Look Up
The dictionary is here to help
Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
A case can be made for either
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 Accents and Diacritical Marks
You know, the markings above and below letters.
Commonly Confused
Commonly Confused
'Virus' vs. 'Bacteria'
The key differences of two common pathogens
Read
Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
Here's your explanation, and you're welcome
Read
Is It 'jail' or 'prison'?
How they differ and overlap
Read
'Deduction' vs. 'Induction' vs. 'Abduction'
Mmm, logic
Read
See All
The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
For example, the different ways to use them
Usage Notes
See More
First, Second and Third Person Explained
First, second, and third person explained
31 Useful Rhetorical Devices
Beyond 'simile' and 'metaphor'
Fun! Funner!! Funnest!!!
We got a whole mess of fun here, folks
Can you use 'comprised of'?
It's been in use for centuries.
Is it 'graduated' or 'was graduated from'?
No, this will not be on the test
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
Read
10 Words You See But Don't Hear
How to pronounce 10 words with unpredictable stress and vowel sounds
Read
How to Remember the Spelling of 'Definitely'
A definitive answer.
Why does English have so many silent letters?
Inexplicable silent letters, explained
Read
See All
The Many Plurals of 'Octopus'
But which is correct?
Punctuation
See More
The Other Kind of 'Apostrophe'
It's when we speak to you and it's like you're not here.
How to Use Word Division Dots and Syllable Hyphens
Dictionary secrets, revealed!
A Guide to Using Colons
We'll get to semicolons later.
To Use or Not Use the "?" in Requests
"Would you read this, please."
Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?
The shifting role of the apostrophe
See More