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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.

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Is singular 'they' a better choice?

 

The awkward case of 'his or her'

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Alright vs. All Right

 

Is 'alright' all right?

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Pictures in the Dictionary

 

The story of those iconic illustrations.

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The Schwa

 

The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.

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How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

 

What our editors are looking for when they enter words in Merriam-Webster.

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'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine

 

'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.

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What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

 

How 'literally' can mean "figuratively"