Grammar & Usage

Commonly Confused (page 3)

'Elude' and 'Allude'

They can be hard to pin down

A Talk on 'Pronounce,' 'Articulate,' and 'Enunciate'

We'll make things clear.

'Precede' or 'Proceed'?

We'll get on with it

'Augur' or 'Auger'?

How to read signs of their confusion

'Torturous' and 'Tortuous'

No need for them to be all twisted up

'Preposition' and 'Proposition'

What's the difference?

The Difference Between 'Hoard' and 'Horde'

Keep this close by in case you need it.

On 'Feign,' 'Feint,' and 'Faint'

No false moves here.

'Incredible' or 'Incredulous'?

It's amazing! (Or is it?)

'Intra-' and 'Inter-': Getting Into It

Usage advice within

'Former' and 'Latter'

Let's get them in order

The Difference Between 'Libel' and 'Liable'

Don't hold us at fault if you can't keep them straight.

Is it an 'endnote' or a 'footnote'?

Take note.

'Alumni' vs. 'Alumnus'

An accelerated course of study

'Breath' vs. 'Breathe'

Don't hold your breath.

We Got You This Article on 'Gift' vs. 'Present'

And yes, 'gift' is a verb.

'Cease' vs. 'Seize': Explaining the Difference

A cease and desist order has been filed.

On 'Anecdote' and 'Antidote'

One's a story, the other's a cure.

On 'Prescribe' and 'Proscribe'

Just what the doctor ordered (or not).

On the Difference Between 'Incite' and 'Insight'

Not that we're looking to start something.

The Ruling on 'Amiable' vs. 'Amicable'

Is it ‘based on’ or ‘based off’?

'Based on' is more popular.

On ‘Corps’ and ‘Core’ and ‘Corp’ (and ‘Corpse’)

Do not confuse these words

'Equity' and 'Equality'

What's fair is fair.

Convening on 'Counsel' and 'Council'

We drop the gavel.

'Inequity' vs. 'Iniquity'

Not all words are created equal.

9 Pairs of Words That Look the Same But Different

When a few letters make a large difference

Are We Entering 'Uncharted' or 'Unchartered' Waters?

We'll map it out for you.

On 'Optometrist,' 'Ophthalmologist,' and Similar Terms

Is it any clearer now?

An Explication on the Use of 'Explicit' and 'Implicit'

Making things clear

The Deal With 'Trader' and 'Traitor'

You can trust our intentions

'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'?

We're intent on clearing it up

'One in the same' or 'One and the same'?

Is it all the same anyway?

'All over sudden' vs. 'All of a sudden'

Figuring it out at once

'Utmost' vs 'Upmost': Utter Confusion Resolved

What does "ut" mean anyway?

'Transmissible' or 'Transmittable'?

A usage guide

Keeping 'Vane,' 'Vain,' and 'Vein' Properly Circulating

And some idioms in the same vein

'Treatment' vs. 'Cure'

Explaining the differences

Dipping into 'Swum' vs. 'Swam'

Which is the correct past participle?

'Confidant' vs. 'Confident' vs. 'Confidante'

We can trust you with it

A Lesson on 'Unmoral', 'Immoral', 'Nonmoral', and 'Amoral'

Which to use when?

On ‘Recoup’ and ‘Recuperate’

Getting back your money or back on your feet

Snuffing Out Confusion Between 'Flare' and 'Flair'

Sorting them out with style.

'Ventilator' or 'Respirator'?

How they differ and overlap

How to Remember 'Affect' and 'Effect'

A simple way to keep them apart. (Most of the time.)

The Difference Between ‘Osculate’ and ‘Oscillate’

Watch your tongue when you’re by the fan.

'Clean,' 'Sanitize,' or 'Disinfect'?

Keep it clean.

'Diagnosis' vs. 'Prognosis'

They occur in alphabetical order.

'Recessions' vs. 'Depressions' in the Economy

Taking stock of the differences

Is there a difference between ‘clean’ and ‘cleanse?’

Either gets the job done.

'Xenophobia' vs. 'Racism'

Where they overlap and how they differ

A Guide to Coronavirus-Related Words

The terminology you're likely to hear

'Pandemic' vs. 'Epidemic' vs. 'Endemic'

How they overlap and where they differ

'Ado' vs 'Adieu': All the Fuss

Without further delay, here’s the difference.

'Aluminum' or 'Aluminium'?

A tale of two spellings

Sorting Out ‘A Lot’ and ‘Allot’

A whole lot of sense

Checking In with 'Check' and 'Cheque'

Our endorsement for each.

Putting 'Edible' and 'Eatable' on the Table

Giving you something to chew on.

Out to Sea with 'Wave' and 'Waive'

Find out where we waver.

Is It 'Hanger' or 'Hangar'?

How to remember which is which

Minding 'Never mind' and 'Nevermind'

Not to mention 'nvm' and 'nm'

A Brief on 'Brief' and 'Debrief'

The 'de-' means "do the opposite of."

On ‘Infringe,’ ‘Encroach,’ and ‘Impinge’

We’re all up in your business with them.

The Trick to Choosing 'Pawn Off' or 'Palm Off'

Turn to history as your guidepost.

'Appraise' or 'Apprise'

You can't put a price on usage

'Adverse' or 'Averse'?

Don't be opposed to using either one

Unmixing the Mix-up of 'Root,' 'Route,' and 'Rout'

Finding the root of it all

All About '-Cede' and '-Ceed'

And their families of confusing verbs

'Conscience' vs. 'Conscious': Let Us Be Your Guide

Avoiding confusion involves grammar and 'science'

The Sometimes Subtle Difference Between 'Conflate' and 'Equate'

They're not the same, but they are confusing

'Ascetic' vs. 'Aesthetic'

Going below the surface

On ‘Perpetrate’ and ‘Perpetuate’

One letter away, but so different

'Concave' vs. 'Convex'

A simple mnemonic should help

'Trooper' vs. 'Trouper': Choose Your Winner

It's up to you.

Do You 'Rein In' or 'Reign In' Something?

Getting a handle on some usage advice

Is 'cement' 'concrete'?

An attempt to provide solid ground

The Difference Between 'Elicit' and 'Illicit'

They sound alike but that's it

'Just Deserts' or 'Just Desserts'?

The usage advice you deserve

On ‘Palate,’ ‘Pallet,’ and ‘Palette’

A range of options for you to taste

On 'Brooch' and 'Broach'

One you wear, and, sorry, the other you can wear too

We've Got Baggage

And we're dumping it all on you.

Rapping on 'Bad Rap' and 'Bad Rep' (and 'Bad Wrap')

What's the charge against 'rep'?

'Demur' and 'Demure': Not to be Confused

Don't be demure about using 'demur' and 'demure'

How to Use 'Assent' vs. 'Ascent'

Rising to a usage challenge

A Case of Nerves: ‘Nervous’ vs. ‘Nervy’

Don't sweat the difference.

What's the difference between a 'boat' and a 'ship'?

And which one holds the gravy?

Is That Lie 'Bald-faced' or 'Bold-faced'?

And what about 'barefaced'?

‘Rapport’ vs. ‘Report’

An easygoing, detailed account

What's the difference between Britain, Great Britain, and the UK?

Our Anglophile friends already know

'Wringer' or 'Ringer'?

And is it 'wringed,' 'wrang,' or 'wrung'?

Using 'Citizen' and 'Resident' Legally

They aren't exactly the same.

'Accept' vs 'Except': Two Verbs, One Pronunciation

When sounding out the word won't help

'Purview' or 'Preview'?

Or 'ambit,' 'remit,' or 'bailiwick'?

How and When to Use 'Sometime' and 'Anytime'

Or 'some time' and 'any time'

On ‘Culminate’ and ‘Cumulate’

There’s a heap of difference

‘Faculty’ and ‘Facility’: A School of Thought

Learn these, and you can do anything.

'Recollect' vs. 'Remember' vs. 'Recall'

Bringing to mind their subtle differences

'Gourmet' or 'Gourmand'?

Usage advice cooked to perfection

Is That Plant 'Perennial' or 'Annual'?

We get asked at least once a year

On ‘Climatic’ and ‘Climactic’

One letter makes all the difference.

'Jerry-built' vs. 'Jury-rigged' vs. 'Jerry-rigged'

Three terms, three strong options.

Is it 'Grifter' or 'Grafter'?

Keep your eye on the differences

Clearing the Air on 'In The Midst/Mist'

Stuck in the middle with usage

'Dour' vs. 'Dower'

You likely need only one of these

The Difference Between Doing a 180 and a 360

A problem of English and geometry.

Do You 'Party Hearty' or 'Party Hardy' (or Both)?

Read this into the night.

Notes On 'Plum' and 'Plumb' (and 'Plump')

This is just to say / Don't confuse them

The Difference Between 'Centenary' and 'Centennial'

Two words. One hundred years.
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