Where and were are similar-looking words and they often appear alongside each other in questions like Where were you this morning? But they are very different words with very different functions and meanings In this article, we’ll define where and were, explain the different ways that they are used, provide examples of how they are typically used in sentences, and even cover the also similar-looking …
It’s OK. Really, it is OK if you confuse it’s (with an apostrophe between the t and s), and its (without any apostrophe at all). Mixing up it’s and its is an extremely common mistake. In this article, we’ll explain the difference between its and it’s, provide tips about how to remember the difference, and even cover some related questions. When to use its or it’s …
The terms empathy and sympathy are often confused, and with good reason. Both of the words deal with the relationship a person has to the feelings and experiences of another person. One involves feeling a certain way about a person, and the other involves feeling the same way that another person does. In this article, we’ll explain the subtle differences between sympathy and empathy, discuss …
Ever heard of typoglycemia? Even if you haven’t, chances are you’ll recognize one of the viral puzzles used to demonstrate the phenomenon. Starting around 2003, an email began to circulate claiming that scrambled English words are just as easy to read as the original words. However, as interesting as the original email was, it didn’t actually tell the whole truth. There’s more to scrambled words than …
In the context of religious and spiritual belief—or non-belief—there are two terms that often cause confusion: atheist and agnostic. But these terms do not mean the same thing. Read on to learn the distinction. agnostic vs. atheist There is a key distinction between these terms. An atheist doesn’t believe in the existence of a god or divine being. The word atheist originates with the Greek atheos, which is …
Meteors, meteorites, meteoroids, asteroids, comets … that’s a lot of terms (and space objects) flying around! Not to mention shooting stars and meteor showers. Are they all the same thing? Even though some of them may appear pretty similar to us, the answer is no, they’re not the same thing—especially not to the scientists who study them and who use different terms for specific reasons (more …
English is full of confusingly similar words, including ones that can be used right next to each other in a sentence. Among the most common mistakes when writing—especially when writing something quickly like an email or text—is using you’re and your incorrectly. In this article, we’ll help you remember which one to use every time so that when it comes to choosing your or you’re, …
You might be able to recite the letters considered vowels in the English language: A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y. But what makes a vowel a vowel? Vowels and consonants are two different categories of sounds that linguists (in the branch of linguistics called phonetics) use to explain how speech sounds work. In this article, we’ll explore the difference between consonants and vowels …
Information has real-life consequences. It can be a literal life-saver—when it’s true. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. Untrue information can cause great harm. Like a virus, wrong information can spread, causing what’s been called an infodemic. Now more than ever, we are experiencing the spread of two forms of wrong information: misinformation and disinformation. These two words, so often used interchangeably, are merely one …
When you come across an unfamiliar word while reading, how do you try to understand its meaning? Chances are you use context clues—even if you’ve never heard of that term. Faced with a sea of unfamiliar words, beginning readers learn many techniques for decoding words and expanding their vocabularies. Teachers use the term decoding to refer to the ability to see a written word and read it …
If you’ve ever wondered why it’s spelled practice in some contexts and practise in others, it mainly comes down to British versus American spelling. But which is which? When to use practise or practice In American English, the spelling practice is the only one commonly used—and it’s used for both the noun (commonly meaning “habit or custom” or “repeated exercise to acquire a skill”) and the verb …
A lot of questions come to mind when ordering coffee. Will the barista spell your name right on the cup? What size should you get? And what do venti, trenta, and those other sizes actually mean at Starbucks? What do grande, venti, and trenta mean at Starbucks? First of all, here are the size options traditionally offered at Starbucks: tall (12 ounces), grande (16 ounces), …
