In everyday life, we hear a lot about preventative care, preventative maintenance, and preventative measures… or is it preventive? Is this just a spelling difference, or do the words have different meanings? To prevent any further confusion between preventive and preventative, we’ll sort out the difference, discuss how they’re commonly used, and provide some examples so you can see both in use. Preventive and preventative …
Conscience vs. conscious is a classic question of vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation. If you’re anything like us, you have to think very hard each time you spell or say each word—and double check if you’re using the right one. Luckily, we can provide some tricks and examples that will not only help you remember how to say and spell each word, but also help you …
The short answer: both gases and gasses are acceptable plural forms of gas. However, gases is much more commonly used and is often considered the standard form. The explanation: in many cases in English spelling, final consonants like the s in gas are often doubled when an ending such as -es, -ed, or -ing is added to the end of the word. For example, the …
The short answer: both buses and busses are acceptable plural forms of bus. However, buses is much more commonly used—almost exclusively—and is often considered the standard form. The explanation: in many cases in English spelling, final consonants like the s in bus are often doubled when an ending such as -es, -ed, or -ing is added to the end of the word. For example, the …
Trying to classify what’s a fruit and what’s a vegetable isn’t always cut and dry. In fact, the debate about it can get pretty juicy—seedy, even. This all stems from the fact that some things we eat are technically fruits but are almost always called vegetables (and treated like vegetables, too). Some people make a distinction based on the level of sweetness, but the difference—from …
Anytime or any time? The two tend to be used in the same exact contexts, but that one little space can make a lot of grammatical difference. In this article, we’ll discuss how and when to use each form and explain which one is an adverb and why. Don’t know what that means? Read on to find out! Any time is a common and straightforward …
You don’t hear the word pangs too often. When you do, it’s often in specific contexts, and after certain words, especially birth and hunger. But what is a pang, exactly? And is it different from a pain? In this article, we’ll satisfy your hunger for answers to those questions and to the question of whether the proper phrase is hunger pangs or hunger pains. A …
Punxsutawney Phil is the official mascot of Groundhog Day, but is he really a groundhog? Or is that a gopher hole out of which he emerges to see his shadow? Is a woodchuck even a thing? Or is it just a made-up part of the tongue twister? In this article, we’ll dig into the differences between gophers, groundhogs, and woodchucks, discuss how the terms can …
COVID-19 has provided a consistent vocabulary lesson in epidemiology. Among the most important distinctions it has highlighted are the differences between the terms epidemic, pandemic, and endemic. These words have major similarities—all three end in -demic and deal with the spread of disease. But there are key differences, including those related to scale and duration. In this article, we’ll sort out the differences and answer …
Sale and sell sound pretty similar and they’re used in all the same contexts. Adding to the potential confusion is that sell can be both a verb and a noun—a noun whose meaning can be very similar to sale. In this article, we’ll define many of the different senses of sale and sell, break down their differences, explain where their meanings can overlap, and provide …
Your coworker has gotten a raise, and it bothers you because you really wish you’d gotten one, too. Is what you’re feeling jealousy or envy? The two feelings are similar, but the words are often used to convey slightly different things, mainly involving whether the feeling is hostile or malicious. In this article, we’ll discuss the similarities and differences between jealousy and envy, including the …
Reptiles vs. Amphibians: it sounds like a monster movie title, but it’s a classic question of animal classification. Although both are cold-blooded vertebrates and the two are often mistaken for each other, there are some key differences. Many people think the difference is whether or not an animal spends some time in water, but it’s more complicated than that. In this article, we’ll explain how …