Tag Archives: Vocabulary
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Is Irregardless A Word?
Few words draw the ire of grammarians as swiftly as irregardless. The term has been in use in English for over a century, but whether or not it’s a “real word” or one you should use in daily conversation continues to be the subject of debate.Irregardless is a nonstandard synonym for regardless, which means “without concern as to advice, warning, or hardship,” or “heedless.” Its …
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“Sherbet” vs. “Sherbert”
In efforts to beat the summer heat, you may have encountered two different spellings of the same scrumptious treat: sherbet and sherbert. Why do both forms exist, and which one is correct? Sherbet (pronounced “shur-bit”) is the standard American spelling for the frozen mixture made from fruit and an additive of either milk, egg white, or gelatin. It comes from the name of a Persian drink …
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Continually vs. Continuously
Today we’re going to explore the meanings and uses of the adverbs continually and continuously. These terms, along with their adjective forms continual and continuous, are often used interchangeably in speech and writing, but style guides urge writers to practice discernment when using continually and continuously. In formal contexts, continually should be used to mean “very often; at regular or frequent intervals,” and continuously to …
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Here Are Some New Words Added To Dictionary.com
In a spring 2015 update to the dictionary, we added more than a thousand new and modified definitions including gaming words like esports, permadeath and completionist, terms to prepare you for the 2016 elections like slacktivism, and gender-related terms agender, bigender, and gender-fluid.But how do lexicographers (the people who compile and update dictionaries) stay on top of language change? Luckily, we have a number of …
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Comprise vs. Compose
English is comprised of many confusing words. Or is it … composed of many words? Case in point: comprise and compose look very similar and have very similar meanings, so it’s no surprise that it can be hard to keep these two straight. Let’s explore comprise and compose, how they are used, and how you can tell them apart. What do comprise and compose mean? The …
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Moot Point vs. Mute Point
You may have heard coworkers or acquaintances refer to an inconsequential or irrelevant point as a moot point, or maybe you’ve heard mute point instead. Fans of the TV show Friends may have heard a third variation: moo point (because, according to Joey, a cow’s opinion doesn’t matter). But which expression is correct, and what exactly does it mean? The correct phrase is moot point. …
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Bring vs. Take
Do you bring food to a party, or do you take food to a party? The terms bring and take are often confused, and for good reason. Both words describe the movement of something from one location to another.
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“Alright” vs. “All Right”
Are all right and alright interchangeable? All right has a range of meanings including: “safe,” as in Are you all right? “reliable; good,” as in That fellow is all right. as an adverb, it means “satisfactorily,” as in His work is coming along all right. “yes,” as in All right, I’ll go with you. Is alright a real word? The form alright is a one-word …
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Well vs. Good
Someone may have told you you were wrong for saying, I’m good, instead of the more formal I’m well. But is the response I’m good actually incorrect? Not technically. Let’s explore the rules and conventions for these two words.Well is often used as an adverb. Adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Good is most widely used as an adjective, meaning that it can modify …
