Tag Archives: Vocabulary
-
-
“Capital” vs. “Capitol”: Do You Know Where You’re Going?
Capital and capitol are both commonly used in political contexts and are separated by just one letter, making them frustratingly easy to confuse. When it comes to these two terms, it’s important to note that one has a number of meanings while the other refers to a certain type of building. What is a capital? Capital has many definitions. It can mean “the wealth owned …
-
-
What’s The Difference Between “Mistrust” vs. “Distrust”?
Trust us on this one. There’s only a slight difference between these two. In general, distrust and mistrust are considered synonyms, both based on the word trust (although centuries apart). As nouns, both words refer to a condition of lacking trust, and are effectively interchangeable. As verbs, well, it’s a bit more complicated, as you’ll see. What’s the origin of trust? The word trust is first …
-
-
-
-
What Does The Letter “U” Have To Do With “W”?
The 23rd letter of the English alphabet is a bit of a wonder. The humble W is the only letter of the alphabet with a three-syllable name. It is also one of three letters (H, W, and Y) with a name that does not indicate its phonetic use. The complications of W are twofold because of its name, double-u, and its shape, double V. What sound …
-
What Does “ZIP Code” Stand For?
The busiest time of year for the US Postal Service coincides with the December holiday season, when we’re all busy mailing greetings and gifts alike. But USPS workers are busy year-round: postal employees process a whopping 181.9 million of pieces of first-class mail per day! The 470,000 employees who work for the USPS (including the 7,000 on the Fleet of Feet delivering mail on foot) rely …
-
Words That Totally Look Like English—But Aren’t
Since English is a major lingua franca, languages around the world import English loanwords. Sometimes other languages give completely new meanings to words that look like English yet they aren’t ever used by English-speakers.
-
Marshal vs. Martial: Do You Know The Difference?
It’s not enough that martial and marshal are pronounced the same, is it? No, the English language has to further complicate things, because while these homophones, martial and marshal, have different meanings, they both involve some overlapping concepts of law and war. And adding to the understandable confusion of these words is marshall, with two Ls. Let’s marshal, shall we say, the facts, and bring …
-
“Pragmatic” vs. “Dogmatic”: What Are The Differences?
Some people have the incredible ability to set their emotions aside and make clear, calm decisions in a crisis. Instead of getting caught up in big-picture ideals or feeling overwhelmed by the scale of a situation, they manage to face the problem head on and address it practically one step at a time. For those who don’t crumble under pressure, does this practical nature make …
