The trio of their, there, and they’re can flummox writers of all levels. It’s confusing; they are homophones, meaning they have the same pronunciation (sound) but differ in meaning and derivation (origin). In this article, we’ll explain the meanings of their, there, and they’re, how to use each word correctly, and provide example sentences for each term. We’ll also give some tips on how to remember …
Then and than are among the 100 most frequently used words in the English language. The fact that they’re so common means that they’re also commonly misused! Do you say, I will call you no later than 7 pm or then 7 pm? Would you say the company needs a good accountant more than (or then) ever? Some examples are trickier than others, but you can learn to distinguish …
To understand when to use that and when to use which, it’s important to keep in mind the difference between restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses. In formal American English, that is used in restrictive clauses, and which is used in nonrestrictive clauses. Not sure what that means? Let’s find out! How to use that vs. which A restrictive clause contains information that limits the meaning of …
If you’ve ever wondered whether it was spelled fiancé or fiancée, well, they’re both correct. And they’re both correct because they are actually different terms. English borrowed them from variants of the French verb fiancer (meaning “to get engaged”) in the mid-19th century. The masculine (fiancé) and feminine (fiancée) noun forms were both imported by English speakers, even though English doesn’t typically use gendered word endings. The extra E …
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 …
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 …
