Connie Fisher, Author at BusinessWritingBlog

graphic of a married couple and the definitions of fiancé and fiancee

Fiancée vs. Fiancé

Let’s explore fiancée vs. fiancé. To start, some definitions: The History of Affidavit, Affiance, & Fiancé An affidavit refers to a written promise. Its Latin roots tie it to a different type of promise in English. It comes from the past tense form of a Latin… continue reading

A chalkboard with the word "acknowledgement" written with the letter E capitalised to signify the question: "is it acknowledgement or acknowledgment?"

Acknowledgement or Acknowledgment?

Both acknowledgment and acknowledgement emerge throughout the English-speaking world, but acknowledgment, with no middle e, is favored in American English, while acknowledgement is favored outside North America. These preferences spread to the plural forms, acknowledgements and acknowledgments also. In the United States and Canada, acknowledgement appears roughly once for every two instances of acknowledgment. The proportion is the other way… continue reading

A graphic of color background and three words: yea yay or yeah

Common Expressions

Yea or Yeah or Yay?

Is it “Yea” or “Yeah?” Well, “Yea” is a very old-fashioned traditional way of saying “yes,” used primarily in voting. It’s the opposite of—and rhymes with—“nay.” If you want to write the standard casual version of “yes,” the proper spelling is “yeah” (sounds like “yeh”… continue reading

A two color background with the words While or Whilst

Is It While or Whilst?

Have you ever considered adding a bit of flavor to your writing and thought to yourself, “can I use ‘whilst’ here, or do I have to use ‘while’?” While and whilst are two words that generally have identical definitions. However, that isn’t always the case; therefore, you… continue reading

Picture of a hand holding a magnifying glass to a capital C after a semicolon and a colon, with a caption: capitalisation after semicolon & colon

Punctuation Pointers

Capital Letter Following Semicolons & Colons?

If you’re wondering whether or not to put a capital letter after a semicolon or colon, the answer is “it depends”. Usually, the decision requires determining the independent and dependent clauses in the sentence. As a reminder, independent clauses are also known as restrictive clauses,… continue reading

A picture of a horse and a man holding the reins with the caption "Free Rein"

“Free rein” or “Free reign”

The expression free rein stemmed from horseback riding. The rider holds the reins, leather straps connected to a metal bit in the horse’s mouth, and handles the horse by pulling on the straps differently. When you give a horse free rein, you’ll hold the reins loosely so the animal… continue reading

Three pictures in a row showing a mountain "a peak," a woman pondering "pique an interest" and a man peeking from behind a wall, representing the question "peek or peak or pique"

Similar Words

Simple Tips To Remember The Difference Between Peak, Peek, and Pique

Peak, Peek, and Pique: What is the Difference? Years ago, there was an account on Twitter that automatically responded when people spelled ‘sneak peek’ as ‘sneak peak’. I’m kind of disappointed that it no longer exists (changing the world, one spelling tweet at a time… continue reading

A picture of a well dressed man adjusting his tie with the caption "Dressed to a T"

The Meaning Of “To a T”

The expression “to a T” – as in “That fits you to a T!” – is often incorrectly written or spoken as “to the T” (or “to a tee” or “to the tee”). This same kind of mistake often occurs in everyday phrases such as “all… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

Referring To or Too….Which Is Correct?

“Referring to” or “too” is the topic we’ll be examining in this article. Only one of these forms is accurate, and it would help to know which one is correct before you write the wrong one for the wrong situation! Referring To or Referring Too?… continue reading

A picture of an axe in a block of wood with the words Axe vs. Ax

Similar Words

Ax vs. Axe. Which is Right?

Let’s take a look at ax vs. axe. Both words refer to the long-handled tool with a heavy metal blade, and both axe and ax feature in metaphorical use in phrases like “ax/axe to grind” or “take an ax/axe to (something).” Ax and axe are used also as verbs for actions where an… continue reading