Similar Words Archives

Anyway, Anyways or Any Way? Help!

Even experienced writers get tripped up with anyway, any way, and anyways. Here is an explainer to help you distinguish between these similar-sounding expressions. Using Anyway Correctly Firstly, anyway can be defined as “nonetheless,” “in any case,” or “regardless.” Here is an example of how… continue reading

Should You Use Into and Onto or What?

It is never easy differentiating between the like-sounding terms into and in to. The same is true for onto and on to. We can clarify these words and phrases to help you determine which is correct for your sentence. Into and Onto Definitions For starters,… continue reading

Similar Words

The Difference Between Abstruse and Obtuse

What is the difference between the words abstruse and obtuse? Abstruse Well, both are adjectives (words that describe nouns). The first word, abstruse, derives from a Latin word meaning “hidden, concealed, secret.” In the English language, it simply means “difficult to understand.” Here are a few examples: Because I… continue reading

Is it Among or Amongst?

If you ever felt uncertain whether to use amongst or among, do not worry. Their definitions are identical. The only difference between these two words is that among is more commonly used in American English. Both among and amongst are prepositions. They can be defined… continue reading

When To Use Every Day And Everyday

Compound words sometimes don’t have the same meaning as the individual words they comprise. For example – anytime and any time, It’s a situation where the whole is different from the total of its parts. Every day and everyday are similar—everyday (without a space) does… continue reading

Graphic describing the difference of "Into or In To:" the first is a preposition while the second are just two words that happen to be next to each other.

Into or In To—When to Use Which

Is it Into or In To? This is actually a common error, although it really shouldn’t be. When choosing between the two, remember that into is a preposition that shows what something is within or inside. As separate words, in and to sometimes just simply… continue reading

Grey vs. Gray: the difference is purely geographical. Grey is British while Gray is used in the US. Both are acceptable.

Gray or Grey: Is There a Difference?

As a noun, gray is usually in reference to the color. It can also be used as an adjective when we want to say that the color of something is simply a shade of gray. It can be used as a verb as well, for when something grays (i.e., turns gray, such as hair).… continue reading

Graphic illustrating the featured image for in regard to or in regards to.

Is It “In Regard To” or “In Regards To”

There is a bad habit among writers to use ornate phrases where a single word will do. The English language is full of such terms. Sometimes, there can be multiple variations of the same phrase. An example of this is in regard to and in… continue reading

Emigrate vs. Immigrate: What’s the Difference?

Considering how similarly immigrate and emigrate sound, it is understandable for people to wonder if they are alternate spellings of the same word. Emigrate’s Definition Firstly, emigrate does not mean the same thing as immigrate. Emigrate has a specific definition: to depart one place –… continue reading

Graphic of two words: callus vs. callous

Choosing Between Callus and Callous

One frequent error that writers make involves homophones, or different words that sound the same when spoken. Anyone who has ever had to choose the correct option between poor, pour, and pore can surely relate. Another homophone quandary involves the words callous and callus. History… continue reading