Spelling Archives

graphic showing 2 options for shortening the word "continued:" "cont." and "cont'd"

How Do You Abbreviate “Continued”?

Most abbreviations are easy to figure out. It’s much more common to say “Mr.” instead of “Mister,” and writing “4 km” is a lot easier than “4 kilometers.” For some abbreviations, however, finding the right way to shorten them isn’t so easy. In fact, there… continue reading

Should You Use “Fared” Or “Faired?”

Is it faired or fared? Here is another pair of pesky homophones that often leave writers scratching their heads. It’s fair to say that some fare better than others! Here is a quick rule of thumb: Most of the time, “fared” is the correct choice. Let’s have… continue reading

A chalk board with the words "Practice or Practise"

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Are “Practice” And “Practise” The Same Thing?

While reading a document, you may see words like “practice” and “practise” thrown around interchangeably. You may have wondered if “practise” is even a word or if both words mean the same thing. This isn’t the only example, however, as many words end in “-ise” and “-ice” which can confuse English learners. … continue reading

road sign with the words: I before E except after C Rule EXCEPTION"

Spelling

Exception to I before E Except after C Rule

The popular grammatically rhyme, “I before e, except after c” was created to help English learners spell new words correctly. Unfortunately, it only applies to a specific category of words, often leading some people astray. While it is a great rhyme to keep in mind while… continue reading

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

Spelling

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?"

Spelling

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 picture of a woman with a sunburn and the words sunburned or sunburnt?

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Sunburned or Sunburnt? Which is Right?

Summer is almost here, and as beach weather taps on our door, you might soon find yourself pondering a specific grammar question prevalent in the warmest months of the year. Maybe you will be writing a postcard from a tropical paradise. ‘Enjoying the lovely sand,’… continue reading

Advance Notice or Advanced Notice – Which Is Correct?

Notice, by definition, is given in advance, isn’t it? If that’s true, is the expression “advance notice” redundant? Or worse, is it inaccurate? These questions need to be addressed! So here is a quick answer: You should feel free to use either or simply… continue reading

A picture of a woman playing the flute with the words Flautist or Flutist?

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Using Flautist or Flutist

Americans will usually use flutist as the noun denoting a person who plays the flute. In types of English from outside North America, flautist is more standard, but both words are used to some degree by Canadian writers. From the French flûtiste, Flutist is the older English word, and it… continue reading

Spelling

Is It Steer Clear or Stear Clear?

Do you stear or steer clear of it when you try to avoid something? You aren’t wrong if you see steer and think an ox who has not yet turned four. Steer has numerous uses, though. Another one is to navigate. The word stear, is a little trickier though. Most word processors flag it as an… continue reading

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