Vocabulary

Let’s go back to basics with a quick look at ” have” vs. “has.” The verb “to have” is pretty standard in English. However, its other forms, “have” and “has,” can be slightly tricky, especially for non-native speakers. Even though you may think that these words may have the… continue reading

Let’s talk about criteria vs. criterion. “Criteria” is a noun typically used to refer to standards or rules of judgment. To be most correct, if you want to speak of “criteria” singularly, you should say “criterion.” Although this rule may sound odd, many other words, such as “datum,”… continue reading

Let’s have a look at historic vs. historical. It’s easy to confuse the two words. Not only are they both adjectives, but they also share similar spellings and meanings. However, you can’t use historic if you mean historical, and vice versa. It’s important to know… continue reading

Homophones such as “capitol” and “capital” can be tricky as they have similar spelling, pronunciation, yet different meanings. They can leave writers scratching their heads, trying to figure out which of these variations to use.  Let’s have a closer look at the “capitol or capital conundrum.  What Does “Capital” Mean? … continue reading

Let’s have a look at astrology vs astronomy – is there a difference? You may have heard both terms used in everyday speech to describe things that relate to outer space and the stars. Even though these words sound very similar and relate to the same… continue reading

Let’s discuss “amid” vs “amidst.” In the English language, people use many pairings of words interchangeably. In some cases, these interchangeable pairs are useful and correct; in others, they can be confusing and misleading. This idea of pairings applies to the words “amid” and “amidst,” which are commonly… continue reading

Let’s take a look at Aid vs. Aide.  The two words are very similar in spelling and meaning and are even identical in pronunciation. That makes these words easy to mix, but one isn’t equal to the other.  “Aid” can be a verb meaning “to… continue reading

Let’s have a look at accepted vs. excepted: Accept is used to show agreement or receipt of something being offered.  Except is used to exclude (i.e., not offered or not included).  A handy trick is to look at the “ex” in “except” to know that… continue reading

Chorus vs. Choir Let’s have a look at chorus vs. choir. A chorus and a choir have similar meanings, but that doesn’t mean they refer to the same thing. If we’re talking about people, a choir is always a part of a chorus, but a… continue reading

Have you ever considered whether you should use “can” or “may?” When asking for permission, you may have said, “can I?” On the flip side, you may have heard people say, “may I?” With these two phrases in mind, is one more correct? And do “can I?” and… continue reading