Vocabulary

Beside and besides sound very similar, but they have different definitions. It’s important to learn how to use them properly. Beside vs. Besides When you use beside, without the s, you are telling the location of something. Besides, however, means “as well,” “in addition to,”… continue reading

Except means with the exception of something or excluding (you can use the “ex” of except to help you remember that it means to exclude Accept means to receive something being offered or to agree with something or someone. If you are having difficulties remembering when you should… continue reading

“Disinterested” means that while interest in the subject is a possibility, currently, there is none. When someone has no interest in the subject matter at all, they are “uninterested.” Often, you will see two words used interchangeably within text or speech: disinterested and uninterested. While… continue reading

Homophones are words that mean different things even though they sound the same. Homophones can cause significant grammatical errors. You may know what word you’re saying, but the wrong spelling can make your writing look unprofessional.  Today we’ll talk about these two homophones: Weather and whether. Weather is usually used… continue reading

Should we use everybody or everyone? Is there a difference? Well, both everyone and everybody refer to all the people in a certain group. The teacher ordered everyone outside for recess. The car wasn’t big enough for everybody. So, the meaning of the words is the same.… continue reading

Let’s discuss homophones sheer vs. shear. Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Shear and sheer are homophones. Shear can be used as both a noun and a verb. Sheer can be used as an adverb, adjective, or verb. … continue reading

  Elude relates to deception or trickery.  Illusion is a noun representing a false image or trick of the mind.  An allusion is a reference to a previously existing topic.  Illude, allude, and elude are similar-looking words, but each has its distinctive meaning. Nonetheless, these… continue reading

Is it “fair” or “fare?  Well, how would you write this sentence? A) People with high energy fair well in sports. B) People with high energy fare well in sports. The correct choice is B! Why? The word fare is a verb from the Old English word faran,… continue reading

Two commonly confused words are migrant vs. immigrant.  Let’s have a quick look at the two, in addition to the word “refugee:” A migrant is a person who moves to a country temporarily to pursue work, education, or something else to improve their life. An… continue reading

Sometimes words sound similar even though they have very different meanings. Tragedy and travesty are great examples. Sometimes people use the word travesty, but they really mean tragedy. It’s rare to make this mistake the other way around.  Why do these words get confused? Besides… continue reading