The hyphenated write-off is a noun meaning (1) a cancellation of an item from account books, or (2) a reduction of taxable income in recognition of an expense. In all other senses, write off is a two-word phrasal verb, with no hyphen. A write-off is something you write off. The one-word ... Read more
Timeout vs. time out
In American and Canadian English, timeout is one word in sports-related contexts, where it means an official pause in the action. Timeouts is its plural. In all other uses, time out is a two-word noun phrase. In British English, meanwhile, the one-word timeout is considered incorrect. Time out ... Read more
One-time vs. onetime
In 21st-century North America usage, one-time, with a hyphen, means occurring only once. For instance, a payment you have to make only once is a one-time payment. Onetime, without a hyphen, is synonymous with former. For example, George W. Bush is the onetime president of the United States. You ... Read more
Oneself vs. one’s self
The two-word phrase one's self is only justifiable when self is used in a spiritual, philosophical, or psychological sense. In all other cases, one's self can be replaced with the pronoun oneself. Examples For example, oneself could replace one's self in these sentences: There are individual ... Read more
Freshwater vs. fresh water
Freshwater is an adjective used to describe inland bodies of water and things that live in water that is not salty. It is two words---fresh water---when it doesn't function as an adjective. So a freshwater lake, for instance, is one that has fresh water, and a freshwater fish is one that lives in ... Read more
Voicemail
As any close follower of English could have predicted, the two-word phrase voice mail, which was the most common spelling when the technology was new, has evolved toward the single-word voicemail---no hyphen, no space. Most of the English-speaking world already favors the one-word form. In ... Read more
All together vs. altogether
Altogether is an adverb meaning entirely, all told, or on the whole. It doesn't function in any other way. The two-word all together is the appropriate phrase wherever the adverbial altogether wouldn't work. So, for example, we are all together is correct because all together is not an adverb in ... Read more
Follow up, follow-up, followup
Follow-up and followup are different spellings of the same word. The hyphenated form is more common, but the unhyphenated form is gaining ground. In either form, it works only as a noun or an adjective. When you need a verb, make it two words---follow up. For example, you might email a colleague ... Read more
Underway vs. under way
Under way is conventionally two words when it functions as an adverb or a predicate adjective (E.g., "The ship voyage is under way."). It is usually one word, underway, when it is an adjective preceding its noun (E.g., "The underway voyage was interrupted."). But English's compounding impulse may ... Read more
All right vs. alright
The use of alright in place of all right has never been condoned by dictionaries or usage authorities, but this convention is not likely to last. Web searches already generate approximately one alright for every all right, and the brevity and versatility of alright is likely to overpower the ... Read more
