Each letter of the English alphabet can be spelled as itself (e.g., a DJ or T-shirt), or it can be spelled out using its name (e.g., a deejay or tee-shirt). Vowels still stand for themselves, and while very rare, the plural of vowels are made by adding -es. In the capitalized form, the plurals are made by either -s or -‘s (e.g., L’s or As). Letters also have a specific sound associated with them, and not only can you spell …
Someone’s demeanor is his or her outward behavior, or the way he or she appears to others. It is spelled demeanour outside the United States. The spelling change extends to misdemeanor and misdemeanour. Side note: The United States borrowed the word misdemeanor from the United Kingdom. Misdemeanor adds the prefix mis- which denotes that the subsequent action has been done wrongly or badly (e.g., misheard, misread, misunderstood). In the United Kingdom demeanour was also a verb, so a misdemeanour was a wrong behavior towards others. Other English-speaking countries have changed the legal term of misdemeanour to …
Civilize means to increase the social standards of a people or a place. It can also be used as an adjective in the form of civilized to describe something as polite or having good manners. Outside of North America it is spelled civilise and civilised. The spelling changes extend to other derivations of the word such as civilization and civilisation, which means a group of people who function in a group. Examples Complicating the reputation of communist rule in Xinjiang are controversial policies such as virtual slave labor …
Nascent is an adjective used to describe something as newly formed or just beginning to be in existence. Sometimes it is used to describe something with the potential for growth. It can be pronounced with either and long or short /a/ sound (nay cent or naa cent) in the US, while England uses the long /a/ sound exclusively. The noun form is nascence or nascency, which makes nascencies in the plural. Examples Now that the proposals on constitutional amendments were tabled in Parliament, as a …
When you make your monologue up as you go along, do you improvise or improvize? When I’m writing a book without an outline, am I improvising or improvizing? Some words can end in -ise and -ize depending on one’s preference. But improvise or improvize is not one of them.So how do you spell this word? I’ll show you this verb’s definition, correct spelling, and pronunciation. You’ll also learn how to use improvise in a sentence. What Is Improvise? The word …
To flip one’s lid and flip one’s wig mean to suddenly lose control of yourself or your emotions, either in anger or excitement. The phrases are rarely used in the plural, but the generally accepted forms are flip their lids and flip their wigs. The verb flip is used in all its conjugations. Flipping your wig is more commonly found in the United States. Contrary to popular belief, it is not an old phrase, but was born in North America. The Oxford English Dictionary has the first print appearance listed in …
Rancor is defined as bitterness or resentment. It is spelled rancor in the US, and rancour outside the US. The adjective form is rancorous, while the adverb is rancorously. These forms are spelled the same everywhere. Examples It of course also left “a legacy of political rancor and racial hatred so intense” that it guaranteed the world war that would follow 20 years later, which by Keegan’s calculation was five times as destructive of human life. [Wall Street Journal] Actually, we owe our gratitude (or rancor, depending …
To baptize something or someone is to perform the ceremony of baptism. This baptism has varied meanings and procedures depending on the organization performing it. In Christian churches a baptism can give a person a name, make him or her a member of the congregation, or cleanse him or her of sin (or sometimes all three of these things). The word is sometimes pronounced with a b sound, especially in the Southern United States. Baptise is the preferred spelling outside North America; as …
Smokey is a proper noun and first name, whereas smoky is an adjective referring to an object being filled with or smelling of smoke. Until recently smokey was an accepted spelling of smoky in the Oxford English Dictionary. However, it is now thought of as old-fashioned. Examples Elsewhere, the choice ran from interesting daily specials, such as lamb kofta, to tasty, fashionable sandwiches, such as a New York deli-style pastrami, or the Smokey Jo – smoked pork, smoked cheese, coleslaw. [Guardian] …
Orthopedic is the Americanized version of the word orthopaedic. Both refer to the medical specialty focusing on the body’s musculoskeletal system, which includes bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves. Orthopaedic comes from the Greek orthos (straight) and paidion (child), which suggests the practice began with a focus on children. The spellings are virtually interchangeable in the United States. However, an institution may use the more original form of spelling to associate itself with the classic meaning and principles of …