Lionize and lionise are two spellings of the same word, which many find confusing. We will examine the definition of lionize and lionise, where these words came from, when each spelling should be used, and some examples of their use in sentences. Lionize and lionise mean to treat someone as if he were important, to hail someone as a celebrity, to bestow public approval and accolades upon someone. Synonyms for lionize and lionise that may be found in a thesaurus are idolize, revere, admire. … [Read more...]
Roommate, room mate or room-mate
Many people are confused about how to spell roommate, room mate or room-mate. The question most asked: "Is roommate one word?" We will discuss how to spell roommate, room mate or room-mate, as well the definition of these words and where they came from, and some examples of their use in sentences. A roommate, room-mate or room mate is a person who lives in the same house or apartment as another person. Usually, the roommate, room-mate or room mate is not related to the other person, and is … [Read more...]
Benefiting vs benefitting
The word benefiting and benefitting are alternate spellings of the same word. Many are confused about when each of these spellings is appropriate. We will examine the benefitting and benefiting meaning, the etymology, the appropriate use of each of these spellings and some examples of their use in sentences. Benefiting or benefitting is the present participle of the verb benefit. The verb benefit means to give an advantage or some type of profit to someone, or to receive an advantage or some … [Read more...]
Monetize vs demonetize
Monetize and demonetize are antonyms. Antonyms are two or more words that have opposing meanings. We will examine the definitions of monetize and demonetize, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences. Monetize means to convert something into money, to generate revenue from something, to earn a profit from a good or service. The word monetize is often used in business to describe turning a service that is initially offered to the public for free, into a … [Read more...]
Bachelor’s or bachelors degree and master’s or masters degree
The spellings of the terms bachelor’s degree and master’s degree can be confusing. We will examine the definitions of these two terms and where they came from, the correct spellings and some examples of their use in sentences. A bachelor’s degree is an undergraduate degree obtained from a college or university from a program that usually lasts four years. The term bachelor’s degree is derived from baccalaureate, which is derived from the Latin word baccalaureus which means a student who has … [Read more...]
First things first
First things first is a phrase that is often used in English. We will examine the meaning of the phrase first things first, the proper spelling, and some examples of its use in sentences. First things first is a phrase that means one should prioritize which items are most important, and deal with them before other, less important items. Exactly which items may be considered most important in any given situation may be up to interpretation. Usually, people use the term first things first when … [Read more...]
Need vs knead
Need and knead are two words that are pronounced in the same way but are spelled differently and mean different things. Need and knead are homophones. We'll look at the reason that some English words begin with the dipgraph kn, the difference between the words need and knead, and some examples of their use in sentences. Need may be used as a verb to mean to lack something, to be in want of something, to require something. Need may be used as a noun to mean the state of feeling the lack of … [Read more...]
Plaque vs plack
Plaque is 1.) an inscribed commemorative or ornamental tablet composed of a durable material such as metal or wood that is attached to a wall or other structure 2.) a sticky bacteria substance that attaches itself to teeth 3.) any patch on the body that is abnormal, such as a patch of psoriasis. The word plaque is derived from the Dutch word plakken, which means to stick. Plack is often seen to mean any of the definitions of the word plaque, however, this is a misspelling. The only accepted … [Read more...]
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis is a symbol of a lily with three petals, bound together at the base. Fleur-de-lis is taken directly from the French, it literally means flower of the lily. An alternate spelling is fleur-de-lys. According to Google's Ngram Viewer both spellings are found with approximately the same frequency, though the Oxford English Dictionary prefers the fleur-de-lis spelling. The plural forms are fleurs-de-lis and fleurs-de-lys. The fleur-de-lis was a heraldic emblem, it is most closely … [Read more...]
Dialogue vs dialog
A dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters in a book, play or movie or a conversation between two or more people in real life, especially when they are working together on a particular project or problem. In North America, dialogue is also used as a verb to mean to take part in a conversation in order to work toward a resolution of a particular problem or particular project. Related words are dialogues, dialogued, dialoguing. Dialog is an alternative spelling of the word … [Read more...]