Words are the basic building blocks of grammar. Words are combinations of letters and sounds, individual words are separated by spaces. Some words contain more than one part, such as hyphenated words and other compound words. Some words are pronounced in the same way but carry different meanings. As time passes, the definition of a word or is pronunciation may change radically from its inception to its current usage.
Words may be combined into phrases. Some phrases become popular over the years and are applied to situations other than originally intended. These phrases take on a figurative meaning rather than a literal meaning, and become idioms. If a certain phrase or idiom becomes popular only in a certain region or among a certain group of people, it becomes a colloquialism. And finally, a phrase that is misheard and misquoted may become a mondegreen or an eggcorn, sometimes supplanting the original phrase in popularity.
English incorporates words and phrases from many other languages and other sources. The internet has given rise to a growing list of new words and phrases, and new ways to use existing words and phrases. Grammarist is here to help you understand English words and phrases, whether their roots can be traced back one year or a thousand.
A
- Abandon vs. abandonment
- Abdicate, abnegate, abrogate
- Abetter vs. abettor
- Abided vs. abode
- Abject vs object
- Abjure vs. adjure
- Abolishment vs. abolition
- Aborted vs. abortive
- About-face
- Abracadabra
- Abstruse vs. obtuse
- Accent vs accentuate
- Acceptance vs. acceptation
- Accept vs Except
- Access
- Accessory vs accessary
- Acclimate, acclimatise, acclimatize
- Accord vs. accordance
- Accost
- Accoutrement
- Adamance
- Adaptable or adaptive
- Adapter vs. adaptor
- Adaption vs. Adaptation – What’s the Difference?
- Addenda vs. Addendums
- Addicting vs. addictive
- Addition vs. edition
- Addlepated, addlebrained and addleheaded
- Adduce vs educe
- Admittance vs. Admission – Difference & Definition
- Adopted vs. adoptive
- Ads, adds or adze
- Advance vs. advanced
- Advent
- Adventurous vs adventuresome
- Adverse vs. averse
- Advert vs. avert
- Advice vs. Advise – Meaning, Spelling & Examples
- Adviser Vs Advisor – Which Is Correct?
- Ad hoc
- Ad Hominem Fallacy Examples and Definition
- Ad infinitum
- Ad nauseam
- Ad vs. add
- Ad-lib and ad lib
- Aegis
- Aesthetic vs. ascetic
- Affective vs. effective
- Affect vs Effect
- Afflict vs. inflict
- Affluent vs. effluent
- Affluenza
- Afterward vs. afterwards
- Afterward vs. afterword
- Aggrandize
- Aggravate
- Aggression vs. aggressiveness
- Agitprop
- Agnostic vs. Atheist – What’s the Difference?
- Agog or agape
- Agree
- Agreement Vs Agreeance – Which Is Correct?
- Ahold
- Aid vs. Aide – Difference, Meaning & Examples
- Ail vs ale
- Ain’t
- Air vs err
- Air vs heir
- Aisle vs. isle
- Akimbo
- Alas
- Albeit
- Alight
- Alligator vs. crocodile
- Alliteration vs assonance
- Allude vs. elude
- Allusion vs. elusion vs. illusion
- All but
- All but vs anything but vs everything but
- All get-out
- All of the Sudden vs All of a Sudden – Which is Correct?
- All that
- Alma mater
- Aloud vs allowed
- Alphabetic vs. alphabetical
- Also-ran
- Altar vs. alter
- Alternate vs. alternative
- Although vs. though
- Aluminium vs. aluminum
- Amalgam vs. amalgamation
- Amative or amatory
- Amazeballs
- Ambiance vs. ambience
- Amends vs amends
- Amend vs. emend
- America
- American Indian vs Native American
- Amiable vs. amicable
- Amok vs. amuck
- Among vs. Amongst – Difference, Usage & Examples
- Amoral vs. immoral
- Amount vs. number
- Ample
- Amuse vs. bemuse
- Anachronism
- Analogue vs. analogy
- Analog vs. analogue
- Analyses vs analyzes
- Anamorphic
- Anathema
- Angel vs. Angle – How to Remember the Difference
- Annal vs annual
- Anodyne vs analgesic
- Another string in your bow
- Antediluvian
- Ante- vs anti-
- Antichrist
- Antifa
- Antimacassar
- Ant vs aunt
- Anyday vs any day
- Anymore or any more
- Anyone or any one
- Anyplace or Any Place – Which is Correct?
- Anytime vs. Any Time – Difference, Usage & Examples
- Anyway vs. anyways
- Apologetics
- Apostle
- Apotheosis
- Appellation vs appellative
- Append vs upend
- Apple-polish
- Appraise vs. apprise
- Approbation vs approval
- Appropriate vs. expropriate
- April Fool’s or April Fools’
- Apropos
- Arcane and obsolete
- Archaeology vs. archeology
- Argumentative vs. argumentive
- Arise or rise
- Around the clock, round the clock
- Around vs. round
- Arouse vs. rouse
- Arrant vs. errant
- Artefact vs. artifact
- Artesian vs artisan
- ASAP
- Ascared – Meaning and Usage
- Ascent, ascendance, ascendancy, etc.
- Ascribe vs subscribe
- Assail vs. assault
- Assignation or assignment
- Assume vs. presume
- Assure, ensure, insure
- Astrology vs astronomy
- Asylum
- Ate vs eight
- Atlas
- Attache
- Attain vs. obtain
- Attribute vs attribute
- At a loose end
- At Wits End – Meaning, Origin and Correct Spelling
- Auger vs. augur
- Aught
- August
- August vs august
- Aural vs. oral
- Aureole vs oriole
- Authorise vs. authorize
- Authoritative vs. authoritive
- Autobiography vs biography
- Au contraire
- Au fait
- Au pair
- Avail
- Avant-garde
- Avocation vs. vocation
- Awed vs odd
- Aw or awe
- Axel vs. axle
- Axis vs axes
- Aye vs eye
- A cappella
- A la (Ã la)
- A priori
- A whole nother
B
- Backstab – Definition & Examples
- Backwater or backwaters
- Bad rap vs. bad wrap
- Bad vs badly
- Bae vs bay
- Bailiwick
- Bail vs. bale
- Bain-marie vs double boiler
- Bait vs. bate
- Balderdash
- Bald, balled or bawled
- Bald-faced vs. boldface
- Ball vs. Bawl and Balling vs. Bawling – Difference & Meaning
- Balmy vs. barmy
- Baloney vs. bologna
- Bamboozle
- Band vs banned
- Band (together) vs. bandy (about)
- Bane
- Bankster
- Ban vs. bar
- Barbed wire
- Bard vs barred
- Bare vs. Bear – Difference, Meaning & Examples
- Bark vs barque
- Barnstorm
- Baron vs barren
- Bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah
- Basal, basil, or Basel
- Based vs baste
- Base or Bass – Pronunciation & Definition
- Basis vs bases
- Bastion
- Bath or bathe
- Battle royal
- Bawl out
- Bazaar vs. bizarre
- Beachcomber
- Beach vs beech
- Beat or beaten
- Beat vs beet
- Beau vs bow
- Beeline
- Beer vs bier
- Beggar Belief – Meaning and Origin
- Begrudge
- Beg the question (usage)
- Behalf
- Behold and beholden
- Behoove
- Belated
- Belie
- Belle vs beau
- Bellwether
- Bellyache
- Bell vs belle
- Benchmark
- Bent or bended
- Bereaved vs. bereft
- Berry vs bury
- Berserk
- Beside or besides
- Besotted
- Bespeak vs bespoke
- Bespeckled or bespectacled
- Bête noire
- Better vs bettor
- Betwixt
- Beyond the pale
- Biannual vs. biennial
- Bight vs. bite
- Bigwig
- Big kahuna
- Big-ups
- Billed vs build
- Bill of goods
- Bingeing or binging
- Bingo
- Bite, byte or bight
- Bite-size or bite-sized
- Bivouac
- Black market
- Black out vs blackout
- Blatant vs. flagrant
- Blather vs blabber
- Blather vs. blither
- Blessed vs. Blest – Difference, Meaning & Examples
- Blew, blown, or blowed
- Bling
- Blitzkrieg
- Blockbuster – Meaning & Examples
- Bloc vs. block
- Blond vs. blonde
- Bloviate
- Blowhard and windbag
- Bluetooth
- Blue blood
- Bobble vs bauble
- Bodega
- Bode vs bowed
- Body politic
- Bogeyman
- Boggle the mind and mind-boggling
- Bohemian
- Bokeh
- Bolder vs boulder
- Bollocks vs bollocking
- Bombogenesis
- Bona fide, bona fides
- Bon vivant
- Boondocks vs boonies
- Boot camp
- Booze vs boos
- Border vs boarder
- Bore, boor, boar
- Borne vs. born
- Borough, burro, burrow
- Botanic vs. botanical
- Bot vs bought
- Boughten
- Bough or bow
- Bourgeois, bourgeoisie
- Bowdlerize
- Bowled vs bold
- Boy vs buoy
- Braggadocio
- Braggart vs bragger
- Braid vs brayed
- Brainchild
- Brainwash
- Braise, brays, or braze
- Brand spanking new
- Breach, breech, broach
- Bread vs bred
- Break up vs. breakup
- Breastfeeding, breastfed, breastfeed, etc.
- Breath vs. breadth (vs. width)
- Breath vs. Breathe – Usage, Difference & Definition
- Breeches vs britches
- Brewed vs brood
- Brexit and Grexit
- Bric-a-brac and knick-knack
- Bridezilla – Origin & Meaning
- Bridle vs. bridal
- Brief vs debrief
- Bring vs take
- Briton
- Broach vs. brooch
- Bromance
- Brouhaha
- Browse vs brows
- Buck Naked vs. Butt Naked – Which Is Correct?
- Buffer vs. buffet
- Bugbear or bugaboo
- Bulk, balk, baulk
- Bullseye or bull’s eye
- Bumpkin
- Bunk vs debunk
- Bunt vs Bundt
- Bupkis
- Burger vs burgher
- Burthen
- Bused, bussed, or bust
- Busybody
- Butterfingers
- But vs. Butt – Difference, Meaning & Spelling
- But vs. yet
- Buy, by or bye
- Buzzword
- By and by vs. by the by
C
- Cacao vs. cocoa
- Cache vs cash
- Cache vs. cachet
- Caddie vs. caddy
- Cahoots
- Callous vs. callus
- Call vs caul
- Calumny
- Calvary vs. cavalry
- Camaraderie vs comradery
- Canard
- Candor or candour
- Candy corn
- Canon vs. cannon
- Cantankerous
- Cantor vs canter
- Canvas vs. canvass
- Capiche, Capeesh, Capische – Meaning & Usage
- Capital vs. Capitol – Usage, Difference & Examples
- Capitulate vs recapitulate
- Carbon copy
- Carbon footprint
- Careen vs. career
- Caretaker vs caregiver
- Carpetbagger – Origin & Meaning
- Carrot, carat, karat, caret
- Carte blanche
- Car hood and car bonnet
- Cashmere vs Kashmir
- Cassandra
- Casted
- Catalog vs. Catalogue – Difference & Definition
- Catcall – Definition & Examples
- Catch vs ketch
- Catty-corner, kitty-corner
- Caucus
- Cause celebre
- Cavalcade
- Caveat
- Cay, quay and key
- Cede and seed
- Cede vs. concede
- Ceiling vs sealing
- Celebrant or celebrator
- Cellar vs seller
- Cel, cell or sell
- Centuries
- Cent, scent and sent
- Cereal vs serial
- Certainty vs. certitude
- Certifiable
- Cession vs. session
- Chafe vs. chaff
- Chain letter
- Chalk up vs. chock
- Chapstick
- Charade and charades
- Charlatan
- Charnel house
- Chary vs cherry
- Chasten vs. chastise
- Chaste vs chased
- Chatbot
- Chav
- Cheapskate – Origin & Meaning
- Cheap vs cheep
- Checkout vs. check out
- Check kiting
- Check vs. Cheque – Difference & Definition
- Chews vs choose
- Chicanery
- Chick flick and chick lit
- Chic vs. sheik
- Childish vs. childlike
- Chili vs Chilly – What’s the Difference?
- Chills down the spine
- Chink vs. kink
- Chips vs. fries
- Choate or inchoate
- Chock-a-block vs chockablock
- Chopper vs. copter
- Chorale, choral or corral
- Chortle
- Chow vs ciao
- Christmas Adam
- Chunder or chunter
- Chute vs. shoot
- Cisgender vs transgender
- Citizen journalism
- Civic vs. civil
- Civil rights and human rights
- Claptrap
- Classic vs. classical
- Clause vs claws
- Clean vs. cleanse
- Cleave
- Clench vs. clinch
- Clew vs clue
- Clickbait – Origin & Meaning
- Click vs clique
- Cliffhanger
- Cliffs Notes
- Climactic vs. climatic
- Clime vs climb
- Close vs clothes
- Cloth vs clothes
- Cloture vs closure
- Cloying and mawkish
- Coal, cole or kohl
- Coarse vs. course
- Cockamamie
- Coddle and mollycoddle
- Coddle vs caudle
- Coffice
- Cold-call
- Coliseum vs. colosseum
- Collectible vs collectable
- Collegial vs. collegiate
- Collocate vs colocate
- Color vs. Colour – Difference & Examples
- Comeuppance
- Comic vs. comical
- Commencement
- Commentator vs. commenter
- Comme ci, comme ça
- Compared to or compared with
- Compel vs. impel
- Complacent vs. complaisant
- Complement vs. compliment
- Compose vs. comprise
- Concave vs. convex
- Conceded or conceited
- Conceive vs. perceive
- Concerted
- Condemn vs. condone
- Confidant vs. confidante
- Confirmation bias
- Conflict of interest
- Confusables
- Congruent vs. congruous
- Conker vs conquer
- Connexion
- Connote vs. denote
- Conservatory, solarium or sunroom
- Constant vs consistent
- Contemporaneous vs. contemporary
- Contemptible vs. contemptuous
- Content or contented
- Continual vs. continuous
- Contumely
- Conundrum
- Convivial vs congenial
- Coop, coup or coupe
- Cooties
- Copse vs cops
- Copyright vs. copywrite
- Coral vs. corral
- Cord vs. chord
- Cornball and corny
- Cornet vs. coronet
- Corollary vs. correlation
- Correspondence vs correspondents
- Cosmetology vs. cosmology
- Cottage industry
- Cotton candy or cotton floss or fairy floss
- Could care less
- Council vs. Counsel – Difference & Examples
- Counselor vs. Counsellor
- Coups vs coos
- Coup de grace
- Covert vs overt
- Coward vs cowered
- Co-op vs. co-opt
- Co-ordinate vs coordinate
- Crackerjack
- Crack down vs. crackdown
- Crap
- Crapshoot
- Crayfish, crawfish, crawdad, etc.
- Creature comfort
- Crèche and manger
- Creek vs creak
- Creeped vs. crept
- Crevasse vs. crevice
- Crewel vs cruel
- Crews vs cruise
- Crick (variant of creek)
- Crowdsourcing vs crowdfunding
- Croze vs crows
- Cruciferous
- Crumby vs. crummy
- Cryptid
- Cultural appropriation
- Cul-de-sac
- Cum
- Curb vs. kerb
- Curmudgeon
- Currant vs current
- Cursor vs curser
- Cut off your nose to spite your face
- Cybersquatting
- Cyber-
- Cynical
- C’est la vie
D
- Dad bod
- Dam vs Damn – What’s the Difference?
- Daresay
- Data is or Data are? The Singular vs. Plural Debate
- Days vs daze
- Dead set, dead-set, deadset
- Dealt vs. dealed
- Dearth
- Debark or disembark
- Decent vs. descent
- Deconstruction
- Decry vs. descry
- Deduce vs. induce
- Deepfake
- Deepnet, darknet and deep web
- Deep-seeded vs. deep-seated
- Defenestration
- Defuse vs. diffuse
- Deign
- Deign vs Dane
- Delegate vs delegate
- Deleterious vs detrimental
- Demagogue vs demigod
- Demeanor or demeanour
- Demon vs daemon
- Demur vs. demure
- Denounce vs. renounce
- Dents vs dense
- Dependant vs. dependent
- Deplane or disembark
- Depository vs. repository
- Deprecate vs. depreciate
- Descendant vs. descendent
- Desert vs. Dessert – When to Use Each One
- Destroy vs. destruct
- Deteriorate vs decline
- Detract vs. distract
- Device vs. devise
- Deviser vs divisor
- Dewclaw
- Dew, do and due
- De facto
- De rigueur
- Diagram
- Dialectal vs. dialectical
- Dibs and calling dibs
- Dichotomy vs paradox
- Dickensian
- Dietician or dietitian
- Dike vs. dyke
- Diktat
- Dilapidated
- Dilemma
- Dirigible or blimp
- Disabuse, misuse and abuse
- Disassemble vs. dissemble
- Disburse vs. disperse
- Discombobulate
- Discomfit vs. discomfort
- Discrete vs. discreet
- Disc vs. disk
- Disdain or distain
- Disenfranchise vs. disfranchise
- Disillusion vs. dissolution
- Disinterested vs. uninterested
- Dispatch vs. Despatch
- Dispense with vs. dispose of
- Disposed vs. predisposed
- Dissent vs descent
- Dissociate vs. disassociate
- Distaff
- Distinct vs. distinctive
- Distrust vs. mistrust
- Ditto and ditto mark
- Divers vs. diverse
- Divorcée, divorcé, divorcee
- Dock vs doc
- Dogged vs dogged
- Doggerel
- Dog-ear
- Doh, doe or dough
- Dole out vs. doll out
- Done vs dun
- Donner or Donder
- Donnybrook
- Don vs dawn
- Don’t’s or don’ts
- Doodle
- Doomsday vs Domesday
- Doppelgänger
- Dos or do’s
- Dotage vs senility
- Dotard
- Doublethink, doublespeak or double-talk
- Double entendre
- Double vs. redouble
- Doughnut vs. Donut – What’s the Difference?
- Douse vs. dowse
- Dove vs. dived
- Downfall vs. downside
- Downplay or play down
- Downright vs outright
- Doxing and doxxing
- Draconian
- Dreidel or dreidl
- Dribble vs. drivel
- Drier vs. dryer
- Drink drank drunk
- Drive-by
- Droll
- Drop off vs. drop-off (vs. dropoff)
- Druthers
- Dry goods
- Dual vs. duel
- Duck tape or duct tape
- Due to vs because of
- Duly noted
- Dumpster fire
- Dumpster vs dumpster
- Duplicate vs duplicity
- Du jour
- Dwelled vs. dwelt
- Dyeing vs. dying
- D’oh
E
- Each other vs. one another
- Earn vs urn
- Earthy vs. earthly
- Earworm
- Ear candy and eye candy
- Easter egg
- Eaves vs eves
- Economics vs. finance
- Economic vs Economical – Definition & Examples
- Ecumenical
- Eek vs. eke
- Effete
- Eggnog
- Elbow grease
- Elder, eldest
- Electric, electrical, electronic
- Elegy vs. eulogy
- Elicit vs. illicit
- Embed vs imbed
- Embolization and embolisation
- Emeritus – Meaning & Definition
- Emigrate vs Immigrate – What’s the Difference?
- Eminent vs. immanent vs. imminent
- Emoji vs emoticon
- Empathetic vs. empathic
- Empathy vs. sympathy
- Enclose vs. inclose
- Endear
- Enervate
- Enervate vs. innervate
- Enfold vs infold
- Engrain vs. ingrain
- Enmity vs animosity
- Enormity vs. enormousness
- Enquire vs. inquire
- Enrol vs. Enroll
- Ensconce vs sconce
- Enthuse
- Entitled vs. titled
- Entomology vs. etymology
- Entree vs entrée
- Envelop vs. envelope
- Envision vs. envisage
- Envision vs. invision
- Envoi vs. envoy
- En masse
- En route
- En vogue, in vogue
- Épée, foil or sabre
- Epicenter
- Epidemic vs. Pandemic
- Epigram vs. epigraph
- Eponymous
- Equable, equatable, equitable
- Equivalence vs. equivalency
- Ere vs. err
- Ergo
- Ergonomics
- Ersatz
- Erupt vs irrupt
- Esoteric vs archaic
- Especial
- Esprit de corps
- Estimate vs. estimation
- Estimation or approximation
- Ethics vs. Morals – Definition, Difference & Examples
- Et Al Meaning, Punctuation and Usage With Examples
- Et cetera (etc.)
- Euphemism
- Evacuate
- Even keel
- Evidence vs evince
- Ewe, yew or you
- Exalt vs. exult
- Excelsior and wood wool
- Exercise vs. exorcise
- Exhibit vs. exhibition
- Existential
- Existent vs. extant
- Expectant vs. expecting
- Exploitative vs. exploitive
- Expose vs exposé
- Ex post facto
- Eyelet vs islet
- E-book, ebook, eBook
- E-mail vs. email
- E. coli
F
- Fabulist
- Facepalm
- Factious vs facetious
- Factoid
- Factotum
- Fain vs. feign
- Fairy vs ferry
- Fairy-tale ending
- Fair vs. fare
- Fait accompli
- Falseness vs. Falsity vs. Falsehood – Meaning & Definition
- Fantods
- Faro, farrow or pharaoh
- Farther vs. Further – Difference, Definition & Examples
- Far East, Middle East, Near East
- Fate vs fete
- Fatuous vs facetious
- Faun vs. fawn
- Faux
- Faux pas
- Faux-naïf
- Fay, fey
- Faze vs. phase
- Fearful vs. fearsome
- Feckless
- Feet vs feat
- Feminity vs. femininity
- Femme fatale
- Ferment or foment
- Fervent vs. fervid
- Festivus
- Fete
- Few vs phew
- Fiancé vs. fiancée
- Fictional vs. fictitious
- Fiefdom
- Fifth column
- Figurehead
- Filet vs. fillet
- File, phial or faille
- Filibuster
- Financer vs. financier
- Find vs fined
- Finite Verbs – Definition and Examples
- Firebrand
- Firefight
- Fireplace vs hearth
- Firing line vs. line of fire
- Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly, etc.
- First aid
- Fissure vs fisher
- Flack vs. flak
- Flagship – Meaning & Definition
- Flair vs. flare
- Flammable vs. inflammable
- Flash mob
- Flatten the curve
- Flaunt vs. flout
- Flesh out vs. flush out
- Flesh vs flèche
- Flied – Meaning & Definition
- Flip one’s lid vs. flip one’s wig
- Flocks vs phlox
- Floe vs flow
- Flora and fauna
- Flounder vs. founder
- Flue vs flew
- Flummox
- Fluorescent vs incandescent
- Flu vs. flue
- Foaled vs fold
- Foe vs faux
- Folderol
- Foley
- Font vs fount
- Foolproof vs. full-proof
- Fool’s errand
- Foot long
- Fora vs. forums
- Forbear vs. forebear
- Forbidding vs. foreboding
- Force majeure
- Forego vs. forgo
- Foreword vs. forward
- Formulas vs formulae
- Forte
- Forth vs fourth
- Fortuitous vs. fortunate
- For the birds
- For, four and fore
- Foul vs. Fowl – Difference & Meaning
- Fracking
- Frankenstein’s monster
- Fraud or defraud
- Fraught
- Freegan and freeganism
- Freeze vs frieze
- Free Rein or Free Reign – Which One Should You Use?
- Frenemy
- Freudian slip
- Friable vs fryable
- Friar vs fryer
- Fritter away
- Frivolity vs. frivolousness
- Frogmarch or frog-march
- Full stop vs. period
- Full-fledged, fully fledged
- Fulsome
- Funereal
- Funner, funnest
- Furor vs. furore
- Fusion vs confusion
- Futile vs feudal
- Futz vs. Putz or Futzing Around vs. Putzing Around
G
- Gaff vs. gaffe
- Gage, gauge, and gouge
- Gaiety or mirth
- Gainsay
- Gaiter vs gator
- Gait vs gate
- Gallimaufry
- Gallop vs Gallup
- Gallop vs galop
- Gall vs Gaul
- Galore – Meaning & Definition
- Galumph
- Gambit
- Gambol vs. gamble
- Game changer
- Gantlet vs. gauntlet
- Gaol vs. jail
- Gargle vs. gurgle
- Garrote, garrotte, or garotte
- Garter snake
- Gaudy vs. gawdy
- Gavel-to-Gavel – Meaning & Examples
- Gel vs jell
- Gender vs. sex
- Genericide
- Genes vs jeans
- Gentrification
- Geographic vs geographical
- Geronimo!
- Gerrymander
- Gestalt
- Gesundheit
- Ghosting
- Gibberish
- Gibe, jibe, jive
- GIF
- Gild vs. guild
- Gimme
- Ginormous
- Gist or Jist – Difference & Meaning
- Git-go
- Glad-hand
- Glamping
- Glare vs glair
- Glass ceiling
- Glitch
- Glom onto
- Gobbledygook
- Gobsmacked
- Gofer vs. gopher
- Goldbrick
- Golden ticket
- Gonna
- Goober
- Goodly
- Good vs well
- Goosebumps, goose pimples and gooseflesh
- Goose-step
- Gorilla vs. guerrilla
- Got vs. gotten
- Gourmet vs gourmand
- Governance vs. government
- Go-between
- Graffiti
- Grammarist
- Grammar vs. usage
- Grandfather (as a verb)
- Grateful vs. gratified
- Grate vs great
- Graze vs grays or greys
- Grieve vs greave
- Grill vs. grille
- Grinch – Usage, Meaning & Examples
- Grinded
- Grip vs grippe
- Grisly vs. grizzly
- Groan vs grown
- Grok
- Gross vs net
- Ground zero
- Groupthink
- Gruel vs grueling
- Guessed vs guest
- Guesstimate
- Guise vs guys
- Gumption
- Gung-ho
- Gun-shy
- Guyline vs guideline
H
- Habeas corpus
- Hail vs. hale
- Hairy vs. harry
- Hair vs hare
- Hair’s Breadth or Hair’s Breath – Definition & Examples
- Halfhearted and half-hearted
- Half-mast vs. half-staff
- Halitosis
- Halloween or Hallowe’en
- Hallow vs. hollow
- Hall vs haul
- Halve
- Halve vs have
- Ham-fisted and ham-handed
- Hand-wash
- Hangar vs. hanger
- Hangdog
- Hanged vs. Hung – Usage, Difference & Examples
- Hangry
- Hanky-panky
- Happenstance
- Happy median or happy medium
- Harbinger
- Hardy vs. hearty
- Hark, harken, and hearken
- Harridan and harpy
- Hart vs heart
- Hashtag
- Hash out, thrash out
- Hatemonger and hate-mongering
- Hawk vs. hock
- Haymaker
- Hay vs hey
- Heads-Up – Usage, Meaning & Definition
- Healthful vs. healthy
- Heal vs. heel (and bring to heel)
- Heard vs herd
- Hear vs. Here – Difference, Examples & Worksheet
- Heavy-handed
- Hector
- Heel, heal and he’ll
- Heighth
- Heir vs err
- Helicopter parent and lawnmower parent
- Helpless vs hapless
- Helter skelter or helter-skelter
- Hence – Usage, Definition & Examples
- Henpeck
- Heretofore or hitherto
- Heroin vs. heroine
- Heterogeneous vs. heterogenous
- Hew vs. hue
- Heyday
- He’d vs heed
- Hie
- Hieroglyph vs hierograph
- Highbrow and lowbrow
- Higher vs hire
- Highfalutin
- Hijinks or high jinks
- Himself vs hisself
- Hinky
- Historic vs. Historical – Usage and Examples
- Hive mind
- Hi vs high
- Hoard vs. horde
- Hoarse vs horse
- Hoar vs whore
- Hoax
- Hobo, tramp, bum, or gutter punk
- Hobson’s choice
- Hocus-pocus
- Hokey-pokey, hokey-cokey and hokey-tokey
- Holey vs. holy
- Holier-than-thou
- Holy vs wholly
- Homely vs. homey
- Home In Vs Hone In – Meaning And When To Use Them
- Homogenous vs. homogeneous
- Homophones, Homonyms, Homographs – Differences and Examples
- Homo sapiens
- Honcho
- Hoodwink
- Hoosegow
- Hootenanny
- Hope or hopes
- Horn of plenty and cornucopia
- Horsey, horsy, horsie
- Hosanna
- Hot button
- Houndstooth
- Hour vs our
- How to Use Cue vs. Queue Correctly
- How to Use Learnings Correctly
- How to Use Perchance Correctly
- How to Use Stank vs. Stunk Correctly
- How’s it going
- Hubris
- Hullabaloo
- Humdinger
- Humongous
- Humus vs. hummus
- Hunky-dory
- Hunt-and-peck
- Hurdle vs. hurtle
- Hush puppy, hushpuppy or hush-puppy
- Hustle and side hustle
- Hygge
- Hymn vs him
- Hyperbole
I
- Ibid vs idem
- Ice tea vs. iced tea
- Ideologue
- Idiom vs colloquialism
- Idiot savant or savant syndrome
- Idle, idol, idyll
- If need be or if needs be
- Ignoramus
- Ilk
- Illegible vs. unreadable
- Imaginary or imaginative
- Imbroglio
- Immaculate Conception vs. virgin birth
- Immunity vs. impunity
- Impactful
- Impassable vs. impassible
- Impassive vs. passive
- Impending vs. pending
- Imperial vs empyreal
- Impinge vs. infringe
- Imply vs. infer
- Imposter vs. impostor
- Impractical vs impracticable
- Impromptu or improvised
- Improvise vs. Improvize – Which Is Correct?
- Impugn vs. impute
- Inalienable vs. unalienable
- Incase or encase
- Incentivize, incent
- Incidence vs. incidents
- Incipient vs. insipient (vs. insipid)
- Incite vs insight
- Incommunicado
- Incomparable vs. uncomparable
- Incomprehensive or incomprehensible
- Incredible vs. incredulous
- Indian corn
- Indian Summer – Origin & Definition
- Inequality vs. inequity
- Inequity vs. iniquity
- Inexplicable vs. unexplainable
- Infect vs. infest
- Infomercial
- Ingenious vs. ingenuous
- Innate vs enate
- Inn vs in
- Inroad vs inroads
- Insofar (in so far)
- Installation vs. installment
- Instantly vs. instantaneously
- Instinctive vs. instinctual
- Intellectual property
- Intercourse – Meaning & Definition
- Interment vs. internment
- Internet of things
- Interpretative vs. interpretive
- Inure vs enure
- Invaluable vs. valuable
- Invite (as a noun)
- Invoke vs. Evoke – What’s the Difference?
- In kind
- In the throes of
- Ipso facto
- Irk
- Ironic
- Is Irregardless a Word? What Does it Mean?
- Is it Ascent or Assent – What’s the Difference?
- Itchy feet
- Iteration
- I.e vs. E.g – Usage, Meaning & Examples
J
- Jack-in-the-box
- Jack-o’-lantern and Halloween lantern
- Jaded
- Jam vs. jamb
- Janus-faced
- Jaywalking
- Jeremiad
- Jet Lag – Meaning & Definition
- Jewel vs joule
- Je Ne Sais Quoi (or Jenesequa) – Meaning In English
- Jiggery-pokery
- Jig vs gig
- Jingoism
- Jinx
- Jitney
- John Doe, Joe Bloggs and Fred Nerk
- Jolly Roger
- Joshing
- Judgement vs. Judgment – What’s the Difference?
- Judicial vs. judicious
- Juggalo
- Jump-start
- Junction vs. juncture
- Junkie vs. junky
- Jury-rig, jerry-rig, jerry-built
- Just deserts vs. just desserts
- Juxtapose
K
- Kafkaesque
- Kakistocracy
- Kaleidoscope
- Kaput
- Kerfuffle vs brouhaha
- Kernel vs colonel
- Ketchup, catsup, catchup
- Kibosh
- Kickoff vs. Kick-off vs. Kick Off
- Kick-start
- King’s X
- Kith and kin
- Kleenex vs tissue
- Klutz
- Knap vs nap
- Knave vs nave
- Knew or New – Homophones & Definition
- Knickers vs nickers
- Knight vs night
- Knit vs nit
- Knob vs nob
- Knock up
- Knot, nought, naught or not
- Know vs no
- Kowtow
- Kryptonite
- Kudos – Origin, Usage & Meaning
- K-pop
L
- Lackadaisical
- Ladybug and ladybird
- Lagniappe
- Laid vs lade
- Lain vs lane
- Lair vs layer
- Laissez-faire
- Lambast vs. lambaste
- Lamb vs lam
- Landlubber
- Laps vs lapse
- Latchkey kid and latchkey child
- Later vs latter
- Laughing stock
- Lay Out vs. Layout – Usage & Difference
- Lay vs. Lie – Usage, Difference & List of Examples
- Laze vs lase
- Leach vs leech
- Lead vs. lede
- Leak vs leek
- Leaned or leant
- Lean vs lien
- Leased vs least
- Led vs Lead – What’s the Difference?
- Leery vs leary
- Leet, leetspeak and 1337
- Leeway
- Legal vs legit
- Legislator vs legislature
- Legitimate vs legitimitize
- Lei
- Lend vs. loan
- Lentil vs lintel
- Leotard vs tights
- Lesser or lessor
- Lest
- Letter Names in the English Alphabet and How to Spell Them
- Let’s vs lets
- Levee vs. levy
- Liar vs lyre
- Licker vs liquor
- Lickety-split
- Lieu vs loo
- Lie or lye
- Lifetime or life time
- Lighted vs. lit
- Lightening vs. lightning
- Light vs. lite
- Lilliputian
- Limbo
- Limelight vs spotlight
- Linchpin vs. lynchpin
- Lip-sync and lip-synch
- Liquor vs liqueur
- Listserv
- Literally vs. Figuratively – What’s the Difference?
- Little to No or Little to None
- Llama vs lama
- Load vs lode
- Loan vs lone
- Loath vs. loathe (vs. loth)
- Loch vs lock
- Locks vs lox
- Lodestar – Meaning & Definition
- Logo
- Lonely vs. lonesome
- Long in the tooth
- Long johns vs union suit and combination suit
- Long pig
- Look out vs. lookout (vs. look-out)
- Loonie or loony
- Loophole
- Loop de loop or loop the loop
- Loop vs loupe
- Loot vs lute
- Lothario
- Lots of vs a lot of
- Low, lo or lowe
- Low-key and lowkey
- Lo and Behold or Low and Behold
- Luddite
- Lukewarm
- Lustful vs. lusty
- Luxuriant vs. luxurious
- Lyme disease vs lime disease
M
- Macabre
- MacGyver
- Machiavellian
- Machine gun vs. machine-gun
- Mach vs mock
- Macintosh, mackintosh, McIntosh
- Maddening vs. madding
- Made vs maid
- Magnate vs. magnet
- Magnum opus
- Mail vs male
- Main, mane and Maine
- Maize vs maze
- Make do vs. make due
- Malarkey
- Maleficent vs. malevolent
- Mall vs maul
- Malware vs ransomware
- Mannequin, manikin, or manakin
- Manner vs. manor
- Manspreading
- Mantel vs. mantle
- Many vs. much
- Mare vs mayor
- Marinade vs. marinate
- Mark vs marque
- Marry vs. merry
- Marsala vs masala
- Marshal vs. martial
- Martin vs marten
- Mary Sue
- Mask vs masque
- Masterful vs. masterly
- Materiel vs. material
- Math vs. maths
- Matrix
- Maul vs. mull
- Maverick
- Mayhap or mishap or snafu
- Mayonnaise vs. mayonaise
- Means
- Meat, meet or mete
- Mea culpa
- Medal, meddle, metal, mettle
- Mediator vs. moderator
- Meeple
- Melted vs. molten
- Meme
- Memento mori
- Mensch
- Meretricious vs meritorious
- Merry Christmas vs Happy Christmas
- Meta
- Metaphoric vs. Metaphorical – What’s the Difference?
- Methinks
- Me vs mi
- Microfinance, microcredit and microloan
- Mic drop
- Mic vs. mike
- Might vs mite
- Milieu
- Militate or mitigate
- Milquetoast vs milktoast
- Mince vs mints
- Mind vs mined
- Miner vs minor
- Minks vs. minx
- Minuscule vs. miniscule
- Mirandize
- Misinformed vs. uninformed
- Misnomer
- Misogyny and misandry
- Missed vs mist
- Mixtape
- Mob or demob
- Modern
- Mode vs mowed
- Modus operandi (m.o, MO)
- Mogul
- Mojo
- Mollycoddle
- Molotov cocktail
- Momager
- Momentarily
- Mom vs mom
- Money-grabbing vs. money-grubbing
- Montage
- Moonlight
- Moonshine
- Moose vs mousse
- Moose vs. mooses
- Moot vs. mute
- Moratorium
- Morays vs. mores
- Moreso
- More vs moor
- Morning vs mourning
- Mortar board
- Mothball
- Movable vs. moveable
- Mowed vs. mown
- Muchly
- Much vaunted
- Muckamuck, mucky-muck and muckety-muck
- Muckraking
- Mucous vs. mucus
- Mudslinging
- Muggle
- Multitask
- Mumbo jumbo
- Muscle vs mussel
- Mustard vs mustered
- Muumuu
N
- Namby-pamby
- Nano-
- Nary a
- Nascent
- Nativity
- Naught vs. nought
- Nauseating vs. nauseous
- Naval vs. navel
- Nay vs neigh
- Neandertal vs. neanderthal
- Nebbish
- Need vs knead
- Need vs kneed
- Nefarious
- Nepotism
- Nerd, Geek, or Dork – What’s the Difference?
- Nest egg
- Net neutrality
- Never mind vs nevermind
- Newbie vs noob or n00b
- Newfangled
- New vs gnu
- Ne’er-do-well
- Nib vs nub
- Nice vs gneiss
- Nickle-and-dime
- Nickname
- Nicks vs nix
- Niggle
- Nimby, nimbyism
- Nimrod
- Nitty-gritty
- Noble vs ignoble
- Nock vs knock
- Noel or nowel
- Nomenclature
- Nonplussed
- Nonprofit vs. not-for-profit (vs. non-profit)
- Non sequitur
- Normalcy vs. normality
- Nose vs knows
- Notwithstanding
- Not hardly
- Nowadays, anymore, or any more
- No-brainer
- Nunchucks
- Nun vs none
- Nutriment or nutrition
O
- Oases
- Object lesson
- Obliged vs. obligated
- Oblique
- Obsequious
- Observance vs. observation
- Obsolescent vs. obsolete
- Ode vs owed
- Offal vs awful
- Off-kilter and out of kilter
- Oftentimes
- Oh vs owe
- Oh Well – Usage & Meaning
- Old chestnut
- Old Glory
- Oligarchy vs monarchy
- Ombré ombre or hombre
- One-horse town
- One-time vs. onetime
- One-upmanship
- Onomatopoeia
- Onus
- On fleek
- On the lam
- Oompa Loompa
- Operationalise or operationalize
- Opossum vs. possum
- Oppress, repress, suppress
- Oracle vs auricle
- Oral vs. verbal
- Ordinance vs. ordnance
- Orientate
- Origin or origins
- Ornery
- Ought vs aught
- Outsource
- Overbilled vs overbuild
- Overdo vs. overdue
- Oversees vs overseas
- Overtake, take over and takeover
- Overtones vs. undertones
- Oxymorons: A Collection of Contradictory Words and Phrases
- O vs. oh
P
- Packed vs pact
- Packs vs pax
- Paean, paeon, peon
- Pail vs pale
- Pain vs pane
- Pair vs. pare vs. pear
- Palate, palette, pallet
- Pale in comparison
- Pall vs. pallor
- Panhandle
- Parade float
- Paralympics
- Paramount vs. tantamount
- Paraphernalia
- Parish vs perish
- Parkour
- Parlay vs. parley
- Parlor or parlour
- Parol vs parole
- Parricide vs. patricide
- Parsimony
- Par excellence
- Passable or passible
- Passed vs. past
- Passerbys or passersby
- Passing strange
- Paste vs paced
- Patience vs patients
- Patient zero
- Patois
- Patron vs. Benefactor – Difference & Definition
- Patsy
- Patty vs paddy
- Paucity
- Pause vs paws
- Pay the piper
- Peace of mind, piece of (one’s) mind
- Peak vs. peek vs. pique
- Peal vs. peel
- Pea vs pee
- Peccadillo
- Pedal vs. peddle vs. petal
- Pejorative
- Pell-mell
- Penal vs. penile
- Pendant vs. Pendent – Meaning & Difference
- Pentagon
- Penultimate
- Periodic vs. Periodical – Origin, Usage and Examples
- Peripatetic
- Perjury
- Pernickety vs. persnickety
- Perquisite vs. prerequisite (vs. requisite)
- Persecute vs. prosecute
- Persona non grata
- Perspective vs. prospective
- Peruse
- Per diem
- Per se
- Per vs purr
- Pettifogger
- Petulant vs impetuous
- Pet peeve
- Phial vs. vial (vs. vile)
- Philly vs filly
- Phishing
- Phosphene
- Photobomb
- Phubbing
- Picaresque vs. picturesque
- Picayune
- Pica vs pika
- Picks, pix or pyx
- Pickup vs. Pick Up (vs. Pick-up)
- Pidgin vs pigeon
- Piecemeal
- Piece vs peace
- Pigeonhole
- Piggyback
- Piggy bank
- Pincer vs. pincher
- Pin money
- Piping hot
- Pissant
- Pistol vs pistil
- Pitchblende
- Pitch-perfect and picture-perfect
- Pithy
- Pixelated vs. pixilated
- Pi and Pie – Spelling, Difference & Meaning
- Plainclothes
- Plaintiff vs defendant
- Plain vs. plane
- Plait vs plate
- Plantar vs planter
- Platypi vs platypuses
- Playwright vs. playwrite
- Pleather and Naugahyde
- Plenitude vs. plentitude
- Plethora
- Pleural vs plural
- Plum vs. plumb
- Podcast
- Point of view, standpoint, viewpoint
- Point-blank
- Poker Face – Meaning & Definition
- Polemic vs Polemical – What’s the Difference?
- Pole vs poll
- Politics
- Polka dot
- Pollyanna
- Polygamy vs. polygyny vs. polyandry
- Pompom vs. pompon (vs. pom-pom etc.)
- Ponderous
- Ponzi scheme and Ponzi game
- Poof, pouf or pouffe
- Pooh-bah or poobah
- Pooped
- Poo vs. pooh
- Popinjay
- Poppycock
- Populace vs. populous
- Pore over vs. pour over
- Portend vs. portent
- Port vs. starboard
- Post-truth
- Potentiality
- Potluck
- Potter’s field
- Powwow
- Pox
- Practicable vs. practical
- Pragmatism
- Praise vs prays
- Praise vs preys
- Pram, baby carriage and baby buggy
- Prank call or crank call
- Pray vs. prey
- Prebiotic vs probiotic
- Precede vs. proceed
- Premier vs. premiere
- Preposition vs. proposition
- Prescribe vs. proscribe
- Presumptive vs. presumptuous
- Preventative vs. preventive
- Pride vs pried
- Primal scream
- Principal vs. Principle – Definition & Difference
- Privy
- Prize, prise or pries
- Problematic vs. problematical
- Procrastinate
- Prodigal and prodigy
- Prodigal son
- Prodigious vs prolific
- Profit vs prophet
- Progeny vs prodigy
- Promulgate vs propagate
- Prophecy vs. prophesy
- Propitiate vs expiate
- Proportional vs. proportionate
- Props
- Prostate vs. prostrate
- Pros vs prose
- Protagonist vs. Antagonist – Definitions and Examples
- Protean vs protein
- Protégé
- Proverbial vs figurative
- Proverb vs adage
- Proximal vs proximate
- Psalter vs salter
- Psychopath vs. sociopath
- Psych vs. psyche
- Punch list
- Pupal vs pupil
- Puppy love or poppy love
- Purposely vs. purposefully
- Pusillanimous
Q
R
- Racket vs. racquet
- Rack vs. wrack
- Raconteur
- Radical
- Radical vs radicle
- Rah vs raw
- Rail vs rale
- Rain, reign and rein
- Raise vs rays
- Raise vs raze
- Raison d’etre
- Rambunctious
- Ramshackle
- Rappel vs. repel
- Rapt vs. wrapt
- Raring to Go – Meaning and Origin
- Rat race
- Ravaging vs. ravishing
- Raven vs ravenous
- Razzle-dazzle and razzmatazz
- Razzmatazz or razzamatazz
- Reactionary vs. reactive
- Reappropriate
- Recant vs recount
- Recede vs reseed
- Recent vs. resent
- Reconnoiter
- Recur vs. reoccur
- Redneck vs hick vs hillbilly
- Redoubt
- Red vs. Read – Usage, Difference & Meaning
- Red-letter day
- Reed vs read
- Reek vs wreak
- Referendum
- Reforested wood
- Regard vs. regards
- Regift
- Regime vs. regimen
- Regrettable vs. regretful
- Reindeer or caribou
- Relevance vs. relevancy
- Remunerate vs. renumerate
- Rend or rent
- Renege vs rescind
- Repair vs reparation
- Repeal vs repeel
- Repel vs. repulse
- Repertoire or repertory
- Repetition vs repetitiveness
- Requiem
- Resilience vs. resiliency
- Resister vs resistor
- Restaurateur vs. restauranteur
- Restive
- Rest vs wrest
- Résumé
- Retch vs. wretch
- Retcon
- Retrograde vs anterograde or antegrade
- Retronym
- Review vs. revue
- Re-create vs. recreate
- Rhyme vs rime
- Rife vs. ripe
- Riffraff
- Riff vs. rift
- Right-side up
- Rigmarole
- Ring vs. wring
- Riposte vs repost
- Rip-off or rip off
- Risky vs risqué
- Road hog
- Road kill or roadkill
- Road vs rode
- Roam vs Rome
- Robot, android or droid
- Rogue vs. rouge
- Roil vs royal
- Role vs. Roll – Difference & Meaning
- Roman-Ã -clef
- Rood vs rude
- Rookie
- Root vs. route vs. rout
- Rot vs wrought
- Round robin
- Rouse vs rows
- Rows vs rose
- Royal “we”
- Rubberneck
- Rubenesque
- Rude vs rued
- Ruff vs. Rough – Spelling, Usage & Meaning
- Rummy
- Rumor vs roomer
- Runaway vs. run away
- Rung vs wrung
- Rye vs wry
S
- Saccharin vs. saccharine
- Sachet vs sashay
- Sacred cow
- Sacrilege, sacrilegious
- Sac vs sack
- Said the actress to the bishop
- Sail vs sale
- Salient vs salience
- Salubrious vs lugubrious
- Samovar vs scimitar
- Sanction
- Sangfroid
- Sanitise vs. Sanitize
- Sans
- Sarcasm
- Sarcophagus vs mausoleum
- Satisficing vs satisfying
- Savoir faire
- Savor vs saver
- Savvy
- Sawed vs sod
- Scam or sham
- Scarfs vs. scarves
- Scatological
- Scavenger hunt
- Schadenfreude
- Schema or schematic
- Schizophrenia as an adjective
- Schmooze and shmooze
- Schmuck versus putz
- Scintilla
- Scion
- Scot-free
- Screwball
- Scrumdiddlyumptious
- Scrummy
- Scuba
- Scull vs skull
- Sculpture vs sculptor
- Seam vs seem
- Sear vs. seer vs. sere
- Seas, sees or seize
- Secede vs. succeed
- Second-guess
- Secret vs. secretive
- Security blanket
- Seen vs scene
- See vs. Sea – Usage, Difference & Meaning
- Segue vs Segway
- Selfie
- Self vs self
- Sensational vs sensationalistic
- Sensual vs. sensuous
- Sequacious
- Seraphic
- Serf vs surf
- Serigraph vs lithograph
- Serious vs sirius
- Service (as a verb)
- Serviette or napkin
- Set Up vs. Setup vs. Set-up
- Sew vs. Sow – What’s the difference?
- Shaggy-dog story
- Shake vs sheikh
- Shall vs. will
- Shanghai (as a verb)
- Shaved vs. shaven
- Shear vs. sheer
- Sheath vs. sheathe
- Shelf vs. shelve
- Shellac, shellack
- Shell out
- Shenanigans
- Sherbert vs. sherbet
- Shiv
- Shoe vs shoo
- Shone vs shown
- Shoo-in
- Shopping cart or buggy
- Shop till you drop
- Showboat
- Showrunner
- Shrinking violet
- Shtick
- Shutter vs. shudder
- Shut-in
- Sic vs. sick
- Side vs sighed
- Sight vs. site
- Signet vs cygnet
- Sign vs sine
- Silicon vs. silicone
- Silver lining
- Simpatico
- Since vs because
- Since, sense and cense
- Sine die
- Sine qua non
- Sink vs sync
- Sisyphean, Promethean or Herculean
- Site vs cite
- Sizable or sizeable
- Skort
- Skunkworks
- Slayed or slew
- Slay vs sleigh
- Sled, sledge, sleigh and toboggan
- Slipshod
- Slough vs slew
- Slow vs sloe
- Slumgullion and goulash
- Smack of
- Smarmy
- Smartphone vs smart phone
- Smarty-pants and smarty-boots
- Smite, smote, smitten
- Smokey vs. smoky
- Smorgasbord
- Snark
- Sneaked vs. snuck
- Snitch
- Snobbery or snobbishness
- Soared vs sword
- Soar vs sore
- Sob sister and sob story
- Soccer mom and hockey mom
- Social vs sociable
- Sole vs soul
- Someplace vs. some place
- Somersault
- Some vs sum
- Sorbet
- Sorted vs sordid
- SOS and Mayday
- Sound bite
- Soup up
- Spanish fly
- Spartan
- Spatter vs. splatter
- Spat or spitted
- Spearhead
- Speciality vs. specialty
- Specious vs spurious
- Speck vs spec
- Spiel
- Spiffy
- Spitballing
- Spitz vs spits
- Spoof
- Spoonerism vs malapropism
- Spoopy and creppy
- Spork
- Spur vs. spurn
- Squinch
- Staff vs staph
- Staid vs stayed
- Stained glass
- Stair vs stare
- Stake vs steak
- Stanch vs. staunch
- Star-crossed
- Stationary vs. stationery
- Status quo
- Statute of limitations
- Stat vs now
- Staycation
- Steal vs steel
- Stem-winder or stemwinder
- Stent vs stint
- Step vs steppe
- Sticktoitiveness
- Stick to, stick by, or stick with
- Stigma, stigmas or stigmata
- Stir-crazy
- Stock, shares
- Stock-still
- Stolen vs stollen
- Stool pigeon
- Storey vs. Story
- Straight vs. strait
- Straitjacket
- Strait-laced
- Stratagem vs. strategy
- Style vs stile
- Sty vs stye
- Subconscious vs. unconscious
- Substantial vs. substantive
- Subtext
- Subtle vs. subtil
- Sub rosa vs sub-rosa
- Sub vs infra
- Succor or succour vs sucker
- Suede vs swayed
- Suffice it to say
- Sugar daddy
- Suite vs sweet
- Sui generis
- Summary vs. summery
- Summa cum laude or magna cum laude
- Sunday driver
- Sunday vs sundae
- Sun vs son
- Supersede or supercede
- Super vs supra
- Supposed to
- Surgeon vs sturgeon
- Surge vs serge
- Surrogacy
- Surveil
- Suspect, person of interest or perpetrator
- Svengali
- Swanning around and swanning about
- Swashbuckle
- Swath vs. swathe
- Sweat vs. sweated
- Sweeped or swept
- Sweet tooth
- Sycophant
- Symbol vs cymbal
- Synchronise or synchronize
- Systematic vs systematical
- Systematic vs. systemic
T
- Tabula rasa
- Tacks vs tax
- Tack vs. tact
- Tad bit vs tidbit
- Tail vs. tale
- Take over vs. takeover
- Take the mickey out of someone
- Taro vs tarot
- Tar baby
- Taser
- Tattletale vs telltale
- Taught vs taut
- Taught vs tot
- Taupe vs tope
- Team vs teem
- Tear vs tare
- Tear vs tier
- Teas vs tease
- Tea vs tee
- Teetotaler, teetotaller
- Telegram vs. telegraph
- Tenant vs. tenet
- Tent vs tint
- Tern vs turn
- Terra firma
- Terrific vs terrifying
- Terroir and terror
- Testament vs. testimony
- Tete-a-tete
- Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day
- Then vs. Than – When to Use Each (With Examples)
- There, Their, and They’re – Differences and Examples (With Quiz)
- Thesauri or thesaurusus
- The Bronx
- The Devil Is in the Details – Origin & Meaning
- The Interrobang Punctuation Mark(‽) – How to Use it Properly
- The late
- Thong or flip-flop
- Thrall
- Threshold or threshhold
- Throes vs throws
- Through and through or thru and thru
- Through vs. Threw – Which One to Use and When
- Throw shade
- Throw the baby out with the bathwater
- Thumbs up and thumbs down
- Thyme vs time
- Tic vs. tick
- Tidbit vs. titbit
- Tiddlywinks and tiddleywinks
- Tide vs tied
- Till, until, ’til
- Timber or timbre
- Tinder vs tender
- Tinseltown
- Tinsel vs tensile
- Tiny house and tiny home
- Titan vs tighten
- Titular
- Tmesis
- Toad vs towed
- Toe vs tow
- Toilette
- Told vs tolled
- Tolerance vs. toleration
- Tole vs toll
- Tongue-lashing
- Ton vs. Tonne – What’s the Difference?
- Tool vs tulle
- Topography vs. typography
- Top banana and second banana
- Torturous vs. tortuous
- Tor vs tore
- Toss-up
- Touche or touché
- Touch base
- Tough vs tuff
- Tour de force
- Toweled or towelled
- Towhead
- Toxicology vs. toxology
- To vs. Too – The Difference With Examples
- To wit
- Track and field and athletics
- Tragedy vs travesty
- Trainer or trainor
- Translucent vs. transparent
- Transpire – Definition & Examples
- Trawl vs. troll
- Treble vs. triple
- Triage
- Trick or treat vs trick-or-treat
- Troglodyte
- Troika
- Trooper or trouper
- Troop vs. troupe
- Trope
- Trussed vs trust
- Trustee vs. trusty
- Tsunami vs tidal wave
- Turban vs turbine
- Turbid, turgid, torpid
- Turncoat
- Turnkey vs turn key
- Turpitude vs turpentine
- Turtle, tortoise, terrapin
- Tutor vs Tudor
- Tween
- T-shirt, t-shirt, tee-shirt, tee shirt
U
- Uber
- Ubiquitous
- Udder vs. utter
- Umbrage
- Unawares
- Underdog
- Underlie or underline
- Underwater vs. Under Water
- Undo vs undue
- Unexceptionable vs unexceptional
- Unfamous or infamous
- Union Jack
- Unique
- Unkempt, unkept
- Unpack
- Unputdownable
- Unsung hero
- Untoward
- Upmost vs. utmost
- Upper crust
- Upshot
- Up to date
- Urban, suburban and rural
V
- Vacuous vs. vapid
- Vagabond and vagrant
- Vain, vein, and vane
- Vale, vail, or veil
- Vamoose
- Variance vs variants
- Variety vs varietal
- Vary vs very
- Vaudeville
- Vax
- Verbiage
- Verklempt
- Verses vs. versus
- Vertex vs. vortex
- Vertigo vs vertiginous
- Vested
- Vice versa
- Vice vs. vise
- Vicious vs. viscous
- Vicissitude
- Vis-a-vis
- Viz.
- Voicemail
- Voluptuous vs voluminous
- Vouchsafe
- Vox populi
W
- Wack vs. whack
- Waddle vs. wattle
- Wade vs weighed
- Wainscot or chair rail
- Waist vs. waste
- Waiver vs. waver
- Waive vs. wave
- Walk vs wok
- Wallflower
- Wallop and pack a wallop
- Wander vs. wonder
- Wane, wax
- Wanton vs. wonton
- Want vs wont
- Ware, wear and where
- Warn vs worn
- Warrantee vs. warranty
- Wart vs wort
- Wary vs. weary
- Wassail
- Weak vs week
- Wean vs ween
- Web site vs. website
- Weekend
- Weigh in
- Weir vs we’re
- Well-heeled
- Wend vs wind
- Wet vs. whet
- We’d vs weed
- We’ll vs wheel
- Whacks vs wax
- Whac-A-Mole
- Whale, wail or wale
- What Are Bloopers? – Meaning & Examples
- What Does Grudge Mean?
- What Does Half-Baked Mean?
- What Does The Abbreviation A.K.A. or AKA Mean?
- What Does Voilà Mean? – Spelling & Examples
- What Does [Sic] Mean? – Definition & Examples
- What Is Adulting? – As a Verb & Meaning
- What Is a Honeymoon? – Origin & Meaning
- What is a Mcjob? – Definition & Examples
- What Is Cosplay? – Origin, Meaning & Definition
- Wheal or weal vs wheel
- Wheelhouse
- Whence vs. from whence
- Whereas
- Wherewithal
- Which vs Witch – What’s the difference? (Worksheet Included)
- Whig vs wig
- While away vs. wile away
- While vs wile
- Whilst
- Whine vs wine
- Whiny, whiney, whinny, Whinney
- Whippersnapper
- Whipsaw
- Whirling dervish
- Whirl vs whorl
- Whir or whirr vs were
- Whiskey vs. whisky
- Whiz, whizz, wiz
- Whoa vs. Woe – Spelling, Meaning & Examples
- Whoever vs. whomever
- Wholistic and holistic
- Whoop vs. whup
- Who vs. whom
- Who’s vs. whose
- Widow, widower
- Wiki
- Willy-nilly
- Winningest
- Wintery vs wintry
- Wiseacre
- Wither vs. whither
- Wit vs. whit
- Womp womp
- Wonder vs. wonderment
- Wonkish, wonky
- Wont
- Won vs one
- Wood vs would
- Woolgathering
- Word and whirred
- Word to the wise
- Workout vs. work out
- World vs whirled
- Worrywart and worryguts
- Worst vs wurst
- Wrath vs rath
- Wreath vs. wreathe
- Wreck vs reck
- Wright vs write
- Writer’s block
- Writ large
- Wrong vs. wrongly
- Wrote vs rote
- Wunderkind
Y
Thank you