Common Mistakes

Watch out, folks. Affect and effect represent one of the trickiest dynamic duos you'll find in the grammar world. As a verb, the word affect means to influence in some way. As a noun, it refers to...

Use the word compliment when you're praising something or someone. Use complement when one thing or person completes another thing or person. Want a quick way to keep the difference between i...

Past is one of those multipurpose words. It can be a noun, adjective, adverb, or a preposition. Unfortunately, past has always had its sights set on functioning as a verb. Sometimes it tries to sn...

When David Copperfield seemed to make the Statue of Liberty disappear on live TV in 1983, that was an illusion. (Sorry to break the news.) Illusions are false ideas or misleading impressions. An al...

Use weather when referring to rain, lightning, snow… all of those meteorological occurrences that you hope will result in school being canceled tomorrow. Use whether when you're talking about alt...

You use presents when you're referring to gifts, like all of those meticulously wrapped pairs of tube socks your mother leaves under the tree for you each Christmas. Presents can also be used as a...

It's a spell check-busting triple feature: wheee! We know you're just as excited as we are, so let's not waste any time in breaking things down. The word sight is related to vision. When sight is u...

Use principle when you're referring to a rule, something established as a standard, or the fundamental cause or origin of something.Use principal when you're talking about a quantity of money or th...

Stationary is an adjective that describes something that isn't moving. Stationery is a noun that refers to writing material like paper and envelopes. Here's one way to remember it: when you st...

You use whole when you're describing or referring to something that is complete. It can be used as an adjective or a noun. Easy enough, right? Now let's talk about hole. No, not Courtney Love's ban...

Accept and except are a study in opposites, like war and peace, chocolate and vanilla, or Fifty Shades of Grey and "well-written." Accept is a verb that means to receive, agree with, or be okay wit...

If you're totally prepared, equipped, or primed for something than you're all ready.Use already when you mean to say previously or by this time, or when you mean to say now or so soonAre you all re...

Illicit is an adjective that means illegal. We're positive that you didn't know that already because you'd never break the law. Here's something else you may not know, you fine, upstanding citizen:...

It's time for lunch and we're jonesing for a PB&J with extra pickles, so we're going to keep this one brief:Altogether is an adjective that means entirely or completely.All together means as a...

Behold the awesome power of the letter e. Breath is a noun that refers to the inhalations and exhalations of air that keep us from going six feet under. Add an e to that and you have breathe, which...

As any fashion buff will tell stylishly tell you, the word costumes refers to a type of dress specific to an occasion, season, nation, region, or historical period. The word customs refers to the u...

Advice is a noun that refers to guidance or a recommendation. Advise is a verb that means to give guidance or a recommendation. Did you see that? By changing a single letter, we've sprung into...

Lose is a verb that can mean misplace or not win. Add an o and you have loose, which is an adjective that means not tight. Mixing up these two in your writing can lead to unintentional comedy. So l...

Definitely and defiantly are both adverbs, but trust us: the similarities end there. You use definitely when you want to describe something clearly, unequivocally, or without a doubt. You use defia...

You probably know that desert refers to an area with very little rainfall, and dessert refers to the (usually sweet) final course of a meal. But how do you remember which one has two s's? Use this...

The word through is a multipurpose preposition. What are some of those purposes? We're glad you asked. Through can mean in one side and out the other, beyond, past, or done with, and it can also be...

The words assure, ensure, and insure like to pretend that they are a lot more alike than they actually are. Though they look and smell the same, their meanings are fairly different. Assure means t...