Accept vs. Except: Receiving vs. Excluding One takes things in; the other leaves things out. Read tip →
Adverse vs. Averse: Harmful vs. Reluctant One describes bad conditions; the other describes personal feelings. Read tip →
Affect vs. Effect: The Classic Confusion Master the difference between affect and effect once and for all. Read tip →
Alright vs. All Right: One Word or Two? The spelling your English teacher insisted on versus what everyone actually writes. Read tip →
Awhile vs. A While: Space Changes Meaning That tiny space between 'a' and 'while' actually matters grammatically. Read tip →
Bring vs. Take: It's All About Direction Which way is the object moving? That's the key to getting this right. Read tip →
Complement vs. Compliment: Completing vs. Praising One makes things whole; the other makes people smile. Read tip →
Comprise vs. Compose: The Whole and Its Parts The whole comprises the parts. The parts compose the whole. Never 'comprised of.' Read tip →
Discreet vs. Discrete: Secretive vs. Separate One keeps secrets; the other stays separated. Read tip →
Elicit vs. Illicit: Drawing Out vs. Breaking Rules One extracts responses; the other breaks the law. Read tip →
Emigrate vs. Immigrate: Leaving vs. Arriving It depends on which direction you're looking from. Read tip →
Ensure vs. Insure vs. Assure: Three Words, Three Jobs Guarantee something, buy a policy, or comfort someone—each word has its lane. Read tip →
Everyday vs. Every Day: Adjective vs. Frequency One describes things; the other describes how often. Read tip →
Fewer vs. Less: Countable Matters The grocery store sign gets it wrong. Here's the right way. Read tip →
Historic vs. Historical: Know the Difference One means important in history; the other just relates to history. Read tip →
Implicit vs. Explicit: Said or Unsaid? One spells it out; the other makes you read between the lines. Read tip →
It's vs. Its: The Apostrophe Trap The most common mistake in English, and the simplest fix. Read tip →
Lay vs. Lie: The Grammar Headache Everyone Shares Even professional writers check this one twice. Here's how to get it right. Read tip →
Lightening vs. Lightning: Spelling Matters One letter makes a big difference between storms and getting brighter. Read tip →
Oral vs. Verbal: A Subtle but Important Difference These words aren't interchangeable. Learn when to use each one. Read tip →
Principal vs. Principle: The Person vs. The Concept Your school has one; your ethics have the other. Read tip →
Rebut vs. Refute: Arguing Back vs. Proving Wrong One means you tried to counter an argument. The other means you succeeded. Read tip →
Stationary vs. Stationery: Standing Still vs. Writing Supplies One doesn't move; the other helps you write letters. Read tip →
Their vs. There vs. They're: The Terrible Trio Three words that sound identical but do completely different jobs. Read tip →
Then vs. Than: Time vs. Comparison They sound similar when spoken fast, but they do completely different jobs. Read tip →
Trove vs. Treasure Trove: Using Idioms Correctly Can you say 'trove' by itself? Learn the proper usage of this term. Read tip →
Utilize vs. Use: When to Use Each Learn when to use 'utilize' and when simple 'use' is the better choice. Read tip →
Your vs. You're: Possession vs. Contraction The internet's most-corrected mistake, explained once and for all. Read tip →