Grammar & usage guides

Confused by two similar words? We explain the difference between commonly confused words — affect and effect, who and whom, fewer and less — with clear examples of when to use each.

Commonly confused words

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separation of powers vs checks and balances

Separation of powers divides government into branches with distinct functions. Checks and balances gives each...

transgender vs transsexual

Transgender is the current umbrella term for anyone whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assig...

acropolis vs parthenon

The Acropolis is the hill and the whole fortified complex on top of it. The Parthenon is one building on that...

diazepam vs valium

They are the same drug. Diazepam is the generic name; Valium is the original brand name under which Roche mark...

dreadnought vs battleship

Battleship is the general class of heavily armoured big-gun warship. Dreadnought names a specific generation o...

betadine vs iodine

Iodine is a chemical element. Betadine is a brand name for povidone-iodine, a preparation in which iodine is b...

warlock vs sorcerer

In folklore, a warlock is a male witch, and the word carries a strong implication of treachery or a pact. A so...

ftp vs http

Both are protocols for moving data over a network, built for different jobs. HTTP was designed to request and...

adultery vs fornication

Both are religious and legal terms for sex outside marriage, distinguished by whether anyone involved is marri...

laryngitis vs bronchitis

Both are inflammation of part of the airway, but at different depths. Laryngitis affects the larynx — the voic...

zoloft vs prozac

Two brand names for two different drugs in the same class. Zoloft is sertraline and Prozac is fluoxetine, both...

fascism vs nazism

Nazism is a form of fascism, not a synonym for it. Fascism is the broader category — authoritarian, nationalis...

blue collar vs white collar

Blue collar refers to manual and skilled trade work; white collar to salaried office and professional work. Th...

quid pro quo vs bribery

A quid pro quo is any exchange of one thing for another — the phrase is neutral and describes ordinary contrac...

enchilada vs burrito

The tortilla is the difference. A burrito uses a large flour tortilla, wrapped and eaten by hand. An enchilada...

labrador vs retriever

Retriever is a group of breeds developed to fetch shot game. The Labrador Retriever is one of them — the most...

autocracy vs oligarchy

An autocracy concentrates power in one person. An oligarchy concentrates it in a small group. The difference i...

egalitarian vs feminism

Egalitarianism is the general principle that people are equal and should be treated so — across class, race, s...

egomaniac vs narcissist

Egomaniac is everyday language for someone obsessively self-important. Narcissist has both a casual sense and...

pothead vs stoner

Both are informal terms for a habitual cannabis user, and they overlap heavily. Pothead emphasises frequency —...

Grammar guides

Grammar Guide A, An, and The: Using Articles Use "a/an" for a non-specific singular noun, "the" when both people know which one, and no... Confused Words Accept vs Except Accept is a verb meaning to receive or agree to something. Except is a preposition meaning... Confused Words Active vs Passive Voice Active voice: the subject does the action. Passive: it receives it (be + past participle).... Confused Words Affect vs Effect Affect is a verb (to influence); effect is a noun (the result). Swap in 'influence' for af... Confused Words Among vs Between Use 'between' for distinct, individual items in a one-to-one relationship (even three or m... Grammar Guide Assure vs Ensure vs Insure Assure a person, ensure a thing happens, insure against loss. That one rule settles almost... Grammar Guide At vs In vs On (Time and Place) 'At' marks a precise time or point (at 6:00, at the door), 'on' a day or surface (on Monda... Confused Words Bring vs Take Use 'bring' for movement toward you and 'take' for movement away — like come vs go. Bring... Confused Words Can vs May Use 'can' for ability and informal permission; 'may' for formal permission and possibility... Grammar Guide Capitalization Rules Capitalize the first word of every sentence, the pronoun I, and all proper nouns: names, p... Punctuation Common Apostrophe Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them) Apostrophes show possession or missing letters — never plurals. The most common mistakes,... Confused Words Commonly Confused Words: a Quick Reference Complement completes; compliment praises. Stationary stands still; stationery is paper. Fe... Grammar Guide Comparatives and Superlatives Add -er/-est to short adjectives (taller) and more/most to longer ones (more careful). Use... Confused Words Complement vs Compliment Complement (with an e) means to complete or pair well with something; compliment (with an... Confused Words Countable vs Uncountable Nouns Countable nouns take many and few (books, ideas); uncountable nouns take much and little (... Grammar Guide Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers A misplaced modifier sits too far from the word it describes; a dangling one describes a w... Grammar Guide Double Negatives In Standard English, two negatives cancel out: "I didn't see nothing" logically means you... Punctuation Em Dash vs En Dash vs Hyphen A hyphen (-) joins words; an en dash (–) spans ranges like 1914–1918; an em dash (—) break... Confused Words Everyday vs Every Day Everyday (one word) = ordinary; every day (two words) = each day. If you can swap in 'each... Confused Words Farther vs Further 'Farther' is for physical distance (two miles farther); 'further' is for figurative distan... Confused Words Fewer vs Less Use 'fewer' for things you can count (fewer books) and 'less' for things you measure (less... Confused Words Gerunds vs Infinitives Use a gerund (-ing) after enjoy, avoid and prepositions; use an infinitive (to + verb) aft... Confused Words Good vs Well 'Good' is an adjective; 'well' is an adverb. Use 'good' after linking verbs (it tastes goo... Punctuation How to Use a Colon A colon introduces a list, explanation, or quotation — and what comes before it must be a...