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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anxious vs eager

Anxious carries worry: "I'm anxious about the results." Eager carries keen anticipation: "Sh...

inner vs inter

Inner is an ordinary adjective meaning inside or closer to the centre: the inner courtyard, her i...

among vs amongst

There is no difference in meaning or grammar: among and amongst are intercha...

horizontal vs vertical

Horizontal runs side to side, flat and parallel to the ground: the shelf has to be perfec...

meantime vs meanwhile

Meantime is normally a noun and needs a preposition in front of it: in the meantime, help yourself to coff...

marine vs maritime

Marine describes the sea itself and the things that live in it: marine biology, marine mammals, a marine engin...

lend vs loan

Lend is the verb everyone accepts: "Could you lend me your ladder?" Loan is the noun: "He took out a loan to b...

garden vs yard

In British English, the green space attached to a house is the garden, planted or not: "the kids are in the ba...

council vs counsel

A council is a body of people who meet to decide things: "The city council voted to close the road." Counsel i...

until vs unto

Until marks the moment something stops: The library is open until nine. Unto is an...

objective vs subjective

Objective means based on facts that can be checked and would stay true no matter who was looking — "the object...

bear vs bull

In market language, a bull expects prices to rise and a bear expects them to...

thee vs thou

Thou is the subject form — it does the action: "Thou art my witness." Thee is the object form — it receives th...

strategy vs tactics

Strategy is what you are trying to achieve and why that route will work: Our strategy is to win the mid-ma...

confused vs confusing

Confused describes the person having the feeling: "I'm confused by these instructions." Confusing describes th...

yep vs yup

There is no difference in meaning: both are informal spellings of yes. "Yep, that's the one." "Yup, still wait...

root vs route

A root is the part of a plant that grows underground, or the origin of something: "the root of the problem." A...

refuge vs refugee

Refuge is the shelter itself — protection from danger, or the place that provides it: "They took refuge in a c...

active vs passive

In the active voice the subject performs the action: the committee rejected the proposal<...

but vs butt

But is the little joining word meaning "however" or "except": "I'd come, but I'm working late." Butt, with two...

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...