Everyday is one word when it means ordinary, usual, or part of normal life. Every day is two words when it means each day. For example, you might wear everyday clothes, but you wear them every day. Both forms are correct; the right choice depends on how the expression is used in the sentence. Everyday…
Quiet and quite are both real words, but they mean different things. Quiet means low in sound, calm, or not noisy. Quite means very, completely, fairly, or to a noticeable degree. Examples: Correct: The room was quiet. Correct: The movie was quite interesting. Correct: Please be quiet during the test. Correct: I am quite sure…
Mantel and mantle are both correct words, but they mean different things. Use mantel when you mean the shelf or structure above a fireplace. Use mantle when you mean a covering, cloak, layer, role, responsibility, or the layer of Earth between the crust and the core. Examples: She placed a photo on the fireplace mantel….
Adapter and adaptor are both correct words, but adapter is the more common and preferred spelling in most modern English. Use adapter when you mean a device that helps one thing connect to another, such as a phone charger, plug, cable, or computer accessory. Examples: I need a travel adapter for my charger. The laptop…
Hippie is the more common and standard spelling when you mean a person connected with the 1960s counterculture, peace movement, free-spirited lifestyle, or bohemian style. Hippy can also appear as a variant spelling, but it is less common for this meaning. It can also mean having large or noticeable hips, which makes it more confusing….
The word you usually want is courtesy. Courtesy means polite behavior, kindness, respect, or something done as a thoughtful gesture. Examples: Please show some courtesy to other guests. The hotel offered a courtesy shuttle. She sent a thank-you note as a courtesy. Common courtesy means listening when someone is speaking. Curtesy is a real word,…
Premier and premiere are both correct words, but they are used differently. Use premier when you mean best, most important, first in rank, or a political leader. Use premiere when you mean the first public showing or performance of a movie, show, play, song, or other production. Examples: This is the city’s premier hotel. The…
Won’t and wont are both real words, but they mean very different things. Use won’t with an apostrophe when you mean will not. Use wont without an apostrophe only in a rare, formal sense meaning accustomed to doing something or a habit/custom. Examples: I won’t be late. She won’t answer the phone. He was wont…
Repast and repass are both real words, but they are not usually interchangeable. Use repast when you mean a meal, especially a formal, traditional, or old-fashioned word for food shared with others. Use repass when you mean to pass again, go back over something, or, in some communities, a gathering after a funeral. Examples: The…
Leaped and leapt are both correct past-tense forms of leap. They mean the same basic thing: jumped, sprang, or moved suddenly. The difference is mostly style and region. In American English, leaped is more common. In British English, leapt is more common. Examples: The cat leaped onto the table. The cat leapt onto the table….