Utmost is the correct word in most situations. It means greatest, highest, most extreme, or most important. Upmost is rare and usually not the word you want. If you are writing phrases like utmost respect, utmost importance, or do your utmost, always use utmost. Quick Answer Use utmost when you mean the greatest degree, highest…
Recurring and reoccurring are both real words, but recurring is usually the better choice. Use recurring for something that happens again and again in a pattern. Use reoccurring only when something happens again, but not necessarily on a regular schedule. Quick Answer Use recurring when something repeats regularly or keeps coming back. She has a…
Putting is the correct spelling. Puting is a misspelling. Use putting when you mean placing something somewhere, moving something into a position, adding something, or doing the present action of put. The key spelling rule is simple: put doubles the final t before adding -ing. Quick Answer Use putting, not puting. Correct: She is putting…
Family’s and families are both correct, but they mean different things. Family’s means something belongs to one family. Families is the plural form of family, meaning more than one family. The apostrophe is the key clue. Quick Answer Use family’s when one family owns or has something. My family’s house is near the lake. The…
OK and okay are both correct. They mean acceptable, fine, all right, or approved. The main difference is style. OK is shorter and more common in quick writing, while okay feels a little more casual, softer, and conversational. Ok with only the O capitalized is common online, but OK or okay is usually better in…
Whoa is the correct standard spelling. Woah is a common misspelling, especially in casual online writing. Use whoa when you want to show surprise, shock, excitement, or a command to stop. If you are writing for school, work, articles, captions, or polished content, whoa is the safer choice. Quick Answer Use whoa, not woah. Correct:…
Smelled and smelt can both be correct, but they are not always used the same way. Smelled is the standard past tense of smell in American English and is accepted everywhere. Smelt is more common in British English, but it can also mean melting metal from ore, which makes it easier to confuse. Quick Answer…
Queue is the correct English word when you mean a line of people, a waiting list, or a sequence of items waiting to be handled. Que is not the correct spelling for this meaning in English. If you are talking about waiting your turn, use queue. Quick Answer Use queue when you mean a line,…
Medicare and Medicaid are both U.S. health coverage programs, but they are not the same. Medicare is mainly for people age 65 or older and certain younger people with disabilities. Medicaid is mainly for people with limited income and resources. Some people can qualify for both. Quick Answer Use Medicare when talking about federal health…
Pricey is the more common and preferred spelling when something costs a lot of money. Pricy is also accepted by some dictionaries, but it is much less common and may look unusual to many readers. In most modern writing, especially for websites, school, business, reviews, and everyday use, pricey is the better choice. Quick Answer…