Word Facts
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These Are The Most Misspelled Words On Dictionary.com
Have you ever typed a word into Dictionary.com just to see how it's spelled? Yup, us too. Here are the most misspelled words so far for 2019.
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Principal vs. Principle
Is the head of a school called a principal or a principle? These two words are frustratingly similar, leaving even the most experienced English speakers to second-guess which word means what. So, today, we’ll discuss the distinct meanings between these easy-to-confuse terms—and leave you with a little trick to help differentiate between your principals and your principles. What is a principal? A principal is “a …
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Are There Any Words Without Rhymes?
What rhymes with orange? Orange rhymes with Blorenge (a mountain in Wales) and sporange (a technical word for a sac where spores are made). Of course, if you want to write a rhyming poem about oranges, the scientific or geographic research involved might be a little tough. What rhymes with silver? While we’re at it, while silver hangs on to the same rumor, it actually rhymes with Wilver (a nickname) and chilver (a ewe …
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Is It “Just Deserts” Or “Just Desserts”?
Did the dictionary … get it wrong?! We once featured the word comeuppance as our Word of the Day. Comeuppance, as we define it, means “deserved reward or just deserts, usually unpleasant.” More than a few of our brilliant and devoted users, wrote in to inform us that there was a typo in the definition: just deserts should be just desserts. Was an S left out of …
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When To Use Motherland vs. Fatherland
The terms motherland and fatherland both refer to one’s native country, one’s country of origin, or the home of one’s ancestors. So, what’s the difference between motherland and others fatherland? What are the origins of motherland and fatherland? Whether a particular group uses (their language’s equivalent of, if they have one) motherland or fatherland is a matter of culture, tradition, or, in some instances, personal preference. In …
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What’s The Difference Between “Piqued,” “Peeked,” And “Peaked?”
English has a rich, extensive vocabulary. Problem is, sometimes those words run into each other, resulting in a tangled set of homophones, words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings. The word set we’re examining today can send writers into a spiral of uncertainty when it comes to word choice, particularly in the context of one expression: piqued my interest, peaked my interest, …
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What Does It Mean To Be “Charged,” “Convicted,” And “Sentenced” For A Crime
Three verbs that mean similar things: charge, convict, and sentence. They appear in the news constantly, but do you know what each term actually describes? What does charged mean? Let’s begin with charge. When a person is charged with a crime, a formal allegation (a statement not yet proven) of an offense is made. We typically refer to charges in the context of criminal law, which concerns crimes considered …
