Spelling

Word Confusion: Biennial vs. Biannual

Oct 03, 2017

Some similar words are so familiar and so different in meaning that, should a client muddle them up, you will notice them right away. For instance, if an essay refers to Darwin’s theory of revolution, you can safely assume that this is an essay on the Origin of Species, not an examination of Darwin’s opinions […]

All Together Now! Or Altogether Now?

Feb 21, 2018

The classic movie Airplane! plays on the similarity between the terms all together and altogether. In that film, the protagonist discovers that pressing the autopilot button is counterproductive. But when he explains this and uses the word altogether to mean entirely, his companions respond by echoing his words all together. And, lo, we immediately see […]

When Alright and Anymore Aren’t All Right Any More

Jan 16, 2018

Even as a proofreader, alright and anymore may not ring any alarm bells. In less formal English, both are common. But two things you may need to know about these words include: That alright technically isn’t a word. That anymore (as one word) has a very specific usage. So put on your editing hats and […]

Word Choice: Historical vs. Historic

Nov 14, 2017

The invention of the computer was a historic event. Without it we would still be scribbling in the margins of galley proofs, unaided by word-processing software. The invention of the computer was also a historical event, hence our use of the past tense. Yet not every historical event is historic, and not every historic event […]