The index

Every entry, alphabetical.

Browse by letter, filter by category, or jump straight to the one you need. Each entry is a 60-second read.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V WXY Z

01

Accept vs. Except

To receive or welcome versus to exclude — near-opposite meanings.

Confusables

→
02

Affect vs. Effect

The action versus the result — a verb and a noun most of the time.

Confusables

→
03

Less vs. Fewer

For things you measure versus things you count.

Usage

→
04

Who vs. Whom

Subject versus object — the pronoun doing it versus the pronoun it happens to.

Usage

→
05

Its vs. It’s

Possessive versus contraction — a rare case where no apostrophe wins.

Punctuation

→
06

Then vs. Than

Time versus comparison — two different jobs, one letter apart.

Confusables

→
07

Lay vs. Lie

You lay something down. You lie down yourself.

Usage

→
08

Under vs. Fewer than

Position in space versus a count — ‘under’ isn’t always a substitute.

Usage

→
09

That vs. Which

Essential versus extra — a comma decides.

Usage

→
10

Imply vs. Infer

The speaker implies. The listener infers.

Confusables

→
11

Comprise vs. Compose

The whole comprises the parts. The parts compose the whole.

Usage

→
12

Me vs. I

When you’re the subject versus when you’re the object.

Usage

→
13

Ironic vs. Coincidence

A reversal of expectation versus two things happening to line up.

Usage

→
14

Literally vs. Figuratively

Claiming something really happened versus using it as a turn of phrase.

Usage

→
15

Alright vs. All right

The casual one-word form versus the two-word form editors prefer.

Confusables

→
16

Enormity vs. Enormousness

Great wickedness or moral weight versus sheer physical size.

Confusables

→
17

Bemused vs. Amused

Puzzled and a little lost versus entertained and pleased.

Confusables

→
18

Disinterested vs. Uninterested

Having no stake in the outcome versus having no interest at all.

Confusables

→
19

Hanged vs. Hung

The past tense reserved for executions versus the one for everything else.

Confusables

→
20

Piqued vs. Peaked

Stirred up (as in curiosity) versus reaching a high point (as in mountains).

Confusables

→
21

A Tough Row to Hoe

A difficult task or situation to deal with; a challenging endeavor.

Idioms

→
22

About vs. Around (approximation)

Both mean approximately, but 'around' can also mean surrounding.

Prepositions

→
23

Abstraction

Hiding complexity to focus on the essential features.

Tech

→
24

Actionable

Information that can be acted upon.

Corporate

→