Grammar Entry 649 / 1011 60-second read

Home in (focus) vs. Hone in

HOME IN is the original; HONE IN now accepted.

The comparisoni

✗ Wrong

Let's hone in on the problem.

✓ Correct

Let's home in on the problem.

The ruleii

Traditional: HOME IN. Informal: HONE IN.

HOME IN comes from homing pigeons — to zero in. HONE IN is now widespread and in dictionaries, but purists prefer HOME IN.

Memory aidiii

Remember it like this

Pigeons home. You hone a knife.

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