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Type a word, a rule, or a category. Results rank by closeness — exact title first, then starts-with, then anything that mentions the term.

1011 entries · showing the first 20
  1. 01
    Accept vs. Except
    To receive or welcome versus to exclude — near-opposite meanings.
    ACCEPT = receive
    Confusables
  2. 02
    Affect vs. Effect
    The action versus the result — a verb and a noun most of the time.
    AFFECT acts. EFFECT is the result.
    Confusables
  3. 03
    Less vs. Fewer
    For things you measure versus things you count.
    FEWER for count. LESS for amount.
    Usage
  4. 04
    Who vs. Whom
    Subject versus object — the pronoun doing it versus the pronoun it happens to.
    WHO = subject. WHOM = object.
    Usage
  5. 05
    Its vs. It’s
    Possessive versus contraction — a rare case where no apostrophe wins.
    IT’S = it is. ITS = belongs to it.
    Punctuation
  6. 06
    Then vs. Than
    Time versus comparison — two different jobs, one letter apart.
    THAN compares. THEN is time.
    Confusables
  7. 07
    Lay vs. Lie
    You lay something down. You lie down yourself.
    LAY takes an object. LIE does not.
    Usage
  8. 08
    Under vs. Fewer than
    Position in space versus a count — ‘under’ isn’t always a substitute.
    UNDER is spatial. FEWER THAN counts.
    Usage
  9. 09
    That vs. Which
    Essential versus extra — a comma decides.
    THAT: essential. WHICH: extra.
    Usage
  10. 10
    Imply vs. Infer
    The speaker implies. The listener infers.
    IMPLY sends. INFER receives.
    Confusables
  11. 11
    Comprise vs. Compose
    The whole comprises the parts. The parts compose the whole.
    Whole COMPRISES. Parts COMPOSE.
    Usage
  12. 12
    Me vs. I
    When you’re the subject versus when you’re the object.
    Test it alone.
    Usage
  13. 13
    Ironic vs. Coincidence
    A reversal of expectation versus two things happening to line up.
    IRONY reverses expectation. COINCIDENCE just happens.
    Usage
  14. 14
    Literally vs. Figuratively
    Claiming something really happened versus using it as a turn of phrase.
    LITERALLY = actually. FIGURATIVELY = as a figure of speech.
    Usage
  15. 15
    Alright vs. All right
    The casual one-word form versus the two-word form editors prefer.
    Formal: ALL RIGHT. Casual: ALRIGHT is fine.
    Confusables
  16. 16
    Enormity vs. Enormousness
    Great wickedness or moral weight versus sheer physical size.
    ENORMITY = moral horror. ENORMOUSNESS = size.
    Confusables
  17. 17
    Bemused vs. Amused
    Puzzled and a little lost versus entertained and pleased.
    BEMUSED = puzzled. AMUSED = entertained.
    Confusables
  18. 18
    Disinterested vs. Uninterested
    Having no stake in the outcome versus having no interest at all.
    DISINTERESTED = impartial. UNINTERESTED = bored.
    Confusables
  19. 19
    Hanged vs. Hung
    The past tense reserved for executions versus the one for everything else.
    People are HANGED. Everything else is HUNG.
    Confusables
  20. 20
    Piqued vs. Peaked
    Stirred up (as in curiosity) versus reaching a high point (as in mountains).
    PIQUED stirs. PEAKED tops out.
    Confusables
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