British vs American English: how to keep your spelling consistent
Colour vs color, organise vs organize, centre vs center. Learn key British and American spelling differences and keep one style in your text. Start reading.
Online-Spellcheck Blog
Spelling and Word Choice
Spelling rules and easily confused words explained: its or it's, then or than, affect or effect, and the words most often misspelled.
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The 5 most commonly misused phrases and how to get them right
Pique or peak, toe or tow the line, peace or piece of mind? Learn the 5 most commonly misused phrases, what each one means, and how to use it correctly.
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Confusing verbs with nouns: affect, advise, and devise
Affect or effect, advise or advice, devise or device: learn which word in each pair is the verb and which is the noun, with examples and the -ise/-ice rule.
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Confusing English words: 6 pairs that are easy to mix up
Stationery or stationary, advice or advise, lose or loose? Learn the difference between 6 pairs of confusing English words, with example sentences for each.
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Catsup or ketchup: which spelling should you use?
Catsup and ketchup name the same sauce. Learn where the word ketchup comes from, why catsup lost out, and which of the two spellings to use in your writing.
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Than vs. then: which one should you use?
Than vs. then: use than to compare things and then to talk about time. Learn the difference with examples and an easy trick to tell the two words apart.
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To, too, and two: which one should you use?
To, too, and two sound the same but mean different things. Learn when to use each one, with example sentences and a simple way to remember the difference.
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Add vs. ad: which one should you use?
Add is a verb that means to put things together; ad is a noun, short for advertisement. Learn the difference between add and ad, with examples and tips.
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Stationery vs. stationary: which one should you use?
Stationery is paper and envelopes; stationary means not moving. Learn the difference between stationery and stationary, with a trick to remember each.
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Farther vs. further: which one should you use?
Farther is for physical distance, further for figurative distance and for something additional. Learn the difference, with examples of each word.
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Apart vs. a part: which one to use?
Apart means separated; a part is a piece of something. Learn when to use apart vs. a part, with examples and two quick tests that tell the two apart.
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The 289 most commonly misspelled words in English
Test yourself with a 5-word spelling quiz, then study 289 of the most commonly misspelled words in English, from accommodate to writing, sorted from A to Z.
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A while vs. awhile: which one to use?
Awhile is an adverb that means for a while; a while is a noun phrase. Learn when to use a while vs. awhile, with examples and an easy test after for or in.
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Stay vs. stand: the crucial difference
Stay means to remain, and stand means to be on your feet. Learn the difference between stay and stand, with examples, phrasal verbs, and their forms.
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Theirs or their's: which one is correct?
Theirs or their's? Only theirs is correct, because possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe. Learn why, with examples, and how to avoid the mistake.
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Bi, by, buy, and bye: the correct way to use each one
Bi, by, buy, and bye sound the same but mean different things. Learn the correct way to use each one, with example sentences for every word.
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Where, were, wear, and we're: how to tell them apart
Where, were, wear, and we're look and sound alike but mean different things. Learn what each word does, with examples and a simple test to pick the right one.
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It's vs. its: the grammar rule explained
It's means it is or it has; its shows possession. Learn the its vs. it's rule, an easy test to pick the right one, and the one form that is always wrong.
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Burned vs. burnt: what's the difference?
Burned and burnt are both past forms of burn. Learn where each one is used, why American English prefers burned for the verb, and a simple tip to remember it.
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The difference between homonyms, homophones, and homographs
Homonyms, homophones, and homographs all share a sound or a spelling. Learn the difference between the three, with examples and an easy way to remember them.
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Principle vs. principal: which one should you use?
Principle and principal sound the same but mean different things. Learn when to use principle and when principal, with examples and an easy way to remember.
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Everyday vs. every day: the rule and an easy test
Everyday is an adjective that means ordinary; every day means each day. Learn the everyday vs. every day rule and a quick test to pick the right one.
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50 shades of grey or gray: which spelling is correct?
Grey or gray? Both spellings are correct: grey is British and gray is American. Learn an easy rule to remember them, and the names that never change.
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Spelling and grammar mistakes: what's the difference?
A spelling mistake is a word written wrongly; a grammar mistake puts real words together wrongly. Learn the difference, with examples like affect and effect.
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Stand up for autocorrect: why it deserves more credit
Autocorrect gets the blame for every embarrassing text, but it fixes far more typos than it causes. Here is why autocorrect deserves more credit than it gets.
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The your and you're rule: when to use each one
Your shows that something belongs to you; you're is short for you are. Learn the your and you're rule, a simple test that settles it, and when to avoid you're.
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4 useful spelling strategies that help you spell better
Good spellers use 4 spelling strategies: phonetic, morphemic, rule-based, and visual. Learn how each one works, with examples, and how to practice it.
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When to use i.e. and e.g.: the difference, with examples
Learn when to use i.e. and e.g.: one means "that is", the other "for example". See how to punctuate them and how mixing them up changes what you say.
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The 4 most helpful spelling rules, with examples
Learn the 4 most helpful spelling rules in English: i before e, changing a final y, doubling the final consonant, and dropping a final e, with their exceptions.
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3 spelling tips that actually help you spell better
Read a lot, keep a list of the words you get wrong, and learn mnemonics: 3 spelling tips that help you spell better, with memory tricks for tricky words.
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Cannot or can not: which spelling is correct?
Cannot or can not? Both spellings exist, but they are not always the same. Learn when to write cannot, when can not is right, and where can't fits in.
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Anatomy of misspellings: why words get misspelled
Why do people misspell words? Learn the 2 types of misspellings and their common causes: mispronunciation, typos, homophones, apostrophes, and foreign words.
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There, their, and they're: when to use each one
There, their, and they're sound the same but mean different things. Learn when to use each one, with examples and 3 quick tests to pick the right word.
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Commonly misused words and how to use them correctly
Altogether or all together, past or passed, precede or proceed: learn the difference between 6 sets of commonly misused words, each with an example sentence.
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Easily confused words: don't be confused any longer
Easily confused words like affect and effect, fewer and less, or its and it's: learn what each word in 8 common pairs means, with examples.
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Ease your mind about spelling rules
English spelling rules are full of exceptions. See the common ones, from silent e and i before e to plurals and -ize, and why you need not memorize them all.
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Best buddies or false friends? English words that are easy to confuse
False friends look or sound like a word you know but mean something else. Learn why they trip up learners and native speakers, with a list of pairs to watch.
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How do you spell difficult words? Why English spelling is so hard
Why are everyday words like calendar and embarrass so hard to spell? Learn why English spelling is irregular, and 10 simple rules to spell difficult words.