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Since pour is a common word and sounds identical to pore, many English speakers use the verb pour in the verb phrase pore over meaning “to meditate or ponder intently.” However, looking closely at their meanings, the correct choice becomes apparent.

To understand when to use that vs. which, it’s important to keep in mind the difference between and restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses. In formal American English, that is used in restrictive clauses, and which in used in nonrestrictive clauses. A restrictive clause contains information that limits the meaning of the thing being talked about. For […]

Earlier this year, one intrepid Wikipedia editor made headlines for his remarkable dedication to the mission of purging that website of the phrase “comprised of,” logging approximately 70 to 80 edits per week. This editor, known as Giraffedata, is one of many who hold nonstandard uses of comprise and compose among their top grammatical pet […]

When it comes to writing, this common English word confuses many native speakers who aren’t sure whether to use Earth or earth. Why is this an issue? Earth can be either a proper noun or a common noun. In English, proper nouns (nouns which signify a particular person, place, or thing) are capitalized.

Whose and who’s are commonly confused terms because they sound alike. Luckily, the distinction between them is relatively straightforward. Who’s is a contraction of who is or who has, and whose is a possessive pronoun. Let’s take a look at a classic comedy sketch for some grammar guidance. In Abbott and Costello’s famous “Who’s on […]

Stationary and stationery are just one letter off, but that seemingly small difference changes the meaning of these words entirely. These two terms share the Latin root statiōnārius, which derives from the word station meaning “a standing place.”

You may have heard coworkers or acquaintances refer to an inconsequential or irrelevant point as a moot point, or maybe you’ve heard mute point instead. Fans of the TV show Friends may have heard a third variation: moo point (because, according to Joey, a cow’s opinion doesn’t matter). But which expression is correct, and what […]

Your spellchecker will not flag either compliment or complement, but do you know the difference between these two commonly confused terms? Compliment and complement are commonly confused terms because they are pronounced alike and originally shared some meanings. Over time, however, they have become separate words with entirely different meanings. Complement with an e is […]

The word set we’re examining today can send even experienced writers into a spiral of uncertainty when it comes to word choice, particularly in the context of one expression: is it piqued my interest, peaked my interest, or peeked my interest? The answer is piqued—and here’s why: Pique means “to excite (interest, curiosity, etc.),” as […]

If you’re an avid reader, you’ve likely seen the word judgment spelled two different ways across various sources. Sometimes it appears as we have it here, and other times it appears with an e: judgement. What’s going on here, and which one is correct?