“New years” or “new year”? Which is it? Well, in short, definitely not the first and only sometimes for the second. As the new year approaches, I’m seeing a growing number of instances of “new years”. Because that usage incorrect, I thought I’d discuss it here.
Category: Difference between
Difference between persons and people
From time to time, you might hear people arguing whether to use “persons” or “people” when referring to multiple individuals. There once was a rule that “persons” was the plural form of “person”, but “people” was actually a singular word used to refer to a group of individuals. That rule exists today only with the most… Continue reading Difference between persons and people
Difference between electric and electronic
Last week, while editing a research paper, I came across the word “electric” used in a context where it should’ve been “electronic”, so I thought I’d do a quick post on the difference between electric and electronic. Something that is electric uses electricity. Something that is electronic has parts that allow it to store or… Continue reading Difference between electric and electronic
Difference between much and many
One of the downsides to being the child of an editor is that your grammar is often corrected. A common correction I make is my children’s use of the word “much”. Here are some examples that show you how my children (especially the younger ones) use “much”:
Difference between humility and humbleness
Last week, I was reading through the local newspaper when I came across a word that stopped me in my tracks: humbleness. As someone who regularly attends Christian church services, I’ve heard my fair share of people using “humblenss”, and every time I do, I am left wondering, “Why don’t you just use humility?” So, I… Continue reading Difference between humility and humbleness
Difference between lightening and lightning
Last week, a photo popped up on my Facebook feed with the following caption: Sitting beside the ocean listening to the waves and watching the lightening. It prompted me to write this blog post about the difference between lightening (which the author used) and lightning (which the author meant).
Difference between assume and presume
Last week, after reading another one of my difference between posts, Laura Crowe asked me to write a post about the difference between assume and presume. https://twitter.com/LCCopywriting/status/606412621659676672 While some people use “assume” and “presume” interchangeably, there’s a subtle difference between the two.
Difference between defence and defense
One of the challenges of living in Canada is trying to know what spelling to use. For some words, we use the American spelling (e.g. analyze, tire), and for others, we use the British spelling (e.g. metre, catalogue). In some cases, either is acceptable (e.g. colour and colour, theatre and theater), and yet in some… Continue reading Difference between defence and defense
Everyday vs. every day
Two commonly confused words are “everyday” and “every day”. (Yes, I realize the latter isn’t actually one word.) The difference is subtle but important. “Every day” means each day. “Everyday” means commonplace or usual. For example, compare the following:
Difference between ought to and should
Last week, a client sent me a 16-page document to edit. Several people at this company disagreed with the usage of “ought” in the document (which appeared at least a dozen times), recommending it be replaced with “should”. In actuality, I don’t find much difference between the two, at least not in the sense of indicating obligation.… Continue reading Difference between ought to and should