Hyphens clarify meaning and improve readability. Learn the key rules, exceptions, and best practices for using this essential punctuation mark.
Continue reading: Hyphen Usage | Rules, Examples & Common Mistakes
Although whom is gradually disappearing from everyday English, it remains an important consideration in formal writing. The key to choosing the right word lies in three simple strategies: replacing the pronoun, examining the sentence structure, and identifying its grammatical role. And if uncertainty lingers, who is a safe and increasingly acceptable choice.
Continue reading: Who vs Whom | Definition & Examples
Expedite and expediate are synonyms. Expediate came to be because of an error when copying a dictionary.Both versions of the word are acceptable, but expedite is more widely used.
Continue reading: Common Typing Mistakes | Why Rushing Causes Errors
“Pike” or “Pipe”: Quick SummaryComing down the pike is the original and correct version of the phrase, which nowadays usually refers to something that is “happening or appearing in the future.” Coming down the pipe is a modified version of the phrase that carries the same meaning and is gaining popularity.
Continue reading: Coming Down the Pike | Meaning & Explanation
Really can be used as an intensifying adverb that means “extremely.” A few synonyms you can use instead are:
Continue reading: Really Synonyms | 5 Better Alternatives
Phrasal verbs often appear in informal language. But should I really avoid using them in my writing, or are some appropriate?
Continue reading: Phrasal Verbs | How to Learn and Use Them Naturally
When you’re using prior and previous as adjectives that describe something as “happening or existing before in time or order,” then yes, the two words can be used interchangeably.
However, there are some nuances to be considered. For example, prior also functions as a noun and subtle differences exist in the implied immediacy of these two words. Confused? Don’t worry. Below, we help you understand what prior and previous mean by delving into their definitions and reviewing example sentences.
Don’t overthink it. Although there are slight nuances, most of the time, these words can be used interchangeably.
Continue reading: Prior vs Previous | Difference & Usage
Do you enjoy going to a café to sip on your favorite beverage as you work or people-watch? You may be familiar with this setting, but did you know that café is a loanword from the French language and means “coffee”?
A loanword is a word that was adopted from one language (the donor language) and assimilated into another (the recipient language) with little to no modification. Loanwords can be slightly adapted to fit the phonological, morphological, and syntactic norms of the recipient language, but their origins remain easily traceable.
Be careful not to confuse loanwords with cognates, which are words that are nearly the same in multiple languages because they share similar etymological origins. Additionally, a calque is another linguistic term that refers to the creation of a new expression by translating each element from another language to another. In contrast, loanwords are not translated but rather adopted directly.
English comprises an endless number of loanwords borrowed from hundreds of languages. Below, we’ll review fifteen loaned expressions taken from five different languages.
Borrowing words from other languages is a common practice.
Remember, the etymology of words can often be intricate. The list below offers a succinct connection between the loanword in English and its respective donor language. While a loanword can undergo slight alterations, it usually retains a strong resemblance to the original word form, meaning, or pronunciation.
1. Ballet
In English, ballet is a “type of theatrical art that uses dance in the form of controlled and precise movements to convey a story, theme, or atmosphere.” In French, ballet refers to the same type of dance.
2. Déjà vu
Have you ever gone through a scenario that you’re certain you’ve already encountered before? If so, then you’ve experienced déjà vu. In French, déjà vu is also the phrase used for this other-worldly “sensation of having previously lived a moment, even if you haven’t.”
3. Illusion
The definition of illusion in English is “something that the senses are likely to perceive incorrectly.” This word is not too distant from its many meanings in French, one of them being “deceptive appearance.”
4. Angst
Angst is a “deep feeling of anxiety or dread” we may experience from time to time. This is a loanword from German, which defines this word as “fear” or “anxiety.”
5. Kindergarten
In English, kindergarten refers to a class for children typically aged five to six. In German, kindergarten is a compound word: “kinder” means “children,” and “garten” means “garden.” So, in German, kindergarten literally translates to “children’s garden.”
6. Pretzel
A pretzel is a baked bread product characterized by a distinct, twisted knot-like shape, often salted on the outside. This word comes from the German word “brezel,” which refers to the same type of baked product.
7. Drama
Drama is a noun that involves conflict and emotion, and denotes a specific type of literature. The Greek word is also pronounced drama and means “action, deed” or “play, spectacle.”
8. Logic
Logic describes “a way of thinking and coming to a conclusion” and the “branch of science that uses formal methods to think about or explain the reason for something.” The Greek word is pronounced “logikí” and refers to “the reasoning art” or “ordered thought.”
9. Nemesis
In ancient Greek mythology, Nemesis was the goddess of vengeance and divine retribution. The term has been adopted into English to mean “a long-standing enemy, opponent, or rival that someone has grave difficulty facing and overcoming.”
No, knowing loanwords doesn’t make you multilingual—but it can help you expand your vocabulary!
10. Espresso
Do we really need to define what an espresso is? It’s that dark, delicious liquid substance that energizes our soul (a.k.a., strong coffee made by using a machine to force hot water through ground coffee beans). The term originates from the Italian word espresso, which means “pressed out.”
11. Duo
In English, duo means “a pair of people or things.” In Italian, duo means “a pair,” especially in the context of two performers or artists.
12. Lava
In English, lava refers to molten rock that erupts from a volcano and solidifies as it cools. In Italian, lava means “torrent” or “streams.” It was originally used when referring to flash floods and then to streams of molten rock from volcanoes such as Vesuvius.
13. Plaza
If you’re searching for a place to hang out with friends and buy a few things you may need, you may want to go to a plaza. In English, a plaza refers to “shopping centers, commercial complexes, or an open public square.” In Spanish, a plaza primarily denotes an “open public square, which can sometimes be a place where commodities are bought and sold.”
14. Siesta
If you’ve just finished lunch and feel a little sleepy, you may want to take a siesta or “short nap early in the afternoon.” This word was borrowed from Spanish, where it carries the same meaning.
15. Tornado
In English, a tornado refers to a type of weather phenomenon consisting of a violent storm and a rotating column of air that comes into contact with the earth’s surface. In Spanish, tornado can also be used when referring to this type of weather occurrence, but its origin is related to the verb “tornar,” which means “to turn or twist.”
This list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the number of loanwords that help form the English language. There’s not much to using them correctly; just know what they mean and spell them correctly. Keep in mind that their correct spelling sometimes requires the use of diacritics, like in déjà vu and fiancée.
As a multilingual writing assistant, LanguageTool can help you use loanwords correctly. It will show you the correct diacritics required for proper spelling and recommend phrases that could be used instead to ensure clarity.
Did we mention that LanguageTool supports more than thirty languages? Give it a try today!
Continue reading: Words Borrowed from Other Languages | 15 Common Examples
A rhyme is the “repetition of similar sounds within two or more words.” Typically, the corresponding sounds are found near their endings. For example, the words bark and dark are a type of rhyme, as are high and five.
Rhymes are foundational in poetry and songwriting, as they add structure that can help emphasize or link ideas and create memorable patterns.
The word rhyme can also be used as a verb, meaning “to write or say something that includes words that contain similar sounds that create a sense of musicality or rhythm.”
Continue reading: Types of Rhymes | 5 Common Examples
Imagine your crush paying you a compliment. Which would you rather hear?
Chances are that you’d prefer that your romantic interest call you delightful rather than agreeable. But why is this the case if both have similar meanings?
It’s because words are much more than their literal definitions; they also carry different connotations and implications. To elaborate, agreeable is an apt adjective to describe a boss or colleague, but it’s not fitting for your spouse. On the other hand, delightful is the adjective you’d use to depict someone you’re fond of because it conveys a degree of closeness, whether romantic or platonic. That’s why adjectives matter—they help articulate your thoughts and feelings.
Below, we’ll review 35 unique adjectives you can use to describe someone, whether you’re offering them a compliment or for other purposes.
To explore new ways to accurately express your meaning, try our Paraphrasing Tool.
Adjectives matter! Use the right one.
Continue reading: Unique Adjectives to Describe a Person | With Examples