Traveling and Spelling are Both Difficult Maneuvers
British English uses “centre”, and American English prefers “center”. But is this always true? What about doubled consonants?
Spelling
Spelling in the English language can be several things: simple, extraordinary, or tenacious. But one adjective describes it best: inconsistent. Many English learners have a hard time remembering all the rules of orthography and punctuation.
Favoring American Spelling
American English spelling omits letters compared to British English: “-or” instead of “-our”, dropping silent “e’s”, and replacing “ae” or “oe” with “e”.
In our Defense, Spelling Needs Practice
British English favors verbs with the end syllable “-ise”, whereas American English uses “-ize”. But is this always true, and what are other spelling differences?
Indefinite Articles—Somewhere Between Grammar, Pronunciation, and Language Change
Regarding indefinite articles, this basic rule applies: “a” before a consonant, and “an” before a vowel. But is this always true?
Capitalizing COVID-19, Diabetes, and Down Syndrome Correctly
Diseases, theories, and objects are sometimes named after their discoverers. But do we capitalize the resulting compounds?
LanguageTool’s Mixed Bag—September 2021
Our mixed bag explains how to spell these words correctly: lieutenant, rhythm, miniscule vs. minuscule, and colonel.
It’s a Thin (Border)Line Between Being Linguistically Sound and Politically Correct
How do I spell languages, places, and nationalities correctly? Why should I be sensitive about where to put a hyphen?
Separated by a Common Line—The Hyphen as a Well-known Grammar Challenge
The rules of using a hyphen are quite puzzling. We shed a light on where to put an obligatory hyphen, and when to avoid the punctuation mark.