English spellings can quickly become confusing, especially when certain words can be spelled more than one way. Unfortunately, there are not always grammatical rules that can easily be memorized and applied. The adjective “sweet” refers to something sweet-tasting, but it can also be written as a noun — an affectionate term of endearment spelled “sweetie” …
Language Arts
In nearly every language, we find shortened nicknames for parents, siblings, or other family members. And almost universally, we find that children often refer to their mothers as “mama,” “mamma,” or “momma,” but which one is correct? Mama is the infantile/childish form of mother, while Momma is the colloquial form of mother. There is no …
Even English native speakers are sometimes uncertain of the real meaning and nuances of words, especially if they often hear and see the terms misused. Two such confusing words, which are even listed as synonyms in thesauruses though they convey different nuances, are “humble” and “modest.” The difference between “modest” and “humble” is that “modest” …
Various nuances in English can be challenging to understand, even for native speakers. For instance, native and second-language speakers sometimes struggle to differentiate between words like “plausible” and “possible” that sound almost identical but have distinct meanings. The main difference between “plausible” and “possible” is that “plausible” means you could make a reasonably valid case …
I don’t know about you, but, as an English speaker, I have used the word “bravo” many times and have also heard others use it. Brava, on the other hand, is not a word we, as native English speakers, hear that often. Looking at these words’ origin should help us make sense of the difference …
English is often difficult to completely master, even for a native speaker. The English language is continually evolving. While plurals seem straightforward, there are numerous exceptions, such as food and foods; and how to know what the difference is between the two. “Food” is almost always an uncountable noun used to refer to food in …