For anyone who has fallen into the “that versus which” trap, been confounded by the “accept versus except” question, or taken a beating on the “compliment versus complement” issue.
| a while | a period of time |
| awhile | for some time (see Index) [Note that awhile includes the word “for” in its definition, and thus “for” shouldn't be added. If your meaning begs you to add the word “for,” it's likely you need to use a while.] |
| accept | to agree to take or undertake; to receive willingly; to believe; to consent
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| except | to exclude or leave out; other than
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| advice | (n.) suggestion; counsel |
| advise | (v.) to give advice |
| affect | (v.) to change; to shape; to influence |
| effect | (v.) to bring about; to cause something to happen (n.) result; outcome |
| all ready | completely prepared (“all is ready”) |
| already | beforehand; in the past; by this time |
| all right | This is the only correct spelling of all right. |
| alright | Generally considered as incorrect, so do not use. |
| all together | simultaneously; all at once |
| altogether | entirely; wholly; totally |
| alternate | (v.) to occur in a successive manner; to act or proceed
by turns; to move regularly back and forth between two places, conditions,
actions, etc. (adj.) happening or following in turns (n.) a person acting in place of another; a substitute |
| alternative | (n.) a choice between or among mutually exclusive possibilities (adj.) existing outside traditional or established systems |
| among | involving three or more (countable) persons or things |
| between | involving two persons or things (only) |
| amid | involving persons or things that are not countable (e.g., gravel; or e.g., a throng of people) |
| amidst | a variant of amid (but please use amid) |
| amount | use with mass nouns
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| number | use with countable nouns
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| any body | one indiscriminate dead person |
| anybody | any one person (usually interchangeable with anyone) |
| any more | use when “any” could be removed and the meaning would be preserved |
| anymore | no longer |
| any one | a specific person (use if substituting anybody doesn’t work; also use if followed by of)
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| anyone | any person (use if you can substitute anybody)
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| any way | use when you don’t mean “in any case”
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| anyway | in any case |
| appraise | to evaluate (usually in a professional capacity) |
| apprise | to inform or give notice about |
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| beside | by the side of; next to |
| besides | in addition to |
| biannual | See biannual, bimonthly, biweekly index entry |
| semiannual | See semiannual, semimonthly, semiweekly index entry |
| bring | transport it here |
| take | transport it somewhere else, away from here (perhaps use this mnemonic, noting alliteration: “Bring back, take to”) |
| can | has the ability to |
| may | has permission to |
| capital | (n.) a town or city that serves as the official government seat for a political entity (among other definitions) |
| capitol | (n.) a building or building complex where a state legislature meets |
| Capitol | (n.) refers specifically to the building in Washington, D.C., where the U.S. Congress meets See also the capital, Capitol index entry |
| cite | (v.) to make reference to a specific source |
| sight | (n.) vision or view |
| site | (n.) a location (e.g., on the Internet; or e.g., a construction site) |
| compare to | to represent as similar or equal |
| compare with | to examine for similarities or differences |
| complement | to make complete or satisfy a need |
| compliment | to flatter or praise |
| continual | repeated at frequent intervals |
| continuous | uninterrupted |
| council | (n.) an official group or committee; a governing or deliberative body |
| councilor | (n.) a council member |
| counsel | (v.) to give advice or guidance (n.) advice or guidance (n.) one who advises, especially a lawyer who gives legal advice |
| counselor | (n.) one who counsels or advises (n.) a term of address for a lawyer acting as counsel |
| consul | (n.) an official representative of a foreign country’s interests; an emissary |
| critical | (adj.) forming or having the nature of a turning point; indispensable or essential |
| crucial | (adj.) extremely significant or important; decisive |
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| desperate | reckless out of despair or urgency |
| disparate | dissimilar, different |
| disburse | to pay out |
| disperse | to scatter |
| discreet | cautious; guarded in conduct; respectful of propriety |
| discrete | separate; distinct; disconnected |
| electric | means “of, relating to, producing, or operated by electricity”
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| electrical | means “related to, pertaining to, or associated with electricity but not having its properties or characteristics”
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| electronic | means “of or relating to electrons”
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| ensure | to make sure or certain of something |
| insure | to guarantee life or property against risk (as with an insurance policy) |
| every day | every single day |
| everyday | routine or daily |
| every one | use when you don't mean "everybody"
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| everyone | use if you can substitute "everybody" |
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| farther | refers to physical distance only |
| further | refers to a greater extent or degree |
| fewer | refers to number; use it to describe plural words
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| less | refers to quantity; use it to describe singular words
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| flounder | (v.) to stumble or thrash about, move or act clumsily |
| founder | (v.) to cave in, fail, collapse |
| imply | to suggest (a speaker implies something) |
| infer | to draw a conclusion (a listener infers something) |
| it’s | contraction of it is (only!) |
| its | possessive pronoun; belonging to it |
| lay | to place or put down |
| lie | to rest or recline (also, to tell an untruth) |
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| more than | use with countable units
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| over | use with quantities
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| oral | spoken (as opposed to written) |
| verbal | having a facility with words, whether in speech or writing |
| principal | (adj.) most important; major (n.) school administrator |
| principle | (n.) rule; standard; law; belief |
| rise | to go up or get up |
| raise | to bring something up (and it’s always followed by whatever is being brought up) |
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| select | (adj.) singled out; preferred; of special value or quality
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| selected | (adj.) chosen from among several
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| some day | two-word form is used when “some” is modifying a more definite date
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| someday | (adv.) at an indefinite time in the future
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| some time | again, use the two-word form when “some” is modifying a more definite time
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| sometime | (adv.) eventually
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| stationary | in a fixed spot or position |
| stationery | letter-writing paper Mnemonic:“I write letters with stationery” (all those e’s!). |
| than | used for comparisons |
| then | next; at that time; therefore |
| that | introduces an essential (restrictive) phrase—and does not need commas |
| which | introduces a nonessential (nonrestrictive) phrase—and needs commas Note:This is further explained in the Index. See that, which. |
| their | possessive form of they |
| they’re | contraction of they are |
| there | opposite of here |
| time line | refers to a chronology of historical events |
| timeline | refers to a timetable or plan for events to come |
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| until, till | Use these interchangeably, but don’t use ’til. Also, don’t use up or since with until (i.e., don’t use “Up until now I didn’t believe ….” ) |
| use to | to employ for the purpose(s) of |
| used to | formerly; in the past |
| which | refers to things |
| who | refers to people |
| who | use when he, she, they, I, or we works in the sentence |
| whom | use when him, her, them, me, or us works in the sentence |
| who’s | contraction for who is |
| whose | belonging to whom |
| you’re | contraction for you are |
| your | belonging to you |
Please e-mail comdor-editguide@mit.edu if you have suggestions for other sticklers you'd like to see included.
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