Sprachgefuhl

onetime : former one-time : for a single time Thus: “The onetime chairman said the dividend omission while he was there was a one-time e...

The word “divest” is often misused. In the debate about whether colleges should invest in entities based in Israel, many people use the ph...

“Venomous” applies to organisms that bite (or sting) to inject their toxins. “Poisonous” applies to organisms that unload toxins when you ...

biweekly : twice a month, and twice a week oversight : watchful care, and a lapse inflammable : flammable peruse : to skim, and to ...

We say, “I’m learning Italian.” We say, “She speaks Italian.” We say, “It’s written in Italian.” So why do we say, “Translated from th...

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t think twice of writing “it’s been” instead of “it has been.” Contractions are critical, and my meaning is clear. Bu...

Wrong : Barbie , Oppenheimer , and Killers of the Flower Moon all scored multiple Oscar nominations, including for best picture. Right :...

Ballerinas are graceful ; tactful people are gracious . — Paul Stregevsky

The grammar geeks at the Wall Street Journal clarify an issue I’ve long wondered about: The word ’tis takes an apostrophe, not an open ...

Use elder when comparing two people. Use eldest when comparing three or more. Lianna always admired her elder brother. The eldest ...

Which is better? 1. Your letter moved me. 2. I was touched by your letter. #1 is preferable, since #2 puts the focus on me, whereas #1...

Which sentence is correct? 1. She graduated from the University of California, Davis, in 2020. 2. She graduated from the University of C...

Which sentence is correct? 1. Tom Jones, PhD, specializes in oncology. 2. Tom Jones, PhD specializes in oncology. I think that #1 is b...

According to Google, “ newsletter ” (8.4 billion results) is more common than “ e-newsletter ” (5.7 billion results). Meanwhile, Merriam-W...

Is it your “chance,” or your “chances”? Here’s the answer from Colleen Newvine , the product manager of the A.P. Stylebook: Generally p...

Which is correct: “1 out of 2 people are ,” or “1 out of 2 people is ”? Here’s the answer from Colleen Newvine , the product manager of th...

In writing a recent article, I couldn’t decide whether to say that something “commands” attention or “demands” attention. In my mind, “com...

In my proposals, I include a section called either “timeline” or “timetable.” This section identifies how long the project at hand will take...

Which sentence is correct? 1. Many ghostwriters (including me) have experience as a journalist. 2. Many ghostwriters (including myself) ...

Which is correct? 1. Join Daria and me for lunch. 2. Join Daria and I for lunch. #1 is correct. How do I know? Because if I om...

▶️ A variety of words are found in religious services. ▶️ A variety of equipment is attached. Thank you, Bryan Garner .

Thank you, Frank Bruni ! I’m certain I said “no worries” quite recently, and I cringed, though with only a small fraction of the self-loat...

Which sentence is correct? 1. Join us, and go beyond a typical workday. 2. Join us and go beyond a typical workday. It’s a trick quest...

Technically, there’s nothing wrong with this sentence : “The Taiwan Relations Act set out America’s commitment to a democratic Taiwan, pro...

Consider this sentence from the New York Times — specifically, the text that comes after the colon (I added the emphasis): “The fact tha...

In describing their work, grant writers can sometimes be imprecise. For example, sometimes they use the word “grant” to refer both to the do...

In a new article in the New Yorker , Naaman Zhou runs down the pros and cons of what writers call “elegant variation.” The Case Against ...

I certainly do! Here’s the scenario: Which sentence is correct? 1. I appreciate you taking the time. 2. I appreciate your timing t...

As readers of Sprachgefuhl know, I favor the compound hyphen . It turns out that I’m not alone. The great Paul R. Martin, a longtime editor ...

Do you know the difference between a “robbery” and a “burglary”? Both are acts of thefts, but they’re not interchangeable. In a “robbery...

I’m stealing this excellent answer from Grammarly: Is it me or I ? Remove the other noun and say the sentence aloud. If it sounds wron...

I’m stealing this excellent answer from Grammarly: What’s the difference between fewer and less ? Can you count the items? Use fewer ....

Here’s a question I posed this morning to Paul Stregevsky: Q : Which phrase do you prefer? 1. a half dozen 2. half a dozen For what ...

One of my favorite writers, Derek Thompson, of the Atlantic , does a superb job of bringing clarity to a statistic  that most readers would ...

Q : Consider this sentence from the New York Times — specifically, the text that comes after the colon (I added the emphasis): “The fact ...

each other : two entities one another: three or more entities

farther : physical distances further : figurative distances

Here’s a question I posed this morning to Paul Stregevsky: Q : Do you take issue with the colloquial phrase “have to” (instead of “need to...

When should you use “yet again” and when should you use “again”? (The same question applies to “once again” and “again.”) Until recently, ...

Consider the following sentence : “Here are 10 ways Apple persuades readers with their words.” Does “their” refer to “Apple,” or to “rea...

I'm reprinting the below blog post from the Magic Show , a subscription-based website from my good friend and colleague Mike Long. The M...

The difference between compared  with  and compared  to  is nuanced, and while many have tried to explain it, the best explanation I’ve foun...

The following sentence appeared recently in the New York Times : “Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Jake Sullivan, the national sec...

This is damn fine writing : “Netflix currently functions, by any measure, at a world-class level. As the year of the pandemic upends enterta...

Plexiglas is the trademark product (uppercase, one s ). plexiglass is the generic (lowercase, a second s ). Thanks, Wall Street Journal !

1. Two Cents  Wrong Here’s my two sense. Right Here’s my two cents. 2. Faze Wrong The bird didn’t phase me. Right The bird didn’t faze me.  ...

A “typeface” and a “font” are not synonyms . A “typeface” is a broad family, like Arial. A “font” is a specific style, like Arial ...

Here’s how most scientists are trained to write headlines: The Effect of Alcohol on Renal Functions What’s wrong with this? It’s s...

calendarize (v): to add to a calendar