Grammar & Usage

'Canceled' or 'cancelled'?

One L or two?

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

How to pick the right one

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Popular

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

Beyond 'simile' and 'metaphor'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

All your favorite pet peeves

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Be dashing—and do it well

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

For example, the different ways to use them

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

A learned explanation that is not wicked hard

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

And which is the United States?

'Lose' or 'loose'?

Keep this somewhere you won't forget it

How to Use Accents and Diacritical Marks

You know, the markings above and below letters.

Commonly Confused

Commonly Confused

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

We promise you're not the only one who has trouble with these words

Usage Notes

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Can you end a sentence with a preposition?

Yes, a preposition is something you can end with.

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

A guide to plural and possessive names

Is 'data' singular or plural?

Information is power

Singular Nonbinary ‘They’: Is it ‘they are’ or ‘they is’?

Notes on a conjugation

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'
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Spelling & Pronunciation

Spelling & Pronunciation

The Many Plurals of 'Octopus'

But which is correct?

Punctuation

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Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

The shifting role of the apostrophe

A Guide to Using Colons

We'll get to semicolons later.

To Use or Not Use the "?" in Requests

"Would you read this, please."

All About Ellipses ...

How to use them … and talk about them

The Serial Comma Explained

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?
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