As is too often the case, the differences among three concepts — in this case homonyms, homographs, and homophones — seem simple and clear . . . until you try to explain them. Whether it's indicative of a bona fide disagreement among word people or of a historical confusion that is reflected in … [Read more...]
Confusables: Assure, Ensure, and Insure
Spellcheck probably won't help you choose correctly among assure, ensure, and insure. In fact, because of some overlap in definitions, you might have some problems yourself deciding which word is the right one, especially if you're working with historical texts. According to Etymonline, ensure … [Read more...]
My Conclusion Is Not Foregone
I often think of proofreaders and copyeditors as one group of people who, above all others, have a mandate to obsess over the minutiae of language. We are the people responsible for understanding and maintaining the sometimes subtle differences in spelling, meaning, and connotation, who not only … [Read more...]