Grace Mitchell

The words dreamed or dreamt often make English learners stop and think. You may have learned that the past tense of dream is dreamed. Then you read a British novel and find dreamt. Both forms look right because both forms are right. The main difference isn’t correctness. It’s mainly regional preference and style. American English … Read more

The spelling combatting or combating can stop even experienced writers for a second. Both forms look plausible because they come from the same verb and follow a spelling rule that changes depending on how you learned English. The good news is that both combatting and combating are correct spellings. The main difference is regional preference. … Read more

If you’ve ever stopped while writing and wondered is it gray or grey you’re not alone. Both spellings are correct. The main difference comes from regional English. Gray is the standard spelling in American English while grey is more common in British English and several other varieties of English. That simple answer solves the spelling … Read more

Few everyday phrases cause as much unnecessary confusion as goodmorning or good morning. You might have typed goodmorning in a text message and wondered if it should be written as one word. You might also have seen Good Morning used as a greeting and wondered if capitalization changes the answer. The correct standard spelling is … Read more

If you’ve searched for vender vs vendor you’re probably trying to figure out which spelling belongs in your writing. The short answer is simple: vendor is the standard and far more common spelling in modern American English. Vender is also a real English word, but it’s an uncommon variant that most writers don’t need. The … Read more

If you’ve ever typed etc or ect and stopped to wonder which one is correct you’re not alone. These two forms look close enough to cause a quick second guess. The answer is simple: etc. is the correct abbreviation. Ect is a common spelling mistake. The abbreviation etc. comes from the Latin phrase et cetera. … Read more

If you’ve ever paused while writing traveled or travelled you’re not alone. Both spellings are correct. The difference comes mainly from the variety of English you’re using. Traveled is the standard spelling in American English. Travelled is the standard spelling in British English and is also common in Canadian Australian and other varieties of English … Read more

If you’ve ever paused over at least vs atleast while writing an email, school assignment, work message, or social media post, you’re not alone. The two forms look almost identical, but only one is accepted as the standard spelling in English. The correct form is at least. It is always written as two separate words. … Read more

Have you ever typed spicey vs spicy and stopped because both versions look perfectly reasonable? You’re not alone. The confusion comes from a common English spelling pattern. Many adjectives add y to a word ending in a consonant. That makes spicey look as if it should be the natural spelling of spice. But English has … Read more

When you search for bailer or baler you’re usually trying to solve one simple spelling problem. Both words are real English words. The correct choice depends entirely on what you mean. A baler makes bales from materials such as hay or cardboard. A bailer is a tool used to remove water or liquid. Merriam Webster … Read more