Word forms
Singulars, plurals, nouns, verbs and related forms that are easy to mix up.
32 guides
- Criterion / Criteria Word forms Criterion is singular; criteria is plural. Pair “one” or “a” with criterion, and use a plural verb with criteria. Open guide
- Advice / Piece of advice / Advise Word forms Advice is an uncountable noun; advise is a verb. Write “a piece of advice” for one recommendation and “please advise” when asking someone to respond. Open guide
- Affect / Effect / Effect (verb) Word forms Affect is usually a verb meaning influence; effect is usually a noun meaning result. Effect is also a valid formal verb meaning bring about. Open guide
- Set up / Setup Word forms Set up is the verb; setup is the noun or adjective. If you can put “to” before it, use two words. Open guide
- Back up / Backup Word forms Back up is the verb; backup is the noun or adjective. Open guide
- Roll out / Rollout Word forms Roll out is the verb; rollout is the noun or adjective. Open guide
- Already / All ready Word forms Already relates to time; all ready means fully prepared. Open guide
- Altogether / All together Word forms Altogether means completely or in total; all together means collectively or in one place. Open guide
- Follow up (verb) / Follow-up (noun or adjective) Word forms Follow up is the verb; follow-up is the noun or adjective. Open guide
- Rationale / Rational Word forms Rationale is a noun meaning the underlying reasons; rational is an adjective meaning based on reason. Explain the rationale for a rational decision. Open guide
- Every day / Everyday Word forms Every day is a two-word time expression meaning each day; everyday is a one-word adjective meaning ordinary or routine. Open guide
- One year / three years (duration) / One-year / three-year (compound modifier) Word forms Use the plural noun without a hyphen for a duration, but a singular year in a hyphenated compound modifier before a noun. Open guide
- Lie / lay / lain (recline) / Lay / laid / laid (put down) / Lie / lied / lied (say something untrue) Word forms Lie meaning recline takes no object and has the forms lie, lay, lain. Lay meaning put something down takes an object and has the forms lay, laid, laid. Lie meaning say something untrue is regular: lie, lied, lied. Open guide
- FYs / KPIs / OKRs (plurals) / FY's / KPI's / OKR's (possessives) Word forms Add s without an apostrophe to make an abbreviation plural. Use apostrophe-s only for a singular possessive, and an apostrophe after s for a plural possessive, such as KPIs' owners. Open guide
- Subject to / Subjected to Word forms Subject to states a condition, governing rule or possible exposure; subjected to states that someone or something was made to undergo an experience. Open guide
- Request (verb) / Request for (noun phrase) Word forms As a verb, request normally takes its object directly: request approval. As a noun, use a request for approval. Open guide
- Await / Wait for Word forms Await takes a direct object; wait normally takes for before the thing expected. Open guide
- Premise / Premises (assumptions) / Premises (property) Word forms Premise is singular for an assumption; premises is its plural and also the plural-form noun for a property. Do not call one office an office premise. Open guide
- Born / Borne Word forms Born relates to birth or origin; borne is the past participle of bear when something is carried, supported or accepted. Open guide
- Lack (verb) / Lack of (noun) / Lacking in Word forms As a verb, lack takes a direct object: the paper lacks evidence. As a noun, use lack of evidence. Use lacking in when describing a deficiency in a quality or feature. Open guide
- A few / Few / A little / Little Word forms Use few and a few with countable nouns, and little and a little with uncountable nouns. Adding a changes the usual meaning from hardly any to some. Open guide
- Sometime / Some time / Sometimes Word forms Sometime means at an unspecified point; some time means a period or amount of time; sometimes means on some occasions. Open guide
- Lead / Led Word forms Lead is the base and present-tense verb; led is its past tense and past participle. Write has led to, not has lead to. Open guide
- I would appreciate it if … / I would be grateful if … Word forms Appreciate is a verb and normally needs an object in this construction: appreciate it if. Grateful is an adjective after be, so would be grateful if is complete without it. Open guide
- First come, first served / First come, first serve Word forms The established expression is first come, first served: those who come first are served first. Open guide
- On-premises / On-premise Word forms Use on-premises for the location or deployment model. Premises means a building or property; premise means an idea, assumption or proposition. The shortened technical form on-prem is common and useful where the audience understands it. Open guide
- Entitle / Entitled Word forms Use entitle in the active form and entitled after be in the passive form. Write 'you are entitled to', not 'you are entitle to'. Open guide
- Login / Log in Word forms Use login as a noun or modifier and log in as the verb. In formal interface or technical writing, write 'log in to the portal', not 'login to the portal'. Open guide
- Shutdown / Shut down Word forms Use shutdown as a noun or modifier and shut down as a verb. Write 'the shutdown' or 'shutdown procedure' but 'shut down the server'. Open guide
- Failover / Fail over Word forms Use failover as a noun or adjective and fail over as a verb. Open guide
- Clearer / More clearer Word forms Use clearer as the ordinary comparative of clear. Do not add more before clearer, because that marks the comparison twice. Open guide
- Key in / Keyed in / Has key in Word forms The phrasal verb is key in; its past and past-participle form is keyed in. After has, have or had, use keyed in. Open guide
No confusable guide matches that search.
Try one word rather than a complete sentence, or clear the search to browse every guide.