The difference between complement and compliment complement Complement means to complete, go with. pepper and salt complement each other compliment Compliment means to praise. It’s also a formal expression of civility or respect. I received a compliment about my hair. compliments of the season complimentary Complimentary is used to mean something is free of charge. […]
Is there a difference in meaning between the following two sentences? We compared our results with previous years to see the difference. We compared our results to previous years to see the difference. Compared with and compared to are used interchangeably today, but do have subtle differences in meaning. If you wish to distinguish between […]
Chair has been used since the 17th century Many organisations still use chairman for the head of the board for both men and women. Alternatives are chair or chairperson. The problem with chairperson is that people tend to say chairman for a man, and chairperson for a woman! My preference is chair. Chair has been […]
Careen means swerving from side to side and career means full speed. The car careened wildly down the street. The car careered down the street. If you saw either car coming toward to you, you’d be best to get out of the way! I don’t think these words are commonly used today, but a […]
But and however can often be used interchangeably But and however are often used interchangeably to mean ‘yet’, but they are punctuated differently because however in this context is a conjunctive adverb, (also known as an adverbial conjunct) not a conjunction. Jim lost a fortune gambling, but he still lives in a mansion. Jim lost […]
The difference between biannual, biennial and bimonthly biannual Biannual means twice a year. The organisation holds meetings biannually. biennial Biennial means lasting or recurring every two years. She grows biennial plants. bimonthly Bimonthly means both every two months and twice a month. Avoid using this word and be more specific. We send our newsletter to […]
The difference between assure, ensure and insure He assured me that he would find the tennis ball lost in the bushes. Next time we play, I will ensure we have a spare tennis ball. assure Assure means to reassure someone that everything is okay. He assured me the answer was correct. ensure and insure Ensure […]
The difference between around and round The round ball spun around around Around means: On all sides The trees around the field are deciduous. In a circle (spin around, belt around her waist) The email went around the world. He spun around. She tied the belt around her waist. Approximately She spent around $500 He […]
The difference between appraise and apprise appraise To evaluate or estimate. He appraised the situation. apprise To inform or tell. I apprised him of the situation. appraise and apprise If you ask someone to appraise your roof, you might have to apprise your family that you need a new roof. If in doubt about these words, […]
What’s the difference between an appendix, addendum, annexure and attachment? Appendix and addendum Reader’s question: What’s the difference between an appendix and an addendum? Can they be used interchangeably or should we be using one over the other in specific circumstances? Answer: My first reaction was that these terms are not interchangeable, but when I […]