If you are unsure whether to write “smelt” or “smelled,” you are dealing with two legitimate forms of the verb smell. The choice is mainly a matter of regional English rather than a difference in basic meaning. Smelled is the usual form in American English, while smelt is especially common in British English, although British…

Principle and principal are easy to confuse because they sound alike, but they have different meanings. One usually refers to a rule, belief, or fundamental idea, while the other can mean something that is most important, a person in authority, or the amount of money involved in a loan or investment. Knowing the difference becomes…

If you have ever hesitated between preventive and preventative, you are not alone. Both forms appear in dictionaries and are used in standard English, and both describe something intended to stop a problem before it happens. The difference is mainly one of preference and usage rather than meaning. In most modern professional and formal writing,…

When Pokémon fans talk about trick or trade, they are usually referring to the Halloween-themed Pokémon Trading Card Game products designed to give collectors and trick-or-treaters a small Pokémon surprise instead of—or alongside—traditional candy. These mini packs are different from regular Pokémon booster packs: they contain only a few cards and feature a special Halloween…

If you have ever paused before writing “an ___ response” or “an ___ person,” you are not alone. Empathic and empathetic are both legitimate English adjectives, and they share essentially the same meaning. The confusion comes from their nearly identical spelling and their connection to the noun empathy. The good news is that you do…