Top Ten English Words
The following is a list of literary terms; that is, those words used in discussion, classification, criticism, and analysis of poetry, novels, and picture books. This list should include a description and a citation for each entry; you can help by expanding it.
Is Ironic the Most Abused Word in English? irony, ironic “That is sooooo ironic.” This sentence is used frequently — and usually incorrectly — in American English.
Irregardless is a word, but it's not a proper word, and your student's assertion that it's in some dictionaries is a great opportunity to talk about the different kinds of dictionaries and the different kinds of entries in dictionaries.
How to Use Who and Whom The correct use of who and whom in questions and statements may seem like a lost battle, still fought only by punctilious English teachers. However, using who and whom correctly can come in handy in formal writing, and it will make you seem more educated.
English colonel is pronounced the same as kernel. This seems odd, but there is an explanation. In many languages when a word contains two identical or similar sounds, one of these sounds will often change over a period of time. This kind of change is called dissimilation.
nonplussed definition: surprised, confused, and not certain how to react: . Learn more.
According to traditional guidelines, disinterested should never be used to mean ‘not interested’ (i.e. it is not a synonym for uninterested) but only to mean ‘impartial’, as in the judgements of disinterested outsiders are likely to be more useful.
Enormity, some people insist, is improperly used to denote large size. They insist on enormousness for this meaning, and would limit enormity to the meaning "great wickedness." Those who urge such a limitation may not recognize the subtlety with which enormity is actually used.