Published on
August 8, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 11, 2023.
Capital and capitol are pronounced the same but have different meanings.
Capital is the more common word, with a wider range of meanings. It can be used as a noun to refer to financial assets, to a city serving as the official seat of government, or to an uppercase letter. It can also be used as an adjective to mean “vital,” “excellent,” or “punishable by death.”
Capitol is a noun that refers to the building in which the legislative government meets.
Examples: Capital in a sentence
Examples: Capitol in a sentence
Springfield is the capital city of Illinois.
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of congress.
Thanks to investors, the business has a lot of capital.
The state capitol of Utah is located on North State Street, in Salt Lake City.
Published on
August 8, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 11, 2023.
Then and than are two commonly confused words with different meanings and grammatical roles.
Then (pronounced with a short “e” sound) refers to time. It’s typically an adverb, but it’s also used as a noun meaning “that time” and as an adjective referring to a previous status.
Than (pronounced with a short “a” sound) is used to express comparison. Grammatically, it usually functions as a conjunction, but sometimes it’s a preposition.
Examples: Then in a sentence
Examples: Than in a sentence
Follow the road for another mile, and then take the exit.
Brie is a better golfer than you.
I was working in a bookstore then.
I often like planning a holiday more than I like the holiday itself.
Published on
August 8, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 11, 2023.
Principle and principal are pronounced the same but have different meanings.
Principal can be used as a noun to refer to a person in authority, the perpetrator of a crime, or the capital sum of a loan. It can also be used as an adjective to mean “most important” or “primary.”
Principle is a noun used to refer to a scientific, moral, or legal rule or standard.
Examples: Principal in a sentence
Examples: Principle in a sentence
The principal of the school is very strict when it comes to attendance.
Chris refused to pay the extra shipping costs on principle.
The principal finding of the study is questionable.
Isaac Newton uncovered the principles of gravity and motion.
Published on
August 8, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
September 18, 2023.
Payed and paid are pronounced similarly but have different meanings.
Payed is a rare word that’s only used in nautical/maritime contexts. It can be used to refer to the act of coating parts of a boat with waterproof material or to the act of letting out a rope or chain by slackening it.
Paid is the much more common word, used as the past tense of the verb “pay” in all other senses.
Examples: Payed in a sentence
Examples: Paid in a sentence
The sailors payed the front of the boat with tar to seal the gaps.
We paid more for the meal than we had expected.
Liam untied the knot and payed out the rope to Bill.
Sophia gets paid at the beginning of each month.
NotePeople sometimes mistakenly write payed because it seems like the more logical past tense spelling of “pay,” but paid is the correct choice in the vast majority of cases.
Published on
August 8, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 11, 2023.
Former and latter are both used (with “the”) to refer to previously mentioned items in a list of two or more things. This is done to save space and reduce repetition.
Former can be used to refer back to the first person or thing in a list. It can also be used to mean “previous” or to refer to a past state.
Latter can be used to refer back to the last person or thing in a list. It can also be used to refer to a subsequent time or period.
Examples: Former in a sentence
Examples: Latter in a sentence
I was offered soup or salad, and I chose the former.
Norway and Italy are both beautiful, but the latter is much warmer.
The former president is running for election again.
He faced many difficulties in the latter half of his life.
NoteSome style guides argue that former and latter should only be used in lists containing two items, and this is certainly the most common way of using the words. However, it’s quite possible to use the words with longer lists, too.
If you do want to avoid this, you can use “first” and “last” instead. And you’ll always have to use a different word to refer to one of the middle items in a list (e.g., “the third”).
Published on
August 8, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 11, 2023.
Compliment and complement are pronounced the same, but they have different meanings.
Compliment (with an “i”) can be used as a noun to refer to admiration or praise. As a verb, it refers to the act of praising.
Complement (with an “e”) can be used as a noun to refer to something that completes or enhances something else. As a verb, it refers to this act of completing or enhancing.
Examples: Compliment in a sentence
Examples: Complement in a sentence
Hannah received a compliment on her new summer dress.
The acidity of the wine complements the flavor of the fish.
Peggy complimented Alex on his excellent gardening skills.
The color of the painting is a nice complement to the color of the theater.
NoteAlthough awhile and a while are often used interchangeably in informal writing, (e.g., “stay awhile”/“stay a while”), many style guides, including AP style and Chicago style, encourage you to pay attention to the difference.
Published on
July 25, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 14, 2023.
Toward and towards are prepositions that can be used to mean “in the direction of,” “in relation to,” or “in contribution to.” While the words are used interchangeably, there is some regional preference depending on whether you use US or UK English:
In US English, “toward” (without an “s”) is more commonly used.
In UK English, “towards” (with an “s”) is more commonly used.
Examples: Toward and towards in a sentenceThe river runs toward/towardsthe sea.
Natasha has a positive attitude toward/towards life.
I didn’t realize this essay will count toward/towards my final grade.
Ronan contributed toward/towards the relief fund.
NoteTowards is still acceptable in US English, just less common, and the same goes for toward in UK English.
However, some style guides have specific rules about which you should use. Both AP style and Chicago style favor toward (without an “s”).
