Grammar Rules & Usage Guide | Merriam-Webster

Grammar & Usage

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

The dictionary is always here to help

'Fewer' and 'Less'

We all want fewer problems and less trouble with 'fewer' and 'less'

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

We promise you're not the only one who has trouble with these words

Popular

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Because spelling is tricky

Commonly Misspelled Words

Spelling is hard

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Be dashing—and do it well

Absent Letters That Are Heard Anyway

They aren't seen but they are heard

How to Use Accents and Diacritical Marks

You know, the markings above and below letters.

On 'Biweekly' and 'Bimonthly'

Sorry, not sorry

A Guide to Using Semicolons

You too can become a semicolon master!

Is it 'home in' or 'hone in'?

Both are used, but 'home in' does a better job of hitting the mark.

Commonly Confused

Commonly Confused

On Synecdoche and Metonymy

When you are left to your own rhetorical devices.

Punctuation

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The History of 'Ampersand'

How the '&' got its name

All About Ellipses ...

How to use them … and talk about them

Should that word have a hyphen?

On open, closed, and hyphenated compounds

Comma Splices: What They Are and How to Correct Them (or not)

Adventurous writers pull them off regularly

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

The shifting role of the apostrophe
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Spelling & Pronunciation

Spelling & Pronunciation

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

No more order anxiety!

Usage Notes

Usage Notes

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'