Word Variants

Many people stop and think when they write kabob or kebab. The words look similar. The food looks the same. However, the spelling changes across countries and cultures. As a result, writers feel unsure. Students hesitate. ESL learners pause. Even professionals double-check. This confusion happens because English borrows words from many languages. Therefore, spellings change … Read more

If you are writing about a backyard cookout or teasing a cautious friend, you might hesitate over whether to spell the word wienie or weenie. Because both forms are pronounced identically and refer to the same things, it is easy to wonder if one is a misspelling. Weenie is the standard, most widely accepted American … Read more