Posts by James Foster

You’ve probably typed “lieing” and wondered about the red squiggly line. It looks like it should follow “seeing” or “being” — but English has other plans. This is a tricky…

You have probably hesitated over “lead” and “led” more than once. They look almost the same and are closely related — and one of them is pronounced in a way…

“Layed” and “laid” — two spellings, one headache. If you’ve ever stopped mid-sentence wondering which one to write, you’re not alone. This is one of English’s most common spelling traps.…

Its and it’s are tiny words that cause huge confusion. They look almost the same, they sound exactly the same, and even native speakers mix them up every single day.…

You have probably seen both “in route” and “en route” online. They look almost identical — and that tiny difference is where the confusion begins. One of them is correct,…

You’ve probably seen both “in person” and “in-person” in emails and job ads. They look almost identical — only a tiny hyphen differs. But that little line changes how the…

If you give someone “free rein”, you give them freedom. But wait — is it “rein” like a horse’s straps, or “reign” like a king’s rule? Most people write “free…

You have probably typed etc. a hundred times — and you may have also seen ect floating around. They look similar, but only one of them is a real English…

“Defence” and “defense” — same word, same meaning, different spelling. If you have seen both versions and wondered which one is correct, here is the good news: they both are.…

You need to pay someone, so you write a “check.” Or is it a “cheque”? If you learned British English, you were taught one spelling. If you learned American English,…