Orthography, which can be loosely translated as "correct writing," encompasses spelling, word breaks (e.g. hyphenation), and other topics related to the written presentation of language. Capitalization and punctuation are tagged separately, although they also fall under the rubric of orthography. ...
0
votes
1answer
95 views
Can Apple spell correctly? [closed]
There's an ad appearing in the paper lately (in Aus) for Apple's iphone and its siri-thing.
The headline of the add says: "What's my day look like?"
To me that doesn't look like proper english. I ...
-5
votes
0answers
31 views
Who else is incredible annoyed by incorrect adverb spelling? [closed]
It's incredibly. With a y.
I see this (adverbs being spelled the same as their adjective versions) happening so much that I fear it will become accepted as correct.
3
votes
2answers
74 views
Is “imbedded” a valid spelling of the word “embedded”?
I have seen this used on our marketing materials:
The technology imbedded in this solution will help improve productivity.
I was going to flag it as a spelling error, however Googling provided ...
0
votes
3answers
102 views
When the plural ends in “-ies”, how do I know whether the singular ends in “-y” or “-ie”? [closed]
my question is how am I supposed to recognize a singular form of a noun which plural form ends with "ies"? As you can see "cookies" are a "cookie" when singular, but at the same time "flies" stand for ...
0
votes
0answers
20 views
Why isn't “training” spelled “trainning”? [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
Is there any rhyme or reason to when one should double the last consonant when adding -ed or -ing?
Focussed or focused? The double consonant
Why isn't "training" spelled ...
3
votes
1answer
71 views
Plural of 'quiz'
The plural of "quiz" is spelled with double "z" while the plural of "box" (and sometimes "bus") is spelled with single last consonant. Why is it so? Is this the general rule to double the last ...
3
votes
4answers
87 views
“Runtime”, “run time”, and “run-time”
The CLR under .NET is referred to as the "Common Language Runtime." It seems that the convention is "runtime" for a noun and "run-time" for the adjective. Is this correct or should it be "runtime" ...
2
votes
1answer
44 views
The pronunciation of “… no matter how minute” vs “5 minutes past the hour” [closed]
I was just checking dictionary.com and the pronunciation of "minute" doesn't seem to change in these two setences:
It is five minutes past the hour.
I'll take any change, no matter how minute.
...
1
vote
0answers
41 views
What is the etymology of the phrase “beyond the pale?” [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the origin of the phrase “beyond the pale”?
And, for clarification, is it "beyond the pale" or "pail?"
0
votes
3answers
55 views
Guardrail vs Guard rail
I'm at odds with a colleague of mine over the correct spelling of the above title words.
My stance is that they could BOTH possibly be correct. My question specifically is....
Could one spelling be ...
1
vote
1answer
87 views
How to spell “woah” [closed]
How do I spell the word woah as used in surprise or excitement? Is it similar to wow but for the last w?
1
vote
2answers
77 views
Hiscore vs Highscore [closed]
Which of these are correct?
Hiscore
Hi-score
Highscore
High-score
I have seen all except the last being used.
13
votes
5answers
251 views
What is the standard rule for using or not using hyphen and diaeresis on the words like reelect , reexamine, and cooperate?
I found that diaeresis is used on the word, reelection in the following sentence of the article titled “Rational Irrationality” in the New Yorker magazine (April 27).
“This morning’s news that ...
3
votes
3answers
100 views
“Stand up comedy”, “standup comedy”, or “stand-up comedy”?
I've seen all three versions for describing a person on stage performing comedy: "stand up", "standup", and "stand-up".
My guess is that the term started as two words, but as the performance form ...
3
votes
1answer
164 views
Is it correct to use the word “freeer” or “free-er”? [closed]
As the title says, is it correct to use the word freeer, in the sense of more free?
The only thing that makes this word look unusual is the triple e. Is this word used in speech? If yes, is it used ...
5
votes
2answers
105 views
“Lambast” or “lambaste”
I looked up both lambast and lambaste in several dictionaries, but came up with no conclusions about which one is AE and which BE (if this distinction can ever be made). Moreover, the different ...
2
votes
3answers
64 views
Satisfactory solution to the spelling of regular past participles of new verbs ending in a hard C
In my region, a medical evacuation by air ambulance is referred to as a "medevac" (also spelled medivac). Although this is a noun, in my observation it is more frequently used as a verb ("I'm going to ...
5
votes
1answer
56 views
What are the correct spelling and regional distribution of “X, schmX” to indicate dismissiveness (e.g., “evidence, schmevidence”)?
There is a curious construct in American English in which a word is stated and then repeated with the prefix "schm-" or "shm-" in order to indicate the speaker's dismissive attitude toward a concern ...
-3
votes
1answer
129 views
Short english word that is hilariously difficult to remember how to spell [closed]
I currently use the email address "perluette@[my name].com". When I ran out of calling cards, I noticed that this was annoying to convey to people who don't speak French, so I want to get a new one.
...
1
vote
1answer
55 views
Is this sentence well formed? [closed]
I want a well formed sentence in english GB and US (two sentences if necessary…) from this french sentence:
Cette page n'existe pas dans cette langue. Voici son contenu original :
Here is what ...
2
votes
3answers
142 views
Timepoint vs. time point
When speaking of a point in time, what would be the proper usage:
"Timepoint" vs. "Time point"?
This funny confusion comes from my life as a programmer: While one of our style checkers enforces ...
1
vote
2answers
140 views
“Indeed/in deed/indid/in did”
I am not a native speaker and get constantly confused which one to use when I would like to approve some statement or someone's sentence.
A really nice one indeed.
A really nice one in deed.
...
-2
votes
1answer
74 views
Cheesy convestibles [closed]
Having been schooled in all things British largely by the Pythons, I've been using this word in my speech for years (it comes from the Cheese Shop sketch), but had never actually written it till ...
1
vote
1answer
73 views
Why is it 'speaking' / 'speech' instead of 'speeking' / 'speech' or 'speaking' / 'speach'?
Why is it "speaking" / "speech" instead of "speeking" / "speech" or "speaking" / 'speach'?
Why doesn't this question "meet our quality standards?"
0
votes
0answers
40 views
a or an Hermitian? [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
When should I use “a” versus “an” in front of a word beginning with the letter h?
I would want to know if I have to write "an Hermitian matrix" ...
1
vote
4answers
71 views
What resources can you recommend for finding words based on knowing some of its letters? [closed]
Are there any websites that allow searching for a word based on only knowing, let us say, the second character, the third character and the total number of characters?
I thought about this while ...
4
votes
2answers
104 views
Is a “misspelled” word which subsequently creates another word still considered misspelled? [closed]
According to Dictionary.com:
mis·spell·ing [mis-spel-ing]
noun
the act of spelling incorrectly: Note his misspelling of that word.
an incorrectly spelled word: You have three ...
0
votes
0answers
29 views
Remember to never split an infinitive [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
Are split infinitives grammatically incorrect, or are they valid constructs?
Is it grammatically incorrect to say 'remember to never split an infinitive'? If so, why do ...
0
votes
0answers
64 views
In a formal document, may the hyphen be omitted from “e-mail”? [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
“Email” or “e-mail”?
For a formal document such as a CV, would it be acceptable to use the term "email", or is only "e-mail" acceptable?
2
votes
0answers
118 views
1
vote
1answer
90 views
Spelling: “You +1'd this”
Can you please elaborate in detail as to why there is an apostrophe d after the +1?
3
votes
1answer
126 views
“Queueing” or “Queuing”
Which spelling is better, queueing or queuing? Both words seem to mean the same (or am I wrong?), but there are two different spellings. My context is:
Queueing Latency
vs.
Queuing Latency
...
2
votes
1answer
59 views
Deleter or deletor? [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
What's the rule for adding -er vs. -or when nouning a verb?
Assuming it would even be a word, how would I describe someone or something that "deletes": deleter or ...
6
votes
1answer
106 views
How compound words “eighteen” and “roommate” are built
Why does eighteen not have two tees like roommate has two ems?
5
votes
2answers
124 views
“We'll do it in a…”
Today in my mathematics class my lecturer used a phrase I am very familiar with, and I suspect many others may be familiar with too. However, when thinking about how one would write a particular word ...
3
votes
1answer
95 views
How do I spell “subdistrict”?
Geographically, there are voting districts, taxing districts, and school districts. There are also subdistricts. I have found different spellings of this word (subdistrict, sub district, ...
0
votes
1answer
100 views
Does the word “please” come from “plea”?
I thought that the word please came from the plural of plea. But then why is it please instead of just pleas? Why the e? Are "plea" and "please" really related to each other?
-1
votes
1answer
163 views
How to spell laundre? [closed]
That is the best spelling I could find, or come up with. I don't think it is correct, since I don't see it in the dictionary, and searching without the "victoria secret" prefix doesn't show the ...
2
votes
2answers
126 views
Why do we write “Tsk” for the sound of disapproval?
Wikipedia says alveolar clicks are found only in Africa/Australia, which isn't true at all.
For instance, there's the one usually done twice in rapid succession with the tongue against the upper side ...
17
votes
5answers
1k views
What is the difference between dialogue and dialog?
I am American, and I always thought the difference between dialogue and dialog was one of meaning, the way Merriam-Webster has them listed:
2 entries found:
dialogue (noun)
dialog box ...
12
votes
2answers
430 views
Why does the 'b' in absorb change to a 'p' in absorption?
The question pretty much says it all. Why is "absorbtion" an incorrect spelling?
2
votes
2answers
229 views
Onward vs Onwards [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
“Toward” or “towards”?
Which is the correct usage? "Onwards" or "Onward" ?
For example:
I would be free any time Tuesday onward.
vs
I ...
1
vote
1answer
67 views
What is the appropriate punctuation to indicate the final phrase applies to both of the preceding requirements? [closed]
What is the appropriate punctuation to indicate that the phrase "or agency-recognized equivalent" refers to both instruction and examination in the following phrase?
X has successfully completed ...
8
votes
2answers
293 views
What is the difference between therefor and therefore? [closed]
I'm a non-native English speaker, and my automatic spellchecker seems to accept both therefore and therefor. Is one orthography preferred ? Is that a British vs. American difference ? Or an old vs. ...
4
votes
4answers
173 views
Is there a verb “refactor” meaning “doing refactoring” in English?
Code refactoring consists of changing the structure of the code without changing its functionality. The term refactoring is currently used by software development industry to refer to this process.
...
0
votes
0answers
79 views
What is the proper spelling of “enqueueing”? [closed]
Is it "enqueueing" or "enqueuing"?
Google has 1M+ hits for the former and around 80k for the latter, but I found no authoritative source.
3
votes
2answers
159 views
Is it “dent” or “dint”?
It seems both dent and dint can mean an impression or hollow in a surface. Is there a reason for the two spellings? Do they have different connotations?
10
votes
3answers
524 views
How to spell [ʒʊʒd] and what does it mean?
I heard this strange word in American Dad over a year ago and it's been bugging me ever since. Not only do I have no idea how it's spelt, I have no idea how it could possibly be spelt. My only guesses ...
4
votes
3answers
102 views
Is “ O’Leary’s’s ” orthographically correct? [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
Possessive of a word that's already possessive?
There’s a bar near me named O’Leary’s Irish Pub—or just O’Leary’s for short. One day, they changed their menu. I ...
0
votes
2answers
51 views
Engineering from or Engineering in
Should i write
Bachelor of Engineering from [Place]
or
Bachelor of Engineering in [Place]
Seems both sound right to me, or might be i am not good in my English language usage.
