How do you spell a “sound” made in excitement? Although English language has more than one way of doing that such as Whoa or Woah, not both of them are considered correct in Standard writing. Yes, they both are popular exclamation but which one should you use when there’s no room for mistake?

Whoa or Woah – What Is The Difference, Definition and Meaning?

Whoa

Defined as an interjection

“Whoa” is used in different ways in English writing. Most commonly you would see it as exclamation of surprise or excitement similar to the word “wow”. In some cases, its use is repeated in a single sentence to emphasize on the excitement or show urgency of a task.

Furthermore, Whoa is used as a command to stop. In fact, as per history, this word originates from “ho” which was used in the 16s to draw or slow down a horse.

Example 1: Whoa, did you just see the card that passed us by?

Example 2: Whoa, whoa, whoa you need to be more careful with shooting!

Woah

Also defined as an interjection

“Woah” is a popular alternative to “Whoa” which has the same meaning. You would also see it in a sentence to show excitement, amazement or surprise.

Example 1: Woah (read as Whoa), when did you learn to dance so well?

Example 2: Woah (read as Whoa), it looks like a thunderstorm is coming!

Why More People Have Started Using “Woah” In Place of “Whoa”?

There has been an uptick in the use of of “woah” in place of “whoa” in the recent years. To our surprise, even most prominent publications have made this mistake is some of the recent content.

For example, The Washington post had published “The realization that I could have easily died – that was like woah, I’m 16, that’s crazy to think about”.

However, it would be wrong to say that incorrect alternative “Woah” is anywhere close to replacing the original word. Analysts have concluded that the reason we see it more often now is because there has been a general increase in the use of both words.

It is more common to see the alternative spellings at places which do not have strict editorial requirements. Interviews made part of newspapers, memes on the internal, blogs, and social media posts are more prone to spelling errors like these.

So, What Did You Learn?

Looking at the history of these words, we see that Whoa is much older spelling and thus it is considered standard for writing. Although Woah is often used as alternate spelling, it is informal and non-standard. Nonetheless, they carry the same meaning. If you see “woah” when going through informal contexts such as memes, it is more likely to be a mistake.

Whoa: interjection, shows excitement, amazement or surprise, also used for command to stop.
Woah: interjection, carries the same meaning as “Whoa” but it is not supported as the correct spellings.

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Skillset or Skill Set – Which One Is Grammatically Correct?
Different Between Unorganized and Disorganized

It is easy to see that skillset or skill set are variant for each other. They may carry the same meaning and therefore, many don’t bother which one is correct. But, what if you are dealing with an official document where there is no room for mistake?

Skillset or Skill Set – What Is the Difference, Definition and Meaning?

Skill Set

Described as a noun.

Skill set refers to a collection of skills/abilities of a person that are useful for a particular profession of a task. Skill set is considered a noun phrase i.e. group of words that collectively perform function of a noun.

However, it is worth noting here that not both words in “skill set” are a noun when considered separately. “Skill” is an adjective which describe a noun “set”. Together, they are a type of compound noun.

Example 1: Tell us about the skill set/skill sets that you have which make you suitable for the job as graphic designer.

Example 2: How to develop a skill set that can help you achieve success in your athletic career?

Skillset

Also described as a noun.

The meaning of skillset is no different that what skill set is. In fact, many take it as the correct way to write the spellings. It also refers to a collection of skills/abilities of a person that are useful for a particular profession of a task

There is an exception! A company in the New South Wales goes by the name “Skillset”. If that is what you are referring to in your content, then the correct spelling are Skillset with a capital “S” and no space in between.

Is Skill Set or Skillset Grammatically Wrong?

Although both have been adopted into English writing, major dictionaries agree that skillset is not acceptable as grammatically correct alternative to skill set. You can check Dictionary.com or Cambridge Dictionary for reference.

If you search for skillset in an online dictionary, you may be routed to alternative entries of skill set or simply see a message that states “no match for skillset. Did you mean..”

Things are a bit more lenient when you look into Google dictionary. Here, both the words are regarded as correct entries but it is recommended that you go with the majority and only utilize “skill set” in your official and non-official writing.

So, What Did You Learn?

There is some confusion since many people rely on Google dictionary as the first source of spell check. Therefore, as long as you are writing something informal, you might not be penalized for using skillset in place of skill set although the former is not grammatically correct. Nonetheless, it is better to go with “skill set” for more important documents such as a cover letter or resume for job application.

Skill set: noun, collection of skills/abilities of a person that are useful for a particular profession of a task
Skillset: noun, the meaning same as “skill set” but only supported as correct alternative by Google dictionary.

Also See:
Difference Between Disinterested and Uninterested.
Yay or Nay – What Is the Meaning?

It is common to express agreement with words like “of course” and “yeah”. On the other hand, disagreements are shared through words like “not” but, usage of yay or nay as alternatives can be confusing.

I will show you, through examples, how you can utilize these words in the right context.

Yay or Nay – What Is The Difference, Definition and Meaning?

Yay

Informal Affirmative Exclamation.

Yay is used to express excitement. This may be the most common usage but, in some writings, the same word is also used to give an estimation of size of something. For example,

1. We are getting my favourite food today, yay!
2. Yay! I scored the highest in my Math test.
3. I need to expand my closet. It is only yay big for all the clothes.

Nay

Signals No Vote.

Nay is used to express disagreement. It closely rhymes with “neigh” which is instead used for a whinny sound or horse sound. For example,

1. A nay vote by the population can help make useful changes to the constitution.
2. Nay, stop the fight! We came here to have a good time.
3. I need one, nay, three pencils to get this done.

Do You Know Where Yay or Nay Originated From?

English is an old language for sure but that does not mean all the words came in that early. Yay and nay were absorbed into this language quite late.

It was around 1963 when yay evolved from a common English word “yeah” which was considered to an informal way of saying “yes”.

Yay and nay became popular in terms of “vocal voting” where people were often asked to say out loud what their opinion on a matter was.

Got It, Now?

The examples should be enough to show you how yay or nay can be used in sentences. Moreover, you can remember that Yay and yes start with Y so have the same meaning. This is similar to Nay or No.

You can choose between these words easily if you understand the meaning. Here’s a quick overview:

Yay: Yes or affirmative.
Nay: No or disagreement.

Also see:
Difference Between Disk and Disc.
Difference Between Disinterested and Uninterested.