Confusing Words in English

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.

Also Read
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.

Today’s post is really interesting; I am going to discuss about one of the major issues in English vocabulary. The issue is dieing vs. dying. English writers, especially the new English language learners, are facing trouble with the correct word choice.

So, I will come up with the definitions and will provide you with a few example sentences to show the correct usage of these words.

Dieing vs. Dying – What is the Difference, Definition & Meaning?

Is it dieing or dying?

When you discuss dieing or dying, the third word that comes up in your mind would be ‘dyeing’. Remember one thing; dieing and dying are the confusing words that are related to ‘to die’. Dyeing, on the other hand, is something else. Let me discuss these words one by one.

Dying

If you are dealing with ‘to die’, then dying is the only word which can be correct to use. Die is used as a verb which means to pass away. So, you can use dying as the present participle form of the verb ‘die’. It can also be used as an adjective within a sentence. As an adjective, dying means ‘about to pass away or die’. For example,

1. Many people around the world are dying of hunger. (used as a present participle)

2. The patient was dying and I did not see any emergency specialist over there. (used as a present participle)

3. I can’t forget the dying moments of his emotional speech. (as an adjective)

4. She left her dying friend alone at home. (as an adjective)

Dieing

If you are dealing with ‘to die’, then you do not have to use dieing because this particular word is a misspelling. Most of the people use ‘dieing’ as the present participle form of the verb ‘die’, which is absolutely wrong.

However, dieing can be a real word which is related to a machine called ‘die-cut machine’. This is a machine particularly used for cutting or shaping out things. So, apart from this machinery process, you should not use dieing to refer to death.

Dyeing

The third word that comes up in your mind when talking about dieing vs. dying is ‘dyeing’. Just like dieing, this particular word has no relation with the verb ‘to die’.

Do not confuse yourself! Dyeing is only a present participle of the verb ‘dye’, which means to change the colour of something. For example,

1. Dyeing this dress would be much easier for me.

2. The beautician is dyeing her hair purple.

3. I love the process of dyeing.

Got the Difference?

It is clear now!

You should only use the word ‘dying’ when you want to refer to death. In this case, dieing is only a misspelling. On the other hand, dyeing is only related to dye i.e., the process of changing the colour of something.

Dying = related to death
Dieing = a misspelling
Dyeing = related to changing colours (Dye)

Conclusion

Do not mix up these three words i.e. dieing vs. dying vs. dyeing. They are not interchangeable. Dying is the only word which refers to death. Dieing is a misspelling if you are using it to refer to death. Dyeing is the present participle form of the verb ‘dye’, which means to colour something.

Writers, especially the beginners, may think English as a difficult language. The reason behind it is that English has many confusing words in its vocabulary. You may come across such words that have two different spellings or sometimes, you may get confused of between two variants of English language, American English and British English. You have to be careful in spellings. It happens that a word has two different spellings; one is followed by American writers while the other one is preferred by British writers.

Today’s case is about these two variants of English language. I am going to compare donut vs. doughnut. Check out the preference of the spelling within two different regions.

Donut vs. Doughnut – What is the Difference, Definition & Meaning?

Is it donut or doughnut?

Donut and doughnut are two different spellings of the same word. First, see the definition below,

Definition: Donut or doughnut is a sweetened-fried cake that you always get in the shape of a ring.

People are coming across two different spellings of this ring shaped fried cake. The fact behind it is that ‘doughnut’ is the official spelling which is recognized by the dictionaries whereas; the other spelling ‘donut’ is the shortened term which is said to be an American term.

History of the spelling ‘Donut’:

In 1950, the spelling ‘donut’ has grown up when the famous America’s baked good chains Dunkin’ Donuts was first founded. After that period, this shortened term was successfully adopted by most of the people. However, donut is successfully adopted only in America, not outside of this region.

Famous quotes for Dunkin’ Donuts

• Much of my youth was spent in the parking lot or inside a Dunkin’ Donuts. (Eli Roth)
• I was sacked from Dunkin’ Donuts for squirting the donuts jelly all over the customers. (Madonna Ciccone)

Dictionary Accepted Spelling

Though, donut is the shortened term of doughnut and there is no wrong to use this term; but you have to be careful in professional publications.

Both in America and Great Britain, doughnut is the most preferable spelling to be used in writing. You can check in any writing style guide, ‘doughnut’ is said to be the correct spelling which is recognized by the dictionaries as well.

Apart from the professional writing, you can use ‘donut’ in advertisements.

Take my advice! If you are outside of America, do not use the shortened term ‘donut’ anywhere because this spelling is totally an American term.

Conclusion

Doughnut and donut are two different spellings of the same word. Donut is the shortened term. The spelling ‘doughnut’ is the original term which is widely accepted spelling to be used in professional writing. The spelling ‘donut’ is an Americanized term and can be used in advertisements, mainly in the United States only.