My last post tackled the question of which style guide is best for you. Style guides work hand in hand with dictionaries, so the logical next question is, which dictionary is best for you? Just like style guides, certain dictionaries enjoy wider usage within specific writing categories, so we’ll look at three popular options and conclude with a brief discussion on pocket … [Read more...] about Which Dictionary Is Best for You?
spelling
Is It E-Mail or Email? Seven Technology Spelling Questions Answered
Today’s post answers seven technology-related spelling questions: (1) Is it e-mail or email? (2) Is Internet capitalized? (3) Is it Web site, web site, or website? (4) Is it Web page, web page, or webpage? (5) Is Web capitalized when abbreviating the World Wide Web? (6) Is it tweet or Tweet? and (7) Is it e-book or ebook? We’ll find the answers by examining four popular … [Read more...] about Is It E-Mail or Email? Seven Technology Spelling Questions Answered
Three Ways to Insert Accent Marks in Microsoft Word (Tutorial)
Accent marks, formally called diacritical marks, are extra marks that appear above and below individual letters. Their usual purpose is to influence pronunciation. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary lists ten common diacritical marks, including the acute accent (ˊ), grave accent (ˋ), and cedilla (¸).1 Today’s tutorial explains three ways to insert accent marks in Microsoft … [Read more...] about Three Ways to Insert Accent Marks in Microsoft Word (Tutorial)
Five Tips for Using Contractions in Business Writing
Here are five tips for using contractions in business writing and other semi-formal material. If you’re unsure if contractions are appropriate for your content, please review “Are Contractions Okay in Business Writing?” before utilizing these tips. 1. Aim for natural-sounding contraction usage rather than consistency. Unlike most writing usage issues, contractions don’t have … [Read more...] about Five Tips for Using Contractions in Business Writing
Are Contractions Okay in Business Writing?
Contractions are unavoidable. They appear in everything from songs and articles to product packaging. (Even the tiger on my box of breakfast flakes is telling me that “They’re great!”) But are contractions okay in business writing? Maybe. Maybe not. That’s frustrating, I know! Here are three questions to ponder as you decide if you should use contractions in your own … [Read more...] about Are Contractions Okay in Business Writing?
A Brief Overview of Adobe Acrobat’s Spell-Check Tool
Adobe has noticeably improved the editing tools in the most recent versions of Acrobat Pro and Acrobat Standard. The tools feel more fluid and integrated into the user interface than they did in previous versions; and while they aren’t as intuitive as Microsoft Word’s Track Changes, Acrobat’s text comments, highlight comments, and sticky notes (shown below) actually provide … [Read more...] about A Brief Overview of Adobe Acrobat’s Spell-Check Tool
Four Tips for Using Microsoft Word’s Spelling and Grammar Check Effectively
When you inherit a Word document, the original author's settings can affect the document even when you open it on your own computer. These lingering and potentially unwanted settings may prevent you from receiving a complete spelling and grammar check. Here are four quick tips for using Microsoft Word's spelling and grammar check effectively---even if your document was … [Read more...] about Four Tips for Using Microsoft Word’s Spelling and Grammar Check Effectively
Am I a Copyeditor or a Copy Editor?
Copyeditor or Copy editor? That is the million-dollar question! (Okay, maybe the thousand-dollar question.) I have been a proud member of the writing and editing community for over a decade. That’s long enough to have witnessed epic battles over the serial comma and near fisticuffs over hyphenation. (Believe me, no one wants to witness actual grammar-induced fisticuffs. That … [Read more...] about Am I a Copyeditor or a Copy Editor?
How to Edit Your Ignored Words and Phrases in WordPress
Here's the scenario: You've written and edited the perfect blog post in Microsoft Word, so you copy it into WordPress for publication. Just to be on the safe side, you run the Proofread Writing tool before clicking the publish button. WordPress tells you that the name of your beta project, WackiFeet, is spelled incorrectly throughout the post. But, you know that the spelling is … [Read more...] about How to Edit Your Ignored Words and Phrases in WordPress
How to Edit Your Custom Dictionary in Microsoft Word (Tutorial)
Microsoft Word's spell-checking capability is quite good. However, it occasionally puts that squiggly red line under something that is spelled correctly. Maybe it's a product, place, or company name. Maybe it's a person's first or last name. Regardless, most of us just right-click and select "Add to Dictionary" if we know we'll be using that word again in the future. But have … [Read more...] about How to Edit Your Custom Dictionary in Microsoft Word (Tutorial)
How to Choose a Master Dictionary for Your Business Blog
Wordpress Proofread Writing function available through Jetpack Most blogging platforms provide basic spell-check functionality. If you're using WordPress 3.6 or beyond, the spell-check is built into the Jetpack plugin and is accessed through the Proofread Writing button, as shown above. Many third-party plugins and browser-based add-ons also provide spell checking. However, … [Read more...] about How to Choose a Master Dictionary for Your Business Blog
Do You Need a Free Dictionary Subscription for Personal Use? Check Out Your Public Library!
Public libraries really are gifts that keep on giving! Not only do they house more books than any one person could possibly read in a lifetime (except perhaps the character Henry Bemis from the Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough at Last"), many also provide free access to free dictionary subscription services such as Merriam-Webster Unabridged and Oxford English … [Read more...] about Do You Need a Free Dictionary Subscription for Personal Use? Check Out Your Public Library!