Have you ever written the wrong word and got egg on your face? Ever tripped up your readers with fuzzy word choices that confuse them? Those who wrestle with words can find ourselves wondering if we’ve picked the right one. Is it compliment or complement? Waver or waiver? Who or whom?
Thanks to my friend and colleague Barbara McNichol, she’s making it easy. She now has the 2009 version of her popular ebook Word Trippers — a valuable tool for writers, speakers, and others who finds our language puzzling at times.
- Not sure if famous and notorious can be interchanged? Look ’em up!*
- Not sure if you should use “fewer” or “less” when counting the eggs in a basket? Look ’em up!**
- Not sure when “between” is accurate or when “among” is the perfect choice? Look ’em up fast using your computer’s search function!
* Famous, notorious – “Famous” means known widely and favorably, while “notorious” means known widely and unfavorably. “The young actress became famous for her Oscar-nominated role, and then became notorious for her drug use and underage drinking.”
** Fewer, less – Fewer” is used when units or individuals can be counted; less is used with quantities of mass, bulk, or volume. “There are fewer letters to be written today than yesterday.” “The mail takes up less space than I thought it would.” Generally if the word has an “s” at the end, use “fewer” – fewer dollars but less money; fewer muffins but less food.
Word Trippers is an easy-to-search guide that includes 300+ pesky pairings that cause confusion (e.g., further vs. farther or except vs. accept, compliment vs. complement) with examples that make selecting the right word fast and easy.
Purchase Word Trippers (and receive bonuses that will improve your writing)! Click here.
(Barbara has edited many of my books and can help you fine tune your writing projects.)