“Explicit” vs. “Implicit”: What’s The Difference?

The words explicit and implicit can be easily confused. They sound similar, have the same ending, and are both abstract. Adding on to that, both words have multiple meanings—sometimes they’re opposites, and sometimes they simply mean different things.

In this article, we’ll explain the different ways these two words are used, including which one means “implied” and which one means “expressed directly.” Don’t worry, we’ll be explicit in our explanation.

Quick summary

The main senses of explicit and implicit are opposites. Explicit describes something as being expressed directly without anything being implied. Implicit describes things in which a meaning is implied or hinted at rather than being expressed directly. Explicit and implicit also have other specific meanings that are not necessarily opposites.

What is the difference between explicit vs. implicit?

The adjective explicit describes something that has been expressed directly. For example, saying We gave them explicit instructions means that the instructions were stated in detail. Something that’s described as explicit doesn’t leave anything up to interpretation.

In contrast, the adjective implicit describes something that has been implied—meaning it has been suggested or hinted at but not actually directly stated or expressed. For example, saying We had an implicit agreement means that the agreement was implied but never actually stated or written down.

These senses of explicit and implicit are direct opposites. Consider the difference between these two statements:

1. Don’t press that button—it will give you an electric shock.
2. I wouldn’t press that button if I were you.

Statement 1 is an explicit warning. The speaker is clearly and directly telling you not to press the button and what will happen if you do. Statement 2 is an implicit warning. The speaker isn’t outright telling you not to press the button, nor do they say what exactly will happen if you. Rather, they are insinuating—implying, hinting—that something bad will happen if you press the button.

Directly related to explicit is the verb explicate, which means the same thing as explain. On the other hand, implicit is related to the verb imply, meaning “to suggest something without saying it.”

To remember the difference, remember that the ex- in explicit comes from the prefix meaning “out,” and the im- in implicit comes from the prefix meaning “in.” If something’s explicit, a person comes right out and says it; if something’s implicit, the true meaning is in someone’s head.

The words explicit and implicit also have other senses that are used in particular contexts. For example, the word explicit can mean that something has sexual or inappropriate content, as in explicit lyrics or This interview features explicit language.

The word implicit can also mean “unquestioning or unreserved,” which is how it’s used in phrases like implicit trust and implicit obedience. Sometimes, it means “inherent.” This is how it’s used in the phrase implicit bias, which refers to a prejudice that someone has without knowing it.

It can be easy to confuse implicit and explicit because they are often used in the same contexts, or even alongside each other. Let’s look at a few specific situations to see the difference.

implicit vs. explicit memory

In psychology and the study of memory, the words implicit and explicit are used to describe two different kinds of memory. Explicit memory refers to information that takes effort to remember—the kind we need to think hard about to dig out of our memory bank. Implicit memory, on the other hand, refers to information we can recall very easily or even unconsciously.

For most people, things considered part of implicit memory include knowing how to tie your shoes, knowing how to read, or knowing where you live. Typically, you can remember these things without even having to think about them.

In contrast, examples of explicit memory include dates of historical events, times for scheduled appointments, and passwords. Most of the time, you need to actively think about these things (at least a little bit) in order to correctly recall them.

implicit vs. explicit costs

In finance and economics, implicit and explicit are used in the terms implicit costs and explicit costs.

Of the two, explicit costs are easier to understand. These are costs expressly documented as such by a company. Explicit costs include things like employee salaries, repairs, utility bills, debt payments, land purchases, and so on.

Implicit costs are less direct. These are the undocumented costs that a business experiences as the result of something happening. For example, a company might close a store for a day in order to clean it. While this closure may not cost the company money as it is recorded on a balance sheet, it does have an implicit cost: lost sales. As another example, a business may have a manager train a new employee. The company of course pays the explicit cost of the manager’s salary, but there is also the unrecorded implicit cost of time, productivity, and profit considered to be lost during the time taken away from the manager’s main job.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

“Council” vs. “Counsel”: Get Guidance On The Difference

It’s no wonder you might need advice when it comes to the difference between council and counsel. Not only are they pronounced identically, but they are both often used in the same contexts and sometimes even in the same sentence! However, these words do have different meanings, and one of them is always a noun while the other can be a noun or a verb.

In this article, we’ll explain the difference between council and counsel, clarify which one is used to refer to a lawyer or legal advice, and give examples of how we often use these two words.

Quick summary

Council is always a noun, and it most often refers to an official group that makes decisions. Counsel is commonly used as a noun to mean “advice” and as a verb to mean “to give advice to.” The term legal counsel most commonly refers to a person’s legal representation (that is, their attorney or team or attorneys) or to the services or advice provided as part of such representation.

Should you use council or counsel?

The word council is a noun—and only a noun. It most commonly refers to “a body of people who have been officially designated or selected to act in an advisory, administrative, or legislative capacity.” A council isn’t always official, but the word usually implies that it is.

For example, a city council is a city’s legislative body—the elected officials whose job is to enact the laws and other policies of a city. An example that uses the word in its official name is the Council of Europe, a European international organization that makes declarations and decisions regarding human rights.

The word counsel can be used as a verb and a noun. As a noun, it is most commonly used to mean “advice,” as in I always value the wise counsel that you give me. As a verb, it means “to give advice to,” as in I’ve been trying to counsel my kids about their careers.

Is it legal counsel or council?

In law, the phrase legal counsel is a set phrase that refers to a person’s legal representation (that is, their attorney or team or attorneys), as in The defendant opted not to retain legal counsel. It can also refer to the services provided as part of such representation, and it can simply mean “legal advice.”

Although legal counsel is the commonly used phrase, it is certainly possible for a group that discusses law or makes legal decisions to be called a “legal council.” Of course, use of this phrase could potentially be confusing given the existence of the more established term legal counsel.

How to use council and counsel in a sentence

The following examples show the different ways that counsel and council are often used.

- The queen’s advisors always gave her wise counsel.
- The ad-hoc council decided to recruit new members.
- Jenny counseled me about how to handle myself during a job interview.
- A council of elders provided counsel to the emperor.
- I’m not a lawyer, so I strongly advise you to seek legal counsel.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

Try To Wrap Your Mind Around 10 Terms That Circle Around The Multiverse

If you’re one of the many fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’ll know that Dr. Strange has the power to explore the multiverse. He can travel to other worlds and meet alternate versions of himself, maybe even one that isn’t inexplicably charming. In comic books and science fiction, the multiverse refers to a collection of different universes that include our own.

But what about real science? Surely, the idea of the multiverse is purely limited to fantasy and imagination, right? Well, it might surprise you to know that the idea of the multiverse is actually part of scientific theory, and its existence would actually help explain some phenomena we already know about.

That being said, the science and theory behind the multiverse gets really complicated really quickly. If you’re still committed to trying to untangle this multiverse madness, there are a bunch of terms you’ll need to learn first before you can begin your multidimensional journey.

dimension

In science and math, a dimension is a property of space. You probably know that our spatial movement involves three dimensions: height, width, and depth. You can move forward and back, left and right, and up and down. There is also a fourth dimension: time. On Earth, time only moves forward at a constant rate. However, the measurement of time starts to behave oddly once you start moving really fast or decide to hang out around a black hole–more on them later. So, scientists tend to describe outer space in terms of both time and space. Speaking of which …

space-time

Space-time, also known as the space-time continuum, refers to the four-dimensional space that our reality exists in. This includes the three spatial dimensions together with time. Understanding space-time is important to getting a grip on the idea of the multiverse and where—and even when—other worlds might exist. Given how huge the universe is, we would need to better understand space-time and develop technology for traveling through both space and time to possibly discover worlds and universes beyond our own.

cosmology
Cosmology is a branch of science that studies the nature of the universe. Cosmology often combines astronomy and physics when describing celestial phenomena. Basically, cosmology is concerned with studying where our universe came from and how it works. In practice, this involves a lot of extremely complicated math and experiments. The term cosmology also refers to a branch of philosophy that theorizes how the universe works, what our place in it is, and whether or not there might be other universes out there somewhere.

metaphysics

Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that asks questions about the nature of reality and the universe. Unlike the science of physics, the philosophy of metaphysics relies solely on theory and speculation to explain how our reality works or might work. Because many theories focused on the multiverse or parallel universes are currently impossible to test or find supporting evidence for, they are often considered to be part of metaphysics rather than a natural science. For example, the idea of modal realism, which states that all possible worlds physically exist, is considered to be philosophy rather than science since it is impossible to prove and doesn’t align with our current understanding of reality.

quantum

Without getting too technical, the word quantum is used in physics to describe really small quantities of energy. Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics, is a subscience of physics that studies subatomic particles and matter. Based on our current understanding of science, quantum mechanics seems to be the most likely route through which we may be able to explore whether or not the multiverse is scientifically possible.

Once you start looking at things at the subatomic level, the normally impossible seems to become possible. For example, the study of quantum mechanics has proven it is entirely possible for an atom to exist in two different places at the same time. Scientifically, this would suggest the idea of multiple identical universes existing simultaneously may be possible, and most multiverse theories rely on quantum mechanics to support the argument that the multiverse is possible.

the many-worlds interpretation

The many-worlds interpretation, also known as the Many-Worlds Theory, is a theory about the existence of other worlds or a multiverse. According to this idea, every possible event that could happen exists in another world. For example, if you roll a six-sided die and it comes up as a four, the MWI theorizes that there exist five other worlds where the other five rolls happened.

Out of all multiverse theories, this one is especially tempting to scientists because it doesn’t imply that many random universes somehow exist. Randomness is a problematic concept in science, and this theory addresses it by suggesting all the universes exist. Also, it is possible to test this theory–albeit using methods that are much too complicated to go into here. Still, even this multiverse explanation remains entirely theoretical until we make new discoveries in quantum mechanics.

the Big Bang

The big bang, according to the big bang theory, was a sudden massive burst of matter and energy that created the universe billions of years ago. This theory is the most prevalent origin story of the universe and has supporting evidence such as the presence of cosmic microwave background, space radiation whose only scientific explanation is that it is leftover from when the big bang occurred.

Some multiverse theories speculate that the expansion that began with the big bang never stopped and that the universe is still expanding. Based on this inflation theory, it might be possible that the universe will continue to expand infinitely. This possibility leads to a multiverse theory in which “randomness” repeats and infinite “Earths” with infinite duplicates of “You” exist or will exist somewhere as the universe continues to grow indefinitely.

Another multiverse theory based on the big bang is the bubble theory. This theory speculates that different parts of space-time expanded at different rates. According to the theory, these “bubbles” of space-time resulted in bubble universes with different laws of physics. This multiverse theory suggests that our universe is just one of the many bubble universes out there.

observable universe

The term observable universe is used to refer to the portion of the universe we can see or could possibly see. Basically, the observable universe is everything we can see using devices like telescopes, probes, or other astronomical equipment. When discussing the possibility of a multiverse, the answer seems to lie outside the observable universe. As far as we know, there are no “bizarro Earths” out there or galaxies with different laws of physics. So, a multiverse theory may suggest that parallel worlds, galaxies, or universes exist beyond the limits of the observable universe that we can see.

string theory

Without getting too confusing, string theory is a theory in physics that suggests that subatomic particles in quantum mechanics are string-like objects rather than points. String theory also supposes that space-time actually consists of more than three spatial dimensions. The theory states that these dimensions are simply so small that we are unable to detect them.

If string theory is true, these extra dimensions would make the multiverse scientifically possible. In one interpretation of string theory, for example, it is theorized that our universe exists on a membrane, called a brane. Our world exists on a three-dimensional brane alongside other branes which may have more dimensions and thus different laws of physics. If we could somehow reach those other branes, we may discover entirely new worlds and universes.

black holes

Black holes are extremely dense celestial objects whose gravity is so intense that not even light can escape them. This means that we can’t even “see” them with astronomical equipment and must detect them using the area around them. Black holes are mysterious parts of our universe where the laws of physics break down and normal scientific rules don’t apply. So, what would happen if someone entered a black hole?

The assumption is that a person would simply be destroyed by gravity. However, another theory among physicists is that black holes might be tunnels or wormholes that lead to other universes. If this theory is true, it is assumed that our own universe resembles a black hole in other universes as well.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

“Maternal” vs. “Paternal”: What’s The Difference?

The words maternal and paternal pop up a lot in different phrases, including ones like maternal instincts, paternal grandmother, maternal leave, and paternal DNA.

You probably know that both words have to do with mothers and fathers, but which is which?

In this article, we’ll define the different meanings of maternal and paternal, explain the simple difference between them, and we’ll even cover the related terms maternity, paternity, and parental.


Quick summary

Maternal describes things related to a mother or motherhood. Paternal describes things related to a father or fatherhood. Sometimes, they mean motherly and fatherly, as in phrases like maternal/paternal instincts. But they can also be used more narrowly to distinguish relations involving a mother or a father, such as in terms like maternal/paternal grandmother. In some cases, the gender-neutral term parental can be used in place of maternal or paternal as well as maternity or paternity.


maternal vs. paternal

The adjective maternal is used to describe things relating to mothers or motherhood. The adjective paternal is used to describe things relating to fathers or fatherhood. Both terms can have different shades of meaning.

For example, maternal can mean the same thing as motherly and paternal can mean the same thing as fatherly—that is, they can be used in a positive way to describe behavior befitting the kind of parent they refer to. This sense of the words is commonly used in phrases like maternal/paternal instincts and maternal/paternal affection. They can sometimes be applied this way even if the person is not actually a parent, or even if they’re not a parent of the person they’re interacting with, as in You can tell by how good she is with the kids that Kate has maternal instincts—she would make a great mom.

Other common phrases that use these words include maternal/paternal care and maternal/paternal heritage. In these cases and others, they’re specifically used in reference to an actual parental relationship (as opposed to describing behavior that’s simply like a parent).

When applied to familial titles like grandfather, the adjectives maternal and paternal indicate whether the relation is through the person’s mother or father. For example, a person’s maternal grandfather is their mother’s father, while a person’s paternal grandfather is their father’s father.

Similarly, the term paternal DNA indicates that the DNA was inherited from a person’s father; maternal DNA is inherited from the mother.

Unsurprisingly, the word maternal comes from the Latin mater, meaning “mother,” while paternal comes from the Latin pater, meaning “father.” These roots are also the source of the related words matriarch and patriarch and maternity and paternity.

maternity vs. paternity

The word maternity can be used as a noun and as an adjective to describe something that involves motherhood. The word paternity, on the other hand, relates to fatherhood or something that involves being a father.

Like maternal and paternal, the terms maternity and paternity are often used in phrases that distinguish whether something relates to a mother or a father. For example, maternity leave refers to leave for a mother, while paternity leave refers to leave for a father. The terms perform the same distinguishing function in maternity/paternity test.

Maternal is also used in some other common phrases, such as maternity clothes and maternity ward.

Is there a gender-neutral form?

Maternal, paternal, maternity, and paternity make distinctions based on gender. Sometimes, this is the whole point of using them. But when it’s not, the gender-neutral adjective parental can be used in their place, such as in phrases like parental instincts, parental leave, and parental figure.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

“Roast” vs. “Bake”: Does It Make A Difference To Your Cooking?

One recipe says to roast the chicken breasts in the oven at 400° F. Another recipe calls for the chicken breasts to be baked … in the oven… at 400°.

What’s going on here? Are roast and bake really interchangeable, or are there subtle differences? The answer is both.

In this article, we’ll break down the multiple meanings of both roast and bake, what the difference means for the home cook, and which term you may be more likely to encounter on menus.

Quick summary

In the context of cooking (not baking), roast and bake often mean the same thing—to cook something in an oven, usually at a relatively high temperature. The word bake is usually used when a dish is covered in sauce or cooked in a covered pot. Roasting is often more simple, usually involving a meat or vegetable being coated in oil or another fat, seasoned, and then cooked in an open pan or on a rack. But the word bake is commonly used for this type of preparation, too.

What is the difference between roasting and baking?

Bake and roast are often used to mean the same thing, and for good reason. In cooking, both roast and bake commonly mean to cook something in an oven.

Historically, roasting was done on a spit, with the food being directly exposed to the fire, while the word baking was applied to cooking done in a dish.

Obviously, you can still roast something on a spit, but today home cooks most commonly encounter the word roast in the context of recipes for oven-cooked meats or vegetables. At the same time, some recipes use the word bake for similar or even the same preparations.

Sauce or no sauce

If a dish cooked in the oven is covered in a sauce, it’s usually described as baked. In contrast, it’s more common for one that’s just coated in oil or another fat to be described as roasted.

Covered or uncovered

Often, a dish described as roasted is one that’s cooked on a rack or in an uncovered pan—allowing it to be exposed to the heat to become browned and crispy. When a dish is cooked in the oven covered, it’s usually described as baked.

Temperature

Some recipe writers tend to use bake when they call for the food to be cooked at a lower temperature, such as 350°, while using roast for higher temperatures, such as 425°. But this is definitely not always the case.

What else can bake and roast mean?

The words roast and bake also have other common applications in the context of food preparation.

baked goods

Obviously, the words bake and baking are also used in the context of what we call baked goods, like breads and cakes. This type of baking is also most commonly done in an oven, but unlike baking chicken, for example, it often involves a more significant transformation in shape and form—picture a time-elapsed image of soft dough or semiliquid batter rising into fully-formed deliciousness.

This is one of the reasons why a distinction is sometimes made between baking and cooking. Baking in the sense of dough- and batter-based concoctions is most closely associated with breads and desserts, while cooking is associated with meals and savory things. But the two can certainly overlap—pot pies and pizzas are both baked and savory. In this way, baking can be thought of as one type of cooking in the general sense of food preparation.

The verb roast and the adjective roasted aren’t often used in the context of baking, but they can be, such as when you’re incorporating a roasted element into a baked good (using roasted strawberries in a cake, for example).

roasting without an oven

Some people still roast things the old-fashioned (ancient) way: on a spit over an open flame. Although grilling is similar, it’s not common for the word roast to be used in the context of grilling (especially when the food is in direct contact with the grill surface).

coffee and nuts

The words roast and roasting are also used in more specific ways to refer to how certain types of foods are prepared. Coffee beans are roasted, and so are certain nuts (chestnuts roasting on an open fire, for example).

roast and bake as nouns

And then there’s roast and bake as nouns. A roast is a cut of meat meant to be roasted, most commonly meaning it will be cooked in an oven “low and slow”—at a relatively low temperature and for a long time. This is how roast beef is prepared. Not all dishes called roasts are cooked uncovered. Pot roast, for example, is so called because it’s cooked in a covered pot.

As a noun, the word bake is often applied to things like casseroles and other one-pan dishes, as in cheesy pasta and kale bake or chicken and root vegetable tray bake. More generally, it’s also used as a word for the product or process of preparing a baked good, as in Look at the bake on that pie crust or It’s one of your best bakes of the competition (fans of The Great British Bake Off are very familiar with this usage).

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“Stew” vs. “Soup”: Simmer On The Differences Between Them

Throw a bunch of ingredients in a pot, add liquid, heat it up, and what do you get? That’s actually a harder question to answer than you might think. Dishes made in this way can be labeled soup, stew, broth, bisque, or chowder.

When it comes to food, people have strong preferences not only about taste but also about what things are called. In this article, we’ll get to the bottom of the bowl by explaining when and why a dish may be called a soup vs. a stew and breaking down the same distinctions between soup and broth, bisque, and chowder.

⚡ Quick summary

Generally speaking, a dish is called soup when it’s primarily liquid-based. Stews are thicker and chunkier. But an especially thick and chunky soup could be called a stew. Broth is a liquid that serves as a main ingredient for many soups, and can be considered a soup when eaten by itself. Bisque and chowder are different types of soup.

What is the difference between soup vs. stew?

The main characteristic of the dish we call soup is that it’s primarily liquid-based. Regardless of what other ingredients it has in it (meat, fish, vegetables, whatever), they’re either submerged (or mostly submerged) in the liquid or are blended as part of it. The first example constitutes what’s often called a brothy soup. The second example is what we’d usually call a creamy soup (creamy as in texture—it may or may not have cream in it). But there are a lot of variations. And this is where the plot thickens.

The dish we call stew may start the same way as a soup, and can include many of the same ingredients used in soup (meat, fish, vegetables, whatever). Stews are cooked by simmering or slow boiling, known as stewing. Obviously, the descriptions of soup and stew sound very similar.

The popular distinction between these two foods is how “liquidy” or how thick they are: a dish called soup typically has more liquid in it than a stew does. Stews are generally thicker than soups, being made up primarily of larger, solid chunks of ingredients. In other words, stews are thicker and chunkier—and always have solid ingredients.

Generally speaking, if there is so much liquid that the ingredients are fully submerged, it’s a soup. If the chunks dominate the dish, it’s a stew.

Of course, a dish labeled as soup can be pretty thick and chunky. And, sometimes, cooking adjustments can turn one into another. A soup could become a stew if cooked long enough that most of the liquid boils off or is absorbed by the ingredients. Or you could add more liquid to a stew to make it soupier. The point at which a soup becomes a stew (or vice versa) can be endlessly debated.

That’s because there is no exact measurement or technical rule separating the two. In many cases, both words could be reasonably applied to the same dish. The difference is often simply a matter of preference or opinion.

broth vs. soup

The essential ingredient in many soups is broth (or stock). Broth is traditionally made by boiling or simmering water with ingredients that will give it flavor, such as meat, fish, or vegetables (and often a combination of things).

The primary flavor of a broth is often specified: chicken broth, beef broth, vegetable broth, etc. For example, chicken noodle soup is traditionally made with chicken and noodles in a chicken broth.

But can broth be considered soup by itself? Yes, in fact, when broth is eaten—even without any added ingredients—it is typically considered soup. For example, a type of clear soup known as a consommé can be considered a broth if it is used as a base for the addition of other ingredients but a soup if it is eaten by itself.

bisque vs. soup

A bisque is a type of thick soup that uses cream as a main ingredient. The term bisque is typically applied to soups that have some kind of shellfish or vegetable as the key ingredient. Classic examples of bisques include lobster bisque, shrimp bisque, crab bisque, tomato bisque, and potato bisque.

While most people agree that bisque is a type of soup, some may distinguish creamy bisques from non-creamy soups in the same way that others distinguish liquid-forward soups from chunky stews.

chowder vs. soup

Chowder is a type of thick soup whose most traditional and well-known forms contain clams, fish, or other seafood, often in a creamy, milk-based broth and also featuring potatoes, onions, tomatoes, or other vegetables. Different types of clam chowder are especially popular in the Northeast region of the US. Other examples of chowder include fish chowder, corn chowder, and potato chowder.

Most chowders are usually considered a type of soup, but their creamy thickness can also result in them being labeled as a stew.

Some people may take the hairsplitting even further and argue that chowder is its own unique thing in the same way that people distinguish soups from stews.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

How To Spell W And Other Letters Of The Alphabet

No doubt you know your ABCs, but do you know how to spell the names of the letters themselves? For example, how would you spell the name of the letter W? In this article, we are going to take a look at how to spell out the different consonants of the alphabet. Why just the consonants? Well, spelling the names of the vowels is unusual, and the spellings vary widely.

We don’t often have a reason to spell out the names of letters. They show up in some words or phrases, like tee-shirt or em-dash. Knowing how to spell out the letters is a good trick to have in your back pocket when playing word games like Scrabble and Words With Friends. Mostly though, the spelled-out names of the consonants are fun trivia any word lover will enjoy.

B – bee
The letter B is spelled just like the insect: b-e-e. The plural is bees, like something you might find in a hive. Before it was bee, the letter B was part of the Phoenician alphabet and was known as beth.

C – cee
The spelling of the letter C might surprise you. It isn’t spelled with an S but a C: c-e-e. The spelling cee might come in handy especially when writing about something “shaped or formed like the letter C,” as in she was curled in a cee, holding her pillow.

D – dee
You might be picking up on a pattern here. Like B and C, the letter D is spelled out with -ee: d-e-e. Like the letter B, dee originally had another name in the Phoenician alphabet: daleth.

F – ef
The letter F is spelled e-f. The spelled out name ef is occasionally used as an abbreviation for much saltier language.

G – gee
With the exception of ef, the letter G is spelled like the other letters we have seen so far: gee. Particularly in American slang, the spelled out name gee is used as an abbreviation for grand, in the sense of “thousand dollars.”

H – aitch
The letter H has a tricky spelling and pronunciation. It is spelled aitch, but the pronunciation of its name is [ eych ]. The letter comes from Northern Semitic languages and its modern corollary is the Hebrew letter heth.

J – jay
The letter J has a long and complicated history—it began as a swash, a typographical embellishment for the already existing I—but its spelling is relatively straightforward: jay. Like C, the spelling jay can be useful when describing something in the shape of the letter.

K – kay
You may already be familiar with the spelling of the letter K from the expression okay, or OK. Just like in okay, K is typically spelled k-a-y. Okay is a unique Americanism that you can read more about here.

L – el
El is most easily recognizable as the common abbreviation for elevated railroad. However, it is also the spelling for the letter L.

M – em
The spelling of the letter M, em, can be found in the name of the punctuation mark em dash (—). The name of the punctuation mark comes from the fact that it is the width of the letter M when printed.

N – en
Much like the letters em and en themselves, the em-dash and en-dash are often mixed up. The en dash is, you guessed it, the width of the letter N when printed. The en dash (–) is shorter than an em dash (—).

P – pee
The most scatological letter name is pee (P). The use of pee as a verb and noun to refer to urination actually comes from a euphemism for the vulgar piss, using the spelling of the initial letter in piss: P.

Q – cue
The letter Q has the honor of being one of two letters that is not included in the spelling of its own name: cue. The use of cue as a verb or noun to refer to “anything that excites to action” comes from another abbreviation related to the letter itself. In acting scripts, the Latin quandō, meaning “when” was abbreviated q, which later came to be spelled cue.

R – ar
The name of the letter R sounds like something a pirate might say: ar. The letter R was called by the Roman poet Persius littera canina or “the canine letter.” It was so named because pronouncing ar sounds like a dog’s growl.

S – ess
The snake-like S is spelled ess, with two terminal -s‘s. Along with cee and jay, ess can also be used to describe “something shaped like an S,” as in The roads were laid out nested double esses along the riverbank.

T – tee
A letter whose spelling you are more likely to be familiar with is T or tee, because it often appears in spellings of T-shirt (e.g., tee-shirt). The tee shirt is so named because it is a shirt in the shape of a T.

V – vee
Another letter that pops up in fashion is V or vee. You see this most often when describing certain clothing elements, such as a vee neckline or a vee-shaped dart.

W – double-u
The letter W is one of the stranger letters in the alphabet, and so is its spelling. As we noted already, we don’t usually spell vowels out, so we end up with the awkward double-u. The plural spelling is double-ues. Before it was merged into one letter (W), the sound was represented with the the digraph -uu- or double-u.

X – ex
The spelling of the letter X, ex, might seem foreboding. That’s because we often equate it with the prefix ex-, meaning “out of” or “without.” We also use ex as a verb to mean putting an X over something, literally or metaphorically, as in I exed out the name on the list. The letter X has found use as we explore new ways of describing gender identity and expression, which you can read about here.

Y – wye
The letter Y is spelled wye, like the river in Great Britain. Wye has been adopted into electrical and railroad terminology to describe circuits and track arrangements, respectively, that are in the shape of a Y. Interestingly, the letter Y replaced an Old English letter called thorn.

Z – zee
In American English, the letter Z is spelled and pronounced zee, patterned off of other consonants like dee and gee. However, in British English, the letter Z is named zed. Zed comes from the Middle French zede, itself from the ancient Greek zêta.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

“Venom” vs. “Poison”: Which One Is More Harmful To You?

Here’s the obvious thing about poison and venom: you don’t want either one in your body. But after that, things can get confusing. Although the two words are sometimes used interchangeably in casual use, a distinction is made between them in scientific contexts.

In this article, we’ll look at the key differences between poison and venom as well as the adjective forms poisonous and venomous, especially in the context of snakes, plants, and other living things.

Quick summary

The word poison can refer to any substance that is inherently harmful to a living thing—especially a substance that’s intended to be harmful. The word venom is more specific—it refers to a poisonous substance produced in the body of an animal and actively used to cause harm through injection, such as through a snake bite, a spider bite, or an insect sting. Venom is sometimes called poison in casual use, and animals that are venomous are sometimes casually described as poisonous, as in poisonous snakes. But in reference to organisms, there is a difference: poison is secreted through the skin or delivered through ingestion.

What is the difference between poison vs. venom?

The word poison can refer to any substance with an inherent property that makes it harmful or even deadly. The word is perhaps most often used to refer to substances that are intended to cause harm in this way, as in rat poison or The poison they used was a nerve agent.

The word poison is also sometimes used to refer to naturally occurring toxic chemicals and substances, such as arsenic or cyanide (which can also be used intentionally to cause harm). It’s also sometimes used to refer to manufactured chemicals that aren’t intended to cause harm but can if ingested, such as bleach or other cleaners.

The term venom is much more specific—it refers to a dangerous substance produced in the body of an animal, such as in some snakes, spiders, and wasps, and delivered via injection. Such animals may use venom as a way to defend themselves or as part of how they prey on other animals. Snakes are known for delivering venom via a bite, but some can spray or “spit” venom. Wasps and other insects can inject venom via stingers. Some jellyfish inject venom through barbed tentacles.

The toxicity of venom varies widely. The effects of different venoms range from minor irritation to death.

The toxic substances produced by some animals may be referred to as poison instead of venom. This is the case when the substance is simply secreted by the animal or stored inside its body (as in the poison-arrow frog), as opposed to being actively injected or sprayed.

Animals aren’t the only living things that produce poisonous substances. Many plants contain substances that are toxic if they’re ingested or come into contact with skin, but such a substance is typically called a poison as opposed to a venom.

Despite the technical distinction between the words, animal venom is sometimes generally referred to as poison.

Another difference in how we use the words: unlike the word venom, poison is also commonly used as a verb. It can mean “to administer poison to (a person or animal)” or “to add poison to something,” as in She poisoned the soup.

poisonous vs. venomous

The adjective poisonous is used broadly to describe substances that are considered poisons. It may also be applied to things that contain a substance considered a poison, as in The leaves of that plant are poisonous.

The adjective venomous is more narrowly applied to animals that produce venom, especially if they’re able to inject that venom as a way of actively defending themselves or preying on other animals.

However, in the context of animals, the word poisonous is often used casually to mean the same thing as venomous, such as in terms like poisonous snakes, which is often used to distinguish such snakes from ones that don’t have venom.

Although rare, it’s possible for an animal to be accurately described as both poisonous and venomous. The Asian tiger snake is one commonly cited example of this: it has a venomous bite, but it’s also poisonous because its body contains the poison from the poisonous toads that it eats.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

Wow Yourself With Words With “Word” In Them

We love all kinds of words: big words, small words, words with silent vowels, and even the word moist. With that in mind, we wanted to find words that feature the word word in them. Without getting too wordy, we managed to find words like foreword, afterword, and doubleword that fit our criterion of being a word with the word word in the word. Being the word-wise wordsmiths that we are, we wanted to spread the good word and share our fun list of words that include the word word.

Cool off your hot word skills with these cool words about words.

headword
A headword is a word or phrase that appears as the heading of a dictionary, encyclopedia, or other reference work. For example, if you research the first president of the United States, the headword will most likely be George Washington.

catchword
A catchword is a word or phrase that someone uses so frequently that it becomes their slogan or a signature phrase associated with them. For example, comedian Stephen Colbert popularized his catchword “truthiness” when he hosted The Colbert Report.

byword
The term byword is used to mean a word or phrase that has become associated with a person or thing to the point that they are cited as a proverbial example of it. For example, the sentence The company has become a byword for success may be used to describe a profitable business. Byword is also used to mean “a proverb” or a synonym of the term household word to mean a name or phrase that many people know.

Janus word
A Janus word, also called a contranym, is a word that has opposite or nearly opposite meanings. For example, the Janus word scan can mean to briefly glance at something or to thoroughly analyze something. Fun fact: Janus words are named after the Roman god Janus, who had two heads that looked in opposite directions—much like a Janus word with its two opposite meanings.

buzzword
A buzzword is a word or phrase, often from a particular jargon, that becomes fashionable or trendy among a particular group or in popular culture. For example, the word synergy is a popular buzzword often used in business and marketing.

code word
A code word is a word or phrase that has a secret meaning that only a select few people know. For example, spies might agree to use the code word “red eagle” when they need to identify each other. The term code word is also often used to refer to a euphemism that is used in place of harsher language as in My mom said my room “needed some love,” which is code word for saying “my room is a huge mess.”

nonword
A nonword is a collection of letters that isn’t accepted as an actual word. For example, “definate” is not an English word; it is a nonword that is a common misspelling of the word definite.

keyword
A keyword is a major word in a sentence, passage, or document that typically reveals the central meaning or most important information. In technology, a keyword is a word or phrase typed into a search engine or reference software to search through content.

password
A password is a secret word or phrase that a person must recite in order to gain access to restricted areas, information, etc. For example, a door guard may only let people enter a fortress if they say the password “swordfish.” In computing, a password is a string of characters that a user must enter correctly in order to log into an account, use wireless internet, or otherwise bypass electronic security.

guide word
The term guide word is used as a synonym of headword to refer to a word or phrase used at the top of articles or entries in reference works.

curse word
A curse word, also known as a cussword or a dirty word, is a word that is considered to be profane or offensive. For example, the words ass, crap, and piss are some examples of English words that are usually considered to be curse words.

kangaroo word
The term kangaroo word refers to a word that contains its own synonym within it, spelled in the correct order. For example, the kangaroo word barren contains the word bare and the word catacomb contains the word tomb.

ghost word
A ghost word is a word that entered a language by mistake, such as a typo or translation error, rather than from actual linguistic use. For example, the word syllabus seems to have resulted from a misreading of Greek.

Which ghost words haunt the dictionary?

counterword
A counterword is a word that has picked up a much looser meaning than it originally had. Counterwords have so many meanings and/or are used so generally that they are almost meaningless. Words like good, fine, gross, awful, cute, and nice are some examples of counterwords. (You know we have better synonyms for these, starting with nice.)

loanword
A loanword is a word from one language that is used in another with little or no changes in meaning or spelling. Some English words that are loanwords from other languages include incognito (Italian), schadenfreude (German), sushi (Japanese), and piñata (Spanish).

weasel word
A weasel word is a word that weakens a statement by making it sound more confusing, ambiguous, or noncommittal. For example, the word probably is an example of a weasel word in the sentence I’ll probably do better on my next math test.

nonce word
A nonce word is a word created for only one specific occasion. For example, the cartoon The Simpsons invented the word cromulent just for the sake of making a single joke about language. (That’s not the only word they created!)

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

“Annual” vs.” Perennial”: What’s The Difference?

Confused about annual vs. perennial plants? You’re not alone—it’s especially difficult to remember which is which because they sound like they might mean the same thing. To make matters worse, there’s also a third confusing term: biennial.

Join us as we root out the differences and give examples of perennials, annuals, and biennials so you’ll always remember which is which.

Quick summary

Plants that live for only one growing season are called annuals. In contrast, plants that regrow on their own every season are called perennials. Plants that live for two growing seasons are called biennials.

What are perennials?

The word perennial is applied to a plant that lives for multiple growing seasons—at least more than two years. Perennials typically flower and bloom in the spring. Around autumn, the top part of the plant withers, but the root remains. The next spring, the root sends out a brand new shoot, and the cycle continues. In other words, planting perennials in a garden means that they don’t need to be replanted each year—they come back on their own (at least for three years).

Perennials usually only bloom for a few weeks, and may take longer to fully mature. Popular perennials include daylilies, lilacs, and lavender, as well as most fruit trees, berry bushes, and herbs.

What are annual plants?

The word annual is applied to a plant that lives for only one growing season. Annuals typically flower and bloom in the spring and then wither and die around autumn. Unlike perennials, annuals do not regrow the next season—at least not from the same root. Instead, annuals must be replanted each year—or, in some cases, the seeds left behind may successfully sprout new plants.

Annuals usually bloom the whole season, and their blooms are often more extravagant than perennials. Popular annuals include petunias, marigolds, zinnias, watermelons, corn, beans, and potatoes.

What is a biennial plant?

The term biennial is applied to a plant that lives for two growing seasons. The first season, the plant starts out small. The second season, it grows bigger and produces flowers. After this, the plant’s life cycle is complete, and it dies in the autumn just like an annual. Some well-known plants categorized as biennials include foxglove, pansies, poppies, forget-me-nots, and many vegetables, such as cabbage, beets, onions, and carrots.

annual vs. perennial vs. biennial

Here’s how you can remember the difference:

- In general, the word perennial means “continuing” or “perpetual,” and perennials continue to regrow without being replanted.
- The word annual means yearly, and annuals must be replanted every year.
- The bi- in biennial means “two,” and biennials have a life cycle of two growing seasons.

Although these terms could technically be applied to any plants, they’re especially used of flowering and culinary plants—the kind of plants commonly found in gardens and on farms.

There is some overlap in what can be considered an annual versus a perennial. Some annuals can be perennials when planted in warmer climates, since there’s no frost to kill them, and some perennials are not capable of surviving the winter in colder climates. Certain flowers can also be annual in one variety and perennial in another.

Examples of annual and perennial plants

In this section, we’ll answer some of the most common questions about whether certain plants are annuals or perennials.

Are mums perennials or annuals?

Garden mums are typically treated as annuals, even though they can be perennials in the right climate. There are also hardier varieties of mums that are typically grown as perennials in many climates.

Are dahlias perennials or annuals?

Dahlias can be either, depending on the growing region. They are native to warm regions in Guatemala and Mexico. In colder climes, they are treated as annuals, but it’s possible to bring them back each year if the tubers are dug up and dried out in the winter.

Are tulips perennials or annuals?

Tulips are perennials. In certain climates, however, they may behave like annuals.

Are hydrangeas perennials or annuals?

Hydrangeas are perennials. Again, however, this is only true when grown in climates where they can survive the winter.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

“Bull Market” vs. “Bear Market”: What Do These Financial Terms Mean For Your Wallet?

Financial jargon can be intimidating, and that’s especially true of the stock market terminology. But even if you’re not an investor, many of these terms can be relevant to your life due to their bearing on the larger economy. You’ve probably heard the terms bull market and bear market, but what exactly do they mean, and what’s the difference?

In this article, we’ll explain bull markets and bear markets, the differences between them, and what they mean for everyone—not just stock traders.

Quick summary

The term bull market is applied to a market (especially a stock market) in which prices are, on average, rising. A bear market is the opposite—one in which prices are falling. At any given time, the market is usually described as one or the other—with bull and bear markets alternating as part of an ongoing cycle.

What is a bull market?

In discussions of the stock market and the greater economy, the term bull market is typically applied when prices on average are on the rise, or when they’re expected to rise. The terms bull market and bear market are most closely associated with the stock market, but they can also be used in the context of other markets, including those for real estate, currencies, and other commodities.

Using the term bull market is informal—there’s no formal metric to measure or determine when a bull market is happening. Still, a 20% increase in prices is often used as the ballpark figure that indicates a bull market.

Usually, a bull market happens when the economy is strong or getting stronger. High employment rates, high gross domestic product, and other measures of economic well being and stability are generally thought to correlate with bull markets.

Bull markets are often categorized as secular (indicating a period of growth lasting more than five years) or cyclical (indicating a shorter-term period of growth).

In the context of stocks and finance, the related adjective bullish can mean “rising in prices,” “characterized by favorable economic prospects,” or, more informally, “regarding a particular investment as potentially profitable,” as in We’re still bullish on treasury bonds.

As a noun, bull can refer to a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will increase.

Why is it called a bull market?

The first records of bull market and bullish in the context of finance and the stock market come from the late 1800s, but the noun use of bull in the context of stock investment—to refer to both a type of an investment and an investor—predates both. The origin of the use of the word bull in this way is uncertain. In general, the bull is associated with aggression and is known to charge forward, like a rising market. One explanation for the use of the word bull in bull market likens the upward swing of a bull market to the motion in which a bull may attack—by throwing its horns upward.

What is a bear market?

A bear market occurs when prices are falling, or when they’re expected to decrease. Like bull market, the term usually refers to the stock market, but it can also be used in the context of real estate, currencies, and other commodities. There’s no formal metric to measure when a bear market is happening, but a 20% decline in prices is sometimes used as the threshold.

As you might expect, bear markets result from the opposite of the conditions thought to constitute or correlate with bull markets. Low economic stability and high unemployment, low gross domestic product, and low corporate profits are traditionally thought to correlate with the downturns associated with a bear market. Like bull markets, bear markets can be categorized as secular or cyclical.

The related adjective bearish can mean “declining or tending toward a decline in prices” or “characterized by or reflecting unfavorable prospects for the economy or some aspect of it.” Or it can be used informally to mean “regarding a particular investment as poor or unprofitable,” as in We’re still bearish on treasury bonds.

As a noun, bear can refer to a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will decline.

Why is it called a bear market?

The noun use of bear in the context of the stock market to refer to types of investments or investors came before its use in bear market, but, like bullish, the origin of these senses is uncertain. In general, while bulls are known for charging aggression, bears—while fearsome—are especially associated with hibernation. This is one interpretation of the use of bear in bear market—likening the retreat of the market to a bear’s dormant period. Another interpretation is that a bear attacks by swiping downward—a motion likened to the downswing of a bear market.

bear vs. bull market

The difference between a bear market and a bull market is the direction of prices and the general success or health of the market. Simply put, it’s a bear market when prices are going up, and it’s a bull market when prices are going down.

To remember which is which, remember that bulls are known for being aggressive and charging ahead, (like the prices in a rising market), while bears are known for hibernating (likened to how investors might scale back investments during market downturns).

A few extreme examples of bear markets are the Great Recession around the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Depression, which roughly began with the stock market crash of 1929. In contrast, the post-World War II economic boom is considered an example of a bull market. But there are many other examples. That’s because at any given time the market is usually described as one or the other—meaning they alternate as part of an ongoing cycle.

Stock investors have many strategies to try to profit from both increases and decreases in stock prices, which means that just because it’s a bear market doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of transactions happening.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

Words From The 2010s So Lit We Should Bring Them Back

The 2010s were the era of Instagram, Beyonce’s Lemonade album, and arguing about whether a viral photo showed a blue dress or a white one. The decade may not seem like that long ago, but a lot has changed since then, including many parts of our language.

Vocabulary evolves quickly, especially when you’re talking about the words associated with slang and pop culture. Take yeet, for example. One minute, everyone was saying it. The next? Well, it might be hard to recall the last time you’ve heard it.

The good news is that the coolest things from previous decades almost always come back in style again. 2010s nostalgia is having a moment, and we’re taking that opportunity to look back at some of the defining words of the decade. Here are 16 2010s slang words that might be ready for a comeback.

bae

Remember bae? In the 2010s, this term of endearment was all over the place. The word, which is “an affectionate term used to address or refer to one’s girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, etc.,” gained popularity in 2012, thanks to a viral tweet. The term originated in Black culture, most likely as a shortened form of babe or baby. It went on to achieve meme status before fading into the background at the start of the next decade.

catfish

Catfish isn’t just a type of fish. It’s also a verb that means “to deceive, swindle, etc., by assuming a false identity or personality online.” This slang meaning of catfish took over in 2010 with the release of Catfish by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. The documentary told the story of a man who was romantically duped by a stranger online. Catfish is still used to describe this kind of trickery, but the word is less common than it used to be, perhaps because knowledge of this type of dishonesty is more widespread.

first world problem

Oh, your favorite slang went out of style? Sounds like a first world problem. (Just kidding.) In the 2010s, first world problem emerged as a facetious way of pointing out a “fairly minor problem, frustration, or complaint associated with a relatively high standard of living, as opposed to serious problems associated with poverty.” The phrase dates back to the late ’70s, but it wasn’t seen online until around 2005. It got its start as a hashtag on Twitter and later became one of the go-to phrases of the 2010s.

yeet

Yeet began as the name of a popular dance in Black internet culture. By the mid-2010s, its use in viral videos had solidified its place as “an exclamation of excitement, approval, surprise, or all-around energy.” In 2018, yeet was voted the American Dialect Society’s 2018 Slang/Informal Word of the Year. Perhaps it’s because life during a pandemic hasn’t given us many reasons to say it, but yeet hasn’t held the same level of popularity in the years since its peak.

stan

These days, it’s popular for fans of musicians or actors to assume a group name related to their favorite celebrity, like Taylor Swift’s “swifties.” But in the 2010s, these groups were usually called stans. A stan is “an overly enthusiastic fan, especially of a celebrity.” The term originated in the early 2000s as a blend of stalker and fan, influenced by the rapper Eminem’s 2000 song “Stan.” Luckily, the term is mostly used in a lighthearted way.

humblebrag

We don’t mean to humblebrag, but we just have so many classic 2010s words to share with you. A humblebrag is “a statement intended as a boast or brag but disguised by a humble apology, complaint, etc.” The term is credited to writer and TV producer Harris Wittels, who created the Twitter account @Humblebrag in 2010 to showcase real-life examples of the act. It’s likely that many people still humblebrag online, so maybe it’s time to bring back the term.

slaps

If you say “this slaps” when you hear an awesome new song, you probably picked up your slang during the 2010s. Slaps is a slang verb meaning “to be excellent or amazing.” Believe it or not, slaps has been used to mean “first-rate” since at least the mid-1800s. It may not be as popular at the moment, but we have a feeling it will come back around again.

on fleek

For a brief moment in time, anything impressive or stylish was said to be on fleek. Now? Well, on fleek isn’t quite as on fleek as it used to be. Fleek means “flawlessly styled, groomed, etc.; looking great.” It’s typically used to describe someone’s clothing or appearance. The word was coined in its current sense by internet user Kayla Newman in 2014, and quickly became one of the most popular slang terms of the 2010s. Like a lot of popular slang, it may have existed in Black culture before it became widespread.

lit

Looking for a word that means “amazing, awesome, or cool.” How about lit? This 2010s word joined the ranks of cool, rad, and other terms to describe things people find great. Though its slang usage was most popular in the 2010s, lit has existed since at least 1895 as a way of saying “intoxicated.” It may not be new and trending, but this word isn’t likely to go away any time soon.

milkshake duck

Before canceled became everyone’s go-to word for internet controversies, there was milkshake duck. This phrase describes “a person (or thing) who becomes popular on the internet for a positive reason, but as their popularity takes off and people dig into their past, they become an object of outrage.” Milkshake duck is taken from a 2016 tweet by Australian cartoonist Ben Ward. The phrase may be less common than it once was, but the phenomenon it describes is still a major part of life online.

slay

Are we finally ready to slay some more? Slay means “to do something spectacularly well, especially when it comes to fashion, artistic performance, or self-confidence.” Slay being used as a way of saying “looking fashionable” can be traced back to the 1800s, but its usage in the 2010s is more closely linked to Black, Latinx, and queer ball culture. Whether it’s great clothes, hair, dancing, or something else, slay is a way of saying someone is killing it.

fire

In the 2010s, fire was frequently used as an adjective. Saying something was fire meant it was “cool, excellent, exciting, etc.” Fire can also be shortened to fya or fiyah, the origins of which can be traced to Black English. The term may have burned out towards the end of the decade, but we’re still holding a torch for this one. See what we did there?

fam

There’s nothing we love more than reminiscing about words with the fam. That’s you, of course. Fam means “a close friend or group of friends thought of as family.” Though the word is a shortened form of family, it generally describes chosen friends rather than actual family members. It became popular on Twitter and other social media platforms in the mid-2010s.

thirst

A glass of water won’t cure this type of thirst. Those who were teens and young adults in the 2010s might remember thirst as a slang term meaning “to have a strong desire.” In other words, thirsting for someone means you find them attractive. This usage also spawned other phrases, such as thirst trap, which is a social media post shared to elicit sexual attention. Mostly, we’re just thirsty for this word to make a comeback.

TFW

TFW stands for that feeling when. It was the basis of a popular 2010s meme that people used to express their emotions in relatable or unrelatable situations. For example, “TFW you just got cozy in bed but you need to use the bathroom.” The exact origins of the meme and corresponding phrase aren’t known, but it’s been in use on the internet since before 2018.

yaass

Can we get a yaaas for this final word? This interjection is an alternative form of yes, and it indicates ”a strong expression of excitement, approval, agreement, etc.” Most often, it’s accompanied by queen or kween, as in yaaas kween, but it can also be used on its own. This phrase originates in drag culture, where it’s commonly said in response to someone’s excellent style.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

You Don’t Always Have To Use “But”

The word but is a useful word that often ominously precedes a lot of bad news or tough criticism. But is a word that appears in many of our sentences and is one of the most commonly used words in the English language. But–and this is a big but–we might be overusing the word just a bit. It makes sense why we would overlay on but; after all, it is a short little word that can easily connect sentences together. However, there are so many other words and phrases that sadly aren’t getting to shine with but hogging all the spotlight. The word but may not like it, but it is time for but to butt out and let someone else slip into our sentences for a little while.

What does but mean, and why do we use it so much?

The word but is often used in two major ways: to express a contrast or to express an exception. The sentence Jenny is tall, but her parents are short is an example of but used to show contrast; Jenny’s height is totally different from her parents’. The sentence Everyone but Rahul was right-handed shows how but is used to express exception; Rahul is the only left-handed person, which makes him unique from everybody else.

In addition to having these two very common uses, the word but is also one of the seven coordinating conjunctions. In short, coordinating conjunctions allow us to easily connect independent sentences by simply using a comma. For example, we can combine the two shorter sentences Rabbits are fast and Turtles are slow into the larger sentence Rabbits are fast, but turtles are slow. This is a fairly easy way of combining sentences, so we often rely on but to join sentences together.

That isn’t all, though. Besides its big job as a conjunction, but can also be used as a preposition as in We tried everything but the kitchen sink or as an adverb as in There is but one road that leads to safety. With how versatile and useful the word but is, it is no wonder that we might overwork it sometimes!

Examples of but in sentences

The following examples show some of the different ways we often use but in sentences:

- I thought the book was really boring, but everyone else liked it.
- Nobody but Camila was able to last more than five minutes in the cold water.
- We could do nothing but stare in horror as the sandcastle collapsed.
- She knew of only but one way to calm the crowd: Karaoke!

Alternatives of contrast

The first major way we use but is to show contrast, contradiction, or opposition. Luckily for us, there are plenty of other words we can use to show relationships like these. In fact, we can find one among but’s coordinating conjunction friends in the word yet. Because yet is also a coordinating conjunction, we can swap it in for but without even needing to change the sentence. For example:

• We need a new car, but we can’t afford one.
• We need a new car, yet we can’t afford one.

While yet is an easy substitution for but to mean contrast, it isn’t the only option. Some other useful words and phrases that can fill in this role include:

• although, despite, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, still, though, even though, on the other hand

Typically, we can use one of the above words/phrases in place of but while only making small changes to our sentences and without changing the sentence’s meaning. For example:

• The flight is on Saturday, but it might be delayed because of snow.
• The flight is on Saturday. However, it might be delayed because of snow.

Make the swap

The following pairs of sentences show how we can express a contrast by first using but and then by swapping it out for a similar word. Notice that the new sentences still express the same meaning.

• The painting looks great, but something is still missing.
• The painting looks great, yet something is still missing.

• The soldiers were heavily outnumbered, but they stood their ground anyway.
• The soldiers were heavily outnumbered. Nevertheless, they stood their ground anyway.

• Jessie and James act mean, but they are good people at heart.
• Jessie and James act mean. Still, they are good people at heart.

Alternatives of exception

The second major way that we use but is to express an exception. Again, we have a variety of different words and phrases with the same meaning that we can use to give but a break. Some of these words include:

• except, barring, save, without, excluding, minus, disregarding, omitting, aside from, not including, other than, apart from, leaving out

Most of the time, we can even substitute one of these words/phrases into a sentence without needing to change anything else. For example:

• Every student but Ryan enjoys basketball.
• Every student except Ryan enjoys basketball.

Make the swap

The following pairs of sentences show how we can state exceptions by first using but and then swapping it out for a similar word or phrase. Take note that the meaning of the sentence doesn’t change.

• All the animals but the tigers are sleeping.
• All the animals apart from the tigers are sleeping.

• I like all flavors of ice cream but mint.
• I like all flavors of ice cream other than mint.

• Every guard was loyal but one.
• Every guard was loyal, save one.

Change the sentence

It might be the case that the word but is just not the word we were looking for. In that case, we may need to take more drastic action and really change up a sentence. We might exchange but for a different word that alters the meaning of the sentence or even rewrite our sentences entirely.

Sometimes, we may want to frame our sentence in a way in which we don’t put two things in opposition or contrast, even if they are different. For example, we may just want to present two different options or state two different but equally important opinions.

Whatever our reasons, we have several different ways we could get but out of the sentence. The simplest way, which often won’t involve changing a sentence too much, is to swap out but for one of the other coordinating conjunctions. For example:

• I like dogs, but I don’t like cats. (Two opposing thoughts.)
• I like dogs, and I don’t like cats. (Two equal, different thoughts.)

• She might win big, but she might lose it all. (Two contrasting thoughts.)
• She might win big, or she might lose it all. (Two alternative outcomes.)

If we can’t use a different coordinating conjunction, we will often need to make more significant changes to our sentences in order to follow proper grammar. So, we might use a subordinating conjunction or split our clauses apart into separate sentences. For example:

• We wanted to go to the beach, but it rained all day.
• We didn’t go to the beach because it rained all day.

• Keith needed new shoes, but he couldn’t afford them.
• Keith needed new shoes. However, he couldn’t afford them.

Examples

Let’s look at different ways we can take but out of a sentence. You’ll notice that some of the sentences will change their grammar or even their meaning after but is replaced.

• Jason lives at Camp Crystal Lake, but he doesn’t work there.
• Jason lives at Camp Crystal Lake, and he doesn’t work there.

• She wants a new pony, but only if she can name it Pinkie Pie.
• She wants a new pony under the condition that she can name it Pinkie Pie.

• I didn’t practice much, but I won the game anyway.
• Despite the fact that I didn’t practice much, I won the game anyway.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

Pack Your Bags! 6 Current Travel Slang Terms To Take On Your Next Trip

Have you been feeling wanderlust lately? If so, you are not alone. Lots of people are looking to hit the road and travel as pandemic restrictions slowly lessen across the world. All of this vacationing and globetrotting is likely to lead to a whole bunch of trendy new travel jargon—either organically or as marketing pushes by a travel industry hungry for all those new travelers. While you start prepping for your own big trip, here are some examples of modern travel slang that you can stuff into your suitcase.

baecation
The word baecation simply refers to any vacation spent with your bae, your romantic partner. Baecation is often used in travel marketing and advertising of romantic getaways or destinations known as lands of love.

Baecation is a hybrid construction that combines the word bae with the end of the word vacation. The fact that baecation rhymes with vacation is an added marketing bonus. Baecation is formed similarly to the word staycation–meaning a vacation where someone stays home– which has become a mainstay of travel lingo.

friendcation
As you might have guessed, the term friendcation refers to a vacation spent with friends. A friendcation could refer to any type of vacation as long as you bring a buddy or two along. In marketing and social media, friendcation is often used to refer to vacation spots that feature group activities, such as hang gliding or nightclub-hopping.

As with baecation, friendcation is simply a hybrid construction that combines the word friend with the ending of the word vacation.

eduvacation
You know something that goes great with a vacation? Learning! The term eduvacation refers to a vacation or trip that involves learning about things. The term is broadly used and could refer to a wide variety of vacation destinations and activities, such as a trip to a famous museum, a tour of a cultural historic site, or a safari that teaches about animals.

The word eduvacation is a combination of the words education and vacation. Unlike baecation and friendcation, the entire word vacation makes an appearance because without the whole thing you would just have … education.

familymoon
A familymoon is a vacation for a newly married couple—and their children. The term is used to refer both to couples that have had children with each other prior to getting married and to couples who had children from previous relationships. As you’d expect, familymoon is used in advertising and social media when referring to travel spots that are kid-friendly and have plenty of things for children to do.

The word familymoon is based on the word honeymoon, a trip taken by newly married couples. The family in familymoon refers to the couples’ children—their family. A similar word that uses the -moon suffix based on honeymoon is the fairly well-known term babymoon. A babymoon is a vacation that a couple takes to celebrate (and rest before) the upcoming birth of a baby.


gramping
It is time to bridge the generational divide and go gramping. The word gramping refers to grandparents and their grandchildren going on vacation together. While this term can refer to camping trips, it is also used more broadly to refer to any kind of trip or travel that grandchildren spend with their grandparents. Similar to familymoon, gramping is often used to refer to places that are accessible to both children and older people and have plenty of things they can do together.

The word gramping is a hybrid combination of the word camping with the prefix grand- found in both grandparent and grandchild(ren). It is formed similarly to the popularly used travel word glamping, which refers to glamorous camping in which a person brings luxuries on a camping trip.

bleisure
Let’s get down to business and … go on vacation? The word bleisure is often used in the phrase “bleisure travel” to refer to a combination of business and leisure travel. The term is often used to refer to business trips that involve some form of enjoying oneself. This could involve things such as making time for a hiking trip, fitting in some sightseeing, or bringing the kids along to have fun in between video conferences. Bleisure travel has become increasingly popular in recent times due to large numbers of people having to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The word bleisure is an oxymoronic mashup of the words business and leisure. Bleisure is used to refer to trips that in some way combine getting work done while finding time to relax or do something fun.

These travel terms, as well as many others, are often driven by travel marketing. For example, you may see the newer travel term open-jaw flight, meaning a flight that leaves from a different city from the one that a person arrived in, alongside the well-known term red-eye flight, which refers to a flight taken during the sleep hours.

Given that it is in travel agencies’ best interest to come up with snappy, marketable ways to sell vacation packages, don’t be surprised if we continue to see plenty of new travel lingo to get us all gallivanting across the globe.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

Pronoun Explainer: What Do Ella, Él, And Elle Mean In Pronoun Sets?

If you’ve recently seen pronoun sets like she/her/ella, he/him/él, or they/them/elle, you may be wondering what the third word in each set means.

In familiar pronoun sets like he/him/his, the third word indicates the possessive form. But that’s not the case with él, ella, and elle. Instead, these terms are used by people who speak both English and Spanish as a way to indicate their pronouns in both languages.

What does she/her/ella mean? And he/him/él?
In she/her/ella, the word ella—pronounced [ eh-yah ]—is the Spanish pronoun equivalent to the English she or her (in Spanish, the same word is used regardless of whether it’s the subject or the object).

In he/him/él, él—simply pronounced [ el ]—is the Spanish pronoun equivalent to the English he or him. (It is often spelled without the accent mark.)

Bilingual speakers of English and Spanish frequently use both English and Spanish in everyday life, so indicating their pronouns for both languages makes a lot of sense, especially in contexts where they may be conversing in both languages.

⚡️ What else bilingual pronoun sets show
Informationally, bilingual pronoun sets can do double duty—not only do they indicate a person’s pronouns, they also indicate the two languages that a person speaks. Apart from its practical function, displaying a mixed-language pronoun set can also be a way for a person to express pride in their cultural identity.
What does elle mean in they/them/elle?
In English, pronouns like they and them can be used as singular, gender-neutral pronouns, including by people who identify as nonbinary or whose gender identity exists between or beyond the spectrum of strictly male or female. This is what the pronoun set they/them indicates.

Sometimes, you’ll see the pronoun set they/them/elle.

Because formal, traditional Spanish does not have a gender-neutral, singular pronoun (equivalent to the English they), some Spanish speakers use the neopronoun elle, which some pronounce as [ eh-yeh ].

It’s used to avoid the grammatical gender that’s built into the Spanish language, whose traditional plural equivalents of they are the masculine ellos and the feminine ellas.

Like singular they, elle is also used as a pronoun by some Spanish speakers whose gender identity is not strictly male or female. Some people use the similar neopronoun ellx, which like other terms uses the letter x to create gender-neutrality.

Relatedly, the avoidance of gendered language is also the reason why some people use the term Latinx.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

“Homophone” vs. “Homonym” vs. “Homograph”: Differences And Examples

English is absolutely full of words that sound or look the same but have different meanings. And we have words for these kinds of words: homophones, homographs, and homonyms. But remembering the difference can be its own challenge.

In this article, we’ll break down the differences and the overlap and provide examples of all three.

Quick summary

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings, like there/their/they’re and its/it’s. Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. Homographs can be pronounced differently (like bass the fish and bass the instrument) or the same (like fair meaning “equitable” or “a carnival”). The word homonyms is often used to refer to all such words in general. Some words, like bark, fall into more than one category—bark on a tree and bark of a dog are both homophones (sounding the same) and homographs (being spelled the same), for example.

What is the difference between homophones, homonyms, and homographs?

There is a helpful way to tell the difference between the words homophone, homograph, and homonym: knowing what their endings mean can help you remember how they’re used.

Homophone, homonym, and homograph all start with homo-, which means “same.”

The -phone in homophone means “sound.” So homophones are words that sound the same. Homophones always have different meanings, but they may be spelled the same or differently. Bear (the animal) and bare (meaning “uncovered” or “empty”) are homophones. But so are bark (the sound a dog makes) and bark (the covering of a tree). And the different senses of bear (the animal and the verb meaning “to carry”).

The -graph in homograph means “written.” Homographs are words that are written the same—meaning they always have the same spelling—but have different meanings.

Homographs can be pronounced the same or not. For example, bass (the fish, rhymes with class) and bass (the instrument, rhymes with ace) are homographs. But so are the different senses of bark and bear.

Take a closer look at the homonym pair bare vs. bear.

Homonym examples

As we’ve just explained, the term homonym can refer to both a homophone and a homograph, so we’ve broken them down into two separate lists. The items from both lists can be broadly referred to as homonyms. But for clarity, it’s best to use the term homophones when referring to words that sound the same and homographs when referring to words that are spelled the same. Still, there are examples that fit into both categories, such as the different senses of bark and bear discussed earlier.

Homophone examples

Here are just some of the many examples of homophones in English:

there | their | they’re
to | too | two
its | it’s
your | you’re
whose | who’s
by | buy | bye
I | eye
see | sea
dear | deer
bare | bear
hair | hare
here | hear
air | heir
where | wear
pair | pear | pare
fair | fare
right | write | rite
sight | site | cite
steal | steel
plain | plane
sale | sail
break | brake
know | no
week | weak
add | ad
meet | meat
sell | cell
great | grate
piece | peace
eight | ate
one | won
flower | flour
for | four | fore
our | hour
wait | weight
night | knight
male | mail
son | sun
board | bored
hole | whole
sweet | suite
tail | tale

Homograph examples

It’s impossible to count how many words are homographs because so many words have more than one meaning.

We’ll separate this list into homographs that are pronounced differently and those that are pronounced the same. There are far fewer examples of ones that are pronounced differently.

Homographs that are pronounced differently

Here are several examples of homographs whose pronunciation is different.

minute (the noun meaning “60 seconds”; the adjective meaning “very small”)
bass (the fish; the instrument)
Polish (from Poland) and polish (to make something shiny)
bow (the noun referring to a ribbon tied in a decorative way; the verb meaning to bend reverently)
close (the adjective meaning “nearby”; the verb meaning “to shut”)
lead (the metal; the verb meaning “to act as a leader”)

Homographs that are pronounced the same

Here are some of the many, many homographs that sound the same, along with some of their common meanings (in many cases, there are multiple other meanings).

bear (the animal; the verb meaning “to carry”)
ring (a circle; a type of jewelry; what a phone does)
fan (the appliance that makes wind; an admirer/appreciator)
band (music group; a ring or strap)
bat (the animal; a baseball bat)
kind (the adjective meaning “nice”; the noun meaning “type”)
part (a component of something; a line in one’s hair; the verb meaning “to separate”)
park (a noun meaning an outdoor space; a verb meaning what you do to a car)
class (lesson; category; classiness)
fair (equitable or according to the rules; a carnival)

Copyright 2024, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

Did You Know You Can Write These 17 Words On The Calculator?

Where were you the first time you learned you could spell words on a calculator? For most of us, the answer is an elementary or middle school math class. Maybe you had a friend who taught you the numbers to push to spell hello. Or, perhaps you were busy with homework and noticed the upside down numbers on your calculator looked like LOL. Before long you were probably trying all sorts of letter combinations trying to spell the longest (and silliest) possible words.

The extra fun thing about calculator words is that they’re one type of ambigrams. An ambigram is a word, number, or other figure that can be read upside down. To create and read a calculator word, you have to enter the corresponding numbers backwards, then flip the calculator upside down. When you do this, a 7 becomes an L, a 3 becomes an E, and suddenly, it’s a whole new world of words to explore. Here’s a look at some of the most classic and entertaining calculator words you may have forgotten about. Please note: this post includes some anatomy slang.

zoo

Or should we say 200? Some words become “calculator words” simply because they’re easy to write, and this is certainly one of them. Most of us know zoos as parklike areas where wild animals are on public display, but the word zoo can also mean “a place, activity, or group marked by chaos or unrestrained behavior.” For example, a math class where every student is busy writing secret messages on their calculators. Hey, we’re just kidding.

sizzle

Multisyllable calculator words are a good way to dazzle everyone with your sizzling intellect. Case in point: if you type 372215 and flip it upside down, you get the word sizzle. This word originated in English as an imitation of the hissing sound sometimes heard during cooking, so it’s one calculator word that’s both an ambigram and an onomatopoeia.

boob

If you’ve ever typed 8008 or 8008135 into your calculator, you aren’t alone. Boob and boobies are the quintessential, silly calculator words many people first learn in middle or high school. Boob is, of course, slang for a breast (or a foolish person—like the kind that types boob on a calculator). Like many words that make middle schoolers giggle, these ones are probably frowned upon in most math classes. The less we say about this one, the better.

logo

Logotype isn’t possible to spell on a calculator, but its shortened form, logo, certainly is. Typing 0607 will give you this noun that means “a graphic representation or symbol of a company name, trademark, abbreviation, etc., often uniquely designed for ready recognition.” Come to think of it, a brand name spelled out on a calculator could make a pretty cool logo.

obsess

If you’re a little bit obsessed with calculator words (or the number five), just input 553580. That’s how you spell obsess, which means “to occupy or preoccupy the thoughts, feelings, or desires of (a person); beset, trouble, or haunt persistently or abnormally.” The word comes from the Latin obsessus, a past participle of obsidēre, meaning “to occupy, frequent, besiege.”

LOL

You can laugh out loud or you can laugh on a calculator. 707 should get the message across. LOL is a ’90s internet abbreviation for “laugh out loud” or “laughing out loud.” These days, it’s less popular than a simple haha or a laughing emoji, but on a calculator it’s the clearest (and only) way to let someone know you appreciate their sense of humor.

eggshell

The next word on the list is eggshell. That’s 77345663, for those trying to spell it at home. This word, which refers to the shell of a bird’s egg, a paint color, and even a type of paper, may not be the zaniest word you can think of, but if your goal is to type the longest calculator word, it is definitely a contender.

giggle

Sometimes a good calculator word can give you a serious case of the giggles. Other times, the word is literally giggle. You can create this word by punching in 376616. This word, which entered English in the 1500s, is likely related to the Dutch gigelen or the German gickeln. On a calculator, it’s ideal for people who really like the number six.

hello

Here’s another quintessential calculator word that’s easy to learn. 07734 spells hello. Interestingly, it wouldn’t be possible to spell hello on a calculator if not for its modern form. The word evolved from hallo, a variant of hollo, which is itself a variant of the earlier Middle French hola, equivalent to “ahoy there.” There’s no great way to make the letter A on a calculator, so it’s a good thing language evolves.

hobbies

It’s nice to have hobbies. Hobby comes from the Middle English hoby, which referred to a horse in the 13th century. From hoby evolved hobbyhorse, a children’s toy, which was later shortened to its modern form. Since the word hobby means “an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation,” practicing your calculator spelling could technically count as one. If you grab the nearest calculator and type the numbers 5318804, you’ll have both the word hobbies and a new hobby.

LEGO

If you input 0637 on a calculator, you’ll get the name of a beloved classic toy. We know typing LEGO may not be as fun as playing with the trademarked LEGO construction toys, but it’s still pretty interesting, especially if you know where the LEGO name comes from. LEGO is an abbreviation of the Danish leg godt, which means “to play well.”

Ohio

You can’t spell all of the US state names on a calculator, but you can spell Ohio. Just hit 0140. While you’re typing it, it might be fun to share a few fun Ohio facts, like the fact that its capital is Columbus, it’s abbreviated with the letters OH, and it’s bordered by five other states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana.

igloo

It’s time for the ones and zeros to shine. Igloo can be spelled on a calculator by pressing 00761. First recorded in the mid-1800s, igloo comes from the Inuit word iglu, meaning “house.” In English, igloo doesn’t only describe dome-shaped structures. It’s also the word for “an excavation made by a seal in the snow over its breathing hole in the ice.”

goggle

Quick, what’s a six-letter calculator word that’s formed using at least three sixes? Goggle, or 376606, is the answer. Goggle is an interesting word because no one is 100% certain where it comes from. The word was first recorded in the 1300s and referred to movements of the eyes, such as bulging or rolling. It wasn’t until the 1700s that goggle began to refer to protective eye coverings.

lilies

The plural of lily is lilies, our next fun calculator word. Note that there is only one L in the middle of the word, so the correct way to input it on the calculator is 531717. A lily is, of course, a type of flowering plant, or it may refer to the ​​fleur-de-lis, especially as the symbol of France. It’s one of the only flower names able to be spelled using a calculator.

boss

Are you a 5508? That spells boss. You may be a boss in the literal sense, like a manager, or you might be a boss in the slang sense, which means “first-rate.” Believe it or not, the slang sense of the word isn’t just something the kids are saying. The first recorded use of boss to mean “excellent” occurred in the 1880s.

shoes

It’s almost time to hit the road, but not before we get to our final word: shoes. Footwear has certainly evolved since the ’90s and ’00s, when many of us were learning calculator words for the first time, but this five-letter word never goes out of style. In fact, shoe was first recorded in English before the year 900. All you need to do to spell this one is to hit 53045.

Copyright 2024, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

10 Conversational Tips That Take The Stress Out Of Small Talk

We’ve all been there: you’re at a party and trying to find an “in” to start an engaging conversation with someone you just met. Or, maybe it’s a professional conference, and you want to make an impression on a new contact you’d love to have in your network. You want to say the right thing, but your mind feels blank, like you’ve completely forgotten how to communicate with other human beings.

Making small talk is a skill, and it’s not easy, but the good news is that there’s always time to learn. Think about the conversations you have with the people you like and know well. When talking with these people, you likely practice good conversational skills without even realizing it, like:

Listening attentively.
Being present.
Trying not to repeat yourself.
Showing interest.
Going with the flow.

The trick to making great small talk is to find ways to call upon those same friendly conversational skills, even when you’re speaking with someone you don’t know well, in a brand-new environment, or in an awkward or high-pressure situation. How do you do that? We’ve got your back. Here are 10 tips to improve your small talk game and make it look easy.

1. Start with an introduction. Sometimes the best way to break the ice is simply to introduce yourself.

“Hi, I’m Pete, the groom’s brother. How do you know the couple?”
“I’m Allison Smith, the head of sales at Office Corp. What company are you representing?”
“My name’s Lupita. I’m in the theater program here at NYU. What’s your major?”
It seems easy, but you’d be surprised how quickly people can forget a simple introduction when they’re fumbling for the best thing to say. If you start with your name and some information related to the event or something you might have in common, you create opportunities to learn something about them, which can help you launch effortlessly into a longer conversation.

2. Have some topics in the bank.

It’s easy for your mind to go blank when you’re asked a question about yourself or trying to pull topics out of thin air, so make sure you always show up prepared. Think of three to five interesting things you’ve done recently that might make good conversation starters, such as:

A new restaurant you’ve tried.
A book you loved.
A movie you’re really excited about.
The last trip you took.
What you did over the weekend.
Your most recent professional development opportunity.
Your favorite hobby.
The unique origins of pasta names. (Well, we like dictionary talk …)
While you’re at it, brush up on current events that might be interesting to discuss. If you’re attending a work event, make sure you’re up-to-date on the latest industry news and goings-on at your company.

3. Use open-ended questions.

Asking a “yes or no” question is one of the fastest ways to kill a conversation because it doesn’t give you anything to build on. Instead, try to ask open-ended questions. These are questions that can’t be answered with a single word, and that means the other person has to expand on what they’re saying, giving you plenty of opportunities to latch onto something they say and keep the words flowing.

4. Agree, then add something.

If you’re at an event and someone makes an observation about your surroundings, the host, or even something totally unrelated, go with it. Their statement can be a good opportunity to add your own observations, establish a connection, and move forward into a conversation. First, affirm what they’ve said, then add your own take, and follow it up with an open-ended question that leaves room to move to a new topic. Here’s how it might look in action:

Them: “This signature cocktail is pretty good, huh?”
You: “It is. It really complements the appetizers. Have you tried them yet?”

If you don’t happen to agree with what they’ve said, that’s okay! You can still politely acknowledge it and forge ahead.

Them: “This signature cocktail is pretty good, huh?”
You: “It’s very unique. My attention has been on the appetizers. Have you tried them yet?”

5. Be complimentary.

If you want to seem friendly and approachable, find nice things to say about others. (We happen to have some helpful synonyms for the word nice and tips for delivering sincere compliments.) People are more likely to be drawn to you if you’re open about pointing out how funny something they said was, how much you admire their sense of style, or how interested you are in their work. Compliments can also be a way to begin a conversation. Try something like this:

“I just had to tell you, I love that tie! It’s so bold. I’m Eric, by the way. What’s your name?”
“Dr. Stein, I’m Lexi Jones. I’m so thrilled to meet you. Your book was fascinating. Are you studying anything new?”
“I’m Shawn. My sister said you’re an amazing artist. I’m so glad we ended up at the same table. Tell me about your work.”

6. Let them teach you something.

No one is an expert on every topic. If they mention something you don’t know much about, don’t let the conversation die there. Use it as an opportunity for conversation. People love to talk about themselves and things they’re passionate about, so express your curiosity and allow them to share more knowledge with you. Here are some ideas for how to do this:

“I’ve never been fly-fishing before. What is it like?”
“I’m not familiar with that program yet. Is it difficult to learn?”
“I’ve been meaning to check out that band. Which album should I start with?”

7. Use the ARE method.

If you’re the kind of person who wishes there was an easy equation for small talk, we have good news. Some psychologists recommend the ARE method. ARE stands for anchor, reveal, and encourage.

First, anchor yourself and the other person in the moment by making an observation about your shared location or experience. Next, reveal something about yourself in relation to the anchor, like how it makes you feel, something you’ve noticed, or something you’re interested in or excited about. Lastly, encourage participation from the other person by asking a related question. It will look like this:

Anchor: “There are so many new faces at the conference this year.”
Reveal: “I’m really inspired by all of the talent here.”
Encourage: “Have you met anyone interesting so far?”

8. Be real with it.

If you’re feeling rusty at small talk, guess what? You are not alone. Most people struggle with talking to and getting to know new people, and it’s okay to admit that it’s hard. If you express that you’re not very good at small talk or feeling nervous in the situation, many people will find this relatable and it can start the conversation—which is the goal! It can be as simple as saying something like:

“I’m terrible at small talk, but I’m really interested in speaking with you.”
“I apologize in advance for any awkwardness. Small talk isn’t my strong suit, but I’m really curious about your work.”
“Nothing like trying to make small talk with a table full of strangers, huh? How’s your night going?”

9. Have an exit strategy.

Sometimes you just need to get away. That’s okay. Making a smooth exit is also a part of being skilled at small talk. You could excuse yourself to the restroom or the buffet, but the easiest way to get out of a conversation is to be polite and direct. Let them know you enjoyed speaking with them and that you’re going to direct your attention to something else now.

“It was lovely meeting you. I’m going to refresh my drink and check in with the host.”
“Excuse me, but I just saw someone I need to speak with. It was nice chatting with you.”
“I’m so glad we met. I hope to run into you again later on.”

10. Practice often.

For many of us, hating small talk also means avoiding it at all costs. The only problem is, this makes small talk harder when it can’t be avoided. Instead of fleeing from every situation that might require you to banter with strangers, try to see those as opportunities for more practice.

Most small talk conversations have fairly low stakes. Practice introducing yourself, asking a few questions about the other person, and politely excusing yourself after a few moments. Before you know it, you’ll be a pro, and awkward silences will be a thing of the past.

Copyright 2024, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

Ready To Make Small Talk? Here Are 10 Different Kinds To Try!

If the term small talk sends a pang of dread shooting through your chest, you aren’t alone. That very word may have you picturing yourself stranded with a group of strangers, desperately trying to think of questions to ask while everyone stares at you awkwardly. Luckily, small talk doesn’t have to be that way. There are plenty of ways to improve your small talk skills. It also helps to remember that different situations call for different kinds of small talk. Small talk can be used to connect with old friends, make new ones, banter with potential dates, and network with clients and connections. Here’s a guide to the many different kinds of small talk and some fun facts about each type. Think of this as a cheat sheet you can carry with you into your next great conversation!

chitchat

If you’ve ever made “light conversation, casual talk, or gossip” with someone, then you’ve engaged in chitchat. It’s a form of small talk that might occur between acquaintances and usually doesn’t delve into heavy or serious topics. People have been chitchatting for a lot longer than you might think. The word is a duplicate form of chat that’s been in use in English since the early 1700s.

table talk

Table talk is called that because, well, it happens most often at a table. Defined as “informal conversation at meals,” table talk is what you might expect at a dinner party or an after-work happy hour meetup. Sometimes it can take a turn for the serious (see: awkward family dinners during Thanksgiving), but topics are usually lighthearted and meant to keep guests engaged. The phrase table talk has been in use since the mid-1500s.

exchanging pleasantries

If you don’t know someone well, the first step to talking with them is exchanging pleasantries. A pleasantry is “a courteous social remark used to initiate or facilitate a conversation,” such as complimenting the decor at a new acquaintance’s house or commenting on the weather as you and a new neighbor both check your mailboxes. The word pleasantry has been in use in English since the 1600s.

shooting the breeze

To shoot the breeze means “to talk idly, chat.” The word breeze sometimes means “an easy task; something done or carried on without difficulty.” In this sense, you can think of shooting the breeze as engaging in easy conversation, like the ones had when lounging around at a party or other relaxed gathering. This phrase may have originated as a variant of shooting the bull, in which bull means “empty talk or lies.” Shooting the breeze has been in use in English since at least 1919.

causerie

Causerie sounds like it might refer to something formal or serious, but it actually means “an informal talk or chat.” You might engage in a causerie while gathered around the buffet table or mingling with other attendees at a conference. First recorded in the 1820s, causerie comes from the French causer, meaning “to chat.”

chinwag

If you wish to “chat idly or gossip” with an acquaintance, you might pop by for a chinwag. Chinwag is a 19th-century word that is likely borrowed from British English, though the exact origins of the phrase are unknown. Chinwag likely refers to the physical act of talking, as in the way a chin wags, or “moves from side to side or up and down” when one speaks. Chinwagging is something you can do with a friend or with people you don’t know well.

schmoozing

Schmoozing is the kind of small talk that often happens when people are trying to make connections. It means “idle conversation; chatter,” but it’s often used to describe situations in which that idle chatter is intended to help you get “in” with a certain person or group. You might schmooze with the boss at the holiday party or schmooze with the other PTA parents you’re trying to get to know. The word schmooze is an Americanism, but it has roots in Yiddish. The verb schmues, from the Hebrew shəmūʿōth, means “reports, gossip.”

persiflage

The kind of frivolous, easy small talk you might make at a party can also be called persiflage. This word, meaning “light, bantering talk or writing,” comes from the French persifler, meaning “to banter” or “to tease.” Persiflage, then, describes small talk that is fun. It might include jokes, witticisms, and clever repartee. Who knows? You might even end up with a new friend. The word persiflage was first recorded in English in the 1750s.

banter

Banter is “an exchange of light, playful, teasing remarks; good-natured raillery.” It’s what can happen when small talk is going well. Often, you might engage in banter with a new acquaintance with whom you get along particularly well. Banter might also be the preferred type of small talk on a first date or when you’re really connecting with someone new on a dating app. The origin of the word banter is unknown, but English speakers have been using it since at least the 1660s.

gossip

Gossip technically counts as a form of small talk, but proceed with caution: depending on the subject of the gossip, this one could land you in hot water. Gossip is defined as “idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others,” and the concept has been around for a very long time. First recorded before 1050, gossip can be traced to the Old English godsibb, a term that initially meant “godparent,” but later came to be applied to familiar friends, especially a woman’s female friends. This is likely due to the outdated belief that women were more fond of “light talk” or gossip.

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“A Lot” vs. “Alot” vs. “Allot”: How Much Difference Is There Between Them?

We use a lot … a lot. But ask someone to define a lot and they’ll probably start by saying “A lot means … a lot!” That’s because it’s so commonly used that it can be hard to think of how to explain it.

A lot can seem like it should be a single word—and maybe one day the spelling alot will appear in this dictionary. But right now, the two-word spelling a lot is the one that’s recognized as standard. As for allot, it’s a different word altogether (even though it’s pronounced the same).

Allot some time to learn why a lot is spelled the way it is, and we promise you’ll learn a lot more along the way (including how to know whether a lot is being used as a noun or an adverb).

Quick summary

A lot, which is often misspelled as alot, means “a large number or quantity” or “very much,” and it can be used as a noun or an adverb. Allot is a verb that means “to portion out” or “to set aside a share or portion of something, such as money or time, for a specific purpose.”

What does a lot mean?

As a noun, a lot means “a large number, quantity, or amount,” as in That’s a lot of cheese! or I only have a few hobbies, but my husband has a lot.

As an adverb, a lot means “very much” or “a great deal,” as in I love you a lot, or “often,” as in I’ve been practicing a lot. It’s used as an adverb in the phrase Thanks a lot (which is the same as saying Thanks very much).

Sometimes, it can be hard to tell whether a lot is being used as a noun or an adverb (making it hard to know what it’s supposed to mean). One way to tell is to remember that the noun use of a lot can be (and often is) paired with the word of and another noun. For example, in the sentence I had to study a lot for the test, the term a lot could refer to a lot of material, in which case it’s being used as a noun. However, if a lot is supposed to mean “often,” it’s being used as an adverb.

A lot is probably misspelled as alot so commonly because we tend to think of it as functioning as a single word, but it’s really a combination of two: a (the extremely common indefinite article we use all the time, as in I have a cat and a dog) and lot (which, by itself, can mean “large number or quantity” or “great deal”).

The word lots can mean the same thing as (and can be used interchangeably with) a lot, both as a noun, as in Lots of people were at the party, and as an adverb, as in I love you lots or I’ve been practicing lots. A lot is informal but very common, and lots is even more informal.

A lot is very similar to other constructions like a ton (which can be used as a synonym of a lot) and a bit (which can be thought of as the opposite of a lot). Like a lot, both terms can also function as both nouns and adverbs: a bit of cheese (noun); back up a bit so you can be in the picture (adverb).

What does allot mean?

Allot is a verb that means “to divide out something into shares or portions,” as in His estate was allotted among his heirs.

It can also mean “to dedicate or assign something, especially money or time, for a specific purpose,” as in We’re going to allot half of our budget for supplies or Please allot some time to review your work.

The noun form is allotment, which can mean the same thing as portion.

How to use a lot vs. alot vs. allot

When to use a lot: when you’re talking about a large quantity of something or want to indicate that something happens or is done often or all the time. A lot is only ever used as a noun or an adverb.

When to use alot: don’t. It’s a misspelling of a lot.

When to use allot: when you’re talking about dividing something into portions or devoting a portion of time, money, or something else to a specific purpose. Allot is only ever used as a verb.

Examples of a lot and allot used in a sentence

Check out these examples to see how a lot and allot are commonly used in a sentence (sometimes even in the same one).

- I like a lot of toppings on my pizza.
- I have a lot, and I believe it’s my responsibility to help people who have very little.
- I’ve been thinking a lot about this problem, and I think I have a solution.
- The remaining shares have been allotted between you and your sister.
- The residents at the meeting requested that we allot more money to the park project.
- You’ll need to allot a lot of time to count the ballots—there are almost 500.

Copyright 2024, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

“Few” vs. “Couple” vs. “Several”: How Much Do They Really Mean?

Every day, without thinking about it, we all refer to quantities without specifying a number. Most commonly, we do this by using terms like a few, a couple, and several. A lot of people have strong opinions about what each of these terms means—and what it doesn’t.

In this article, we’ll discuss the differences, the overlap, and dig into these questions and a few (or several) more, including:

- How many is few?
- What’s the difference between few and a few?
- How many is a couple?
- What’s the difference between a couple and a few?
- How many is several?

Quick summary

A couple most strictly means two, but it’s often used casually to mean much the same thing as a few, which commonly means around two, three, or four—it can be relative to the situation and the size of the numbers under discussion. For example, you might say only a few people came when it was 12 but 50 were invited. Several most commonly means more than two, but fewer than many. Depending on the context, the meanings of couple, few, and several, can overlap.

How many is a few?

A few is generally considered to mean between two and several. Some people use a few to mean around three, but this is not a universal interpretation. Its meaning is highly relative to the context—it often depends on what’s being discussed, especially the scale and expectations.

When you say you ate a few of something, such as potato chips or candies, you might mean you ate three or four, but you could also mean you had, say, 10 or a small handful—especially if they’re small or you’d normally eat more. There are many other situations in which the same number would be considered many or a lot, especially if it’s considered more than normal.

few vs. a few

Even though they are both used to refer to a small but nonspecific quantity—and in some situations may even indicate the same quantity—the terms a few and few are subtly different.

Sometimes, a few is used to point out that there are some, as opposed to none, as in Dave said we didn’t get any applications, but there are a few. You could also say Dave said we didn’t get any applications, but there are some.

In contrast, few, as in Few are suited for this kind of work or There are very few positions available, emphasizes the limitedness of the quantity. Few emphasizes the low quantity and lack of items.

Here are three sentences (and their interpretations) that illustrate the potential difference in meaning between few, a few, and only a few:

- A few people attended. (This simply indicates the approximate number of people who attended).
- Few people attended. (This emphasizes that attendance was low.)
- Only a few people attended. (This emphasizes that attendance was low—and perhaps lower than expected or desired.)

How many is a couple?

In its strictest sense, the phrase a couple means two. It is commonly followed by of, as in I have a couple of errands to run or They made a couple of mistakes. Sometimes, it’s used without of, which is considered even more informal, as in a couple miles or a couple books. A couple more is also used frequently and informally: a couple more cookies and a couple more minutes.

It’s very common for a couple to be used casually to mean around two, or three, or … in other words, it’s often used interchangeably with a few.

a couple vs. a few

In casual use, a couple and a few are often used interchangeably to refer to a low but nonspecific number of things. A couple is often more strictly interpreted as two or at least around two—maybe three or four, depending on the context.

It’s possible that some people say a couple when they mean two or even three but then switch to a few when they mean three or four or more. But there’s no “correct” definition—everyone’s use differs without the meaning being misinterpreted too much.

Of the two, a few is the more flexible. Most people would probably agree that even though a few and a couple are commonly used interchangeably, a few more commonly refers to higher quantities than a couple does. A couple is typically a small number, while a few can range higher depending on the context, scale, and expectations of what’s being discussed.

How many is several?

When it comes to several, well, there are going to be several answers. Generally speaking, several is used to refer to quantities above two or so but not so much that it’s a lot or many. Perhaps the most common interpretation or intended sense of several is around three to five, but this can vary greatly depending on the context. If the numbers under discussion are particularly large, then the exact meaning of several can expand. For example, several people could mean eight or nine or even more in a crowd of hundreds, but four or five in a crowd of 10.

several vs. few

Due to their malleable, nonspecific nature, several and a few can certainly overlap. Obviously, a few is on the low end, with several higher, so they overlap somewhere in the middle. For example, four cats could be several or a few, depending on the situation, expectations, or other factors.

Here are some examples of how several vs. few are used interchangeably.

- My sister called several minutes ago.
- My sister called a few minutes ago.

Examples of few, couple, and several used in a sentence

Here are some examples of how a few, few, couple, and several are used in real-life contexts.

- I like a few olives on my salad.
- Few people have seen the new house yet, but we did invite a few close friends over when we moved in.
- I ate a couple of cookies from the jar.
- I need a few good ideas—I’d like everyone to submit a couple of suggestions.
- We need to interview a few more candidates if we hope to have several on the shortlist.

Copyright 2024, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.