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Better Say
Helpful suggestions for the correct use of English
words and phrases.
Alphabetic
Index; A B
C D E
F G H
I J K
L M N O P Q R S T
U V W X Y Z
Key to Pronunciation
The
letters used in the phonetic respelling have the sounds given in the
following table. The mark ̯
under a letter, as in
e̯,
indicates a colloquial weakening of the vowel sound toward
u
in but. The
mark
̮
indicates that the colloquial weakening is toward
i
in pity.
| a |
... |
as in partake,
monarch,
breakfast,
final. |
|
υ |
... |
as in but,
tub,
under, nation,
hurry. |
| ā |
... |
as in arm,
alms,
calm,
father,
martyr. |
|
ῡ |
... |
as in burn,
cur,
curl,
hurt,
work,
wort. |
| a̮ |
... |
as in ask,
chant,
dance,
fast,
grasp. |
|
ai |
... |
as in pine,
eye, ply,
height,
ice, fire. |
| a |
... |
as in at,
add,
man,
random. |
|
au |
... |
as in out,
thou,
owl, bound,
town. |
| ā |
... |
as in fare,
bear,
fair,
heir,
there. |
|
өi |
... |
as in oil,
boy,
avoid,
joint,
moist. |
| a̯ |
... |
as in alloy,
accuse,
madman. |
|
iu |
... |
as in duration,
mulatto. |
| e |
... |
as in pen, sunset,
excuse, ferry,
yet. |
|
iū |
... |
as in few,
adduce,
duty,
mute. |
| e̮ |
... |
as in eclipse,
epistle,
elegant,
element. |
|
i ̮ū̯ |
... |
as in future,
lecture,
nature. |
| e̯ |
... |
as in moment,
absence,
colonel. |
|
c=k |
... |
as in cat,
epoch,
sceptic,
chasm,
king. |
| e̯r |
... |
as in ever,
fern,
bird,
fir. |
|
ch |
... |
as in church,
chair, match,
chip, much. |
| ê |
... |
as in fate,
ale,
aid,
eight,
play,
they. |
|
ew=qu |
... |
as in queen,
quite,
quit,
quality. |
| ê̮ |
... |
as in usage,
mountain,
preface. |
|
dh (th) |
... |
as in the,
then, smooth,
breathe. |
| i |
... |
as in tin,
it, divide,
fill,
miss. |
|
f |
... |
as in fancy,
sulfur,
physic, laugh. |
| î |
... |
as in machine,
meet,
eve,
bier,
serene. |
|
g (hard) |
... |
as in go,
gun,
game, dog. |
| î ̮ |
... |
as in react,
remain,
create. |
|
hw (wh) |
... |
as in why,
when,
where,
while. |
| o |
... |
as in obey,
follow,
eulogy,
theory. |
|
j |
... |
as in jaw,
gem, pigeon,
religion,
soldier. |
| ō |
... |
as in no,
glory,
note, blow,
over, foal. |
|
ng |
... |
as in sing,
long,
tongue,
flung. |
| ө |
... |
as in not,
odd, what,
comma,
forest,
was. |
|
ṇ |
... |
as in ink,
bank,
junction,
single. |
| ө̄ |
... |
as in nor,
abhor,
ought,
authority, walk. |
|
s |
... |
as in sin,
cell,
city, vice,
cypress. |
| ө̯ |
... |
as in actor,
idiot,
atom. |
|
sh |
... |
as in she,
chaise, machine,
ocean, social. |
| u |
... |
as in full,
could,
book,
woman,
put. |
|
th |
... |
as in thin,
worth,
breath,
pith,
think. |
| ū |
... |
as in rule,
rude,
food,
unto,
wooing. |
|
z |
... |
as in zone,
is,
lives,
music,
wise. |
| ū̯ |
... |
as in measure,
injure,
nature. |
|
zh |
... |
as in azure,
treasure,
ambrosia. |
[The phonetics here are those of the
Scientific Alphabet prepared by
The American Philological
Association, adopted and recommended by
The American Spelling Reform
Association.
The sounds of the phonetic letters and diacritics will be readily
understood by reference to the key-line at the foot of each
section.]
A
- A, an. "No man can
be at the same time a patriot and traitor." Since "patriot" and
"traitor" denote different persons, the article should be repeated;
thus, "No man can be at the same time a patriot and a traitor." Or
both articles may be omitted; thus, "No man can be at the same time
patriot and traitor." See Articles.
- Aarʹon, ārʹυn,
not êʹrυn.
- abʹa-tis,
abʹa-tis,
not a-batʹis.
- a-bat-toirʹ,
a̮-ba̮-twārʹ.
- ab-doʹmen,
ab-dōʹmen,
not abʹdo-men.
- abʹject,
abʹject,
not ab-jectʹ.
- a-boveʹ.
"I subscribe to the above statement." Better say: "— to the
foregoing statement," or "— to the statement given above,"
or "above given," since above is properly an adverb
and not an adjective, still less, if possible, a noun. "It appears
from the above" has no sanction of approved usage.*
*"Above. In the language of business, often
used as an adjective, or even as a noun ('the above
statement,' or 'it appears from the above'). Such
expressions, though employed by some good writers, have the weight
of literary authority against them." See Examples of Faulty
Diction in the Appendix to the Funk & Wagnall's
Standard Dictionary.
- ab-sorbʹ,
ab-sө̄rbʹ,
not -zө̄rbʹ.
- ac-cliʹmate,
not acʹcli-mêt,
but a̯c-claiʹmêt.
- ac-couʹter,
ac-couʹtre, a̯c-cuʹte̯r,
not ac-cauʹte̯r.
- acʹcu-rate.
Say acʹyu-rê̮t,
not acʹer-e̮t.
- a-cousʹtics.
"Acoustics are a department of science." Better say: "Acoustics
is," etc. . . . See News.
So dynamics, economics, hydrostatics,
hydraulics, metaphysics, politics, etc.
- a-cuʹmen,
a-kiūʹmen,
not akʹiū-men.
- ad-dressʹ,
a̯d-dresʹ,
not adʹdres.
- ad-duceʹ,
ad-diūsʹ,
not ad-dūsʹ.
- adjective or adverb. As a
general rule, if any phrase denoting manner could be
substituted, the adverb should be used; but if some part of the verb
to be could be employed as a connective, the adjective is
required; as "The physician felt the pulse carefully (i.
e., in a careful manner or with care), and observed that
the patient's hand felt cold (i. e., was cold to the
touch)." Hence it is correct to say: "He feels sad," "It
looks bad," "It smells sweet," "He stood erect."
In some cases either form would be correct, and the choice between
them is a matter of force, emphasis, or individual taste. "He looked
keen (had the look of being keen)," "He looked
keenly (in a keen manner) at the applicant," "He looked sad
(had the look of being sad) at the news," "He looked sadly
(in a sad manner, with a sad glance) at the ruin." Compare
SHARP.
- adʹmi-ra-ble,
adʹmi-ra-bl,
not ad-mairʹa-bl.
- ad-mitʹ
of. "This does not admit
dispute." Better say: "This does not admit of dispute."
Unlike accept and permit, admit properly takes
of in such case.
- "Every action admits of being outdone"
- EMERSON
Essays first series, p. 209. [HURST
& CO.]
- In such use, the simple admit could not be
substituted.*
-
*"Ad-mitʹ,
admitʹ
of.
Quite different in meaning.
'This gate admits to the grounds, but the size of the vehicle
will not admit of its passing through.'" See Examples of
Faulty Diction in the
Appendix to the Funk & Wagnall's
Standard Dictionary.
- adʹverse,
adʹvө̯rs,
not ad-versʹ.
- a-eʹri-al,
ê-îʹri-al,
not îʹri-al.
- aʹer-o-naut,
ê-e̯̯r-o-nө̄t,
not îʹro-net
nor ārʹo-net.
- afʹʹfa-bilʹi-ty.
Compare note on Affable.
Instead of "The salesman was popular because of his affability,"
better say: "— because of his politeness, courtesy," or other
similar phrase.
- afʹfa-ble.
"The hackman was very affable."
Better say: "The hackman was very good-natured, polite, or
obliging." Affable is used of the bearing of a superior
toward one who is socially or otherwise an inferior. A king may be
affable to a petitioner, a conqueror to a captive, or the
like. In a word, affable implies condescension.
- Af-ghanʹʹis-tanʹ,
āf-gānʹʹis-tānʹ,
not af-gan-isʹtan.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Key-line: papā,
a̮sk;
at, āir; ele̮me̯nt,
thêy, usê̯ge;
it, î ̮,
î (ee); o, ōh; өratө̯r,
ө̄r;
full, rūle;
bυt, ῡr;
fiūtî ̮ū̯re
(future); aisle;
au
(out); өil;
c (k); chat; dh (the);
go; sing, iṇk,
thin.
Index
B
- back. "He
returned back." A pleonasm. Back is included in
return. Say simply: "He returned," or "He came back."
- bad or badly.
"He felt badly." Better say: "He felt bad." See
ADJECTIVE and ADVERB.
- badly.
"That needs to be mended badly." No, it needs to be mended
well, if at all. To say, "It badly needs to be mended,"
is an allowable colloquialism. Better say, "That greatly or
exceedingly needs to be mended."
- balʹance.
As an accountants' term, the balance is that which must be added to
the less or subtracted from the greater of two amounts, as receipts
and expenses, to make them equal, so as to "balance" the
account. "The balance of one's dinner" and "the balance
of the evening" should be "the rest" or "the remainder."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Key-line: papā,
a̮sk;
at, āir; ele̮me̯nt,
thêy, usê̯ge;
it, î ̮,
î (ee); o, ōh; өratө̯r,
ө̄r;
full, rūle;
bυt, ῡr;
fiūtî ̮ū̯re
(future); aisle;
au
(out); өil;
c (k); chat; dh (the);
go; sing, iṇk,
thin.
Index
C
- Caiʹro.
In Egypt, kaiʹrō;
in Illinois, kêʹrō.
- calʹcu-late.
Used in parts of the United States for think or suppose,
is a colloquialism.
- calʹdron,
cө̄lʹdrun,
not calʹdren.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Key-line: papā,
a̮sk;
at, āir; ele̮me̯nt,
thêy, usê̯ge;
it, î ̮,
î (ee); o, ōh; өratө̯r,
ө̄r;
full, rūle;
bυt, ῡr;
fiūtî ̮ū̯re
(future); aisle;
au
(out); өil;
c (k); chat; dh (the);
go; sing, iṇk,
thin.
Index
D
- damʹage.
Traveler to hackman in Boston; "What's the damage?" "No
damage, sire. I have brought you safely, have I not? My charge
is a dollar-and-a-half." To use "damage" for "charge,"
"cost," "expense," or the like, is a vulgarism.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Key-line: papā,
a̮sk;
at, āir; ele̮me̯nt,
thêy, usê̯ge;
it, î ̮,
î (ee); o, ōh; өratө̯r,
ө̄r;
full, rūle;
bυt, ῡr;
fiūtî ̮ū̯re
(future); aisle;
au
(out); өil;
c (k); chat; dh (the);
go; sing, iṇk,
thin.
Index
E
- each. "Each
of the men were paid a dollar." No: "Each ... was."
Omit the dependent words "of the men," and the correct statement is
a once seen to be: "Each (of the men) was paid a
dollar." Not, "Each of the students have their own
room," but "Each student has his (or her) own
room."*
*Each and every require singular verbs.
A violation of this rule is a common form of error. . . Fitzedward
Hall (Modern English, ch. iv, p. 117) quotes from Bentley,
"The words . . . every one of which were in print
before I used them." This should, of course, be, "every one .
. . was." "Each of the men were paid a dollar";
evidently, "Each . . . was."
- ef-fect. "He said something
of that effect." No: "-- something to that effect," i.
e., tending to a result or conclusion.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Key-line: papā,
a̮sk;
at, āir; ele̮me̯nt,
thêy, usê̯ge;
it, î ̮,
î (ee); o, ōh; өratө̯r,
ө̄r;
full, rūle;
bυt, ῡr;
fiūtî ̮ū̯re
(future); aisle;
au
(out); өil;
c (k); chat; dh (the);
go; sing, iṇk,
thin.
Index
F
- faʹʹçadeʹ,
fa̮ʺsādʹ,
not fa-kêdʹ.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Key-line: papā,
a̮sk;
at, āir; ele̮me̯nt,
thêy, usê̯ge;
it, î ̮,
î (ee); o, ōh; өratө̯r,
ө̄r;
full, rūle;
bυt, ῡr;
fiūtî ̮ū̯re
(future); aisle;
au
(out); өil;
c (k); chat; dh (the);
go; sing, iṇk,
thin.
Index
G
- gather, gadhʹe̯r,
not gedhʹe̯r.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Key-line: papā,
a̮sk;
at, āir; ele̮me̯nt,
thêy, usê̯ge;
it, î ̮,
î (ee); o, ōh; өratө̯r,
ө̄r;
full, rūle;
bυt, ῡr;
fiūtî ̮ū̯re
(future); aisle;
au
(out); өil;
c (k); chat; dh (the);
go; sing, iṇk,
thin.
Index
H
- had have.
Improperly used in such expressions as "Had I have
known it. Had, used elliptically for if I had, itself
carries the contingency back into the past, and there is no need of
an added have to do the same thing; yet we hear persons say:
"Had I have known it," or "If I had have known
it." "Had I known this," "Had he done
that," are conditional clauses, each complete in itself as
expressing past possibility.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Key-line: papā,
a̮sk;
at, āir; ele̮me̯nt,
thêy, usê̯ge;
it, î ̮,
î (ee); o, ōh; өratө̯r,
ө̄r;
full, rūle;
bυt, ῡr;
fiūtî ̮ū̯re
(future); aisle;
au
(out); өil;
c (k); chat; dh (the);
go; sing, iṇk,
thin.
Index
I
- i-deʹa,
ai-dîʹa,
not aiʹdi-a
nor ai-dîrʹ.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Key-line: papā,
a̮sk;
at, āir; ele̮me̯nt,
thêy, usê̯ge;
it, î ̮,
î (ee); o, ōh; өratө̯r,
ө̄r;
full, rūle;
bυt, ῡr;
fiūtî ̮ū̯re
(future); aisle;
au
(out); өil;
c (k); chat; dh (the);
go; sing, iṇk,
thin.
Index
J
- jaunt, jānt,
rather than jө̄nt.
- jocund, jecʹund,
not jōʹcund.
- just, just, not jest.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Key-line: papā,
a̮sk;
at, āir; ele̮me̯nt,
thêy, usê̯ge;
it, î ̮,
î (ee); o, ōh; өratө̯r,
ө̄r;
full, rūle;
bυt, ῡr;
fiūtî ̮ū̯re
(future); aisle;
au
(out); өil;
c (k); chat; dh (the);
go; sing, iṇk,
thin.
Index
O
- oftʹen. ө̄fʹn,
not ө̄ftʹn.
(The t and
e are silent.)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Key-line: papā,
a̮sk;
at, āir; ele̮me̯nt,
thêy, usê̯ge;
it, î ̮,
î (ee); o, ōh; өratө̯r,
ө̄r;
full, rūle;
bυt, ῡr;
fiūtî ̮ū̯re
(future); aisle;
au
(out); өil;
c (k); chat; dh (the);
go; sing, iṇk,
thin.
Index
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