Writing for Business - A Whatis.com Blog:

commonly misspelled words


April 11, 2013  12:48 PM

Torturous path or tortuous?



Posted by: Ivy Wigmore
commonly confused words, commonly misspelled words, Errors in the media, ESL, word meanings

Which is correct? Poor Apple Maps. It took a ________ path, full of twists and turns that were not adequately described in the directions, ending in firings and apologies. a. torturous b. tortuous

February 19, 2013  12:50 PM

The difference between “aw” and “awe”



Posted by: Ivy Wigmore
commonly misspelled words, ESL, parts of speech, Paul Brians, spelling

Which is correct? I liked the photo of my friend's new puppy and commented "____, what a cutie! But why did you name him Puddles?" a. Aw b. Awe


January 21, 2013  10:22 PM

Do you reap what you sow or what you sew?



Posted by: Ivy Wigmore
CIO, commonly confused terms, commonly misspelled words, commonly misunderstood phrases, spelling

Which is correct? Microsoft has often been accused of ______ FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) to keep customers leery of switching to competitor's products. a. sowing b. sewing


December 3, 2012  3:26 PM

Devote vs. devout



Posted by: Ivy Wigmore
CIO, common misspellings, commonly misspelled words, ESL, Google poll

  Which is correct? Ray Bradbury was a _______ Luddite but he allowed Fahrenheit 451 to be produced as an eBook -- although it was only...


November 30, 2012  3:30 PM

threshold or threshhold?



Posted by: Ivy Wigmore
CIO, commonly misspelled words, ESL, word meanings

  Which is correct? The Scottish tradition of first-footing involves being the first person to step across a friend or neighbor's _______ after midnight on January 1. a. threshold b. threshhold


November 22, 2012  3:44 PM

Spelling holiday terms: What’s that ubiquitous red plant?



Posted by: Ivy Wigmore
CIO, common misspellings, commonly misspelled words, Google poll

  Which is correct? How do you spell the name of that red plant you see everywhere during the holiday season? a. pointsetta b. poinsetta c. poinsettia d. pointsettia


November 9, 2012  1:17 PM

Hawk or hock?



Posted by: Ivy Wigmore
CIO, commonly confused words, commonly misspelled words, homophones

Which is correct? An increasing number of lawyers are ________ compliance products. a. hocking b. hawking


November 3, 2012  2:28 PM

To whit or to wit?



Posted by: Ivy Wigmore
commonly confused words, commonly misspelled words, word meaning

Which is correct? According to Peter Cohan, there are six reasons Facebook stock is only worth $7, _____: competing objectives, slowing growth, conflicted ownership structure, weak monetization, lack of...


September 13, 2012  1:55 PM

Eek out vs. eke out



Posted by: Ivy Wigmore
CIO, commonly misspelled words, eggcorns, ESL, meanings of common expressions, word meanings

Which is correct? Data center managers try to maximize energy efficiency to ______ more life from older facilities. a. eek out b. eke out


September 12, 2012  1:57 PM

Wind turban or wind turbine



Posted by: Ivy Wigmore
CIO, commonly misspelled words, eggcorns

Which is correct? The manufacturer's commitment to clean technology is demonstrated through its on-site ___________, waste heat and rainwater collection, recycling and energy-efficient buildings. a....