What is diction (literary device)? Definition and examples
Diction is the phrasing and word choice that someone makes when writing. In other words, it's the individual choice of words that shapes the voice and style of your prose.
Assent vs. consent
Assent indicates the approval of something after careful consideration, while consent implies something is being allowed. For consent, the consenter may not necessarily be happy about the outcome.
What is an allusion (literary device)? Definition and examples
An allusion is a common or well-known reference to something, such as a person, event, thing, or place.
Assemblage vs. assembly
Assemblage tends to be an informal collection while assembly refers to a more formalised group, such as a national assembly or school assembly.
Assault vs. battery
For a general audience, assault and battery have the same meaning. While this may vary depending on your country of residence, typically battery involves physically touching someone, while assault doesn’t and instead refers to the threat of violence. In some jurisdictions, this distinction between assault and battery no longer applies.
Apt vs. likely
Apt means suitable in a given circumstance, have the tendency to do something or be quick to learn while likely means probable or promising.
Approve vs. endorse
Approve means to accept something as satisfactory while endorse means to declare public approval or support for something. While approve implies that the approver has a positive attitude towards something, endorse implies a positive attitude and active support.
Appraise vs. apprise
Apprised means to assess the value of something while apprise means to notify someone about something.
Any place vs. anyplace
Any place means any location while anyplace is an informal usage of anywhere. Anyplace is often used in spoken language and using it in writing is considered non-standard usage. You can use anyplace in creative writing, but it’s best to use anywhere for official or formal writing.
Anywhere vs. any place
Anywhere means in, to or at any place and can be used to indicate an indefinite location, while any place has a narrower meaning of any location.