Led and Lead each have multiple meanings, both as verbs and nouns. We’ll primarily focus on the verb forms, since these cause the most confusion. At the end we will review the nouns briefly. As verbs, led and lead are two different grammatical forms of the same verb, to lead, meaning “to guide or go first.” Lead is the present […]

Leaped and Leapt have the same meaning and usage; each word is both the simple past and past participle forms of the verb to leap (“to jump”). You are free to use either one in all of the same places. People do associate leapt with British English more than American English, but in general they are commonly used in […]

These two adjectives have different meanings, though they are closely related; both refer to superior powers of observation and understanding. Per-spic comes from roots meaning “to see through.” Perspicacious describes a person who has sharp insights and clear understandings, or the insights themselves: The PhD student was perspicacious; she had perspicacious insights into physics. Perspicuous describes ideas or […]

Both of these nouns are related to the English word order, but in different ways. An ordinance is a kind of order (a command) in the sense of a law, rule, or regulation. Ordinances can be made by city councils, boards of supervisors, or other governing bodies, and are typically designed to protect the public health, […]

These two adjectives are not related except for the shared prefix -over, which means “too much.” Overweening means “overly arrogant, ambitious, or proud.”: Donald’s overweening desire to own the world will be his downfall.  Overwhelming means “too much to handle, process, or deal with”: Working and attending college while being a parent must be overwhelming. Patricia felt […]