Here’s a word I avoid: homonym. It’s not that I have a problem with this word. It’s marvelously useful. It’s even fun to say. My problem is I’m just never that confident I’m using it correctly. The ...

Generally, we use the word “homonym” incorrectly, applying it too widely and covering lots of different linguistic terms. You’re doing it, but its probably not your fault. Most people were given the ...

A rash of homonym errors in the paper suggests over-reliance on spell-check systems, which usually fail to pick up on such misusage. There remains no substitute for clear-eyed editing, and our readers ...

If Rose Howard’s family was well off, she’d be a “special” girl who was considered smart and quirky by the teachers at her private school for children who have Asperger’s syndrome. But Rose, the main ...