Precise language is a mark of a good writer, but it’s impossible to keep up with the many definitions and nuances of all the words in the dictionary. As long as you communicate effectively, though, does it really matter if you say “jam” or “jelly”? To a preserves connoisseur, yes! If you want to get technical, check out these 12 sets of words that are commonly — and often incorrectly — thought to mean the same thing.
While both jelly and jam are sourced from fruit, jelly is smoother, translucent, and made from the juice of a fruit. In comparison, jam is less stiff and made of crushed fruit or pulp. If you want to go a couple of steps further, preserves is a fruit spread that’s basically chunky fruit in a gel-like consistency, and “marmalade” is a synonym for “preserves.”
“Graveyard” refers specifically to a smaller burial site attached to a church, while “cemetery” describes any large burial ground. The word “cemetery” is older (originating in Roman times), but it has remained the more popular term between the two.
This one can be a bit confusing, as universities are generally made up of colleges, and colleges are further categorized by subject. (Community colleges and vocational schools are in another category.) However, the main difference between the two is that universities offer undergraduate and graduate programs, while colleges usually offer only associate and undergraduate degrees.
Students and recruiters alike are guilty of mixing up these two. A résumé is a one-page summary of your skills and experience. A CV — common when applying for academic or scientific positions — is often longer, as it requires in-depth listings of your academic background as well as specific accomplishments. “CV” stands for curriculum vitae, meaning “course of life” in Latin, so it makes sense that this one would be a more comprehensive document.
For something to be poisonous, it has to be ingested, inhaled, or touched before the damage takes effect. Something that is venomous can inflict harm through a bite or sting.
Bartering typically involves a trade of equal value without money being exchanged. This can be done with commodities or skills; for example, you might barter some garden seeds in exchange for sourdough bread from your neighbor. Haggling, meanwhile, involves negotiating to a new cash price. When shopping for a car, it’s customary to haggle a bit with the salesperson before settling on the final price.
An autobiography is a self-written story of a subject’s life, including detailed chronological events. Autobiographies are rooted heavily in facts. Memoirs are also self-written but less formal. They take on an emotional truth and understanding of one’s life, and the writer will often pick and choose which aspects to focus on, rather than presenting a straightforward, linear history.
Emojis are the updated versions of emoticons; they’re the image icons most smartphone keyboards equipped with. An emoticon throws it back to early online chats when keyboard characters were used to build facial expressions — such as 🙂 and 🙁 .
When you’re disinterested in something, you don’t have an interest — you’re impartial or uninvolved. “Uninterested,” however, means you are bored by something. For two words with only a difference in prefixes, it makes sense that their definitions hold just as subtle a change.
“Oh, it was an absolute travesty!” is a line we’ve heard uttered in a dramatic plotline or two. “Disaster” — referring to an event that causes great damage — would be the more apt term, as “travesty” refers to an extreme distortion or perversion.
The difference here is more of a technicality. While both words refer to problems, a quandary is a general state of uncertainty in a difficult situation, while “dilemma” specifically refers to being torn between two undesirable choices. Bonus: If there are three options, it’s called a “trilemma.”
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