Reference

Reference information

This glossary brings together the terms used across the reference. The definitions are short and practical: they are meant to help you with a specific text, not to replace a textbook.

Knowing the name of a mistake is useful not for the sake of terms, but to spot it faster in your own writing.

— Editors' view

Words

Loanword: A word that came from another language. Over time it can become fully at home: follow English patterns and stop feeling foreign, like "café" or "kindergarten".
Calque: A word or phrase built on a foreign model, with its parts translated one by one into English, like "flea market" from French. The sound is English; only the pattern is borrowed.
Paronym: A word that sounds and looks like another but differs in meaning: "affect" and "effect", "complement" and "compliment".
Synonym: A word close in meaning to another: "deadline" and "due date" in a work context. Synonyms rarely match completely — they usually differ in shade or in where they are used.
Neologism: A new word or a new meaning of a familiar word. Some neologisms quickly enter general use, while others stay within a small circle and gradually fade.

Style

Officialese: Phrases from formal official language used where they are not needed: "in order to", "the aforementioned", "utilise", chains of nouns linked by "of".
Pleonasm: A phrase in which one word repeats the meaning of another: "free gift", "past history". Usually the extra word can simply be removed.
Tautology: Saying the same thing twice in different words: "repeat again", "the reason why is because". It is sometimes used on purpose, but in a work text it usually gets in the way.
Conversational style: The manner of relaxed communication: short sentences, lively words, emotional judgements. It works well in friendly messages but may seem careless in a formal letter.
Neutral style: Words and constructions that suit almost any situation: without official heaviness or casual looseness. A reliable choice when writing to someone you do not know.

Dictionaries

General dictionary: Explains the meanings of words and gives usage examples and labels: informal, dated, technical.
Spelling dictionary: Shows how a word is written: as one word, as two or with a hyphen, and which letters go in a tricky spot.
Pronunciation dictionary: Gives pronunciation and stress. Useful before a presentation or any conversation where the word will be said aloud.
Etymological dictionary: Tells the story of a word's origin: which language it came from or which root it was formed from.
Dictionary of foreign words: Explains the meanings of borrowed words and phrases and names the source language. Handy when you meet an unfamiliar term in a text.

Where these terms appear

Guides
How to rewrite a work message more clearly: preparation, steps with sample examples, mistakes and a checklist. Plus the article catalogue.
Questions
Short answers on word meanings, confusable pairs, loanwords, officialese and the style of work emails.
Collections
Reading paths: words from office emails, pairs people mix up, and words with an interesting history.
Russian alternatives (in Russian)
A page at an old address on native Russian alternatives to common loanwords and when they fit better.

Questions
Short answers on word meanings, confusable pairs, loanwords, officialese and the style of work emails.
Guides
How to rewrite a work message more clearly: preparation, steps with sample examples, mistakes and a checklist. Plus the article catalogue.
Sections
Four themes: loanwords, confusable words, clear writing, and dictionaries and checking a word.
New
A feed of the reference's pages with dates, notes and topic tags.

Sources

Current general, spelling and etymological dictionaries of English

Explanations are given in general terms and reflect the material as of the date it was prepared. Language changes slowly, but it does change: if our advice differs from a current dictionary, go with the dictionary. For official documents, follow the style rules adopted where you work.