Did you know that compliment is not the same as complement? They actually have quite different meanings so using the wrong word can make a reasonable sentence into nonsense!
compliment – expression of praise, greeting, positive comments
She complimented the floral arrangement on the table.
complement – to complete or make a whole
The new couch complements the room nicely.
Can you see how complete complementary things are as a reminder for which spelling to use?
Another pair of words that I frequently see misused is principle and principal…
Principle – a belief or moral that governs behaviour and decisions; a fundamental truth
On principle, John refused to watch the parade.
Principal – first or leading rank (e.g. a School Principal); initial sum of money before interest and fees
As Principal of the local school, Mary was well respected by the parents.
The most common uses of these words are often confused and used incorrectly. The easiest way to remember which is which is to think of your pal being a principal.
There are pairs of words that are frequently misused. However much they sound the same, using the wrong word can totally change the meaning of your sentence.
And you can’t rely on your spell checker to find these errors for you.
A good, old fashioned dictionary is the best way to make sure you are using the correct word in any situation. If you don’t have a dictionary at home, and the old school one probably doesn’t count, I would strongly suggest you get one so you can avoid unnecessary errors in your writing.
As I still see many of these words used incorrectly, I am going to show the different meanings as a blog category – and I’ll post one every Monday.
Please let me know if there are any particular words you aren’t sure of and I’ll include them, too.
Branding is a big subject, covering how you use your logo through to how you give a presentation. But did you know that the words you use in documents, on websites and in presentations also form part of your brand?
For instance, if your brand is to be young and funky, you don’t want webcopy that reads “In our experience, prospective partnerships are best developed through a commonality of interests…”
Some factors to consider to ensure your written communications enhance your brand are:
This can all come into preparing a style guide, too.
A style guide is simply a set of rules as to how your business produces it’s communication materials (including website content, letters, emails, marketing documents and promotional articles.)By having a style guide, you can ensure everything you present to customers and potential customers is consistent and supports your brand. For instance, if someone reads a formal letter from you then visits your casual website, they will notice the difference and probably feel uncomfortable with it.
Style guides can be in bullet point on one page or they can be comprehensive manuals – it depends on the needs and size of the business. If you want a style guide, you can always start with the key points and slowly build it up as you gather further information to include.
A style sheet is a summary of a style guide that lists common words and how they are to be presented. For instance, does your business write Internet or internet? Or is Aussie acceptable or must it always be Australian?
P.S. I wrote a longer comparision betwen style guide and style sheet last Novemeber.
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