Quick answer: “Descending” means going from highest to lowest, like counting down from 10 to 1. “Ascending” means going from lowest to highest, like counting up from 1 to 10. Note the spelling too: it’s “descending” with a “c,” not “desending.” Quiz: Descending vs Ascending ascending Lowest to highest. “The list is sorted in ascending … Read more
Quick answer: “Prefer” is the only correct spelling. “Perfer” is not a word; it’s a common typo caused by swapping the “r” and “e.” If you mean to like one thing more than another, write “prefer.” Quiz: Perfer vs Prefer prefer The correct spelling. “I prefer tea over coffee.” perfer Not a word. A letter-swap … Read more
Quick answer: “Ensure” means to make certain that something happens, as in “ensure the door is locked.” “Assure” means to comfort or confidently tell a person something, to remove their doubt, as in “I assure you everything is fine.” Ensure acts on things; assure acts on people. Quiz: Ensure vs Assure ensure To make certain … Read more
Quick answer: Offence (or offense) is the act of attacking or trying to score, while defense (or defence) is the act of protecting or preventing the other side from scoring. On top of that meaning difference, each word also has its own British spelling (“offence,” “defence”) and American spelling (“offense,” “defense”). Quiz: Offence vs Defense … Read more
Quick answer: Phoenix is the standard spelling today, for the legendary bird, the city of Phoenix, Arizona, and figurative uses such as “rise like a phoenix.” Phenix is an old alternative form that dictionaries list as a variant, and it now turns up mostly in older texts, some place names, brand names and given names. … Read more
= Quick answer: In a unitary system, the central government holds supreme authority, and any powers that regional or local governments have are delegated to them and can be changed or withdrawn. In a federal system, a constitution divides power between the national government and regional governments, and the regions’ powers are constitutionally protected. The … Read more
Quick answer: They name the same place and the same cuisine, so there is no real difference in meaning. Sichuan is the modern standard spelling, from the pinyin romanization system. Szechuan is an older romanization that is still common in restaurant names, menus and food products. Both are understood, but most modern writing prefers Sichuan. … Read more
Quick answer: A veranda is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch attached to the outside of a house, usually at ground level and often running along the front and sides. A balcony is an elevated platform that projects from the wall of an upper floor and is enclosed by a railing. In short: a veranda … Read more
Quick answer: Breadth is how wide a range of topics, skills or ideas you cover. Depth is how thoroughly you understand or explore one topic. Breadth is about going wide, and depth is about going deep. Time and attention are limited, so there is a trade-off, but you can combine both, as in the “T-shaped” … Read more
Quick answer: A glossary is an alphabetical list of specialized or unfamiliar terms with their definitions, like a mini dictionary. An index is an alphabetical list of topics, names and terms with the page numbers where they appear, like a roadmap. A glossary tells you what a word means, and an index tells you where … Read more