Readers: These pretty much are homophones. And just as wrong.

• “Layout” vs. “lay out.” You lay out a newspaper. When you’re done, you have a layout.

• Any time” vs. “anytime.” According to the webpage Thoughtco.com, "any time" means "at no particular time" or "any amount of time." As in: “I won’t have any time to finish.” But It must be two words when used with “at”: “violence could erupt at any time.” The single word “anytime” has more limited usage: ”We can leave anytime you’re ready.”  To remember when it can be used, substitute “whenever.”

• “Alright” vs. “all right.” According to grammarly.com, “alright” is a word society has butchered. Society eventually might force it on us, but for now it’s wrong.

 • “Awhile” vs. “a while.” According to Merriam-Webster, “'Awhile' is typically used to modify a verb: ‘I’m going to sit and read awhile.’ 'A while' is typically used after a preposition: ‘I’m going to read for a while longer.’”

• “Under way” vs. “underway.” According to grammarist.com, use “under way” in “The ship voyage is under way.” Use “underway” when it is an adjective preceding its noun (“The underway voyage was interrupted.”). The webpage says many publications have as their “style” (see our segment on style) to always use “underway.”

And from Columbia Journalism Review:

• “Everyday” vs. “every day.“ “Our everyday special is made in our kitchen every day.”  If you can substitute “ordinary,” use “everyday.”

• “Everyone “ vs. “every one.” “In the bags of potato chips I bought for everyone, every one was broken.” If you can substitute “each one,” use “every one.”

• “Onetime” vs. “one-time” or “one time.” “When he stole one time, he was a one-time thief; since he made a habit of it, but has since quit, he is a onetime thief.”

Watch this on video! https://youtu.be/6fobNDldgjU

Next time: More of those pesky homophones.

Readers: "Something Went Horribly Wrong," features samples of bad writing we see nearly every day. You can participate! Be our duly deputized “grammar police:” Your motto: “To protect and correct.” Send in your photos of store signs, street signs, newspaper headlines, tweets, and so on. It doesn’t have to be a grammatical error. It can be just what we call “cowardly writing.” Include your name and home town so we properly can credit you. You're free to add a comment, although we reserve the right to edit or omit. Now get out there! Send to Eliot@eliotkleinberg.com

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