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Nerd Note: Lightning or Lightening?

October 13, 2015 by Kenna Griffin

When you live and work in Oklahoma, a fair amount of the writing you do is bound to be about weather. After all, as the state’s own Will Rogers once famously said:

If you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, wait a minute and it’ll change.”

Anyone who has lived here knows that weather can be big news in the Sooner state, so you can imagine how crazy it drove one of my editors that I consistently incorrectly spelled lightning.

lightningLightning is an electrical discharge from the sky. For example, Thunder and lightning often accompany rain in Oklahoma.

Lightening is when you make something lighter. For example, I’m thinking of lightening my hair for summer.

The words sound similar, but their meanings are quite different. Hopefully you can keep them straight from now on.

Now go forth and use words correctly!

 

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above (typically those to books) may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I promise that I only recommend products or services I use personally and think will provide you value. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Comments

  1. profkrg says

    October 13, 2015 at 6:02 pm

    stevejkfor Lol. Also not the same!

    Reply
  2. stevejkfor says

    October 13, 2015 at 6:03 pm

    profkrg that’s just one of those ones I pass around when i see “lightening” when referring to “lightning”

    Reply
  3. DanBehringer221 says

    March 11, 2016 at 2:13 pm

    profkrg Depends on whether you are going to experiment like Ben Franklin — or changing the shade of something.

    Reply
  4. JenMaidenberg says

    April 1, 2016 at 3:39 pm

    profkrg this is in my top three spelling mistakes.

    Reply
  5. profkrg says

    April 1, 2016 at 4:11 pm

    JenMaidenberg I used to drive an editor crazy with this.

    Reply

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Prof KRG

Prof KRG aims to create an ongoing educational dialogue among media professionals, students and educators.

Please let me know what resources you need or topics you wish you better understood. If I don't know the information, I'm happy to seek out someone who does.

Contact me via email at kennagriffin@gmail.com.

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About Kenna Griffin

I am a mass communications professor, journalist and collegiate media adviser. I teach classes including those on writing, reporting, media law, media ethics, social media marketing, and public relations. I am married, have two children and live in Oklahoma. More about this site's purpose

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