My understanding has always been that “healthful” means contributing to the state of good health and “healthy” means enjoying the state of good health.  Eating healthful food can make you healthy.  My Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition backs me up: healthful – “favorable to the health of mind or body; healthy – “enjoying or indicative of good health”.

“Healthy” has been a trendy word for a long time.  Over the years it has gained strength and all but pushed “healthful” aside.  Holdouts like me are accused of being pretentious when we talk about a “healthful diet”.  I don’t mind.  Sometimes you have to take a stand.

What does this have to do with writing in the business world?  All “healthy” all the time is lazy writing.  We should keep the difference between “healthful” and “healthy” in mind whenever we come up against health-related copy.  Skilled copy-writers should be able to retain the punch of the word  “healthy” and still give “healthful” its due.

Comments?

• Although – even though.  Both have the same meaning, but “even though” is more emphatic.  Both combine two phrases that form a contrast.  (Although it was November, he wore a Panama hat.  Even though she smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, she’s a famous cardiologist.)
• Farther – further.  This one is easy if you remember “far”.  Use “farther” to talk about physical distance.  Get it?  (How much farther do we have to drive?)  Use “further” with figurative distance.  (You’re further along in your project than I am in mine.)  Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between physical and figurative distance; in such cases, it’s OK to flip a coin.
• Like – as.  Even though “like” is used almost all the time in everyday speech, there is a difference.  “Like” is a preposition and should be followed by an object to form a prepositional phrase.  (My date looked like a hamster.)  “As” is a conjunction and should be followed by a clause containing a subject and a verb.  (The warthog squealed as if he had a toothache.)
• That – which.  “That” introduces a restrictive (defining) clause – the person or thing being talked about.  (I have a car that is easy to drive.)  “Which” introduces a nonrestrictive clause – one that gives additional information about something that has already been identified.  (He wore a fur hat, which his wife had given him for his birthday.)  In this use, “which” is always preceded by a comma.
• Who – that.  The best rule of thumb is to use “who” when writing about a person.  (He’s the vet who cured my ferret.)  Use “that” when writing about an object.  (This is the book that came in the mail.)

Here’s a short review of some of those pesky words:

• Affect – effect. These are tough because they can be either nouns or verbs.  (a) As a noun: “Affect” is a technical term used in psychology; “Effect” means essence or appearance (economic effects).  (b) As a verb: “Affect” means to produce a material influence upon or to act upon (how day care affects the company). “Effect” means to bring about (to effect changes).
• Historic – historical.  “Historic” means having great and lasting importance (his election was historic).  “Historical” means having the character of history (a historical survey of popular music).
• Its – it’s.  “Its” is the possessive of “it” (the cat ate its dinner).  “It’s” is the contraction for “it is” (it’s time to go).
• Lay – lie.  “Lay” is a transitive verb, i.e., it requires an object and transmits its action from a subject to an object (the duck lays an egg.  You don’t lay down).  “Lie” is an intransitive verb, i.e., it doesn’t require an object (you lie down).
• Principal – principle.  As a noun, “principal” means a capital sum (principal earns interest) or, as an adjective, the most important (the team’s principal shortstop).  “Principle” is only a noun.  It means a fundamental law or doctrine; a rule (conservative principles).  Tip: think of the “le” in both “principle” and “rule”).