I was surprised at how easy well being vs well-being vs wellbeing would be. Who knew that only well-being was right??
Yes, you’ll find wellbeing being used. Doesn’t mean it’s right. And Merriam-Webster does have a preference for well-being.
And now that that’s settled, I’m going to settle into dinner, ’cause mmmm, it definitely contributes to my well-being!
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Well Being | Well-Being | Wellbeing |
|---|---|---|
|
Group of Five Happy Children Jumping Outdoors by Lighttruth is under the CC BY-NC 2.0 license, via Flickr. — The well-being of children is paramount. |
|
| Part of Grammar: | ||
| Noun
Plural: well-being |
||
| The state of being comfortable, healthy, happy, or prosperous | ||
| Examples: | ||
| It was a tremendous improvement in the patient’s well-being.
The doctor is concerned about your physical and mental well-being. His work emphasized the emotional as well as the physical well-being of the patient. Seeing her grandchildren gave her a sense of well-being. |
||
| History of the Word: | ||
| Mid-16th century, from well + being, after the Italian benessere. | ||
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Well Being vs Well-Being vs Wellbeing
Apple Dictionary.com
The Free Dictionary: well-being
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Cozy Fireplace by Rod Ramsey is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr. It was stretched horizontally in Photoshop.
