Grammar Nazi (mockingly, grammer natzee; alternatively capitalized and uncapitalized), spelling Nazi, and language Nazi are all terms used to describe a participant in a discussion (usually online) who criticizes or habitually corrects the language usage of another participant. Such a person is often accused of flaming as a result of finding fault with minor details of other participants' messages and often only in opinions with which the accused grammar Nazi disagrees. Participants in these discussions often end up taking opposite sides in a prescription versus description debate, without realizing it. Online means being connected to the Internet or another similar electronic network, like a bulletin board system. ... Flaming is the hostile and insulting interaction between Internet users. ... In linguistics, prescription is the laying down or prescribing of normative rules for the use of a language, or the making of recommendations for effective language usage. ...

The many exceptions and intricacies of the English language can present a problem for even the most experienced user. This, combined with the frequency of typographical errors caused by the desire to post quickly on instant messengers, often makes it very easy to find an error in a message with which to find fault. In other languages, if spelling is not an issue, moods, agreement, diacritics, and tenses provide an ample supply of possibilities for misunderstanding and argument. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... It has been suggested that Fat finger be merged into this article or section. ... A screenshot of PowWow, one of the first instant messengers with a graphical user interface An instant messenger is a client which allows instant text communication between two or more people through a network such as the Internet. ... Proper spelling is the writing of a word or words with all necessary letters and diacritics present in an accepted standard order. ... Example of a letter with a diacritic A diacritical mark or diacritic, also called an accent, is a small sign added to a letter to alter pronunciation or to distinguish between similar words. ...

Grammar Nazis can sometimes focus solely on the stylistic manner by which an issue comes across, which is viewed at times as an ad hominem attack, but grammar Nazis retort that grammatical and spelling errors and stylistic flaws may make an argument hard to follow, making various people (whether or not they are actually grammar Nazis) want to correct the flaws, and then, after they have sorted out what the substance of the argument in question is, dive into the debate itself. Look up ad hominem in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...