Use-mention

When we talk about something or say a word, we can either actually mean it (use) or just say it to talk about the word itself (mention).

For example, if we say "I love chocolate", we are using the word "chocolate" to express our feelings towards it. But, if we say "Chocolate is spelled with the letters c-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e", we are just mentioning the word "chocolate" to talk about how it's spelled.

It's important to know the difference between using and mentioning a word, because it can help us communicate more clearly. If we are using a word, it's because we want to convey something about the word's meaning. If we are mentioning a word, it's because we want to talk about the word itself.

So, in summary, use refers to actually using a word to convey meaning, while mention refers to just talking about the word itself.