Advice on word variations in search terms??

Using Google what is the best strategy for entering a search sting to make sure that all variations of a particular word (that may be written a number of different ways) get listed in the search results?

For example, if I wanted to find any tips/tricks/suggestions/etc on the subject of using 'tags' for bookmarks in Firefox 3, would I enter the following search terms/syntax:




or what about using the '*' wildcard such as:




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I did have sort of a side-question related to the search string above...for this particular search, is there value to adding the '~' symbol in front of the word 'tips', or are it's benefits negligible? Are there better ways of ensuring that synonyms of the word are considered when generating the results...such as:




or,



Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

I would use this string:

~tips ~tricks ~suggestions +tags +bookmarks +"Firefox 3"