I can't have "group" as a column name in a table?

[Dave M G]

MySQL users,

Simple question:

In one table in my database, the column was named "group".

I kept getting failed query errors until I renamed the column.

I've never before encountered a situation where MySQL mistook a column
name for part of the query syntax.

Should I never use the word "group" for column names? Seems a little
silly. Is there a way to protect column names to that there is no confusion?

-- 
Dave M G