a A is an indefinite article to be used before nouns beginning with a

consonant: a photograph, a tree, a horse.

an An is to be used before nouns beginning with a vowel (or vowel
sound): an apple, an hour, an elephant.
and And is a conjunction used between nouns in a list: A blanket and picnic
basket are needed for the afternoon.

accede Accede means "to agree or allow": Hiram Cheaply finally acceded to
accepting the presidency of the company.
exceed Exceed means "to go beyond, to surpass": The amount of alcohol in his
blood exceeded the previous record.

accept Accept means "to take willingly": Miss Deeds accepted the cup of hot tea
even without a saucer.
except Except is a preposition meaning "excluding": Everyone was disappointed
with the party except Ida Goodtime.

adapt Adapt means "to adjust": Minnie Miles quickly adapted to living away from
home.
adept Adept means "skilled": Lucille is adept at speaking languages.

Adopt means to "accept as your own": It was difficult to adopt only one
adopt puppy from the animal shelter.

adverse Adverse means "unfavorable, hostile": Those driving in adverse winter

conditions may be putting themselves at risk.
averse Averse means "unwilling or repelled": She was immediately averse to the
idea.

advice Advice is a noun meaning "an opinion given with the intention of helping":
My mother still gives me advice even though I'm 40 years old.
advise Advise is a verb meaning "to give counsel or advice": The meteorologist
advised listeners to stay indoors because of the extremely cold
temperatures.
affect Affect is most often used as a verb meaning "to influence": The president's
speech affected his views of the upcoming election.
effect The verb effect means "to cause": Batting her eyes so flirtatiously effected
a strong desire in Rathbone to embrace Mirabelle.

aid Aid is help or assistance given: Every Christmas the community gives aid
to those less fortunate.
aide An aide is a person who helps: Frieda Gogh worked five years as a
teacher's aide.

airs Airs refers to snobbish and artificial behavior: Portia Radclyffe put on airs
at the fine dinner party just because she had a few diamonds.
heirs Heirs are people who, because they are family, will inherit an estate or
title.

all right All right is a phrase meaning "everything is right": Is all right here?

Alright is a single word meaning "OK": Is everything alright here?

alright

All together All together is applied to people or things that are being treated as a
whole: We always had fun when we were all together. To double check
this usage, try separating the two words: We all had fun when were
altogether together.

Altogether is an adverb that means "completely or totally": Using a

flashlight in bed is an altogether new approach to reading.

all ways All ways means "by every means or method": Dirk tried all ways to
navigate the storm.
always Always means "forever": Sue St. Marie always responded calmly during
emergency situations.

allude Allude means "to suggest indirectly": Leticia can't speak to her husband
without alluding to his affair with Martha Snodgrass.
elude Elude means "to dodge or escape": Serious relationships always seemed
to elude him.
allusion An allusion is a subtle reference or hint: Rita Book made an allusion to the
most recent novel she read in our conversation yesterday.
illusion An illusion is a deception, mirage, or a wild idea: The teacher said she had
no illusions about how much work teaching demands.

almost Almost means "nearly all": Almost all my friends have graduated from
college by now.
most Most is superlative of more, meaning "the greatest or to the highest
degree": Chuck is the most computer savvy guy I know, or Chuck cooked
a most delicious supper.

aloud Aloud means "speaking so that someone else can hear you": Read this
paragraph aloud.
allowed Allowed means "having permission": His boss allowed him to take the
weekend off.

already Already is an adverb that indicates an action is completed by a certain

time: Herschel had already finished that whole pie.
all ready All ready means "everything is completely prepared": The children were
all ready and bundled up warmly to go caroling on the snowy evening.

alternately Alternately means "taking turns": We paddled alternately so neither of us

would get too tired.
alternatively Alternatively means "as an option": Instead of going by train, we could
have gone alternatively by car.

ambiguous Ambiguous is describes a phrase or act with more than one meaning, or
one that is unclear: The ending of the short story is ambiguous; we don't
know if he died or continue his journey.
ambivalent
Ambivalent means "uncertainty and having conflicting attitudes and
feelings": He was ambivalent as to which candidate to vote for.

amiable Amiable refers to a person who is friendly, good-natured, and pleasant:

Susan was very amiable and liked immediately.
amicable Amicable means "friendly and peaceable", and is used to describe
agreements or relationships between groups or people: After years of
disagreement, the two countries came to an amicable agreement.
among Among is used for three or more: Shirley had to choose among three
universities she might attend.
between Between is used for two things: I couldn't decide between blue and green.

amoral Amoral means "having no principles at all, good or bad": Percy is totally
amoral; he is either helping others or helping himself at their expense.
immoral Immoral means "bad, lacking good principles": Everything his brother does
harms others whether it benefits him or not.

amount Amount is used with uncountable and abstract nouns: a large amount of
money, amount of work, amount of happiness or amount of dirt.
number Number is used with countable and concrete plural expressions: a number
of people, a number of attempts, a number of novels, a number of trials.

amused Amused is when something is entertaining: The children were amused by

watching the kittens play.
bemused Bemused means "bewildered" or "lost in thought": George was bemused
by the unexpected ending to the movie.

annual Annual means "yearly": We must pay an annual tax.

Annul means "to make void or invalid": They want to annul the marriage.
annul

any one Any one means "any one person": Any one of you may go, but not all of
you.
anyone Anyone means "anybody, any person at all": Anyone can chew gum and
walk at the same time.

apart Apart is an adverb meaning "in pieces": My plan for my vacation fell apart.

A part is a noun meaning "one section of": A part of my heart left when he
a part did.
appraise Appraise is to assess or estimate the worth of: to appraise a diamond.

Apprise is to inform or notify: the officer apprised us of our rights.

apprise

arcane Arcane refers to things known and understood by few people: Amanda
Lynn teaches arcane theories of modern music at the college.
archaic Archaic refers to things very, very old and outdated: The Oxford English
Dictionary contains many words that are archaic.

as As may be used as a conjunction that introduce dependent clauses:

George talks as his father does. Informally, it may also be used as a
preposition in comparative constructions like: Jean-Claude is as forgetful
like as me (or as I am).

Like is a preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun: George looks like his

mother. It may also be used as an adjective meaning "similar": George
and I have like minds.

ascent Ascent is an upward movement: Leo's ascent to the presidency of the

company came slowly.
assent Assent means "to agree to": Greta could not begin the project unless
management assented.

ascetic An ascetic is a person who renounces all material comforts, often for
religious devotion: the young man lead his ascetic lifestyle despite his
parents' plans for him. It can also be used as an adjective: Ethan Asia led
aesthetic an ascetic lifestyle.

Aesthetic refers to the philosophy of beauty or the pleasing qualities of

something: The statuette Leander created was lacking in aesthetic
qualities.

ascribe Ascribe means "to attribute to": She ascribed her feelings of jealousy to
insecurity.
describe Describe means "to show what something is by drawing a picture with
words": Describe in detail what the man looked like.

aspersion Aspersion is slander, a damaging remark: The campaign was filled with
one aspersion after another.
dispersion Dispersion is the act of scattering: The dispersion of seeds was irregular
because he sowed the seeds by hand.
assent Assent functions as a verb meaning “to agree to or approve of something
especially after thoughtful consideration,” or a noun defined as “an act
of assenting.”
ascent
Ascent only functions as a noun meaning "the act of rising or mounting
upward.”
The verb form is ascend.

assistance Assistance is help or aid: the nurses gave assistance to the patients.

Assistants are more than one assistant, a person who gives help: the
assistants emergency room assistants were ready to help anyone who came
through the door. (See also patience and patients.)

assure Assure means "to guarantee": He assured her it was a quality item.

Ensure means "to make sure by double checking": The custodian ensured
ensure the doors to the school were locked at night.

Insure means "to provide insurance": It is wise to insure your house against
insure flood, fire, or theft.

auger An auger is a tool used for digging holes: If you want to ice fish, you need
to first drill a hole in the ice with an auger.
augur Augur means "to predict, forecast": Leroy's inheritance augured happiness
for him in the future.

bad Bad is an adjective used after verbs like am, feel, is, seem, and become:
They felt bad. (Using badly here would mean that their skill at feeling is
poor).
badly
Badly is an adverb used after other verbs: They played badly. Badly can
also mean "greatly": They needed food badly.

baited Baited usually refers to traps: Baiting deer in order to hunt them is illegal in
most states.
bated Bated is seldom used but means "reduced, abated": Jessica bated her
pace to let her running mate catch up.

bare Bare means "naked": Walking in grass with bare feet is refreshing.

Bear is the animal, and also means "to carry": Sherman must bear the
bear burden of flunking math twice.
bazaar Bazaar is an exhibition, market, or fair: The Saturday morning bazaar is
worth seeing even if you buy nothing.
bizarre Bizarre means "weird and unworldly": Barry told us a bizarre story last night.

belief Belief is a noun: He had strong beliefs.

Believe is a verb: She believes she can do anything.

believe

beside Beside means "next to": Place the dishes beside the sink.

Besides is an adverb or preposition that means "also, additionally": I would

besides enjoy going on a vacation besides.

better Had better is the correct form, used when giving advice that hints at an
undesirable consequence if not followed: You had better go to the
doctor. Don't leave out have.
had better

between Between is typically used when referring to two things, like "between a
rock and a hard place."
among Among is used for a greater number.
Likewise amongst can be used in some rare instances in place of 'among,'
but should not be used to make sentences sound more educated.

biannual Biannual is twice in one year: My trip to the dentist is a biannual event.

Biennial means "every two years": These flowers are biennial; they bloom
biennial every two years.

bimonthly Bimonthly means "every two months": We order from the co-op bimonthly.

Semimonthly means "twice a month (biweekly)": We have our house

semimonthly cleaned semimonthly.

blithe Blithe, an adjective, means "lighthearted and carefree": A blithe mood

overcomes us in the spring.
lithe Lithe is also an adjective but it means "flexible, graceful, and supple": The
lithe movements of the yoga instructor impressed us all.
blonde Blonde describes women: Brunettes have just as much fun as blondes
(blonde women).
blond Blond describes men: Sean was not a natural blond. This distinction is not
necessary though: blond is now generally accepted for both men and
women.

board Board means a few things. One is "a long sheet of wood": Hiram had to
cut the board to make the shelves. It also means "a committee": The
board of directors met to decide the fate of the school. Lastly, it can
bored mean "to get onto": She boarded the ship.

Bored means "not interested": She is bored by the dry lecture.

bore A bore is a boring or tiresome person or thing: Jasper is such a bore when
he talks about his cats!
boar A boar is a male pig: Wild boars abound in this forest.

A boor is an unrefined, vulgar person: What a boor Guy was to get drunk
boor at the wedding and embarrass everyone.

born Born is newly coming into life: A child was born at 12:01 New Year's day.

Borne means "carried": All gossip is borne by an ill wind.

borne

borrow Borrow is to receive something from someone temporarily: to borrow a

book and then return it.
lend Lend is a verb that mean "to temporarily give something to someone":
Henry will lend (or loan) Francine a book.
loan Loan is a noun: a bank loan. Loan is often used in American English as a
verb meaning "to lend": Loan me a book, please.

braise Braise means "to cook (usually meat) slowly in liquid": Braised meat is
usually tender.
braze To braze is to solder or create with metals such as bronze: Shirley brazed a
statue of a famous Civil War leader.

Brake means "to stop": You should brake slowly on ice.

brake Break means "to smash": To break a mirror brings seven years of worse luck
than you are having now.
break

breath Breath is a noun meaning "the air pulled into the lungs": Take a deep
breath and relax.
breathe Breathe, with an E on the end, is a verb: Just breathe deeply and calm
down.

bridal Bridal has to do a bride and her wedding: June May threw her bridal
bouquet to the screaming crowd of single women.
bridle A bridle is a halter or restraint, such as a horse bridle: Old Frosty didn't like
the bridle over his head.

by By is a preposition meaning "next to": Park the car by the house.

Buy means "purchase": Grandpa buys an ice cream cone every Sunday
buy afternoon.

Bye means "farewell or good-bye": Bye, now; I'll see you later.
bye
can't hardly This expression is a nonstandard double negative (hardly is considered
negative), so avoid it. It is better to say can hardly: I can hardly hear you
over the noise of the party! Hardly.

canvas Canvas is cloth or fabric: a canvas bag to bring to the beach.

Canvass means "to conduct a survey or examine thoroughly", or "to seek

canvass votes": She canvassed all the stores before she found the right dress.

capital A capital is where the seat of government is: The capital of the United
States is Washington DC. Capital can also mean "wealth" or "a large
letter".
capitol
The Capitol (usually capitalized) is the actual building in which the
government and legislature meets: We will travel to the Capitol this
weekend.

censor Censor is to prohibit free expression: The principal censored all references
to smoking in school publications.
sensor A sensor is something that interprets stimulation: The lights are turned on
by a movement sensor.
 Censure is rebuke, harsh criticism: Morty Skustin was severely censured for
censure putting the frog in the water cooler.

cite Cite means "to quote or mention": He cited a famous theorist in his
speech.
site Site is a noun meaning "a place": At which site will we stage the party?

Sight is a noun meaning "view": The sight of the New York City skyline is
sight spectacular.

climactic Climactic refers to the peak: Wendell sneezed right at the climactic
moment of a movie.
climatic Climatic refers to the climate and weather: New Monia is known for its
dramatic climatic changes.

coarse Coarse is an adjective meaning "rough, big-grained, not fine": We need

to use coarse sandpaper to remove the paint from this wood.
course Course is a noun referring to a direction (the course of a ship) or a series
of lectures on one subject (a history course in college): The poetry course
Stu deBaker took in colldge changed the course of his life.

collaborate Collaborate means "to work together": Collaborate with the people on
your team.
corroborate Corroborate means "to support with evidence" or "prove true": The
testimony was corroborated with evidence of his innocence.

complement Complement means "to supplement" or "make complete": Their two

personalities complement each other.
compliment Compliment means "to praise or congratulate": She received a
compliment on her sense of fashion.

compose Compose means to "make up" and is often used in the passive voice: The
class is composed of students of several nationalities.
comprise Comprise means "have, consist of, or include": Students of several
nationalities comprise the class. A rule to remember would be that the
whole comprises its parts, and the parts compose the whole.
concurrent Concurrent simultaneous or happening at the same time as something
else: concurrent blizzards in three different states.
consecutive Consecutive means "successive or one after another": The state had three
consecutive blizzards that month.

conform Conform means "to be similar to": Some schools conform their students by
using uniforms.
confirm Confirm is to make sure or double check: to confirm a flight reservation.

congenial Congenial describes something likeable, suitable to taste: They enjoy the
congenial surroundings in their home.
congenital Congenital refers to a condition present at birth because of heredity:
Raymond has a congenital heart defect.

connote Connote means to "imply or suggest": 'Home' connotes warmth and

safety.
denote Denote means to "indicate specifically, to mean": 'Home' denotes the
place where you live.

conscience Conscience is the feeling or knowledge of right and wrong: My

conscience wouldn't allow me to compete with someone so much
weaker than me.
conscious
Conscious refers to being awake and aware: Molly Coddle was still
conscious after banging her head on the headboard.

continual Continual means "repeated with breaks in between": We need continual

rain throughout the summer for crops to grow.
continuous Continuous means "without stopping": The continuous drumming of the
rain on the windows put Herman to sleep.

convince Convince is to cause another to feel sure or believe something to be true:

Well, Argyle Greenpasture has convinced me that aliens do exist.
persuade Persuade is to talk someone into doing something: Percy persuaded me
to help him wash his car.

Co-operation means "working together": I would like to thank you for your
cooperation with us on the project.
co-operation A corporation is a large company: Presidents of large corporations
receive tens of millions of dollars in salary.
corporation

corps Corps (pronounced 'core') is an organization of people dedicated to a

single goal: Lucinda joined the Peace Corps after college.
core A core is the center of a fruit containing seeds: Bartholomew eats apples,
core and all.
corpse A corpse is a dead body: The corpse of Danny's dog was lovingly laid to
rest in the back yard.

correspondence Correspondence is agreement or written communication such as letters

or news articles: Phil and Rachel continued their correspondence for
years.
correspondents
Correspondents are those who write this communication: Rhoda Lott has
lived abroad as a news correspondent for several years.

could not care This expression is often confusing for English language learners. It is always
less used with a negative and means that you really don't care at all: Since
she was sick, Mona could not care less about doing her homework, or
Mona could not care less which color sweater she wore.

council A council is a group of people called together to meet on an issue: The

school board council meets every Thursday evening.
counsel Counsel is advice: I always go to Clyde for counsel on the tough decision
in my life.
consul A consul is a diplomat appointed to protect the citizens and commercial
interests of one country in another: If you need help starting a business in
France, talk to the US consul in Paris.

creak Creak can be the noun or verb for a squeak or groan: The creak of the
floorboards alerted Nell that Bernard was sneaking up on her.
creek A creek is a small stream: The kids loved to play in the creek on a hot
summer day.
credible Credible means "believable or reliable": There is no credible evidence that
it was I who broke the lamp.
creditable Creditable means "worthy of praise or respect": I couldn't have broken the
lamp because I have a creditable alibi.

criteria Criterion is singular: There is only one criterion for this job.

Criteria is plural: Several criteria need to be met in order for us to move

criterion forward.

custom A custom is a cultural tradition: It is a custom in Japan to remove your

shoes when entering a home.
costume A costume is the outfit worn to represent a particular time, event, or
culture: What is your costume for Halloween going to be?

dairy A dairy is a farm where milk and milk products are produced: Madeleine
grew up on a dairy and knows how to churn butter.
diary A diary is the daily journal kept: Rhoda Book writes in her diary for two hours
every night.

deduction Deduction is drawing a general principle from particular facts or instances:

I've seen hundreds of robins and they all have red breasts.
induction Induction is the explanation of particular facts or instances from a general
principle: That bird must be a robin because it has a red breast.

denote Denote is used for descriptions that stick to the facts. The word "dog"
denotes a domesticated animal.
connote Connote reveals additional meanings beyond what is clinical or objective.
It is used when expressing what a word implies or reminds us of. The word
"dog" connotes loyalty.

describe Denote is used for descriptions that stick to the facts. The word "dog"
denotes a domesticated animal.
ascribe Connote reveals additional meanings beyond what is clinical or objective.
It is used when expressing what a word implies or reminds us of. The word
"dog" connotes loyalty.
desert Desert means "to abandon" (and can also be a noun, meaning "a
wasteland"): Cooley deserted his family when they all got tattoos and lip
piercings.
dessert
Dessert is the sweet course of a meal: The whole family wanted to have
cake for dessert.

device A device is an instrument used to perform a task: This device will peel
apples for you.
devise Devise is to create or invent: They will devise a scheme to continue the
business.

diary Diary refers to a book where someone writes things.

Dairy refers to something made from milk.

dairy

divers Divers means "several": You can take that statement in divers ways.

Diverse means "different or varied": There are many diverse cultures in the
diverse world.

different from Different from is the standard usage when comparing two things: Suzie's
sweater is different from Mary's. Don't say, "Different than something else."
different than

discreet Discreet means "modest and prudent": Please be discreet about the
surprise party, we don't want her to find out.
discrete Discrete means "separate and distinct": Even though they were married,
they kept their money in two discrete accounts.

disinterested Disinterested is an adjective that means "unbiased or impartial": Since she

had nothing at stake, she was a disinterested party in the matter.
uninterested Uninterested means "not interested": Anita Job was just uninterested in the
offer.
e. g. e. g. is a Latin abbreviation meaning "for example": Lucille doesn't like fruit,
e.g. pears, apples, grapes, and bananas.
i. e. i. e. is a Latin abbreviation meaning "that is (to say)": Myrtle had to leave
the room, i.e. she had to go to the bathroom.

each other Use each other when only two objects are involved: The twins love each
other.
one another Use one another in referring to more than two objects: The triplets all love
one another.

each These are singular distributive pronouns; use them with a singular
verb. Each refers to a single individual in a group: Each of us voted
differently.
every
Every refers to all the members of a group inclusively: Every one of us voted
the same.

effect Affect as a verb, meaning "to produce a material influence upon or

alteration in".
affect Effect as a noun meaning "a change that results when something is done
or happens."

elicit Elicit is a verb that means "to draw out": The teacher had trouble eliciting
responses from the students.
illicit Illicit is an adjective meaning "illegal or illegitimate": Illicit drugs or illicit
behavior may help you enter jail.

elude Elude means to evade or escape from.

Allude means to make indirect reference.

allude

emigrant An emigrant is a person who leaves his native country to settle in another:
The emigrants left everything behind in search of something more.
immigrant An immigrant refers is person who moves to a new country: Many
immigrants settle in this country every year.
emigrate Emigrate from means "to leave one's country": Frances emigrated to the
US.
immigrate Immigrate to means "to settle in another country": Her family immigrated
to the US four generations ago.

eminent Eminent means "of high rank, outstanding, or prestigious": An eminent

author came to read at the university.
emanant Emanant means "sending or issuing forth": Emanant thoughts like those
should be kept to yourself.
imminent Imminent means "close to happening or near": Everyone waited anxiously
for an imminent storm predicted to arrive shortly.

enervate Innervate means "to supply with nerves or vitality": The therapist innervated
the shoulders with massage.
innervate Enervate is to weaken or destroy the vitality of: The negative attitude
enervated her enthusiasm.

entomology Entomology refers to the study of insects: Donald couldn't be afraid of

bugs if he wanted to get a degree in entomology.
etymology Etymology is the study of the history of words and where they come from:
The etymology of mortify goes back to Latin mortuus "dead". is nice.

etc. Etc. is Latin for et cetera and means "and so on": You need to bring plates,
knives, forks, spoons, etc. to the table. It is a good idea, however, to just
finish the list, not letting it end with etc. But if you must, use a phrase like
"and so on", "and so forth".

ethereal Ethereal describes something that is light, airy, and intangible: Ethereal
clouds hovered above; Everything in the ballroom looked ethereal.
ephemeral Ephemeral refers to anything lasting for a short period: Truth can be an
ephemeral thing; A creek can be ephemeral if it disappears in the middle
of summer.

Everyone means "each person": Everyone in the room must leave

immediately.
everyone Every one refers to each thing or person individually: Felice put every one
of the eggs in the basket.
every one

exceed Exceed means to be larger or greater in quantity, to go beyond a limit.

Accede means to take on the duties of an office, to agree to, to be a

accede party to a treaty, to give in to demands.

except Except means excluding or with the exception of.

Accept means to agree or to receive something offered.

accept

explicit Explicit means "clear and direct": Please give me explicit directions.

Implicit means "indirectly, with some parts understood": They implicitly

implicit agreed to never talk on the subject again.

fair A fair is an exhibition of farm produce usually with a collection of rides and
attractions: Every year our family goes to the state fair.
fare A fare is the fee you pay to ride public transportation: The fare to ride the
bus is affordable in our town.

farther Farther has to do with distance: How much farther is it to Poughkeepsie?

Further means "additional" or "more": Please give me further information

further about the best route to Poughkeepsie.

faze Faze is to distress or disturb: The scrutiny of the media didn't faze Sharon.

A phase is a period of development or a period of time in a cycle of

phase events: Stuart went through a phase when all he did was eat hot dogs.

few Few is used when talking about things that can be counted: Lureen has a
few ideas; also a few keys, few clouds, few values, few diseases.
less Less is used when talking about things that can't be counted: Lureen shows
less perseverance than we expected; also less distance, less pollution, less
rain.
figuratively Figuratively refers to metaphoric speech, not realistic or exact: To say,
"Horace died laughing," is to speak figuratively.
literally Literally refers to realistic or exact speech: If Horace literally died laughing,
he must be buried (but it was not such a bad way to go).

flammable These two words both mean "easily set on fire": a highly
flammable/inflammable substance. However, flammable is now used as
a warning to avoid misinterpreting the prefix in- as negation.
inflammable

flare Flare is to increase greatly, burn brightly, or something that provides a

bright flame: The fire in the grill flared brightly when Eva tossed gasoline on
it.
flair
Flair refers to a sense of style or a talent: Dutch Masters has a flair for
entertaining a group of men.

flaunt To flaunt means "to show off": Maud Lynn Dresser likes to flaunt her jewels
at parties.
flout To flout means "to show scorn or contempt for": Larry flouts the speed limit
in every state when it suits his schedule.

forbear Forbear means "to refrain from": The children simply could not forbear
laughing in the library.
forebear A forebear is an ancestor or forefather: Our forebears who founded this
country centuries ago.

foreword A foreword is a short introduction at the beginning of a book usually written

by someone other than the author: The foreword of the book explains how
its thesis fits in with current thinking.
forward
Forward is an adverb indicating movement ahead or toward the front:
Priscilla moves forward slowly in the line at the grocery store.

forth Forth means "forward, from this point": Barry moved forth without looking
back.
fourth Fourth indicates an object that comes between No. 3 and No. 5: Dustin
Moppet just finished cleaning the fourth floor.
foul Foul can means "offensive, rotten, or unfavorable": Foul language, foul
meat, and foul weather are unacceptable at a picnic.
fowl Fowl refers to birds, especially domestic ones: Chickens, ducks, geese, and
turkeys are considered fowl.

found Found is the past tense of find: I found my glasses only after I had stepped
on them!
founded Founded is past tense of the verb found, meaning "to set up or establish":
My ancestors were the ones who founded this country.

founder Founder means "to run aground": The boat foundered on a shoal in the
storm.
flounder Flounder means "to move clumsily, with difficulty" or "to blunder": Gladys
Friday is floundering in college.

gibe Gibe means "to taunt, jeer, make fun of": His classmates gibed Billy Earl for
wearing his underwear over his clothes.
gybe Gybe means "to swing a fore-and-aft sail from one side of a sailboat to the
other to change course": When the wind shifted, Felix gybed when he
jibe should have tacked.

Jibe refers to being in agreement: Our views on everything from baseball

to Socrates seem to jibe.

gorilla A gorilla is a large ape: Gorillas live in the African tropical forest.

A guerrilla is a member of irregular military that uses surprise attacks on its

guerrilla enemy: Guerrilla warfare uses tactics such as espionage, sabotage, and
ambush.

hail Hail means "to greet or to come from": She hails from California. Hail also
means "balls of ice": Hail damaged the crops.
hale Hale means "sound or healthy": Minnie Miles is hale and hearty enough to
run five miles daily.

Hanged is past tense of hang in the sense of executing someone by using

a rope around the neck: Outlaws in the Old West were hanged when they
could be caught.
hanged Hung is the past tense of hang, but is used for things: Lyda Cain's son never
hung up his clothes. Just remember hanged is used for people (Yuck!), and
hung is used for other things.
hung

hardly This is a word used in a negative sense meaning "barely": Lyle could hardly
keep his eyes open at the lecture by Rhoda Book.

herd A herd is a group of animals: Nonnie saw a herd of cows in the pasture.

Heard is the past tense of hear: Zelda heard the bells ringing for the glorious
heard leader who had recently died.

here Here refers to the place where you are: You should come here more often.

Hear is to listen with the ears: Am I speaking loud enough for you to hear
hear me?

heroin Heroin is an illicit drug: Heroin is a very addicting substance.

A heroine is a female hero in real life or in a story: Marge was treated like a
heroine heroine when she delivered the baby in a cab.

historic Historic refers to something in history that was important: The summit was a
historic meeting between the countries.
historical Historical refers to anything in general history: The whole class had to dress
in historical costumes for the play.

hoard Hoard means "to collect and keep for oneself": Squirrels hoard acorns
during the winter.
horde A horde is a large group: Hordes of people go Christmas shopping the day
after Thanksgiving.

hole A hole is a gap or space: A moth made a hole in my sweater.

Whole means "complete": Stu Beef ate the whole pizza himself!
whole
home Home in is the correct phrase here is when referring to getting closer to a
goal or target: The missile homed in electronically on the target.
hone Hone means "to sharpen": Denise made a resolution to hone her piano
playing skills.

illicit Illicit is an adjective describing something that is illegal or not permitted.

Elicit is a verb meaning "to bring forth a reaction or response."

elicit

Illusion Illusion means -

an erroneous perception of reality
an erroneous concept or belief
the condition of being deceived by a false perception
allusion
Allusion means an indirect but meaningful reference.

delusion Delusion means a false belief held in spite of invalidating evidence.

immemorial Immemorial refers to that which is beyond time, ancient: These artifacts
have been here since time immemorial.
immortal Immortal describes things that live forever: The way Randolph drives, he
must think that he is immortal.
immoral Immoral means "not nice, unethical, bad."

immoral Immoral is used to describe someone or something that does not conform
to the recognized standards of right and wrong.
amoral Amoral is used to describe someone or something that is neither moral nor
immoral.

migrant Migrant is an individual who willingly leaves home and moves from one
place to another.
immigrant Immigrant is an individual who willingly leaves their country of origin and
legally enters another country.
emigrant
 Emigrant is one who leaves one's place of residence or country to live
elsewhere.

migrate Migrate means to move.

Immigrate means you are coming in to a country to live

immigrate
Emigrate means you are exiting your current homeland.
emigrate

imminent Imminent is something's about to happen.

Eminent is a person (or thing) that is famous and respected within a specific
eminent sphere or profession.

immanent Immanent means inherent, intrinsic, or spread throughout something.

Implicate Implicate means "to closely link or connect": The blood on his hands
implicated him in the murder.
imply Imply means "to point to, or suggest indirectly": The victim's friend implied
he thought he knew who the murderer was.

implicit Implicit means something is implied but not stated directly.

Explicit means something is made clear and stated plainly.

explicit

imply Imply means "to suggest indirectly": Her hesitation implied that her answer
was no.
infer Infer means "to draw a conclusion from known facts": He inferred that the
answer was no from her hesitation.

in regard to Both of these mean "referring to", but use one or the other: In regard to your
proposal I have an idea, or: As regards your proposal, I have an idea. NOT
in regards to!
as regards
inchoate Inchoate describes something in an early stage of development, and that
is incomplete: Lucy's plan remained inchoate and was developed no
further.
incoherent
Incoherent describes something that is lacking connection or order: Some
even thought that Lucy's plan was just a few incoherent thoughts that
didn't hang together.

incredible Incredible means "astonishing or difficult to grasp": The incredible power of

a tornado attracts storm chasers.
incredulous Incredulous means "skeptical and disbelieving": She was incredulous about
Fred's interpretation of the event.

induction Induction is a process of reasoning (arguing) which infers a general

conclusion based on individual cases, examples, specific bits of evidence,
and other specific types of premises.

deduction Deduction is a process of reasoning that starts with a general truth, applies
that truth to a specific case (resulting in a second piece of evidence), and
from those two pieces of evidence (premises), draws a specific conclusion
about the specific case.

innervate Innervate means to stimulate to action.

Enervate means to weaken or destroy the strength or energy of

enervate

assure To assure someone is to remove someone’s doubts.

To ensure something is to make sure it happens—to guarantee it.

ensure
To insure something or someone is to cover it with an insurance policy.
insure

intolerable Intolerable refers to something unbearable.

Intolerant refers to a person who is unable to accept differences in opinion,

intolerant habit, or belief.

Regardless is the correct word to use, meaning "without regard”.

irregardless Irregardless is a double negative that should be avoided.

regardless

its Its is the possessive form of it, like hers, his, and theirs: The dog licked its foot
after stepping in maple syrup.
it's It's is short for 'it is', a contraction of those two words: "Well, I guess it's [it is]
time to wash the dog again."

kind of Avoid these expressions in the sense of "somewhat", "rather" or "a little"
(especially avoid reducing them to kinda and sorta). The pace of the
baseball game was rather [not kind of] slow.
sort of

knew Knew is the past tense of know: She knew what she wanted to say but
couldn't say it.
new New means "never used": I ordered a new custom car from the factory
today.

latent Latent means "present but not visible or active".

Patent means "visible, active, or obvious".

patent

later Later means "afterward": Come later than seven o'clock.

Latter means "the last of two things mentioned".

latter

lay Lay is a transitive verb, which means it takes an object. It means "to set or
put down flat".
lie Lie is an intransitive verb, so it does not take an object. It means "to rest
supine or remain in a certain place".

lead Lead can be a verb meaning "to guide, be in charge of": Greg will lead a
group this afternoon. It can also be a noun meaning "a type of metallic
element": Use a lead pencil to fill in your answer sheet.
led
Led is the past tense of lead: Greg led the group this afternoon.
lend Lend is a verb that mean "to temporarily give something to someone".

A loan is a noun meaning something borrowed.

loan
Borrow is to receive something from someone temporarily.
borrow

less See few, less.

few

lessen Lessen means "to decrease or make less"

A lesson is something you learn.

lesson

liable Liable means "legally responsible for or subject to".

Libel is a noun that means "a slanderous statement that damages another
libel person's reputation".

lightening Lightening is a verb that means "to reduce the weight of".

Lightning refers to the electrical discharge in the sky.

lightning

figuratively Figuratively means metaphorically.

Literally describes something that actually happened.

literally

loathe Loathe is a verb meaning "to detest or dislike greatly": Janice loathes animal
cruelty.
loath Loath is an adjective meaning "reluctant, unwilling": Lance was loath to ask
for an extension on his term paper that semester.
loose Loose is not tight: A loose-fitting jacket was more suitable than a shawl.

Lose is to misplace and not be able to find: I often lose my bearings when
lose entering a new city. Thank goodness I don't lose my keys though!

manner Manner is a way of doing or behaving: Duane Pipes installed the plumbing
in a workman-like manner.
manor A manor is a house on an estate: The chauffeur drove slowly up to the
manor.

mantel A mantel is the shelf above a fireplace, or face of one: Matilda set several
candles on the mantel.
mantle A mantle is a cloak or blanket: Velma grabbed her mantle before heading
out the door.

marital Marital refers to marriage: Bunny and Lance are having marital problems.

Martial refers to war or warriors: Bunny has a black belt in martial arts.
martial

marshal A marshal is an officer of highest ranking; it can mean "to arrange": The
marshal gave orders to the troops.
marshall Marshall is a verb meaning "to together": Marshall marshaled enough
strength to walk past the bar on his way home.

may be May be as two words means "might be": Your reading glasses may be on
the night stand.
maybe Maybe is one word that means "perhaps": Maybe your reading glasses are
on the night stand.

me Me is used as a simple object: Susan told my brother and me about her trip
to Africa.
myself Myself is a reflexive and an emphatic pronoun: I talk to myself [reflexive] or
you can do that yourself [emphatic].

Meet means "to get together or connect with someone, to encounter":

Elroy plans to meet a colleague for lunch.
meet Mete means "to distribute": We had to mete out the last of the water when
we were still 20 miles from civilization on our hiking trip.
mete Meat is flesh that may be eaten: Nathan is a vegetarian who doesn't eat
meat at all.
meat

militate Militate means "to influence toward or against a change": The banality of
Rhoda Book's stories militated against their becoming popular.
mitigate Mitigate means "to lessen, make easier, or bearable": A cold compress on
your leg will mitigate the swelling.

mordant Mordant is bitingly sarcastic: Everyone hated Raymond's mordant

comments.
trenchant Trenchant means "forceful and keen": Raymond received trenchant
criticism from everyone for his comments.

mute Mute means "having no sound or without speech": He was struck mute by
the horror of the events.
moot Moot as a noun is a public meeting; as an adjective, the more common
usage, means "open to debate" in the UK and "not open to debate" in the
US. It is most often used in the phrase moot point: When Walter walked in,
the question of who was going to pick him up became moot.

no No means "the opposite of yes": They all said no in response to the latest
referendum.
know To know is to understand are realize: I don't want to know how you got up
the tree.

noisome Noisome means "disgusting, offensive, and potentially harmful": A noisome

smell arose from the garbage can.
noisy Noisy means "making a lot of sound or racket": With so many children, it
became a noisy day care center.

nonplussed Nonplussed is often misused in the sense of "calm and unbothered". The
actual meaning is "confused or bewildered": She was nonplussed by her
husband's unusual behavior.
obeisance Obeisance is respect and homage paid someone: Farina greeted the
queen with sincere obeisance.
obsequious Obsequiousness is submissiveness and an eagerness to obey: The
obsequiousness of the waiter made them roll their eyes.

obtuse Obtuse means "lacking quickness of wit or sensitivity, dull, dense": Brandon
is so obtuse he doesn't even know when he is being insulted.
abstruse Abstruse means "too difficult to understand for the average mind": The
professor presented an abstruse metaphysical concept that went over our
heads.

each other Each other when referring to two people.

One another for more than two people.

one another

overdo Overdo is to exaggerate something: Marcy overdoes her makeup every

morning and she ends up looking like a clown.
overdue Overdue indicates something that has missed its deadline: You must return
these overdue books to the library immediately, or A visit to our
grandparents is long overdue.

pamper To pamper is to coddle, or treat with indulgence: The only time my mom
pampers me is when I'm sick.
pander To pander is to cater to the base needs of others, to sell out: Senator
Throckmorton got elected by pandering to special interest groups.

passed Passed is the past tense of pass, to go by or move ahead of: The boys
passed through town quickly.
past Past is a place in time that was before now: You would be wise to reflect on
the past and learn from it.

pasture A pasture is a place where farm animals graze: Al Falfa puts his cows out
into the pasture every morning.
pastor A pastor is a member of the clergy, a minister of a church: Noah Sarque is
the pastor of the local Baptist Church.
patience Patience is the ability to remain calm even when dealing with someone or
something difficult: The teacher showed infinite patience for the students
struggling with the reading material. (See also assistance and assistants.)
patients
Patients are people who are sick in a hospital: The nurse had several new
patients to get to know that week.

peace Peace is a sense of calm and absence of war or hostility: We all hope for
peace throughout the world.
piece A piece is a part or segment of something: Helen Highwater lost a piece of
her jewelry in church last Sunday.

peek To peek is to look quickly without someone knowing: The child peeked inside
the gift.
pique To pique is to arouse or provoke: Muriel's comment piqued Abner's curiosity.
Pique can also be used as a noun meaning "resentment": Sedgewick felt a
peak bit of pique at the association of his name with their real estate scheme.

A peak is the highest point of something: Chastity decided not to drive to

the top of Pike's Peak during the peak summer vacation season.

peer To peer is to squint and gaze strongly at: Melvin had to peer through fog to
keep the car on the highway.
pier a peer is an equal: Farnsworth didn't consider anyone his peer when it came
to the game of tiddledy winks.

A pier is a walkway that juts into a body of water for docking: to he docked
his boat at the end of the pier.

penultimate Penultimate means "the next to the last (the ultimate)": Little did Al Pacca
know that the penultimate shrimp he ate was the one that gave him food
poisoning.
ultimate
Ultimate is the last or best: I found the ultimate gift for Gary this year.

perspective A perspective is a view from a certain place or position or a mental outlook:

The perspective from this building is spectacular, or Lydia Potts has a
wonderful perspective on life considering the fact that she has 12 kids.
prospective
Prospective is an adjective that means "possible, likely to happen": We have
several prospective opportunities before us.
persuade Persuade means to induce (someone) to do something through reasoning
or argument.
convince Convince means to cause (someone) to believe firmly in the truth of
something.

piquant Piquant means "pleasantly tart or spicy": This restaurant serves a piquant
salsa that is absolutely delicious.
pique To pique is to arouse or provoke: Grunella piqued Vern's curiosity with her
question. (See also peek.)

plain Plain means "simple not showy" or "a large level region": It was plain to see
that Vanessa loved Conway, or Bowser's farm was on a great plain where
wheat grew well.
plane
A plane is a flat and level surface, a new level, or an airplane: To understand
the equation of a plane surface in mathematics you have to reach a new
plane of consciousness. Franklin landed the plane successfully.

portent A portent is a noun meaning "an omen or prophetic sign of the future": Ivan
Oder took falling out of bed that morning as a portent of a greater disaster
in the future.
potent
Potent is an adjective meaning "strong and powerful": Arnold was a potent
man, even at seventy, but could not handle the potent martinis Bella Donna
made.

pour To pour is to dispense liquid from one container into another: She poured
some milk into the glass.
pore A pore is to study or read intensely: Hilda pored over the materials nightly.

Pore also means "a small opening in skin through which moisture or air
pore moves": Pores are all over our bodies.

practical Practical refers to being easily used and put into practice: A Swiss Army knife
has many practical uses.
practicable Practicable means "feasible or possible": It is not always practicable for a
busy person to use this tool.
precede The verb precede means "to come or go before, in front of": The flower girl
preceded the bride in the procession down the aisle.
proceed Proceed means "to move forward": Both the flower girl and the bride
proceeded down the aisle at the same time.

premise A premise usually means "assumption": Since the basic premise was wrong,
all the conclusions based on it were wrong, too.
premises Premises are a house or building and the grounds around it: Smoking is not
allowed on the premises.

presence Presence means "the state of being near": April's presence was comforting
in Rod's time of sorrow.
presents Presents are gifts: The greatest gift is to let someone give you a present.

principal A principal is the head of a professional business or school: The principal of

the middle school is a woman of principles.
principle A principle is a belief: I avoid school principals as a matter of principle.

profit Profit is the money earned above the expense it took to complete the
project: Ghislaine and Pierre made a $100,000 profit when they remodeled
and sold their house.
prophet
A prophet is a person who can foretell the future and through which a divine
presence speaks: Atheism is a non-prophet religion.

profligate Profligate is to be wasteful and extravagant: Esmeralda is so profligate that

she spent the entire million dollars she won in the lottery in one year.
prolific Prolific means "abundant, fruitful, producing much": John Grisham is a
prolific writer.

quiet Quiet means "without sound or mention of": You are supposed to be quiet
in hospitals and libraries.
quite Quite can mean either "completely or somewhat, rather", depending on
what you mean: I was quite alone that Saturday afternoon (completely) but
the hours passed quite quickly (rather).
quote Quote is a verb meaning "to state the exact words someone else said": The
pastor quoted scripture from the Bible or Carmen quoted a famous
psychologist in complaining to the boss.
quotation
A quotation is the actual statement being quoted: Gretchen read a
quotation every day.

rain Rain is the water that falls from the sky: Dingwell didn't have sense enough
to come in out of the rain.
reign Reign is the rule of a king of queen: King Wilhelm reigned with an iron fist to
keep peace in the land.
rein A rein (usually plural, reins) are the straps of leather used to control and
guide a horse: No matter how hard Reginald pulled on the reins, the horse
would not slow down.

raise Raise means "to build or grow": The farmer raises corn. The Amish will raise
the walls of a building by noon.
raze Raze is to destroy: The school was razed and a new one built in its place.

real Real is a variant of really used in dialectal areas (like the Southern US) where
adverbs are not distinguished from adjectives: She sings real good, in
standard English is: She sings really well.
really
Really is an intensifying adverb: Gwendolyn was really tired after playing
outside all day.

reality Reality means "the perceived world as it is, the true situation": She could not
tell the difference between reality and fantasy.
realty Realty is land or real estate: Realty in large cities is markedly expensive.

rebate A rebate is a discount from the manufacturer to the customer after a

purchase has been made: The $600 computer cost only $69.43 after all the
rebates.
refund
A refund is a full repayment to a dissatisfied customer: Mildred returned her
girdle and demanded a full refund.

regimen Regimen is a systematic plan: Sylvia is undergoing a regimen for a healthier

lifestyle.
regiment Regiment is a troop of soldiers: The army is made up of several regiments.
residence A residence is where people live, the house or building: The mayor's
residence is located in the center of the city.
residents The residents are the people who live there: The residents of the community
thinks the mayor's residence is to luxurious.

respectable Respectable means "deserving respect or on good behavior": Mother

always told us to be respectable in public.
respectful Respectful refers to showing respect: Be respectful of the people around
you, especially if they have sticks.
respective Respective means "individual and appropriate": The summer camp kids
were shown to their respective cabins.

respectfully Respectfully means "politely and with respect": Mel Pew always dealt
respectfully with each and every customer.
respectively Respectively refers to the order in which things are given: I gave Wallace
and Linda blue and green socks, respectively, means that I gave Wallace
blue socks and Linda green ones.

restive Restive means "impatient and nervous, restless": Cory became restive once
he knew the boss was going to call him into his office.
restful Restful means "full of rest, calm, quiet, and restorative": A restful vacation in
Indonesia was just what the doctored ordered.

retch To retch is to try and vomit: Furman retched several times after swallowing a
bite of Lurleen's liver pudding.
wretch A wretch is a miserable or wicked person: I didn't believe she could be such
a wretch.

rifle Rifle means to search with the intention of stealing or taking: The mugger
rifled Clarissa's purse looking for cash.
riffle To riffle means "to shuffle or flip quickly through papers": Bill riffled the card
deck before dealing.

Right means "correct": She always knew the right thing to say.
right A rite is a ceremony: Final rites for the deceased were held in the church.

To write is to express oneself in writing: Rhoda Book writes everyone about

rite her publishing career.

write

rise Rise is intransitive and does not have an object: The sun rises in the east.

Raise always has an object: You can raise a crop on a farm or raise your
raise hand in class.

road Road is a long path or street to travel on: Lucille tries to stay on a main road
wherever she travels.
rode Rode is past tense of ride: Matilda rode her bicycle over a cliff by accident.

role A role is a part in a play or movie: Marjorie's favorite role of her entire movie
career was that of the quirky neighbor in Keep your Doors Locked. It can
also mean "a function of": Marjorie's role in removing the insignia from the
roll police car door was minor.

Roll is a verb meaning "to turn over and over": Diane rolled the flat tire into
the garage.

sale A sale is a noun meaning "the selling of something": Every car sale means a
commission for the salesman.
sail A sail is the material used to catch wind on a boat: The sail billowed in the
wind as Jacob's boat slid across the water.

sale A sale is a noun meaning "the selling of something": Every car sale means a
commission for the salesman.
sell To sell, the verb, is to offer goods for consumption at a cost: Seth sells his
pottery at art fairs.

sanguine Sanguine means "red, ruddy or optimistic": I am not sanguine about your
getting this job.
saturnine Saturnine means "being moody, sullen, or melancholy": Ima Aiken falls into a
saturnine mood every time her husband Hadley goes away on business.
scene Scene is a place or view: The scene of the crime was just outside his window.

Seen is past tense of see: I have seen that movie three times already.
seen

seam A seam is where two pieces are joined: The seam of Leticia's dress ripped
when she bent over.
seem To seem is to appear or look as if: Leticia seemed unhappy when that
happened.

semimonthly Semimonthly means occurring twice a month.

Bimonthly may mean occurring twice a month or occurring every two

bimonthly months.

sensual Sensual refers to physical, especially sexual, pleasure: Derry Yare wears
sensual dresses to attract men.
sensuous Sensuous refers to anything artistic that appeals to the senses or appetites:
Marguerita had prepared a sensual feast for her guests.

serf A serf is a slave or servant: Neil Downe came from a family of serfs but rose
to become a landlord.
surf To surf is to ride the waves of water, or to search on the Internet: The surf is
up down at the beach; You can surf the Internet some other time.

set Set is a transitive verb meaning "to put or place something solid somewhere":
Marvin set his new lamp on the table.
sit Sit means "to rest upright with the weight on the buttocks or to move into
such a position"; the past tense is sat: Percy sat down beside Geneva on the
seat park bench.

Seat can be a verb meaning "to show someone their seat or where to sit":
The waiter seated Murgatroyd at his usual table by the door.
sever Sever means "to cut through completely": One blow from Jessie's hatchet
severed the rope.
severe Severe means "strict, hard, extreme": Severe winter weather came early this
year. There was a severe tone in Marilyn's voice when she berated Todd for
putting the tack in her chair.

shear Shear means "to cut off": We shear sheep's wool in the spring and we shear
the hedges in the summer.
sheer Sheer means "pure, unadulterated": Felicity found the amusement park a
sheer pleasure. Sheer also means "transparent": Perry Winkle hung sheer
curtains in the living room.

shore A shore is a beach: to spend a vacation on the shore. It also means "to brace
or support": They shored up the leaning wall with steel beams.
sure Sure means "without doubt": Maria was sure about the decision to move to
another country.

singly Singly means "one by one": The fire drill required everyone to leave the
building quietly and singly.
singularly Singularly means "extraordinarily, in an outstanding manner": He singularly
fought the rebels off one by one.

site Site is a specified place, such as a building site.

Sight is vision or something that can be seen.

sight
Cite is a verb to mean to quote, to summon officially, to mention formally, or
cite even to compliment.

sleight-of- Sleight of hand refers to dexterity and trickery with the hands: The magician's
hand sleight of hand fooled the audience.

This phrase is often confused with slight of hand, an adjective phrase

slight-of-hand meaning "having small slender hands".
sole Sole means "single": The sole remaining person in the room left, leaving it
empty. It also means the bottom of a foot or shoe: Gigi needed new soles
on her shoes.
soul
A soul refers to the spirit of a living creature: Do you believe animals have
souls?

some time Some time refers to a considerable period of time: I need some time to think
about it.
sometime Sometime refers to an indistinct or unstated time in the future: I'll see you
around sometime.
sometimes Sometimes is an adverb meaning continually, off and on, occasionally:
Karen sometimes drinks coffee instead of tea.

stationary Stationary means "still and unmoving": The cat was stationary until it was time
to pounce on its prey.
stationery Stationery refers to writing materials such as paper: Craig took out his best
stationery to write to his beloved Charlotte Russe.

statue A statue is a carved or shaped imitation of an object: There is a statue of a

large bird is in her garden.
statute A statute is law: The government publishes new statutes each year.

Stature means "status, standing": Chester Drors is a man of substantial stature

stature in state politics.

storey Storey is the British spelling of story when this word refers to a floor of a
building: The upper storeys of the building comprised apartments. The US
spelling of this sense of the word is also story.
story
A story is a tale related in speech or writing by someone. In the US, it is also
the spelling used to refer to the floor of a building: My home is three stories
high.

straight Straight is an adjective that means having "no bends or curve"s: Pimsley's
walking cane is as straight as an arrow.
strait A strait is a narrow channel connecting two bodies of water: The Bering Strait
lies between Alaska and Siberia.
supposedly Supposedly means "reputedly" or "likely to be true": Sam is supposedly the
greatest waterboy in the football team's history.
supposably Supposably means "can be supposed": The best solution to the problem is
supposably to ignore it. (However, this word is seldom used.)

taut Taut is a literary word that means "tight": Hold the string taut while I mark the
line.
taught Taught is the past tense of teach: Kenneth taught etiquette and good
manners for several years.

tenant A tenant is someone who rents property: A new tenant moved into the
vacant apartment last week.
tenet A tenet is a principle: The major tenets of all religions are similar.

than Than is used to compare: Philippa Byrd thinks she is smarter than any of us.

Then is a word to describe a time that is not now: I prefer Friday; it would be
then better to meet then because then I will be ready.

their Their is possessive of they: The twins left their books at home.

There refers to a place that is not here: We will be there in two hours.
there
They're is a contraction for they are: They're going to a concert tonight.
they're

threw Although these two words are pronounced the same, threw is the past tense
of the verb throw, meaning "tossed, hurled in the air": Morty threw the keys
to the car to McKinley.
through
Through is a preposition meaning "entering the inside of something and
coming out the other side": Chuck accidentally threw a rock through Miss
Conception's living room window.

throes Throes are severe pains or difficult times: Wade Rivers found it difficult to listen
to his iPod in the throes of battle.
throws Throws is the plural or present tense of throw: Several throws later, Bud Light
managed to put a wad of paper in the trash can from his desk.
til Til is a contraction of the preposition until: I won't see you til tomorrow. Only
one L.
till Till is a verb meaning "to cultivate": My Uncle Emmet tills about half the land
on his farm and herds cattle on the rest.

to To is a preposition meaning "toward": We go to the lake every summer. It also

serves as the infinitive particle for verbs: I want to stop confusing words.
too Too means "also": I'd love to go with you, too.

Two is the number between one and three: We have two options: hire a
two divorce lawyer or a mortician.

torpid Torpid means "unresponsive, lacking alertness": Prunella tried to elicit answers
from the torpid students in front of her.
turgid Turgid means "very ornate and decorative": The author's turgid writing style
lost my interest quickly. It can also mean "swollen and bulging": Turgid veins
covered her legs.

tortuous Tortuous means "winding, crooked, with many twists and turns": Wiley Driver
was very adept at driving the tortuous mountain roads of western North
Carolina.
torturous
Torturous means "very painful, like torture": Mick Stupp found doing math
homework torturous.

vane A vane is blade that rotates: I don't know how hard the wind blew; it blew
the weather vane off the roof.
vain Vain means "fruitless, hopeless, or without result": Bertie harbors a vain hope
of becoming a world-class ice skater.
vein Vein refers to the tubes that carry blood back to the heart: The veins are
usually smaller than the arteries.

venal Venal means "corruptible, money-grubbing, likely to accept bribes": Chris

Cross is a man so venal he charged his mother for taking her to the hospital.
venial Venial means "easily forgiven": The judge dismissed the venial crimes and
focused on the theft of the chocolates.

verses Verses is plural of verse, a line of poetry: several Emerson's verses were
recited that evening.
versus Versus means "in comparison or opposition to": The benefits of having a cell
phone versus not having one depend on the individual.
vicious Vicious means "cruel and mean": A vicious dog attacked the young boy.

Viscous means "thick and sticky": Honey and tar are viscous substances.
viscous
waist Waist refers the (often) narrow area of a human body between the hips and
ribs: We often wear a belt around our waist.
waste Waste is garbage, or waste can be a verb meaning "to use carelessly": You
shouldn't waste food and you should recycle waste paper.

wary Wary means "leery and cautious": The customer became wary when the
salesperson said he would personally guarantee the TV set for 100 years.
weary Weary means "tired and worn": After a day of harvesting corn, the farmer
was very weary.

wave To wave is to move back and forth; a wave is a swelling in a body of water
due to movement: Helen Highwater waved her hand to the boat rocking in
the waves.
waive
Waive means "to give up, not require or ask for": Never waive your right to a
lawyer.

weak Weak is not strong: Finley gave a weak performance; maybe because he
has a weak mind.
week Week refers to the names of the seven days, from Sunday to Saturday: I go
to the ice skating rink once a week.

wear Wear is a verb (wear, wore, worn) meaning to have clothing on: Maud Lynn
Dresser always wears gaudy evening gowns on formal occasions.
ware Ware is an article of merchandise, a product (usually used in the plural): The
potter displayed her wares on a beautiful stand made by her husband.
were Were is past tense of are: Maud and her fiance were at the ball last
weekend.
we're
We're is a contraction for we are: We're going to the ball this weekend so
maybe we'll see them.

weather Weather has to do with climate: I hope we have beautiful weather for my
daughter's wedding.
whether Whether means "if" and is used only inside sentences: I don't know whether
to bring an umbrella or not.
wet Wet is full of moisture: We had to dry out the wet sleeping bag on our
camping trip after a sudden storm.
whet Whet is to stimulate or arouse: Smelling the stew whetted her appetite.

which Which means "what particular choice": Which witch put the spell on you?

A witch is a person who believes in or practices magic: Not all witches have
witch warts on their noses (some have them on their chins).

who's Who's is a contraction for who is: Who's going to vote today?

Whose is the possessive of who meaning "of whom": Whose tickets are these?
whose

wont Wont means "used to": Maggie was wont to getting everything her way and
cried when she didn't.
won't Won't is a contraction for will not: Maggie won't be getting every toy she
wants this Christmas.

your Your is possessive for you: Your idea is fantastic!

You're is a contraction for you are: You're the most treasured person in my
you're life.