Recently Added Articles Page #37

Retch vs. Wretch

The English language doesn’t seem to be lacking in synonyms for the verb “vomit.” We have “upchuck,” “puke,” “hurl,” “heave,” and “retch,” to name a few. So do we really need to add another one, even if only as an alternate ...

Raise vs. Raze

Homophones are words that share the same pronunciation but differ in spelling and meaning, such as to, too, two; and so, sew, and sow. Homophones and confusingly similar words are the stuff that malapropisms are made of. A malapropism is the unintent...

Perspective vs. Prospective

Perspective” and “prospective” constitute a great example of paronyms. The two words have very similar spellings, that are written and pronounced with a high degree of similitude, but which have different lexical meanings and grammatical functi...

Peer vs. Pier

Pier and peer are homophones, meaning they sound alike but are spelled differently, and mean different things. They are also easily confused words. The spell-check application in word-processing software doesn’t catch words that are spelled correct...

Peddle vs. Pedal

English spelling is full of apparent idiosyncrasies – native speakers and learners alike grapple with doubling consonants, how to form plurals, ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’’, and have to dodge umpteen other potential pitfalls. Anot...

Overdo vs. Overdue

Ram is advised by his doctor not to overdo bicep exercises because of his fractured arm. Financial experts believe another recession is inevitable, perhaps even overdue. Though very commonly used, overdo and overdue still are sometimes confusing for ...

Moat vs. Mote

There are millions of tiny dust motes in the air. He fell in the moat around the castle. Consider the two sentences above and try to figure out what moat and mote mean from their respective sentences. Can you do that? If so, good for you, but if you ...

Corporation vs. Cooperation

English is a distinctive language where many words are so similar that they cause confusion in the readers and writers minds. Cooperation and corporation are an example of such words. Cooperatives and corporations may sound like one and the same thin...

Creak vs. Creek

The words creak, creek sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Consider the sentences below: From inside came the creak and moan of a swinging door. Let’s go on down to the creek. Can you tell the meanings of both the words from t...

Credible vs. Creditable

Talk about words that can be confused easily … creditable and credible are a prime example.  While they sound alike, and their meanings come close, they are two completely separate terms with definitions that deserve clarity. The student's eff...

Current vs. Currant

Homophones can be confusing, and in their misuse, hilarity sometimes ensues. If you write that someone was swept away by the currant and you aren’t relating a cautionary tale of drunken misadventure, then you had probably better read the rest of th...

Insight vs. Incite

Homophones are words that share the same pronunciation but differ in spelling and meaning, such as to, too, two; and so, sew, and sow. Homophones and confusingly similar words are the stuff that malapropisms are made of. A malapropism is the unintent...

Lend vs. Loan

English has many words that refer to the borrowing of goods and money. Two of the most common words that apply to this context are loan and lend. Do they mean the same thing? Or, are there specific circumstances in which one or the other is more appr...

Manner vs. Manor

The words manner and manor are homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings. Consider the sentences below: Nate's grandfather has an odd manner of laughing. The manor is now a popular tourist site. Do you think these sentences are right? ...

Allude vs. Elude

He eluded to the problem but did not mention it. The thief alluded the police. Can you spot the mistake in the above two sentences? Take a minute to read both sentences carefully and see if you can find a mistake. If you found it, you are a real geni...

Allusion vs. Illusion

The nouns allusion and illusion sound quite similar, and they both have connotations of intangibility. As a result, they are sometimes confused by writers. Consider the sentences below; The Simpsons is full of allusions to well-known films. I am unde...

Anyone vs. Any one

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between anyone and any one? Consider the sentences below; If any one of your friends knows, please tell them to keep quiet. Has anyone seen my wallet? Both of these sentences have used the words anyone a...

Biannual vs. Biennial

Biannual and biennial are treated as if they are interchangeable or they mean the same. Some people who know the difference but still get confuse about which is which. Consider the two sentences below; We have biennial flowers in our garden. They hel...

Board vs. Bored

Homophones (literally "same sound") are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of how they are spelled. The words board, bored sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Why do board, bored sound the sam...

Collaborate vs. Corroborate

If you are having a hard time deciding when to use the commonly confused words, collaborate and corroborate, you are not the only one. The words collaborate and corroborate don't fall under the category of homophones, but people do confuse them on oc...

Continuous vs. Continual

The English language is full of words that are both similar in sound and similar in meaning. Many of these words are classified as homophones, but many others don’t quite fit under that label. The two words continually vs. continuously, while not b...

Apologize vs. Apologise

If the athlete wants to rejoin the team, he must apologise for his poor attitude. Shouldn’t the above sentence have different spellings of apologize that it, with a z instead of s? Apologize and apologise are the two known spellings of the verb an...

Further vs. Farther

Further research is necessary. The red car is farther away than the blue car. Contrary to popular opinion, further and farther don't have the same meaning. Basically, further refers to something that is additional and farther refers to actual distanc...

Hanged vs. Hung

The traitor was hanged for treason. He hung on to the rope. Since 1st grade we have been told the past tense of hang is hanged but then what is wrong with one of the two sentences above? This article will tell you all there is to know about the diffe...

Exceed vs. Accede

Their loyalty exceeds their national bonds. He acceded to the throne after his father. Do you know the difference between exceed and accede? Do the above sentences give an idea to what they might mean? Exceed and accede are a pair of words with simil...