Commonly confused or misspelled words. The first part of this list appeared on Sept. 5.
Faze/phase: To faze someone is to disturb them. A phase is a stage in a series or cycle.
Fiancé/fiancée: A man is a fiancé, a woman is a fiancée.
Fluorescent/florescent: The neon colors, or lights, are fluorescent. Florescent means the time and process of the budding and unfolding of blossoms.
Forego/forgo:
To forego something is to be earlier in time (go before). To forgo something is
to refrain from consuming it.
Further/farther:
Further means a nonphysical movement—further in one’s training, for instance.
To indicate that there is a lengthening of physical distance, you would use
farther.
Home
in/hone: To home in on something is to focus on it or to move toward a goal.
(You can “home in” or “home in on” something.) To hone something is to sharpen
its edge. (There is no such things as “hone in”.)
Imaging/imagining:
If you’re imaging something you’re producing an image using a machine. If
you’re imagining something then you’re creating a mental picture of it.
Imply/Infer:
To imply something is to suggest indirectly. To infer something is to interpret
it based on information.
Lay
low/lie low. To lay low is to defeat someone (lay them low=knock them down). To
lie low is to hide out when someone is looking for you.
Lead/led:
You lead a person now. You led a person in the past.
Lightening/lightning:
To lighten something is to make something weigh less. Lightning occurs during
thunderstorms.
Peek/peak/pique:
You peek through shutters to check outside, a mountain has a peak, and you can
have a fit of pique when you’re annoyed.
Premier/Premiere:
Premier means first or best in importance. A premiere is the opening night of a
performance.
Principal/Principle:
A principal is main or first. A principle is a rule or doctrine.
Prone/supine:
Prone means lying face down (on your stomach). Supine means lying with your
face up (on your back).
Rein/reign:
Rein is used most often in phrases like “free rein” and “rein in”. To reign
means to rule.
Rigid/Turgid/Tumid:
Rigid means to be stiff, hard or strict. Turgid means swollen and distended.
Tumid means swollen.
Shudder/Shutter:
A person can shudder in disgust or horror. One hangs a shutter on a window.
Staunch/Stanch:
Staunch means firm, steadfast, faithful. To stanch is to stop the flow of
blood.
Taunt/Taut:
You taunt someone when you call them names. One’s stomach is taut (tight, firm).
Tic/tick:
Tic is a noun and refers to an involuntary muscle spasm. A tick is a light
clicking noise, a mark made to check off items, or a bloodsucking insect. You
can’t say “his jaw ticked” unless it’s somehow making a clicking noise.
Trois/trios:
Trios means groups of three. When referring to a sexual act with three participants,
it’s a menage a trois (from the French).
Vice/vise:
A vice is a bad habit or sin. A vise is a clamping device or motion.
Vicious/viscous:
To be vicious is to be evil, spiteful, malicious. To be viscous is to be thick
and non-flowing.
Wrack/rack:
Wrack is a noun, referring to wrecking and ruin. To strain or torment someone
is to rack them (a verb).
2 comments:
Gah, wrack/rack always gets me.
Great stuff!!! (Will keep these two posts and use 'em during pre-submission revisions and save y'all a headache!)
Shutter/shudder is my personal pet peeve when reading. Makes me want to throw the book at the wall... Thanks for the excellent list.
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