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Conquering Confusing Words, by Darlene Bishop The misuse of similar sounding words with totally different meanings has often been referred to as a "Bunkerism," from the old "All In The Family" sitcom character, Archie Bunker. You may remember Archie. He was a common man with delusions of grandeur, who tossed around ten-dollar words like he knew what they meant while everyone around him cringed at his mistakes. We all laughed at Archie, but sadly, there are many writers who unsuspectingly use the wrong word in their writing, just as Archie did in his speech. And just as Archie was unaware of his blunders, so are these poor writers. Fortunately, with some study and a good dictionary, these same writers don't have to share Archie's misfortune of appearing ignorant. Read and study the list of words below with their meanings. Although certainly not all inclusive, this list will provide a good beginning in your continuing education of proper word usage and meaning. accept - to receive except - other than adapt - to adjust adept - skilled adopt - to take as one's own advice - recommendation regarding a decision or course of action advise - to give advice to; to counsel (Thanks to Tameka Sowder, http://www.promotiontoolkit.com, for the above contribution!) affect - to have influence on effect - result all ready - prepared already - by this time all right - satisfactory, very well alright - grammatically incorrect all together - everyone in a group altogether - wholly allude - to refer to elude - to evade or escape allusion - indirect reference illusion - erroneous belief or perception all ways - by all methods always - at all times, forever annual - yearly annul - to void any one - any one person, followed by "of" anyone - anybody, any person at all any way - any method anyway - in any case anyways - grammatically incorrect appraise - to estimate apprise - to tell or to inform ascent - a movement up assent - agreement assistance - aid assistants - helpers assure - to guarantee ensure - to make sure insure - to protect against loss bare - unclothed bear - to carry, or an animal beside - by the side of besides - in addition to biannual - occurring twice a year biennial - occurring once every two years biweekly - occurring once every two weeks semiweekly - occurring twice a week board - a plane of wood bored - uninterested born - brought into life borne - carried brake - stop break - smash buy - purchase by - next to bye - good-bye capital - the seat of government capitol - the building where a legislature meets cite - to quote an authority sight - the ability to see site - a place compliment - an expression of praise, admiration, or congratulation; a formal act of civility, courtesy or respect complement - something that completes or makes up a whole; either of two parts which mutually complete or enhance each other continual - occurring regularly continuos - without interruption cooperation - working together corporation - a type of business organization correspondence - written communications correspondents - people who write credible - believable creditable - worthy of praise desert - to abandon dessert - after-dinner course device - an invention devise - to invent or plot discreet - reserved; respectful discrete - individual or distinct elicit - to bring out illicit - illegal every one - each person; always followed by "of" everyone - everybody; every person in a group fair - average; lovely fare - a fee for transportation farther - actual or literal distance further - additional forth - forward fourth - after "third" forward - toward the front; ahead foreword - preface gorilla - a large primate guerrilla - a kind of soldier hear - to perceive by ear here - in this place heard - past tense of "hear" herd - a group of animals hole - an opening whole - complete its - possessive of "it" it's - contraction of "it is" later - after the usual or proper time latter - more recent lead - heavy metal led - past tense of "lead" lessen - to make less lesson - something learned loan - (noun) a transaction involving the temporary transfer of something lend - (verb) to temporarily transfer something Loose - not securely fastened; free of restraint Lose - to suffer loss; to misplace (Thanks to Darrel House for the above contribution!) may be - verb form maybe - perhaps meat - flesh meet - encounter mete - to allot; distribute no - the opposite of "yes" know - to be certain overdo - to carry too far overdue - past due passed - past tense of "pass" past - after; a time gone by patience - forbearance patients - persons under medical care peace - the absence of war piece - a portion of something plain - clear plane - a carpenter's tool; or an airborne vehicle presence - the state of being at hand presents - gifts principal - most important; the head of a school; the amount borrowed in a loan principle - basic truth or law quiet - no noise quite - entirely or actually rain - precipitation reign - to rule rein - strap for controlling an animal raise - to build up raze - to tear down reality - that which exists realty - real estate reign - to rule rein - strap for controlling an animal (The phrase is "free rein," not "free reign.") residence - a house residents - people who reside in a residence respectfully - in a courteous manner respectively - in the order mentioned right - correct rite - a religious ceremony write - to make letters road - surface for driving rode - past tense of "ride" sale - with "for," offering products for purchase; with "on," special pricing sail - part of a ship or boat sell - to exchange for money cell - a small room scene - where an action occurs seen - past participle of "see" sight - something seen site - a place, including a location in cyberspace someone - somebody some one - some person; always followed by "of" some time - a period of time sometime - at some unspecified time stationary - unmoving stationery - writing paper statue - a carved or molded figure stature - height; status statute - law straight - unbending strait - water passageway tenant - one who rents property tenet - a principle; a belief their - possessive of "they" there - opposite of "here" they're - contraction of "they" and "are" to - toward too - also two - the number that follows one waist - the middle of the body waste - discarded material waiver - the giving up of a right or claim waver - to show indecision weak - not strong week - Sunday through Saturday which - one of a group witch - a sorcerer who's - contraction of "who" and "is" whose - possessive of "who" your - possessive form of "you" you're - contraction of "you are" Good luck and good learning! If you have suggestions for additional words to be added to a possible later edition of "Conquering Confusing Words," please email me at dbishop@writebusiness.com. Copyright © Darlene Bishop. Darlene is a professional with nearly two decades of experience writing and editing ezines and newsletters, press releases and much more for both print and electronic media, and is the author of numerous magazine and newspaper articles on a variety of topics. Visit her website to learn more about her full line of writing and editorial services. |
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