Word of the Day
January
Jan. 1: Lie/lay.......
Lie: is used when you are speaking of reclining, like to lie down on the bed. Lay: needs an object-you lay the book on the table. Jan. 2: Through/Threw...
Through: From beginning to end, like entering and leaving a tunnel. Ex: "We drove through the Holland Tunnel." Threw: Past tense of "throw", as in "He threw the football." Jan. 3: Accept/Except... Accept: To take, or receive, as in a gift. Except: not included, other than, as in "except for chocolate, he didn't like sweets." Jan. 4: Baited/Bate Baited: What you use to entice someone/something to do something, like "he baited the trap to catch a raccoon." Bated: to hold back in anticipation, like "she waited with bated breath for her final grade in the class." Jan. 5: Breath/Breathe This may simply be a typo, but I have seen it far too often to be just a typo. Breath: a whisper of air, as in the air that is taken in and out of the lungs. Breathe: the act of taking in air and letting it out of the lungs. Jan. 6: Good/Well Good: an adjective meaning "satisfactory." Example: "Her book was good, but it wasn't a 5 star read". Well:Can be an adjective or an adverb, as in "I don't feel well" (adjective) or "The student's book report was well thought out.". Try and substitute "good" for "well" if you're not sure. If it sounds awkward, use the other word. That's an easy test. Jan. 7: Definitely/Defiantly I'm going to blame spellcheck for this one, as it's been confused way too often by too many authors. Definitely: Without a doubt, certainly. "I am definitely going to ace that exam!" Defiantly: (from "defy") to refuse to obey, or to do something in the usual or expected way. "He said, defiantly, "Over my dead body!" Jan. 8: Peek/Peak/Pique Peek: a covert look, to avoid being seen, or a fast look. "She took a peek at his phone calls while he wasn't looking." Peak: the highest point, like mountain peak, or value or level. "He was at the peak of his career when he was fired". Pique: To incite or anger, or to cause interest. Jan. 9: Lose/Loose Lose: To no longer own, or be defeated in a contest, or not be able to find something/someone. Loose: Not attached, not covered, not firmly fastened. "Loose the noose"...and "lose my shoes." Historical/Hysterical Not a common mistake, but I've seen it enough for it to make this list. Historical: having to do with the past. Hysterical: unable to control your emotions, either happy or scared. Jan. 10: Leased/Least Leased:rented/hired. "I leased an apartment for 6 months." Least: smallest amount, less than anything. "Money was the least of his worries." Jan. 11: Loop/Loupe Loop: A circular shape that crosses at one point, leaving 2 open sides. Example: Loop a tie around one's neck. Loupe: A french word, means magnifying glass. Such as: the jeweler's instrument for looking at gems and diamonds. Jan. 12: Personal/Personnel Personal: Belonging to one person, something related to one's body. Personnel: Human Resources dept. of a company, or the people working in a company or organization. Jan. 13: Aid/Aide Aid: Assistance, such as medical Aide: Someone who is an assistant to someone in power, such as government, or common usage, "nurse's aide". Jan. 14: Pearl/Perle Pearl: a gem created by sand in an oyster shell. Perle: a stitch in knitting. Jan. 15: Peel/Peal Peel: The skin of a fruit, like an orange; to remove one layer at a time. Peal: To make a loud sound, such as bells, or to yell at, or scold. Jan. 16: Awe/Aww This is a mistake I am seeing A LOT of lately. Awe: A feeling of great respect, such as, "The Grand Canyon is awe-inspiring." Aww: an expression of sympathy, like "aww, you have a broken finger, I'm sorry." Jan. 17: Buy/By Buy-means to purchase. By-in close proximity to, such as "the church was by the corner of Smith and Main Streets. Jan. 18: Envelop/Envelope Envelop-to surround or cover completely. Envelope: a covering, usually rectangular, that usually contains a letter, for mailing. Jan. 19: Huge/Hugh/Hue This is a very common transposition, and I've seen it a lot lately. Huge: Gigantic in size, enormous. Hugh: A man's name. (ex: UK actor, Hugh Laurie.) Hue: a shade of color. Jan. 20: Bear/Bare Bear: A large furry animal, or to carry or support something, can be of a sorrowful nature ("the death of his father was too much to bear"). Bare: the least amount ("the bare necessities") or to uncover something. Jan. 21: Converse/Conversate Converse: to talk between at least 2 people. Conversate: This is extremely poor English, meaning converse. Usually heard in conversation with minority speakers, but I have seen it in books by minority authors. (This is NOT meant to insult any race/color, just a statement of fact.) Jan. 22: Bask/Basque Bask: to enjoy warmth, as in "bask in the sun" Basque: a region between southern Spain and Portugal, or a corset (UK English). Jan. 23:Reign/Rein/Rain Reign: To rule, as over a kingdom Rein: to pull in, slow down, control, as in a horse, or emotions. Rain: Water falling from the sky Jan. 24: Altar/Alter Altar: a table used in religious ceremonies, the space where the table is. Alter: to change, refit, as in alter clothing to fit. Jan. 25: Reek/Wreak Reek: to stink horribly, have a very bad smell. Wreak: to cause chaos, in a violent way. Jan. 26: Knew/New Knew: past tense of "to know". Ex-He knew his electric bill was due that day. New: recently made/created, or has just started to exist. Jan. 27: Mantel/Mantle Mantel: the decoration around a fireplace, including the shelf over it. Mantle: a type of covering, like a layer over the earth; a ceremonial robe. Jan. 28: Deceased/Diseased Probably another spellcheck mistake, but very commonly seen. Deceased: dead, no longer alive Diseased: sick, ill. Jan. 29: Genius/Genious This is confusing, as I'm not sure why spellcheck didn't catch this one in the books I've seen it in. Genius: Someone with much higher than average intelligence Genious: a misspelling, this word does not exist. Jan. 30: Humerous/Humerus Humorous: funny, laughable, amusing Humerus: the long bone in your arm between your shoulder and your elbow. Jan. 31: Coup/Coupe Coup: an unexpected success, like a coup d'etat (a government take-over.) Coupe: a type of hardtop car with 2 doors and usually a sloping back. February Feb. 1: Wither/Whither... Wither: to become weak, or dry, smaller Whither: British English for "to where?" Feb. 2:Sooth/Soothe... Sooth: used in soothsayer, as in psychic or someone who can tell the future. Soothe: to make something better, cause someone to be less angry or upset. Feb. 3: Wales/Wails/Whales... Wales: a country that is part of Great Britain. Wails: cries Whales: large sea mammals Feb. 4: Pin/Pen... Usually mistaken more in spoken English in the southern states. Pin: a sharp object used to hold things together, as in clothing. Pen: a writing instrument Feb. 5: New/Knew New: not old or used, something just bought or acquired. Knew: past tense of "know" Feb. 6: Heal/Heel Heal: to get better, as in an injury Heel: the back part of the foot. Feb. 7: Dye/Die Dye: to change colors using a coloring agent Die: to expire, cease to exist, one half of a pair of dice. Feb. 8: Lob/Lop Lob: an easy throw or hit, like "lob a baseball" in a high arc. Lop: To cut a piece of something off in a quick action. Feb. 9: While/Wile While: during something, a length of time. Wile: (usually plural, "wiles") skill in doing something, usually in getting someone to do something for you. Feb. 10: Do/Due/Dew Do: action word, present tense of "does". Due: expected, such as at a particular time, as in "His train is due in at 8 p.m.", or owed, as in currency. "The bill is due and payable in 10 days". Dew: the moisture on the grass and leaves in the morning. Feb. 11: Whether/Weather Very common mistake, I see this a lot. Whether: means if or maybe, conditions uncertain. Usually used in conjunction with "or not". Weather: the conditions in the air at the moment-sunny, rainy, cold, snowing, etc. Feb. 12: A lot/Alot A lot: means many, more than a few. Very often misspelled as Alot, which is improper English. The words need to be separated, as in "Heather has a lot of friends." Feb. 13: Site/Sight Site: Building site, the location of something. Sight: One of the five senses, of seeing with your eyes. Feb. 14: Heart/Hart Heart: the internal organ that beats in the center of the chest, keeping all life forces going. Hart: Another word for 'deer'. Feb. 15: Lore/Lure Lore:knowledge and stories about a subject,usually handed down through generations. Lure: Something to attract animals or people-bait, of a sort. Feb. 16: Bauble/Bubble Bauble: Flashy costume jewelry, usually cheap. Bubble: a ball of air, surrounded by liquid, either in the air, or landed on a surface. (i.e. soap bubbles.) Feb. 17: Read/Reed Read: to comprehend printed words on the page or computer screen Reed: a thicker grass, the mouthpiece of a wind instrument. Feb. 18: Sheers/Shears Sheers is a term used for thin window curtains. Shears are a pair of scissors, used to cut fabric. Feb. 19: Tide/Tied Tide: the action of the oceans based on the moon (high tide, low tide.) Tied: the past tense of "tie", the joining of two pieces of string, rope, etc. Ex: She tied her sneaker laces in a knot, so they wouldn't fall off." Feb. 20: Role/Roll Role: the job you play or portray, in a play or film. Roll: a small bread item, usually eaten with dinner. Feb. 21: Sliver/Slither Sliver: A small thin slice of metal or glass. Slither: To move around on the stomach, as a snake. Feb. 22: Alley/Ally Alley: A narrow lane between buildings or houses. Ally: Someone who is on your side in an altercation, argument. Feb. 23: Thrown/Throne Thrown: The past participle of "to throw", to propel something through the air by movement of the hand or arm. Throne: The special chair for a king, queen, visiting dignitary or important personage, such as a pope,bishop, etc. |
Feb. 24: Week/Weak Week: A period of seven days, usually Sunday through Saturday. Pay weeks are usually Monday to Friday. Weak: Not strong, feeble. Feb. 25: Vintage/Vantage Vintage: Meaning of a certain time period, usually refers to clothing. Vantage: A position or place, usually above others, which gives someone a commanding view. Feb. 26: Granite/Granted It doesn't happen often, but I have seen these two words confused in books. Granite: a type of igneous rock, commonly used in counter tops and flooring. Granted: to give, or accept being done by someone else. Feb. 27: Suit/Suite Suit: Articles of clothing, usually a jacket and pants (men, usually, and sometimes women) or a jacket and skirt (women), worn to work by office workers or executives. Suite: A set of connected rooms, as in a hotel or office, or a combination of coordinated furniture for a specific room (ex-bedroom or living room suite.) Feb. 28: Angel/Angle Angel: a supernatural being, depicted with wings, close to God. Angle: The space measured in two lines from the point where they both meet. March Mar 1: Quite/Quiet Quite: Adverb, meaning "to a large degree". Quiet: Absence of noise, soundless. Mar. 2: Chaos/Ciaos Chaos: disorder, riot Ciaos-"ciao" is Italian for "goodbye", so "goodbyes". Misspelling, but sometimes used. Mar. 3: Prey/Pray Prey: An animal that is hunted for food. Pray: To speak to God, or a higher being, either privately or in a public setting, as a church. Mar. 4: Mute/Moot Mute: a person/animal who is unable to speak. Moot: Not worth considering, having no value. Mar. 5: Corpse/Corps/Copse These three words get mistaken for each other all the time. Corpse: A dead body. Corps: A military unit (i.e. The Marine Corps), or a group of people who work together for the common good. Copse: A small group of trees (British English) Mar. 6: Chaise lounge/ Chez longue Chaise lounge is correct, pronounced "shay's longe" meaning a chair to lie back in, where the seat is longer than the side, so you can lie on it. "Chez longue" is just incorrect. Mar. 7: Shutter/Shudder Shutter: a flat wooden panel used to close windows from bad weather, or the part of a camera that allows light in to take a photograph. Shudder: a sudden shake, because of an unpleasant thought. Mar. 8: Where/Wear/Were Where: a location. Wear: to have clothing on your body, also applies to jewelry. Were: Past tense of "are", as in "You were at the rodeo Saturday, right?" Very common mistake, and spell check will not pick it up, as all three are actual words. Mar. 9: Martial/Marital Martial:pertaining to/suitable for war Marital: pertaining to marriage, wedlock. Mar. 10: Illicit/Elicit Illicit: Illegal or disapproved of in society Elicit: To obtain something, like a reaction. Mar. 11: Warily/Wearily Warily: Carefully, watchfully, like you don't trust someone or the circumstances. Wearily: Tiredly. Mar. 12: Strait/Straight Strait: A narrow area of water, connecting to larger ones; a difficult time. Straight: Not crooked or bent. Mar. 13: Pommel/Pummel Pommel: The rounded part of a saddle that sticks up in the front. Pummel: to beat someone with fists. March 14: Bath/Bathe Bath: the activity of washing one's self or an animal in a large tub of water. Bathe:To wash someone in a bathtub, using soap and water. Mar. 15: Minute/Minuet Minute: an element of time, 1/60th of an hour, or 60 seconds. Minuet: a French dance for two people, similar to a waltz, in 3/4 time. Mar. 16: Shoot/Chute Shoot: to kill or wound a person or animal with a bullet or bow and arrow. Also, a term used in video or photography, such as a safari shoot, which is using cameras instead of guns. Mar. 17: Tinge/Twinge Tinge: a slight degree of color, as in "embarrassment lent her cheeks a tinge of pink". Twinge: a sudden, localized pain. Mar. 18: Waste/Waist Waste: What is left over, after an event or process. Waist: The part of the abdomen between the ribs and the hips. Mar. 19: Barely/Barley Barely: By the least amount, only just. Ex: She barely passed her science final, with a 67. (passing is 65) Barley: a grain, or the tall plant that grows this grain. Mar. 20: Confident/Confidante Confident: sure of one's self, assured Confidante: someone to share one's secrets with. Mar. 21: Ground/Grounded Ground: The earth we walk on, the past tense of grind, as in "the pill was ground into powder". Grounded: To be punished, remanded to one's room for a certain time period. Mar. 22: Mine/Mien: Mine: An underground system of tunnels and shafts where workers remove minerals from the earth. Possessive form of "Me", as in "that book is mine". Mien: The look on a person's face, their usual look. Mar. 23: Well/ We'll Well: The pipe that is drilled into the ground for oil or water. We'll: The contraction for "We will". Mar. 24: Plate/Plait Plate: The flat container that food is eaten from. Plait: Old fashioned word for "braid". Mar. 25: Dam/Damn Dam: A barrier against water. Man-made or made by beavers. Damn: A mild curse word. Mar. 26: Hale/Hail Hale: able bodied, in good health ("hale and hearty") Hail: Frozen precipitation varying in size from tiny to golf-ball size. Can do damage to property and vegetation. Mar. 27: Brooch/Broach Brooch: An decorative pin that a woman would wear on her clothing. Broach: To bring up in conversation, especially a difficult subject. Mar. 28: Toad/Toed Toad: a reptile, frog. Toed: pertaining to toes, or to follow instructions to the letter. Mar. 30: Rift/Riffed Rift: A division, like what is caused by a fight between family members. Riffed: past tense of "riff" to discharge a person from military service. (British term.) Mar. 31: Serve/Sever Serve: To offer or distribute, such as food, drink, or give assistance. Sever: To cut apart, sometimes using a cleaver, or cut dissolve ties with, as in a relationship. April April 1: Occurred/Accrued Occurred: Something happened, or a thought arose. Accrued: To be added to, as in interest on money. April 2: Plane/Plain: Plane: short for "airplane", or to smooth wood with a hand tool called a "planer". Plain: without ornamentation, average (looks). April 3: Interrogation/Integration: Interrogation: Intense questioning, like when police ask questions of a suspect. Integration: To bring in people from another area/culture/race to a previously existing area. April 4: Goes/Go's Goes: Present tense of "go" used with "he, she, it". Go's: incorrect and sloppy usage of "goes". April 5: Forth/Fourth Forth: comes out, such as a sound-a laugh burst forth. Fourth: Pertaining to the number four-in the position after third and before fifth. April 6: Trail/Trial Trail: A path to follow, such as through the woods. Trial: a test, something to do to prove something. Also a legal examination of the facts in a court of law, to determine an outcome. April 7: Perfect/Prefect Perfect: The epitome, can't get any better. Prefect: A very important person in the government or the police, in some countries. April 8: Past/Passed Past: The period before now, up to and including now. Your life, up till now. Passed: To go by, or move beyond someone or something. A euphemism for deceased. April 9: Ball/Bawl Ball: a (usually) round object, used in sports, such as baseball, or basketball. Bawl: To cry one's eyes out. April 10: Hardy/Hearty Hardy: Able to take difficult conditions, as in a plant is hardy in cold weather. Hearty: Strong or enthusiastic, as in a handshake, or thick and nourishing, as in a soup or stew. April 11: Broke/Broken Broke: A state of having little or no funds. Ex: I'm broke till payday." Broken: In bad repair, not being not able to work. Ex: The lawnmower is broken, so I can't cut the grass." April 12: Wreck/Wreak Wreck: a damaged condition, like a boat or car that has been in an accident. "shipwreck" for example. Wreak: to destroy, make a mess, as in "the hurricane is going to wreak havoc on Florida." April 13: By/Buy/Bye By: Near, as in "she sat near the blackboard so she could see the assignments." Buy: To make a purchase Bye:Abbreviation for "good-bye" April 14: Faint/Feint Faint: Feeling weak or dizzy, about to lose consciousness. Feint: To deceive, to make a false move, to attack from a different angle. April 15: Pail/Pale
Pail: A bucket or container to carry water, or any other liquid, like milk at a dairy. Pale: A loss of skin tint. If someone feels faint or surprised, they can go pale. April 16: Clinch/Clench Clinch: To win, secure Clench: To make a fist, or grit your teeth. COMMON ERRORS: This is a very common error: Using "should of" or "had of", instead of "should have", or "had have". The past tense of "drag" is NOT "drug." It is "dragged." You weren't "drug through the mud," you were "dragged through the mud." |