The right word.
I might have posted this one before, but Mark Twain said a lot of very wise things, and it fits into the theme I’ve had this month in quotes involving editing, deleting, and the right word.
The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. ~ Mark Twain
Commonly confused words
Words, either through typos or through not understand actual meanings, can often be mistake through spell check. Now, oftentimes we don’t know that we made a mistake, and usually it is easier to look it up in the dictionary. However, just in case you were wondering, this is my non-comprehensive list of all similar words and homophones that I could find.
Just in case you were wondering, I have a total of 452 words.
As a note, for those using safari or firefox, you can press either cmd+down arrow or spacebar to get to the bottom and tell me how impressed you are with me. :)
That being said, here is my list of commonly confused words.
- a lot / allot
- accent / ascent / assent
- accept / except
- acts / ax
- ad / add
- ado/adieu
- ads / adds / adz
- adverse / averse
- advice / advise
- affect / effect
- aide / aid
- ail / ale
- air / heir / err
- aisle / isle / I’ll
- all / awl
- all ready / already
- all together / altogether
- allowed / aloud
- allude / elude
- allusion / illusion
- already / all ready
- altar / alter
- angel / angle
- ant / aunt
- arc / ark
- are / our
- assay / essay
- assent / ascent
- assistance / assistants
- ate / eight
- aural / oral
- away / aweigh
- axil / axle
- aye / eye
- bail / bale
- bait / bate
- ball / bawl
- band / banned
- bard / barred
- bare / bear
- baron / barren
- base / bass
- bases / basis
- bazaar / bizarre
- be / bee
- beach / beech
- beat / beet
- beau / bow
- bell / belle
- berry / bury
- berth / birth
- billed / build
- bit / bite
- bite / byte
- blew / blue
- bloc / block
- boar / bore
- board / bored
- boarder / border
- bode / bowed
- bolder / boulder
- born / borne
- bough / bow
- bouillon / bullion
- boy / buoy
- braid/brayed
- braise/brays
- brake / break
- bread / bred
- breath / breathe / breadth
- brewed / brood
- brews / bruise
- bridle / bridal
- broach / brooch
- browse / brows
- bus/buss
- bussed/bust
- but / butt
- buy / by / bye
- cache / cash
- callous / callus
- cannon / canon
- canvas / canvass
- capital / capitol
- carat / carrot / caret / karat
- carol / carrel
- cast / caste
- cede / seed
- ceiling / sealing
- cell / sell
- cellar / seller
- censor / sensor
- cent / scent / sent
- cents / scents / sense
- cereal / serial
- cession / session
- chance / chants
- chased / chaste
- cheap / cheep
- chews / choose
- chic / sheik
- chilly / chili
- choir / quire
- choose / chose / choice
- choral / coral
- chord / cord
- chute / shoot
- cite / sight / site
- clause / claws
- click / clique
- close / clothes / cloze
- clothes / cloths
- coal / cole
- coarse / course
- colonel / kernel
- complement / compliment
- conscience / conscious
- coo / coup
- coop / coupe
- core / corps
- corps / corpse
- correspondence / correspondents
- council / counsel
- creak / creek
- crews / cruise
- cruel / crewel
- cue / queue
- currant / current
- curser / cursor
- cymbal / symbol
- dairy / diary
- dam / damn
- days / daze
- dear / deer
- definitely / defiantly
- defused / diffused
- descent / dissent
- dessert / desert
- device / devise
- dew / do / due
- die / dye
- disburse / disperse
- discreet / discrete
- do / dew / due
- doe / dough
- dominant / dominate
- done / dun
- draft / draught
- dual / duel
- dyeing / dying
- earn / urn
- eight / ate
- elicit / illicit
- eminent / imminent
- envelop / envelope
- everyday / every day
- ewe / you / yew
- eye / I
- facts / fax
- faint / feint
- fair / fare
- farther / further
- faun / fawn
- faze / phase
- feat / feet
- find / fined
- fir / fur
- fist / first
- flair / flare
- flair / flare
- flea / flee
- flex/flecks
- flew / flu / flue
- flocks / phlox
- flour / flower
- for / four / fore
- foreword / forward
- formally / formerly
- fort / forte
- forth / fourth
- foul / fowl
- friar / fryer
- fur / fir
- gait / gate
- gene / jean
- gild / guild
- gilt / guilt
- gnu / knew / new
- gored / gourd
- gorilla / guerrilla
- grayed/grade
- grease / Greece
- great / grate
- groan / grown
- guessed / guest
- hail / hale
- hair / hare
- hall / haul
- halve / have
- half / have
- hangar / hanger
- hart / heart
- hay / hey
- heal / heel / he’ll
- hear / here
- heard / herd
- heed / he’d
- hertz / hurts
- hew / hue / Hugh
- hi / high
- higher / hire
- him / hymn
- hoar / whore
- hoard / horde
- hoarse / horse
- hoes / hose
- hold / holed
- hole / whole
- holey / holy / wholly
- hostel / hostile
- hour / our
- human / humane
- idle / idol
- illicit / elicit
- in / inn
- insight / incite
- instance / instants
- intense / intents
- iron / ion
- its / it’s
- jail / gel / jell
- jam / jamb
- jeans / genes
- knap / nap
- knead / kneed / need
- knew / new
- knight / night
- knit / nit
- knot / not
- know / no
- know / now
- knows / nose
- laid / lade
- lain / lane
- later / latter
- lay / lei
- leach / leech
- lead / led
- leak / leek
- lean / lien
- leased / least
- lee / lea
- lessen / lesson
- levee / levy
- liar / lier / lyre
- lichen / liken
- lie / lye
- lieu / Lou
- lightning / lightening
- links / lynx
- load / lode
- loan / lone
- locks / lox
- loins / lions
- loop/loupe
- loose / lose
- loot / lute
- low / lo
- made / maid
- mail / male
- main / mane / Maine
- maize / maze
- male / mail
- mall / maul
- manner / manor
- mantel / mantle
- marry / merry / Mary
- marshal / martial
- massed / mast
- material / materiel
- maybe / may be
- meat / meet / mete
- medal / metal / mettle / meddle
- might / mite
- mince / mints
- mind / mined
- miner / minor
- missed / mist
- moan / mown
- mode / mowed
- moose / mousse
- moral / morale
- morn / mourn
- mourning / morning
- muscle / mussel
- must/mussed
- mustard / mustered
- naval / navel
- nay / neigh
- nix/nicks
- none / nun
- ode / owed
- oh / owe
- one / won
- or / ore / oar
- overdo / overdue
- overseas / oversees
- pail / pale
- pain / pane
- pair / pare / pear
- palate / palette / pallet
- passed / past
- patience / patients
- pause / paws
- pea / pee
- peace / piece
- peak / peek / pique
- peal / peel
- pear / pair
- pearl / purl
- pedal / peddle / petal
- peer / pier
- per / purr
- personal / personnel
- phrase/frays
- pie / pi
- pier / peer
- place/ plaice
- plain / plane
- plait / plate
- pleas / please
- plum / plumb
- pole / poll
- poor / pour / paw / pore
- praise/prays/preys
- pray / prey
- precede / proceed
- presence / presents
- prince / prints
- principal / principle
- profit / prophet
- quiet / quite
- rack / wrack
- rain / reign / rein
- raise / rays / raze
- rap / wrap
- rapped / rapt / wrapped
- rational / rationale
- raw / roar
- read / red
- read / reed
- real / reel
- reek / wreak
- respectfully / respectively
- rest / wrest
- retch / wretch
- reverend / reverent
- review / revue
- right / rite / write
- ring / wring
- road / rode / rowed
- roam / Rome
- roe / row
- role / roll
- root / route / rout
- rose / rows
- rote / wrote
- rough / ruff
- rung / wrung
- rye / wry
- sail / sale
- scared / scarred
- scene / seen
- scull / skull
- sea / see
- seam / seem
- seas / sees / seize
- sense / since
- serf / surf
- sew / so / sow
- shear / sheer
- shoe / shoo
- shone / shown
- shore / sure
- side / sighed
- sighs / size
- sight / site / cite
- slay / sleigh
- sleight / slight
- slew / slue / slough
- soar / sore
- soared / sword
- sole / soul
- some / sum
- son / sun
- staid / stayed
- stair / stare
- stake / steak
- stationary / stationery
- steal / steel
- step / steppe
- stile / style
- straight / strait
- suite / sweet
- summary / summery
- surge / serge
- tacks / tax
- tail / tale
- taught / taut
- tea / tee
- team / teem
- tear / tier
- tern / turn
- than / then
- their / there / they’re
- theirs / there’s
- therefore / therefor
- threw / through
- through / thorough / thought
- thrown / throne
- thyme / time
- tic / tick
- tide / tied
- to / too / two
- toad / towed
- toe / tow
- told / tolled
- track / tract
- trail / trial
- trussed / trust
- vain / vane / vein
- vale / veil
- vary / very
- vial / vile
- vice / vise
- wade / weighed
- wail / whale
- waist / waste
- wait / weight
- waive / wave
- wale / whale / wail
- want / wont
- ware / wear / where
- way / weigh / whey
- ways / weighs
- we / wee
- we’d / weed
- we’ll / wheel
- we’ve / weave
- weak / week
- weal / wheel
- wear / where
- weather / whether / wether
- wet / whet
- where / were
- which / witch
- while / wile
- whine / wine
- whirled/world
- whirred/word
- whose / who’s
- won / wan
- wood / would
- worn/warn
- write / right
- yoke / yolk
- yore / your / you’re
- you’ll / yole / yule
So there you have it. Hope you enjoyed.
To Make Writing Both Interesting and Original
C. S. Lewis is perhaps one of my favorite authors. He wrote Chronicles of Naria (which I love. Don’t go after the recent movies.) and The Screwtape Letters are very good. So it makes sense that I would eventually quote him here.
C. S. Lewis
Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say ‘infinitely’ when you mean ‘very’; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.
— C. S. Lewis
Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.
— C. S. Lewis
words–be gone!
If only banish words from your writing was that easy. The fact is that it takes a lot of a time and effort and careful writing to properly banish words.
Wait! Why would I want to ban words from my writing? Aren’t all words good?
No.
See, some words are perfectly fine to use often. Said is actually one of these words. The word said is generally invisible to readers, especially once readers get involved in your story. If you don’t believe me, watch yourself next time you read. I skip over that word, using it merely to reestablish who is speaking.
However, there are some words that writers tend to use constantly in their writing and you really don’t want that. The word becomes overused and stale and just doesn’t hold the same umph that you want it to.
Well, that sounds easy. What’s the word?
Good question. There isn’t just one word that I can say that everyone overuses. Worse, it isn’t just one word usually. To make it even hardly, once you start controlling one word from your writing, another overly-used word will crop up and then you’ll have to delete that word and it will continue in very much a circular pattern.
So what I am to possible do?
1) Be aware of this when you edit your writing. If you realize that we tend to use words over and over again, you’ll be more likely to notice yourself doing this when you edit it.
2) Figure out how to replace it, or if you need the words in the first place. My current favorite words is just. He just needed to do this. He just didn’t like her. He just wished that the rain would stop. I don’t need it. But, remember that if you merely replacing the words with something else, say, I replace just with only, then only becomes my new banned word and I’m no better off.
3) Create a list somewhere of these banned words. This can be a mental list even, but for physical people, physical lists might be a good idea. And just because a word is banned for you doesn’t mean you can never use it. You do want to evaluate every single time you use it through to see if you really, really, really need to.
4) If you really want to banish a word, and you don’t see that word in your writing, I would advise doing a find and replace all. I did this once when I was told that I had too many wases/weres in my writing. I replaced all wases with 12345667890 and all weres with 0987654321. This made these words obvious to me, but for areas like dialog, that I don’t want to change, I can do a change all and replace them back.
5) You’ll have to be on you guard at all times. Words are sneaky and want to be used. Be on guard for another word slipping into your writing, because it probably will happen.
This sounds really hard. I don’t know if I want to do all that editing.
Well, in that case it’s your choice, but no one ever said that writing is easy. in fact, the general agreement is that writing is one of the most challenging things to understand. So happy writing.
Question of the Week due tomorrow night. No answers mean you get to only hear my opinion still.
similar words
The English language is very often tricky and sometimes in ways that we don’t even notice. There are so many variations for spelling and to keep track of them all is a challenge in and of itself. Here are a few very similar words, just to watch out for.
COLLEGE vs. COLLAGE: CollEge is a university, a place you go after highschool. CollAge is a form of art that involves pieces of things being stuck to a backing.
CALENDER vs. CALENDAR: Yes, these are both correctly spelled. CalendEr is a machine in which cloth or paper is pressed by rollers to glaze or smooth it. CalendAr is the thing that hangs on the wall that tells you the dates.
Defiantly vs. Definitely: These don’t look that similar, but they are words to be wary of. Defiantly is an attitude of someone. Definitely means to be clearly stated. Not doubtful.
ForMAT vs. ForMATE: This would be something that you might look at and thing, “I ran spell check, so it has to be right, even if it doesn’t look it.” Format is just how something is arranged or set out. FormatE is a salt or ester of formic acid.
BARROW vs BORROW: A barrow is a wheelbarrow, metal frame, two wheels, used for transporting things. Borrow is to take and use some something that belongs to someone else with the intent of returning it.
AD vs ADD: Ad is what you see on TV between each part of the show. ADD is 2 + 2 = 4
It’s vs. Its: It’s basically is “It is” and should be used as such. Its is a possessive form of it. If in doubt, put in hers or his in place of its. If it doesn’t make sense, It’s not correct.
THAN vs. THEN: Than is a comparison word. I am taller than my brother. Then is a reference to time. Then I went to the mall and got caught up in the robbery.
hAllow vs. hOllow: Hallow means honor as holy. Hollow means there’s nothing inside of it.
ContinUOUS vs. continUOS: Continuous is to form an unbroken or whole unit. Continuos is a plural of a musical term.
PLURAL vs. PLEURAL: Plural is when you want to make make a noun having more than one. Pleural is the adjective form of a pleura, which is related to the lungs.
COMPLEMENT vs. COMPLIMENT: ComplEment is when two things go well together. LIke that necklace might complement the dress. Compliment is when I say nice things to you about you. Like, you look very pretty in that dress.
STATIONARY vs. STATIONERY: StationAry is to be standing still. StationEry is when you have pretty paper to write notes on.
THOROUGH vs. THROUGH: Thorough is when you do something without missing a detail. Through is to move in one side and out the other.
DeSSert vs. DeSert: DeSSert is the yummy tasting thing at the end of the meal. DeSert is a sandy, hot, wasteland. Not yummy.
LightENing vs. LightNing: LIghtENing is a form of lighten and is to make something lighter. LightNing is the thing that happens during the thunderstorm.
MucOUS vs MucUS: MucOUS is an adjective. MucUS is a noun. They mean they same thing; they’re just different parts of speech.
There are also many other words that are plus or minus a letter. I’m trying to do the ones that aren’t obvious.
similar words
I thought for a long time that I knew the difference between lose, loose, and loss. I said I could just tell the difference by thinking about it. No big problem there.
Guess what? I was wrong.
For some reason, I kept thinking that loose (as in, he loosened the ropes) was the same as lose (as in, I will not lose the game.) So I wrote a lot with that spelling in mind.
Now, I have to go back and fix them all. Worse, I have to think about it each time, just to make sure I am right, and I still sometimes get it wrong.
What does this mean? Always look up. The dictionary is your friend.
On another note, I finished my story for the writing contest! Well, almost. I inserted the paper edit into the computer, so I’m practically done. Yay! (Just a few more touch ups.)
Abigail
always a writer 