HomonymsIf you’re ever unsure which word of two similar-sounding words that you want to use, always look it up. Some examples:
- Pore and Pour -- Pore means to read or study carefully. Pour means to cause to flow in a stream. "I pored over her letter. Then I poured myself a drink."
- Threw and Through -- Threw is the past tense of throw. Through means in one side and out the other> or from beginning to end. "She threw the typewriter through the window."
- Passed and Past -- Passed is the past tense of pass. Past describes something that has already happened. "Today I passed my driver's exam, although my past attempts to do so had ended with dented fenders."
- Lose and Loose -- Lose means to misplace. Loose means unfastened. "I don't want to lose my place, but the pages are all coming loose."
- Already and All ready -- Already means before this time. All ready means they are all ready. "The students are all ready to take their exams except the two who have already flunked."
- Altogether and All together -- Altogether means entirely. All together means they are all together. "When the Murphy boys are all together in the same room, they are altogether too rambunctious."
- Compliment and complement -- Compliment means to express admiration. Complement means to make complete, to supply what is lacking. "She complimented him on his new haircut." "Rodgers and Hammerstein complemented each other's talents perfectly."
Similar Words - There are a number of words that people use
interchangeably but which are not at all interchangeable. Here also,
when in doubt, look it up. A few examples:
- Imply and Infer -- Imply means to suggest or indicate, but not express. Infer means to deduce from evidence at hand. "Your tone implies that you doubt my statement." "I infer your doubt from the tone you use."
- Affect and Effect -- Affect means to influence. Effect means a result. "Your words do not affect her. The effect of your words is negligible."
- Accept and Except -- Accept means to receive or to take. Except means to leave out. "I accept the nomination." "Those with medical disabilities are excepted from the physical training requirements."
- Famous and Notorious -- Famous means widely and favorably known. Notorious means widely but unfavorably known. Neil Armstrong is famous, Al Capone was notorious.
- Fewer and Less -- Fewer refers to a number, something that can be counted. Less refers to an amount, something that cannot be counted. "Fewer people, less noise."
- Each other and one another -- Use each other when referring to two people or things; use one another when referring to more than two. "Jaime's cat and dog like to tease each other." "The three members of the committee have stopped speaking to one another."
- Hung and hanged -- Objects are hung, but human beings are hanged. "She hung a picture of Van Gogh's Sunflowers over her desk." "Joseph Smiley was hanged as a horse thief in 1874."
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