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•A•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
a lot A lot is two words meaning "much": A lot of bologna was left over from
allot the party.

a while A while is two words meaning "a short period of time": I will meet you in a
awhile while.

a A is an indefinite article to be used before nouns beginning with a

an consonant: a photograph, a tree, a horse.
and An is to be used before nouns beginning with a vowel (or vowel
sound): an apple, an hour, an elephant.

And is a conjunction used between nouns in a list: A blanket and picnic

basket are needed for the afternoon.

accede Accede means "to agree or allow": Hiram Cheaply finallyacceded to

exceed accepting the presidency of the company.

Exceed means "to go beyond, to surpass": The amount of alcohol in his

blood exceeded the previous record.

accept Accept means "to take willingly": Miss Deeds accepted the cup of hot
except tea even without a saucer.

Except is a preposition meaning "excluding": Everyone was disappointed

with the party except Ida Goodtime.

adapt Adapt means "to adjust": Minnie Miles quickly adapted to living away
adept from home.
adopt Adept means "skilled": Lucille is adept at speaking languages.

Adopt means to "accept as your own": It was difficult to adopt only one
puppy from the animal shelter.

adverse Adverse means "unfavorable, hostile": Those driving in adverse winter

averse conditions may be putting themselves at risk.

Averse means "unwilling or repelled": She was immediately averse to the

idea.
advice Advice is a noun meaning "an opinion given with the intention of
advise helping": My mother still gives me advice even though I'm 40 years old.

Advise is a verb meaning "to give counsel or advice": The meteorologist

advised listeners to stay indoors because of the extremely cold
temperatures.

affect Affect is most often used as a verb meaning "to influence": The
effect president's speech affected his views of the upcoming election.

The verb effect means "to cause": Batting her eyes so flirtatiously
effected a strong desire in Rathbone to embrace Mirabelle.

aid Aid is help or assistance given: Every Christmas the community gives aid
aide to those less fortunate.

An aide is a person who helps: Frieda Gogh worked five years as a

teacher's aide.

airs Airs refers to snobbish and artificial behavior: Portia Radclyffe put on airs
heirs at the fine dinner party just because she had a few diamonds.

Heirs are people who, because they are family, will inherit an estate or
title.

all right All right is a phrase meaning "everything is right": Is all right here?
alright Alright is a single word meaning "OK": Is everything alright here?

all together All together is applied to people or things that are being treated as a
altogether whole: We always had fun when we were all together. To double check
this usage, try separating the two words: We all had fun when were
together.

Altogether is an adverb that means "completely or totally": Using a

flashlight in bed is an altogether new approach to reading.

all ways All ways means "by every means or method": Dirk tried all ways to
always navigate the storm.

Always means "forever": Sue St. Marie always responded calmly during
emergency situations.

allude Allude means "to suggest indirectly": Leticia can't speak to her husband
elude without alluding to his affair with Martha Snodgrass.

Elude means "to dodge or escape": Serious relationships always seemed

to elude him.

allusion An allusion is a subtle reference or hint: Rita Book made an allusion to

the most recent novel she read in our conversation yesterday.
illusion An illusion is a deception, mirage, or a wild idea: The teacher said she
had no illusions about how much work teaching demands.

almost Almost means "nearly all": Almost all my friends have graduated from
most college by now.

Most is superlative of more, meaning "the greatest or to the highest

degree": Chuck is the most computer savvy guy I know, or Chuck
cooked a most delicious supper.

aloud Aloud means "speaking so that someone else can hear you": Read this
allowed paragraph aloud.

Allowed means "having permission": His boss allowed him to take the
weekend off.

already, all ready Already is an adverb that indicates an action is completed by a certain
time: Herschel had already finished that whole pie.

All ready means "everything is completely prepared": The children were

all ready and bundled up warmly to go caroling on the snowy evening.

alternately Alternately means "taking turns": We paddled alternately so neither of us

alternatively would get too tired.

Alternatively means "as an option": Instead of going by train, we could

have gone alternatively by car.

ambiguous Ambiguous is describes a phrase or act with more than one meaning, or
ambivalent one that is unclear: The ending of the short story is ambiguous; we don't
know if he died or continue his journey.

Ambivalent means "uncertainty and having conflicting attitudes and

feelings": He was ambivalent as to which candidate to vote for.

amiable Amiable refers to a person who is friendly, good-natured, and pleasant:

amicable Susan was very amiable and liked immediately.

Amicable means "friendly and peaceable", and is used to describe

agreements or relationships between groups or people: After years of
disagreement, the two countries came to an amicable agreement.

among Among is used for three or more: Shirley had to choose among three
between universities she might attend.

Between is used for two things: I couldn't decide between blue and
green.

amoral Amoral means "having no principles at all, good or bad": Percy is totally
amoral; he is either helping others or helping himself at their expense.
immoral Immoral means "bad, lacking good principles": Everything his brother
does harms others whether it benefits him or not.

amount Amount is used with uncountable and abstract nouns: a large amount
number of money, amount of work, amount of happiness or amount of dirt.

Number is used with countable and concrete plural expressions: a

number of people, a number of attempts, a number of novels, a
number of trials.

amused Amused is when something is entertaining: The children were amused by

bemused watching the kittens play.

Bemused means "bewildered" or "lost in thought": George was bemused

by the unexpected ending to the movie.

annual Annual means "yearly": We must pay an annual tax.

annul Annul means "to make void or invalid": They want to annul the marriage.

any one Any one means "any one person": Any one of you may go, but not all of
anyone you.

Anyone means "anybody, any person at all": Anyone can chew gum
and walk at the same time.

anyway Anyway, anywhere, and nowhere are the correct forms.

anywhere
nowhere
anyways
anywheres
nowheres

apart Apart is an adverb meaning "in pieces": My plan for my vacation fell
a part apart.

A part is a noun meaning "one section of": A part of my heart left when
he did.

appraise Appraise is to assess or estimate the worth of: to appraise a diamond.

apprise Apprise is to inform or notify: the officer apprised us of our rights.

arcane Arcane refers to things known and understood by few people: Amanda
archaic Lynn teaches arcane theories of modern music at the college.

Archaic refers to things very, very old and outdated: The Oxford English
Dictionary contains many words that are archaic.
as As may be used as a conjunction that introduce dependent clauses:
like George talks as his father does. Informally, it may also be used as a
preposition in comparative constructions like: Jean-Claude is as forgetful
as me (or as I am).

Like is a preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun: George looks like

his mother. It may also be used as an adjective meaning "similar":
George and I have like minds.

ascent Ascent is an upward movement: Leo's ascent to the presidency of the

assent company came slowly.

Assent means "to agree to": Greta could not begin the project unless
management assented.

ascetic An ascetic is a person who renounces all material comforts, often for
aesthetic religious devotion: the young man lead his ascetic lifestyle despite his
parents' plans for him. It can also be used as an adjective: Ethan Asia
led an ascetic lifestyle.

Aesthetic refers to the philosophy of beauty or the pleasing qualities of

something: The statuette Leander created was lacking in aesthetic
qualities.

ascribe Ascribe means "to attribute to": She ascribed her feelings of jealousy to
describe insecurity.

Describe means "to show what something is by drawing a picture with

words": Describe in detail what the man looked like.

aspersion Aspersion is slander, a damaging remark: The campaign was filled with
dispersion one aspersion after another.

Dispersion is the act of scattering: The dispersion of seeds was irregular

because he sowed the seeds by hand.

assent See ascent, assent.

ascent

assistance Assistance is help or aid: the nurses gave assistance to the patients.
assistants Assistants are more than one assistant, a person who gives help: the
emergency room assistants were ready to help anyone who came
through the door. (See also patience andpatients.)

assure Assure means "to guarantee": He assured her it was a quality item.
ensure Ensure means "to make sure by double checking": The custodian
insure ensured the doors to the school were locked at night.

Insure means "to provide insurance": It is wise to insure your house

 against flood, fire, or theft.

auger An auger is a tool used for digging holes: If you want to ice fish, you
augur need to first drill a hole in the ice with an auger.

Augur means "to predict, forecast": Leroy's inheritance augured

happiness for him in the future.

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•B•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
bad Bad is an adjective used after verbs like am, feel, is, seem, and become:
badly They felt bad. (Using badly here would mean that their skill at feeling is
poor).

Badly is an adverb used after other verbs: They played badly. Badly can
also mean "greatly": They needed food badly.

baited Baited usually refers to traps: Baiting deer in order to hunt them is illegal
bated in most states.

Bated is seldom used but means "reduced, abated": Jessica bated her
pace to let her running mate catch up.

bare Bare means "naked": Walking in grass with bare feet is refreshing.
bear Bear is the animal, and also means "to carry": Sherman must bear the
burden of flunking math twice.

bazaar Bazaar is an exhibition, market, or fair: The Saturday morning bazaar is

bizarre worth seeing even if you buy nothing.

Bizarre means "weird and unworldly": Barry told us a bizarre story last
night.

belief Belief is a noun: He had strong beliefs.

believe Believe is a verb: She believes she can do anything.

beside Beside means "next to": Place the dishes beside the sink.
besides Besides is an adverb or preposition that means "also, additionally": I
would enjoy going on a vacation besides.

better Had better is the correct form, used when giving advice that hints at an
had better undesirable consequence if not followed: You had better go to the
doctor. Don't leave out have.

between See among, between.

among

biannual Biannual is twice in one year: My trip to the dentist is a biannual event.
biennial Biennial means "every two years": These flowers are biennial; they bloom
every two years.

bimonthly Bimonthly means "every two months": We order from the co-op
semimonthly bimonthly.

Semimonthly means "twice a month (biweekly)": We have our house

cleaned semimonthly.

blithe Blithe, an adjective, means "lighthearted and carefree": A blithe mood

lithe overcomes us in the spring.

Lithe is also an adjective but it means "flexible, graceful, and supple":

The lithe movements of the yoga instructor impressed us all.

blonde Blonde describes women: Brunettes have just as much fun as blondes
blond (blonde women).

Blond describes men: Sean was not a natural blond. This distinction is not
necessary though: blond is now generally accepted for both men and
women.

board Board means a few things. One is "a long sheet of wood": Hiram had to
bored cut the board to make the shelves. It also means "a committee": The
board of directors met to decide the fate of the school. Lastly, it can
mean "to get onto": She boarded the ship.

Bored means "not interested": She is bored by the dry lecture.

bore A bore is a boring or tiresome person or thing: Jasper is such a bore

boar when he talks about his cats!
boor A boar is a male pig: Wild boars abound in this forest.

A boor is an unrefined, vulgar person: What a boor Guy was to get

drunk at the wedding and embarrass everyone.

born Born is newly coming into life: A child was born at 12:01 New Year's day.
borne Borne means "carried": All gossip is borne by an ill wind.

borrow Borrow is to receive something from someone temporarily: to borrow a

lend book and then return it.
loan Lend is a verb that mean "to temporarily give something to someone":
Henry will lend (or loan) Francine a book.

Loan is a noun: a bank loan. Loan is often used in American English as a

verb meaning "to lend": Loan me a book, please.

braise Braise means "to cook (usually meat) slowly in liquid": Braised meat is
braze usually tender.

To braze is to solder or create with metals such as bronze: Shirley brazed

a statue of a famous Civil War leader.

brake Brake means "to stop": You should brake slowly on ice.
break Break means "to smash": To break a mirror brings seven years of worse
luck than you are having now.

breath Breath is a noun meaning "the air pulled into the lungs": Take a deep
breathe breath and relax.

Breathe, with an E on the end, is a verb: Just breathe deeply and calm
down.

bridal Bridal has to do a bride and her wedding: June May threw her bridal
bridle bouquet to the screaming crowd of single women.

A bridle is a halter or restraint, such as a horse bridle: Old Frosty didn't

like the bridle over his head.

by By is a preposition meaning "next to": Park the car by the house.

buy Buy means "purchase": Grandpa buys an ice cream cone every Sunday
bye afternoon.

Bye means "farewell or good-bye": Bye, now; I'll see you later.

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•C•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
can't hardly This expression is a nonstandard double negative (hardly is considered
negative), so avoid it. It is better to say can hardly: I can hardly hear you
over the noise of the party! Hardly.

canvas Canvas is cloth or fabric: a canvas bag to bring to the beach.

canvass Canvass means "to conduct a survey or examine thoroughly", or "to seek
votes": She canvassed all the stores before she found the right dress.

capital A capital is where the seat of government is: The capital of the United
capitol States is Washington DC. Capital can also mean "wealth" or "a large
letter".

The Capitol (usually capitalized) is the actual building in which the

government and legislature meets: We will travel to the Capitol this
weekend.

censor Censor is to prohibit free expression: The principal censored all

sensor references to smoking in school publications.
censure A sensor is something that interprets stimulation: The lights are turned on
by a movement sensor.

Censure is rebuke, harsh criticism: Morty Skustin was severely censured

for putting the frog in the water cooler.

cite Cite means "to quote or mention": He cited a famous theorist in his
site speech.
sight Site is a noun meaning "a place": At which site will we stage the party?

Sight is a noun meaning "view": The sight of the New York City skyline is
spectacular.

climactic Climactic refers to the peak: Wendell sneezed right at the climactic
climatic moment of a movie.

Climatic refers to the climate and weather: New Monia is known for its
dramatic climatic changes.

coarse Coarse is an adjective meaning "rough, big-grained, not fine": We need

course to use coarse sandpaper to remove the paint from this wood.

Course is a noun referring to a direction (the course of a ship) or a series

of lectures on one subject (a history course in college): The poetry
course Stu deBaker took in colldge changed the course of his life.

collaborate Collaborate means "to work together": Collaborate with the people on
corroborate your team.

Corroborate means "to support with evidence" or "prove true": The

testimony was corroborated with evidence of his innocence.

complement Complement means "to supplement" or "make complete": Their two

compliment personalities complement each other.

Compliment means "to praise or congratulate": She received a

 compliment on her sense of fashion.

compose Compose means to "make up" and is often used in the passive voice:
comprise The class is composed of students of several nationalities.

Comprise means "have, consist of, or include": Students of several

nationalities comprise the class. A rule to remember would be that the
whole comprises its parts, and the parts compose the whole.

concurrent Concurrent simultaneous or happening at the same time as something

consecutive else: concurrent blizzards in three different states.

Consecutive means "successive or one after another": The state had

three consecutive blizzards that month.

conform Conform means "to be similar to": Some schools conform their students
confirm by using uniforms.

Confirm is to make sure or double check: to confirm a flight reservation.

congenial Congenial describes something likeable, suitable to taste: They enjoy

congenital the congenial surroundings in their home.

Congenital refers to a condition present at birth because of heredity:

Raymond has a congenital heart defect.

connote Connote means to "imply or suggest": 'Home' connotes warmth and

denote safety.

Denote means to "indicate specifically, to mean": 'Home' denotes the

place where you live.

conscience Conscience is the feeling or knowledge of right and wrong: My

conscious conscience wouldn't allow me to compete with someone so much
weaker than me.

Conscious refers to being awake and aware: Molly Coddle was still
conscious after banging her head on the headboard.

continual Continual means "repeated with breaks in between": We need

continuous continual rain throughout the summer for crops to grow.

Continuous means "without stopping": The continuous drumming of the

rain on the windows put Herman to sleep.

convince Convince is to cause another to feel sure or believe something to be

persuade true: Well, Argyle Greenpasture has convinced me that aliens do exist.

Persuade is to talk someone into doing something: Percy persuaded me

to help him wash his car.
co-operation Co-operation means "working together": I would like to thank you for
corporation your cooperation with us on the project.

A corporation is a large company: Presidents of large corporations

receive tens of millions of dollars in salary.

corps Corps (pronounced 'core') is an organization of people dedicated to a

core single goal: Lucinda joined the Peace Corps after college.
corpse A core is the center of a fruit containing seeds: Bartholomew eats
apples, core and all.

A corpse is a dead body: The corpse of Danny's dog was lovingly laid to
rest in the back yard.

correspondence Correspondence is agreement or written communication such as letters

correspondents or news articles: Phil and Rachel continued their correspondence for
years.

Correspondents are those who write this communication: Rhoda Lott

has lived abroad as a news correspondent for several years.

could not care This expression is often confusing for English language learners. It is
less always used with a negative and means that you really don't care at all:
Since she was sick, Mona could not care less about doing her
homework, or Mona could not care less which color sweater she wore.

council A council is a group of people called together to meet on an issue: The

counsel school board council meets every Thursday evening.
consul Counsel is advice: I always go to Clyde for counsel on the tough
decision in my life.

A consul is a diplomat appointed to protect the citizens and

commercial interests of one country in another: If you need help starting
a business in France, talk to the US consul in Paris.

creak Creak can be the noun or verb for a squeak or groan: The creak of the
creek floorboards alerted Nell that Bernard was sneaking up on her.

A creek is a small stream: The kids loved to play in the creek on a hot
summer day.

credible Credible means "believable or reliable": There is no credible evidence

creditable that it was I who broke the lamp.

Creditable means "worthy of praise or respect": I couldn't have broken

the lamp because I have a creditable alibi.

criteria Criterion is singular: There is only one criterion for this job.
criterion Criteria is plural: Several criteria need to be met in order for us to move
forward.

custom A custom is a cultural tradition: It is a custom in Japan to remove your

costume shoes when entering a home.

A costume is the outfit worn to represent a particular time, event, or

culture: What is your costume for Halloween going to be?

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•D•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
dairy A dairy is a farm where milk and milk products are produced:
diary Madeleine grew up on a dairy and knows how to churn butter.

A diary is the daily journal kept: Rhoda Book writes in her diary for two
hours every night.

deduction Deduction is drawing a general principle from particular facts or

induction instances: I've seen hundreds of robins and they all have red breasts.
(General principle-all robins have red breasts. )

Induction is the explanation of particular facts or instances from a

general principle: That bird must be a robin because it has a red breast.
(General principle-all robins have red breasts. )

denote See connote, denote.

connote

describe See ascribe, describe.

ascribe

desert Desert means "to abandon" (and can also be a noun, meaning "a
dessert wasteland"): Cooley deserted his family when they all got tattoos and lip
piercings.

Dessert is the sweet course of a meal: The whole family wanted to have
cake for dessert.

device A device is an instrument used to perform a task: This device will peel
devise apples for you.

Devise is to create or invent: They will devise a scheme to continue the

business.
diary See dairy, diary.
dairy

divers Divers means "several": You can take that statement in divers ways.
diverse Diverse means "different or varied": There are many diverse cultures in
the world.

different from Different from is the standard usage when comparing two things: Suzie's
different than sweater is different from Mary's. Don't say, "Different than something
else."

discreet Discreet means "modest and prudent": Please be discreet about the
discrete surprise party, we don't want her to find out.

Discrete means "separate and distinct": Even though they were married,
they kept their money in two discrete accounts.

disinterested Disinterested is an adjective that means "unbiased or impartial": Since

uninterested she had nothing at stake, she was a disinterested party in the matter.

Uninterested means "not interested": Anita Job was just uninterested in

the offer.

dispersion See aspersion, dispersion.

aspersion
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•E•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
e. g. e. g. is a Latin abbreviation meaning "for example": Lucille doesn't like
i. e. fruit, e.g. pears, apples, grapes, and bananas.

i. e. is a Latin abbreviation meaning "that is (to say)": Myrtle had to leave

the room, i.e. she had to go to the bathroom.

each other Use each other when only two objects are involved: The twins love each
one another other.

Use one another in referring to more than two objects: The triplets all
love one another.

each These are singular distributive pronouns; use them with a singular
verb. Each refers to a single individual in a group: Each of us voted
every differently.

Every refers to all the members of a group inclusively: Every one of us

voted the same.

effect See affect, effect.

affect

elicit Elicit is a verb that means "to draw out": The teacher had trouble
illicit eliciting responses from the students.

Illicit is an adjective meaning "illegal or illegitimate": Illicit drugs or illicit

behavior may help you enter jail.

elude See allude, elude.

allude

emigrant An emigrant is a person who leaves his native country to settle in

immigrant another: The emigrants left everything behind in search of something
more.

An immigrant refers is person who moves to a new country: Many

immigrants settle in this country every year.

emigrate Emigrate from means "to leave one's country": Frances emigrated to the
immigrate US.

Immigrate to means "to settle in another country": Her family immigrated

to the US four generations ago.

eminent Eminent means "of high rank, outstanding, or prestigious": An eminent

emanant author came to read at the university.
imminent Emanant means "sending or issuing forth": Emanant thoughts like those
should be kept to yourself.

Imminent means "close to happening or near": Everyone waited

anxiously for an imminent storm predicted to arrive shortly.

enervate Innervate means "to supply with nerves or vitality": The therapist
innervate innervated the shoulders with massage.

Enervate is to weaken or destroy the vitality of: The negative attitude

enervated her enthusiasm.

entomology Entomology refers to the study of insects: Donald couldn't be afraid of

etymology bugs if he wanted to get a degree in entomology.

Etymology is the study of the history of words and where they come
from: The etymology of mortify goes back to Latin mortuus "dead". is
 nice.

etc. Etc. is Latin for et cetera and means "and so on": You need to bring
plates, knives, forks, spoons, etc. to the table. It is a good idea, however,
to just finish the list, not letting it end with etc.But if you must, use a
phrase like "and so on", "and so forth".

ethereal Ethereal describes something that is light, airy, and intangible: Ethereal
ephemeral clouds hovered above; Everything in the ballroom looked ethereal.

Ephemeral refers to anything lasting for a short period: Truth can be an

ephemeral thing; A creek can be ephemeral if it disappears in the
middle of summer.

everyone Everyone means "each person": Everyone in the room must leave
every one immediately.

Every one refers to each thing or person individually: Felice put every
one of the eggs in the basket.

exceed See accede, exceed.

accede

except See accept, except.

accept

explicit Explicit means "clear and direct": Please give me explicit directions.
implicit Implicit means "indirectly, with some parts understood": They implicitly
agreed to never talk on the subject again.

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•F•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
fair A fair is an exhibition of farm produce usually with a collection of rides
fare and attractions: Every year our family goes to the state fair.

A fare is the fee you pay to ride public transportation: The fare to ride
the bus is affordable in our town.

farther Farther has to do with distance: How much farther is it to Poughkeepsie?

further Further means "additional" or "more": Please give me further information
about the best route to Poughkeepsie.
faze Faze is to distress or disturb: The scrutiny of the media didn't faze Sharon.
phase A phase is a period of development or a period of time in a cycle of
events: Stuart went through a phase when all he did was eat hot dogs.

few Few is used when talking about things that can be counted: Lureen has
less a few ideas; also a few keys, few clouds, few values, few diseases.

Less is used when talking about things that can't be counted: Lureen
shows less perseverance than we expected; also less distance, less
pollution, less rain.

figuratively Figuratively refers to metaphoric speech, not realistic or exact: To say,

literally "Horace died laughing," is to speak figuratively.

Literally refers to realistic or exact speech: If Horace literally died

laughing, he must be buried (but it was not such a bad way to go).

flammable These two words both mean "easily set on fire": a highly
inflammable flammable/inflammable substance. However, flammable is now used as
a warning to avoid misinterpreting the prefix in- as negation.

flare Flare is to increase greatly, burn brightly, or something that provides a

flair bright flame: The fire in the grill flared brightly when Eva tossed gasoline
on it.

Flair refers to a sense of style or a talent: Dutch Masters has a flair for
entertaining a group of men.

flaunt To flaunt means "to show off": Maud Lynn Dresser likes to flaunt her jewels
flout at parties.

To flout means "to show scorn or contempt for": Larry flouts the speed
limit in every state when it suits his schedule.

forbear Forbear means "to refrain from": The children simply could not forbear
forebear laughing in the library.

A forebear is an ancestor or forefather: Our forebears who founded this

country centuries ago.

foreword A foreword is a short introduction at the beginning of a book usually

forward written by someone other than the author: The foreword of the book
explains how its thesis fits in with current thinking.

Forward is an adverb indicating movement ahead or toward the front:

Priscilla moves forward slowly in the line at the grocery store.

forth Forth means "forward, from this point": Barry moved forth without looking
back.
fourth Fourth indicates an object that comes between No. 3 and No. 5: Dustin
Moppet just finished cleaning the fourth floor.

foul Foul can means "offensive, rotten, or unfavorable": Foul language, foul
fowl meat, and foul weather are unacceptable at a picnic.

Fowl refers to birds, especially domestic ones: Chickens, ducks, geese,

and turkeys are considered fowl.

found Found is the past tense of find: I found my glasses only after I had
founded stepped on them!

Founded is past tense of the verb found, meaning "to set up or establish":
My ancestors were the ones who founded this country.

founder Founder means "to run aground": The boat foundered on a shoal in the
flounder storm.

Flounder means "to move clumsily, with difficulty" or "to blunder": Gladys
Friday is floundering in college.

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•G•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
gibe Gibe means "to taunt, jeer, make fun of": His classmates gibed Billy Earl
gybe for wearing his underwear over his clothes.
jibe Gybe means "to swing a fore-and-aft sail from one side of a sailboat to
the other to change course": When the wind shifted, Felix gybed when
he should have tacked.

Jibe refers to being in agreement: Our views on everything from

baseball to Socrates seem to jibe.

gorilla A gorilla is a large ape: Gorillas live in the African tropical forest.
guerrilla A guerrilla is a member of irregular military that uses surprise attacks on
its enemy: Guerrilla warfare uses tactics such as espionage, sabotage,
and ambush.

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•H•
 WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
hail Hail means "to greet or to come from": She hails from California. Hail also
hale means "balls of ice": Hail damaged the crops.

Hale means "sound or healthy": Minnie Miles is hale and hearty enough
to run five miles daily.

hanged Hanged is past tense of hang in the sense of executing someone by

hung using a rope around the neck: Outlaws in the Old West were hanged
when they could be caught.

Hung is the past tense of hang, but is used for things: Lyda Cain's son
never hung up his clothes. Just remember hanged is used for people
(Yuck!), and hung is used for other things.

hardly This is a word used in a negative sense meaning "barely": Lyle could
hardly keep his eyes open at the lecture by Rhoda Book.

herd A herd is a group of animals: Nonnie saw a herd of cows in the pasture.
heard Heard is the past tense of hear: Zelda heard the bells ringing for the
glorious leader who had recently died.

here Here refers to the place where you are: You should come here more
hear often.

Hear is to listen with the ears: Am I speaking loud enough for you to hear
me?

heroin Heroin is an illicit drug: Heroin is a very addicting substance.

heroine A heroine is a female hero in real life or in a story: Marge was treated like
a heroine when she delivered the baby in a cab.

historic Historic refers to something in history that was important: The summit was
historical a historic meeting between the countries.

Historical refers to anything in general history: The whole class had to

dress in historical costumes for the play.

hoard Hoard means "to collect and keep for oneself": Squirrels hoard acorns
horde during the winter.

A horde is a large group: Hordes of people go Christmas shopping the

day after Thanksgiving.

hole A hole is a gap or space: A moth made a hole in my sweater.

whole Whole means "complete": Stu Beef ate the whole pizza himself!
home Home in is the correct phrase here is when referring to getting closer to
hone a goal or target: The missile homed in electronically on the target.

Hone means "to sharpen": Denise made a resolution to hone her piano
playing skills.

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•I•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
i. e. See e. g., i. e.
e. g.

illicit See elicit, illicit.

elicit

illusion See allusion, illusion.

allusion

immemorial Immemorial refers to that which is beyond time, ancient: These artifacts
immortal have been here since time immemorial.
immoral Immortal describes things that live forever: The way Randolph drives, he
must think that he is immortal.

Immoral means "not nice, unethical, bad": Stealing is immoral.

immoral See amoral, immoral.

amoral

immigrant See emigrant, immigrant.

emigrant

immigrate See emigrate, immigrate.

emigrate

imminent See eminent.

eminent, emanant

implicate, imply Implicate means "to closely link or connect": The blood on his hands
implicated him in the murder.
 Imply means "to point to, or suggest indirectly": The victim's friend
implied he thought he knew who the murderer was.

implicit See explicit, implicit.

explicit

imply Imply means "to suggest indirectly": Her hesitation implied that her
infer answer was no.

Infer means "to draw a conclusion from known facts": He inferred that
the answer was no from her hesitation.

in regard to Both of these mean "referring to", but use one or the other: In regard to
as regards your proposal I have an idea, or: As regards your proposal, I have an
idea. NOT in regards to!

inchoate Inchoate describes something in an early stage of development, and

incoherent that is incomplete: Lucy's plan remained inchoate and was developed
no further.

Incoherent describes something that is lacking connection or order:

Some even thought that Lucy's plan was just a few incoherent thoughts
that didn't hang together.

incredible Incredible means "astonishing or difficult to grasp": The incredible power

incredulous of a tornado attracts storm chasers.

Incredulous means "skeptical and disbelieving": She was incredulous

about Fred's interpretation of the event.

induction See deduction, induction.

deduction

innervate See enervate, innervate.

enervate

insure See assure, ensure, insure.

ensure
assure

intolerable Intolerable refers to something unbearable: The heat during the summer
intolerant of 2005 was intolerable.

Intolerant refers to a person who is unable to accept differences in

opinion, habit, or belief: Maybelle is intolerant of anyone who chews
with their mouth open.
irregardless Regardless is the correct word to use, meaning "without regard": The
regardless young man left regardless of the warnings.

Irregardless is a double negative that should be avoided.

its Its is the possessive form of it, like hers, his, and theirs: The dog licked its
it's foot after stepping in maple syrup.

It's is short for 'it is', a contraction of those two words: "Well, I guess it's [it
is] time to wash the dog again."

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•J•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
jibe See gibe, gybe, jibe.
gibe
gybe

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•K•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
kind of Avoid these expressions in the sense of "somewhat", "rather" or "a little"
sort of (especially avoid reducing them to kinda and sorta). The pace of the
baseball game was rather [not kind of] slow.

knew Knew is the past tense of know: She knew what she wanted to say but
new couldn't say it.

New means "never used": I ordered a new custom car from the factory
today.

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•L•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
latent Latent means "present but not visible or active": Just because I'm not in
patent bed doesn't mean that I don't have a latent virus.

Patent means "visible, active, or obvious": The claim that I pinched

Marilyn's tush is a patent lie!

later Later means "afterward": Come later than seven o'clock.

latter Latter means "the last of two things mentioned": If I have to choose
between brains or beauty, I'll take the latter.

lay Lay is a transitive verb, which means it takes an object. It means "to set
lie or put down flat": Gwendolyn laid child in the crib, or Lay a book on the
table, please. Its forms are lay, lays, laid, has laid, and is laying.

Lie is an intransitive verb, so it does not take an object. It means "to rest
supine or remain in a certain place": I have to lie down because I'm not
feeling well, or I like to lie in the grass for hours. Its forms are lie, lies, lay,
has lain, and is lying.

lead Lead can be a verb meaning "to guide, be in charge of": Greg will lead
led a group this afternoon. It can also be a noun meaning "a type of
metallic element": Use a lead pencil to fill in your answer sheet.

Led is the past tense of lead: Greg led the group this afternoon.

lend Lend is a verb that mean "to temporarily give something to someone":
loan Lucy will lend or loan Chuck her books any day.
borrow A loan is a noun meaning something borrowed: Most people get a bank
loan to buy a house. Loan is also used in American English as a verb
meaning "to lend".

Borrow is to receive something from someone temporarily: Can I borrow

the book if I promise to return it tomorrow?

less See few, less.

few

lessen Lessen means "to decrease or make less": She lessened the headache
lesson pain with aspirin.

A lesson is something you learn: A teacher might say, "Today's lesson is

about ancient Egypt."

liable Liable means "legally responsible for or subject to": Tom is liable to pay
libel for the damage if he doesn't prove his innocence.

Libel is a noun that means "a slanderous statement that damages

another person's reputation": Bertrand was sued for libel for what he
printed about Phil Anders.
lightening Lightening is a verb that means "to reduce the weight of": My course
lightning load needs lightening if I am to complete this course successfully.

Lightning refers to the electrical discharge in the sky: Fred captured the
image of a bolt of lightning on film.

like See as, like.

as

literally See figuratively, literally.

figuratively

lithe See blithe, lithe.

blithe

loathe Loathe is a verb meaning "to detest or dislike greatly": Janice loathes
loath animal cruelty.

Loath is an adjective meaning "reluctant, unwilling": Lance was loath to

ask for an extension on his term paper that semester.

loose Loose is not tight: A loose-fitting jacket was more suitable than a shawl.
lose Lose is to misplace and not be able to find: I often lose my bearings
when entering a new city. Thank goodness I don't lose my keys though!

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•M•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
manner Manner is a way of doing or behaving: Duane Pipes installed the
manor plumbing in a workman-like manner.

A manor is a house on an estate: The chauffeur drove slowly up to the

manor.

mantel A mantel is the shelf above a fireplace, or face of one: Matilda set
mantle several candles on the mantel.

A mantle is a cloak or blanket: Velma grabbed her mantle before

heading out the door.

marital Marital refers to marriage: Bunny and Lance are having marital
problems.
martial Martial refers to war or warriors: Bunny has a black belt in martial arts.

marshal A marshal is an officer of highest ranking; it can mean "to arrange": The
marshall marshal gave orders to the troops.

Marshall is a verb meaning "to together": Marshall marshaled enough

strength to walk past the bar on his way home.

may be May be as two words means "might be": Your reading glasses may be
maybe on the night stand.

Maybe is one word that means "perhaps": Maybe your reading glasses
are on the night stand.

me Me is used as a simple object: Susan told my brother and me about her

myself trip to Africa.

Myself is a reflexive and an emphatic pronoun: I talk to myself [reflexive]

or you can do that yourself [emphatic].

meet Meet means "to get together or connect with someone, to encounter":
mete Elroy plans to meet a colleague for lunch.
meat Mete means "to distribute": We had to mete out the last of the water
when we were still 20 miles from civilization on our hiking trip.

Meat is flesh that may be eaten: Nathan is a vegetarian who doesn't

eat meat at all.

militate Militate means "to influence toward or against a change": The banality
mitigate of Rhoda Book's stories militated against their becoming popular.

Mitigate means "to lessen, make easier, or bearable": A cold compress

on your leg will mitigate the swelling.

mordant Mordant is bitingly sarcastic: Everyone hated Raymond's mordant

trenchant comments.

Trenchant means "forceful and keen": Raymond received trenchant

criticism from everyone for his comments.

most See almost, most.

almost

mute Mute means "having no sound or without speech": He was struck mute
moot by the horror of the events.

Moot as a noun is a public meeting; as an adjective, the more common

usage, means "open to debate" in the UK and "not open to debate" in
the US. It is most often used in the phrasemoot point: When Walter
 walked in, the question of who was going to pick him up became moot.

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•N•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
no No means "the opposite of yes": They all said no in response to the latest
know referendum.

To know is to understand are realize: I don't want to know how you got
up the tree.

noisome Noisome means "disgusting, offensive, and potentially harmful": A

noisy noisome smell arose from the garbage can.

Noisy means "making a lot of sound or racket": With so many children, it

became a noisy day care center.

nonplussed Nonplussed is often misused in the sense of "calm and unbothered". The
actual meaning is "confused or bewildered": She was nonplussed by her
husband's unusual behavior.

nowhere See anyway, anywhere, nowhere; anyways, anywheres, nowheres.

nowheres
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•O•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
obeisance Obeisance is respect and homage paid someone: Farina greeted the
obsequious queen with sincere obeisance.

Obsequiousness is submissiveness and an eagerness to obey: The

obsequiousness of the waiter made them roll their eyes.

obtuse Obtuse means "lacking quickness of wit or sensitivity, dull, dense":

abstruse Brandon is so obtuse he doesn't even know when he is being insulted.

Abstruse means "too difficult to understand for the average mind": The
professor presented an abstruse metaphysical concept that went over
our heads.
one another See each other, one another.
each other

overdo Overdo is to exaggerate something: Marcy overdoes her makeup every

overdue morning and she ends up looking like a clown.

Overdue indicates something that has missed its deadline: You must
return these overdue books to the library immediately, or A visit to our
grandparents is long overdue.

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•P•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
pamper To pamper is to coddle, or treat with indulgence: The only time my mom
pander pampers me is when I'm sick.

To pander is to cater to the base needs of others, to sell out: Senator

Throckmorton got elected by pandering to special interest groups.

passed Passed is the past tense of pass, to go by or move ahead of: The boys
past passed through town quickly.

Past is a place in time that was before now: You would be wise to reflect
on the past and learn from it.

pasture A pasture is a place where farm animals graze: Al Falfa puts his cows out
pastor into the pasture every morning.

A pastor is a member of the clergy, a minister of a church: Noah Sarque

is the pastor of the local Baptist Church.

patent See latent, patent.

latent

patience Patience is the ability to remain calm even when dealing with someone
patients or something difficult: The teacher showed infinite patience for the
students struggling with the reading material. (See
also assistance and assistants.)

Patients are people who are sick in a hospital: The nurse had several
new patients to get to know that week.

peace Peace is a sense of calm and absence of war or hostility: We all hope for
peace throughout the world.
piece A piece is a part or segment of something: Helen Highwater lost a piece
of her jewelry in church last Sunday.

peek To peek is to look quickly without someone knowing: The child peeked
pique inside the gift.
peak To pique is to arouse or provoke: Muriel's comment piqued Abner's
curiosity. Pique can also be used as a noun meaning "resentment":
Sedgewick felt a bit of pique at the association of his name with their
real estate scheme.

A peak is the highest point of something: Chastity decided not to drive

to the top of Pike's Peak during the peak summer vacation season.

peer To peer is to squint and gaze strongly at: Melvin had to peer through fog
pier to keep the car on the highway.

a peer is an equal: Farnsworth didn't consider anyone his peer when it

came to the game of tiddledy winks.

A pier is a walkway that juts into a body of water for docking: to he

docked his boat at the end of the pier.

penultimate Penultimate means "the next to the last (the ultimate)": Little did Al
ultimate Pacca know that the penultimate shrimp he ate was the one that gave
him food poisoning.

Ultimate is the last or best: I found the ultimate gift for Gary this year.

perspective A perspective is a view from a certain place or position or a mental

prospective outlook: The perspective from this building is spectacular, or Lydia Potts
has a wonderful perspective on life considering the fact that she has 12
kids.

Prospective is an adjective that means "possible, likely to happen": We

have several prospective opportunities before us.

persuade See convince, persuade.

convince

phase See faze, phase.

faze

piquant Piquant means "pleasantly tart or spicy": This restaurant serves a piquant
pique salsa that is absolutely delicious.

To pique is to arouse or provoke: Grunella piqued Vern's curiosity with

her question. (See also peek.)

plain Plain means "simple not showy" or "a large level region": It was plain to
plane see that Vanessa loved Conway, or Bowser's farm was on a great plain
where wheat grew well.

A plane is a flat and level surface, a new level, or an airplane: To

understand the equation of a plane surface in mathematics you have
to reach a new plane of consciousness. Franklin landed the plane
successfully.

portent A portent is a noun meaning "an omen or prophetic sign of the future":
potent Ivan Oder took falling out of bed that morning as a portent of a greater
disaster in the future.

Potent is an adjective meaning "strong and powerful": Arnold was a

potent man, even at seventy, but could not handle the potent martinis
Bella Donna made.

pour To pour is to dispense liquid from one container into another: She
pore poured some milk into the glass.
pore A pore is to study or read intensely: Hilda pored over the materials
nightly.

Pore also means "a small opening in skin through which moisture or air
moves": Pores are all over our bodies.

practical Practical refers to being easily used and put into practice: A Swiss Army
practicable knife has many practical uses.

Practicable means "feasible or possible": It is not always practicable for

a busy person to use this tool.

precede The verb precede means "to come or go before, in front of": The flower
proceed girl preceded the bride in the procession down the aisle.

Proceed means "to move forward": Both the flower girl and the bride
proceeded down the aisle at the same time.

premise A premise usually means "assumption": Since the basic premise was
premises wrong, all the conclusions based on it were wrong, too.

Premises are a house or building and the grounds around it: Smoking is
not allowed on the premises.

presence Presence means "the state of being near": April's presence was
presents comforting in Rod's time of sorrow.

Presents are gifts: The greatest gift is to let someone give you a present.

principal A principal is the head of a professional business or school: The principal

of the middle school is a woman of principles.
principle A principle is a belief: I avoid school principals as a matter of principle.

profit Profit is the money earned above the expense it took to complete the
prophet project: Ghislaine and Pierre made a $100,000 profit when they
remodeled and sold their house.

A prophet is a person who can foretell the future and through which a
divine presence speaks: Atheism is a non-prophet religion.

profligate Profligate is to be wasteful and extravagant: Esmeralda is so profligate

prolific that she spent the entire million dollars she won in the lottery in one year.

Prolific means "abundant, fruitful, producing much": John Grisham is a

prolific writer.

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•Q•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
quiet Quiet means "without sound or mention of": You are supposed to be
quite quiet in hospitals and libraries.

Quite can mean either "completely or somewhat, rather", depending on

what you mean: I was quite alone that Saturday afternoon (completely)
but the hours passed quite quickly (rather).

quote Quote is a verb meaning "to state the exact words someone else said":
quotation The pastor quoted scripture from the Bible or Carmen quoted a famous
psychologist in complaining to the boss.

A quotation is the actual statement being quoted: Gretchen read a

quotation every day.

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•R•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
rain Rain is the water that falls from the sky: Dingwell didn't have sense
reign enough to come in out of the rain.
rein Reign is the rule of a king of queen: King Wilhelm reigned with an iron fist
to keep peace in the land.
 A rein (usually plural, reins) are the straps of leather used to control and
guide a horse: No matter how hard Reginald pulled on the reins, the
horse would not slow down.

raise Raise means "to build or grow": The farmer raises corn. The Amish will
raze raise the walls of a building by noon.

Raze is to destroy: The school was razed and a new one built in its place.

real Real is a variant of really used in dialectal areas (like the Southern US)
really where adverbs are not distinguished from adjectives: She sings real
good, in standard English is: She sings really well.

Really is an intensifying adverb: Gwendolyn was really tired after playing

outside all day.

reality Reality means "the perceived world as it is, the true situation": She could
realty not tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

Realty is land or real estate: Realty in large cities is markedly expensive.

rebate A rebate is a discount from the manufacturer to the customer after a

refund purchase has been made: The $600 computer cost only $69.43 after all
the rebates.

A refund is a full repayment to a dissatisfied customer: Mildred returned

her girdle and demanded a full refund.

regimen Regimen is a systematic plan: Sylvia is undergoing a regimen for a

regiment healthier lifestyle.

Regiment is a troop of soldiers: The army is made up of several

regiments.

residence A residence is where people live, the house or building: The mayor's
residents residence is located in the center of the city.

The residents are the people who live there: The residents of the
community thinks the mayor's residence is to luxurious.

respectable Respectable means "deserving respect or on good behavior": Mother

respectful always told us to be respectable in public.
respective Respectful refers to showing respect: Be respectful of the people around
you, especially if they have sticks.

Respective means "individual and appropriate": The summer camp kids

were shown to their respective cabins.

respectfully Respectfully means "politely and with respect": Mel Pew always dealt
respectfully with each and every customer.
respectively Respectively refers to the order in which things are given: I gave
Wallace and Linda blue and green socks, respectively, means that I
gave Wallace blue socks and Linda green ones.

restive Restive means "impatient and nervous, restless": Cory became restive
restful once he knew the boss was going to call him into his office.

Restful means "full of rest, calm, quiet, and restorative": A restful vacation
in Indonesia was just what the doctored ordered.

retch To retch is to try and vomit: Furman retched several times after
wretch swallowing a bite of Lurleen's liver pudding.

A wretch is a miserable or wicked person: I didn't believe she could be

such a wretch.

rifle Rifle means to search with the intention of stealing or taking: The
riffle mugger rifled Clarissa's purse looking for cash.

To riffle means "to shuffle or flip quickly through papers": Bill riffled the
card deck before dealing.

right Right means "correct": She always knew the right thing to say.
rite A rite is a ceremony: Final rites for the deceased were held in the
write church.

To write is to express oneself in writing: Rhoda Book writes everyone

about her publishing career.

rise Rise is intransitive and does not have an object: The sun rises in the east.
raise Raise always has an object: You can raise a crop on a farm or raise your
hand in class.

road Road is a long path or street to travel on: Lucille tries to stay on a main
rode road wherever she travels.

Rode is past tense of ride: Matilda rode her bicycle over a cliff by
accident.

role A role is a part in a play or movie: Marjorie's favorite role of her entire
roll movie career was that of the quirky neighbor in Keep your Doors
Locked. It can also mean "a function of": Marjorie's role in removing the
insignia from the police car door was minor.

Roll is a verb meaning "to turn over and over": Diane rolled the flat tire
into the garage.

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 •S•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
sale A sale is a noun meaning "the selling of something": Every car sale
sail means a commission for the salesman.

A sail is the material used to catch wind on a boat: The sail billowed in
the wind as Jacob's boat slid across the water.

sale A sale is a noun meaning "the selling of something": Every car sale
sell means a commission for the salesman.

To sell, the verb, is to offer goods for consumption at a cost: Seth sells his
pottery at art fairs.

sanguine Sanguine means "red, ruddy or optimistic": I am not sanguine about your
saturnine getting this job.

Saturnine means "being moody, sullen, or melancholy": Ima Aiken falls

into a saturnine mood every time her husband Hadley goes away on
business.

scene Scene is a place or view: The scene of the crime was just outside his
seen window.

Seen is past tense of see: I have seen that movie three times already.

seam A seam is where two pieces are joined: The seam of Leticia's dress
seem ripped when she bent over.

To seem is to appear or look as if: Leticia seemed unhappy when that

happened.

semimonthly See bimonthly, semimonthly.

bimonthly

sensor See censor, sensor, censure.

censor
censure

sensual Sensual refers to physical, especially sexual, pleasure: Derry Yare wears
sensuous sensual dresses to attract men.

Sensuous refers to anything artistic that appeals to the senses or

appetites: Marguerita had prepared a sensual feast for her guests.
serf A serf is a slave or servant: Neil Downe came from a family of serfs but
surf rose to become a landlord.

To surf is to ride the waves of water, or to search on the Internet: The surf
is up down at the beach; ou can surf the Internet some other time.

set Set is a transitive verb meaning "to put or place something solid
sit somewhere": Marvin set his new lamp on the table.
seat Sit means "to rest upright with the weight on the buttocks or to move into
such a position"; the past tense is sat: Percy sat down beside Geneva on
the park bench.

Seat can be a verb meaning "to show someone their seat or where to
sit": The waiter seated Murgatroyd at his usual table by the door.

sever Sever means "to cut through completely": One blow from Jessie's
severe hatchet severed the rope.

Severe means "strict, hard, extreme": Severe winter weather came early
this year. There was a severe tone in Marilyn's voice when she berated
Todd for putting the tack in her chair.

shear Shear means "to cut off": We shear sheep's wool in the spring and we
sheer shear the hedges in the summer.

Sheer means "pure, unadulterated": Felicity found the amusement park

a sheer pleasure. Sheer also means "transparent": Perry Winkle hung
sheer curtains in the living room.

shore A shore is a beach: to spend a vacation on the shore. It also means "to
sure brace or support": They shored up the leaning wall with steel beams.

Sure means "without doubt": Maria was sure about the decision to move
to another country.

singly Singly means "one by one": The fire drill required everyone to leave the
singularly building quietly and singly.

Singularly means "extraordinarily, in an outstanding manner": He

singularly fought the rebels off one by one.

site See cite, site, sight.

sight
cite

sleight-of-hand Sleight of hand refers to dexterity and trickery with the hands: The
slight-of-hand magician's sleight of hand fooled the audience.

This phrase is often confused with slight of hand, an adjective phrase

meaning "having small slender hands".
sole Sole means "single": The sole remaining person in the room left, leaving it
soul empty. It also means the bottom of a foot or shoe: Gigi needed new
soles on her shoes.

A soul refers to the spirit of a living creature: Do you believe animals

have souls?

some time Some time refers to a considerable period of time: I need some time to
sometime think about it.
sometimes Sometime refers to an indistinct or unstated time in the future: I'll see you
around sometime.

Sometimes is an adverb meaning continually, off and on, occasionally:

Karen sometimes drinks coffee instead of tea.

stationary Stationary means "still and unmoving": The cat was stationary until it was
stationery time to pounce on its prey.

Stationery refers to writing materials such as paper: Craig took out his
best stationery to write to his beloved Charlotte Russe.

statue A statue is a carved or shaped imitation of an object: There is a statue of

statute a large bird is in her garden.
stature A statute is law: The government publishes new statutes each year.

Stature means "status, standing": Chester Drors is a man of substantial

stature in state politics.

storey Storey is the British spelling of story when this word refers to a floor of a
story building: The upper storeys of the building comprised apartments. The US
spelling of this sense of the word is alsostory.

A story is a tale related in speech or writing by someone. In the US, it is

also the spelling used to refer to the floor of a building: My home is three
stories high.

straight Straight is an adjective that means having "no bends or curve"s: Pimsley's
strait walking cane is as straight as an arrow.

A strait is a narrow channel connecting two bodies of water: The Bering

Strait lies between Alaska and Siberia.

supposedly Supposedly means "reputedly" or "likely to be true": Sam is supposedly

supposably the greatest waterboy in the football team's history.

Supposably means "can be supposed": The best solution to the problem

is supposably to ignore it. (However, this word is seldom used.)

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 •T•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
taut Taut is a literary word that means "tight": Hold the string taut while I mark
taught the line.

Taught is the past tense of teach: Kenneth taught etiquette and good
manners for several years.

tenant A tenant is someone who rents property: A new tenant moved into the
tenet vacant apartment last week.

A tenet is a principle: The major tenets of all religions are similar.

than Than is used to compare: Philippa Byrd thinks she is smarter than any of
then us.

Then is a word to describe a time that is not now: I prefer Friday; it would
be better to meet then because then I will be ready.

their Their is possessive of they: The twins left their books at home.
there There refers to a place that is not here: We will be there in two hours.
they're
They're is a contraction for they are: They're going to a concert tonight.

theirself Only themselves is correct as a reflexive or emphatic pronoun: They

theirselves gave themselves all the credit for the rescue.
themself
themselves

threw Although these two words are pronounced the same, threw is the past
through tense of the verb throw, meaning "tossed, hurled in the air": Morty threw
the keys to the car to McKinley.

Through is a preposition meaning "entering the inside of something and

coming out the other side": Chuck accidentaly threw a rock through
Miss Conception's living room window.

throes Throes are severe pains or difficult times: Wade Rivers found it difficult to
throws listen to his iPod in the throes of battle.

Throws is the plural or present tense of throw: Several throws later, Bud
Light managed to put a wad of paper in the trash can from his desk.

til Til is a contraction of the preposition until: I won't see you til tomorrow.
till Only one L.

Till is a verb meaning "to cultivate": My Uncle Emmet tills about half the
land on his farm and herds cattle on the rest.

to To is a preposition meaning "toward": We go to the lake every summer. It

too also serves as the infinitive particle for verbs: I want to stop confusing
words.
two
Too means "also": I'd love to go with you, too.

Two is the number between one and three: We have two options: hire a
divorce lawyer or a mortician.

torpid Torpid means "unresponsive, lacking alertness": Prunella tried to elicit

turgid answers from the torpid students in front of her.

Turgid means "very ornate and decorative": The author's turgid writing
style lost my interest quickly. It can also mean "swollen and bulging":
Turgid veins covered her legs.

tortuous Tortuous means "winding, crooked, with many twists and turns": Wiley
torturous Driver was very adept at driving the tortuous mountain roads of western
North Carolina.

Torturous means "very painful, like torture": Mick Stupp found doing math
homework torturous.

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•U•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
undoubtedly These three words may be used interchangeably, meaning "sure,
undoubtably without a doubt": Mildred was undoubtedly|
undoubtably|indubitably the best ballet dancer of all time.
indubitably

uninterested See disinterested, uninterested.

disinterested
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•V•
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
vane A vane is blade that rotates: I don't know how hard the wind blew; it
vain blew the weather vane off the roof.
vein Vain means "fruitless, hopeless, or without result": Bertie harbors a vain
hope of becoming a world-class ice skater.

Vein refers to the tubes that carry blood back to the heart: The veins are
usually smaller than the arteries.

venal Venal means "corruptible, money-grubbing, likely to accept bribes":

venial Chris Cross is a man so venal he charged his mother for taking her to the
hospital.

Venial means "easily forgiven": The judge dismissed the venial crimes
and focused on the theft of the chocolates.

verses Verses is plural of verse, a line of poetry: several Emerson's verses were
versus recited that evening.

Versus means "in comparison or opposition to": The benefits of having a

cell phone versus not having one depend on the individual.

vicious Vicious means "cruel and mean": A vicious dog attacked the young
viscous boy.

Viscous means "thick and sticky": Honey and tar are viscous substances.

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• WXYZ •
WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
waist Waist refers the (often) narrow area of a human body between the hips
waste and ribs: We often wear a belt around our waist.

Waste is garbage, or waste can be a verb meaning "to use carelessly":

You shouldn't waste food and you should recycle waste paper.

wary Wary means "leery and cautious": The customer became wary when the
weary salesperson said he would personally guarantee the TV set for 100 years.

Weary means "tired and worn": After a day of harvesting corn, the
farmer was very weary.

wave To wave is to move back and forth; a wave is a swelling in a body of

waive water due to movement: Helen Highwater waved her hand to the boat
rocking in the waves.

Waive means "to give up, not require or ask for": Never waive your right
 to a lawyer.

weak Weak is not strong: Finley gave a weak performance; maybe because
week he has a weak mind.

Week refers to the names of the seven days, from Sunday to Saturday: I
go to the ice skating rink once a week.

wear Wear is a verb (wear, wore, worn) meaning to have clothing on: Maud
ware Lynn Dresser always wears gaudy evening gowns on formal occasions.
were Ware is an article of merchandise, a product (usually used in the plural):
we're The potter displayed her wares on a beautiful stand made by her
husband.

Were is past tense of are: Maud and her fiance were at the ball last
weekend.

We're is a contraction for we are: We're going to the ball this weekend
so maybe we'll see them.

weather Weather has to do with climate: I hope we have beautiful weather for
whether my daughter's wedding.

Whether means "if" and is used only inside sentences: I don't know
whether to bring an umbrella or not.

wet Wet is full of moisture: We had to dry out the wet sleeping bag on our
whet camping trip after a sudden storm.

Whet is to stimulate or arouse: Smelling the stew whetted her appetite.

which Which means "what particular choice": Which witch put the spell on
witch you?

A witch is a person who believes in or practices magic: Not all witches

have warts on their noses (some have them on their chins).

who's Who's is a contraction for who is: Who's going to vote today?
whose Whose is the possessive of who meaning "of whom": Whose tickets are
these?

wont Wont means "used to": Maggie was wont to getting everything her way
won't and cried when she didn't.

Won't is a contraction for will not: Maggie won't be getting every toy she
wants this Christmas.

your Your is possessive for you: Your idea is fantastic!

you're You're is a contraction for you are: You're the most treasured person in
my life.

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