On Writing: Less Common Homophones, pt. 2

Continuing my posts on homophones (there are two more, here and here), I present the second half of the list of some of the less common ones that are still pretty frequently misused.

Hangar/Hanger


A hangar is a large covered space where they store aircraft. A hanger is something on which you hang your clothes. You could hang your clothes on a hangar, but a hanger would probably make more sense. 


Hear/Here

Hear is what you do with your ears. Here indicates location. (As a bonus, "hear, hear!" is the correct spelling of that expression.) Hear him here.


Hoard/Horde


To hoard is to accumulate stuff. A horde is a large group, usually of people. If you hoard toilet paper before the apocalypse, an angry horde will come after you.


Levee/Levy


A levee is a barrier. To levy is to impose or collect a tax. Local officials will levy a tax on your levee.


Lead/Led

Lead is the bad stuff in paint. Led means guided. He led us through the field of lead.


Loath/Loathe

Loath is unwillingness. Loathe is intensely disliking. He is loath to loathe anyone.


Lose/Loose


To lose is to be without something. When something is loose, it's wiggly. Don't lose the loose bolt!


Miner/Minor

A miner mines something. A minor is lesser or underage. Minors shouldn't be miners.


Nay/Neigh

Nay is an expression of dissent. Neigh is the sound a horse makes. Nay, I will not neigh.


Passed/Past

Passed is the completed act of passing; past is a designation of time. I passed that class in the past.


Peal/Peel

Peal has to do with sound. Peel is removing a thin later of something. She peeled the fruit to peals of laughter from her friends.


Plane/Plain


A plane is a flat surface, or a location. A plain is simple. It is a plain plane.


Principal/Principle

A principal is a person in a position of power. A principle is a rule. The principal has principles.


Reign/Rein

Reign is a period of rule. Rein is a leather strap or the act of controlling. During her reign, she reined in the parliament.


Threw/Through

Threw is the past tense of throw. Through is about going in one side and out the other. He threw it through the hoop.



...and I'm done! Finally! These posts were so dull and I apologize for that. I felt like they needed to be written, though, as much for my own benefit as for anyone else's. I do hope they come in handy for someone, but even if they don't, I know I have them to refer back to.

On Writing: Less Common Homophones, pt. 1

This post discussed some of the most common homophones. Today, I have the first half of a list of some of the less common ones. These are all words I've seen used incorrectly, or--worse!--words I have used incorrectly. These are also the words no one seems to correct on Facebook. 


Accept/Except

Accept means to receive or agree; except excludes something. I can accept everything, except what I can't.


Aisle/Isle

An aisle is a manmade walkway. An isle is an island. There are no aisles on this isle.


Adverse/Averse

Adverse means "opposite" and averse means "a feeling of opposition." She wouldn't be averse to you suffering adverse consequences.


Assure/Ensure/Insure

Assure is to tell positively. Ensure is to make sure. Insure is guarantee against harm. We assure you that we will ensure that you are insured.


Allusion/Illusion

Allusion is a reference, while illusion is deception. I don't appreciate your allusion to that illusion.


Born/Borne

Born means birthed while borne means carried or held. After the baby was born, her cries were borne on the wind.


Break/Brake

Break is destruction, brake is to slow or stop (or the device used to slow or stop). Don't break the brakes!


Canon/Cannon

Canon is the standard or a body of law. Cannon is a mounted gun. You can't use a cannon to blow holes in the canon.


Censor/Censer


A censor is someone who suppresses art that they consider morally objectionable; to censor is the act of doing so. A censer is a closed container in which incense is burned. There's no reason to censor the censer.


Council/Counsel


A council is a governing body. To counsel is to give advice. The council offered to counsel the young witch.


Cite/Sight/Site

To cite is to mention a source. Sight is the sense you need your eyeballs for. A site is a location.


Capital/Capitol

Capital is the official seat of government. Capitol is the building used by the seat of government. The capitol building is in the capital city.


Climactic/Climatic

Climactic has to do witch climax, while climatic has to do with climate. The Little Ice Age was a climactic climatic event.


Complement/Compliment

To complement is to complete something. To compliment is to offer praise or approval. The guest complimented the host on her choice of wine since it complemented the meal so well.


Defuse/Diffuse

Defuse is to make less dangerous. Diffuse is to spread out or disperse. By defusing the bomb, he diffused the situation.


Discreet/Discrete


To be discreet is to be unobtrusive. Discrete is apart or detached from. Discrete entities must be discreet when they meet.


Desert/Dessert

Desert is a climate where liquid water is scarce or to abandon someone or something. Dessert is the sweet treat at the end of a meal. Don't desert your desserts in the desert!


Elicit/Illicit

Elicit is to bring forth. Illicit is another word for illegal or not approved. She elicited confessions of an illicit affair.


Emigrate/Immigrate

Emigrate is to leave, immigrate is to arrive. People emigrate from Michigan and immigrate to Texas.


Flair/Flare

Flair is natural talent or smartness of style. Flare is unsteady burning. His flair for the dramatic has a tendency to flare up on the weekends.


Grisly/Grizzly

Grisly is horrible. Grizzly is grayish or a type of bear. We stumbled across the grisly remains of the grizzly bear attack.

Part two of this post is coming soon!

On Writing: Common Homophones

A homophone is a word that sounds the same as another word, but does not mean the same. The English language is just full of these. They're dangerous. They're sneaky. They can make even the smartest person look like a boob.


I'm positive that we've all been there. I know I have: I'm tired or not paying attention, and I use your instead of you're. Then, when I go back to read what I've written, I want to die of shame. (Maybe that's extreme. But I'm sure you get what I mean.) Spell check isn't going to catch this, but your readers certainly will. What I do, as described in tip number four of this post, is run a search for the words I tend to abuse when I'm done with what I'm writing. This may not always be practical, but it certainly cuts down on my mistakes. 


We probably all know the most common ones. Facebook is full of your friends, family, coworkers, and classmates who misuse them all the time. 

Affect/Effect


Affect can be a verb that means "to have an impact on something" or a noun that means "influencing behavior or action." Effect is a verb that means "to cause change" or a noun that means "the consequence" or "the state of becoming operative." When you affect something, there are effects. 


Its/It's


Its is possessive. It's is a contraction of "it is." It's its own worst enemy.


Peace/Piece

Peace means "tranquility or quiet" while piece means "part of a whole." You won't have peace of mind until you give her a piece of your mind.

Than/Then


Than is for comparison, while then is for order of events. Then she smiled brighter than the sun.


Their/There/They're


Their is possessive. There is a place indicator. They're is a contraction of "they are." They're going to be there for their party.


To/Too

To indicates direction or intention. Too means "also." I want to go too!

Your/You're


Your is possessive. You're is a contraction of "you are." You're going to get your comeuppance. 


Whose/Who's


Whose is possessive. Who's is a contraction of "who is." Who's going to know whose it is?


The definitions provided are simplified; the links should take you to more explicit and in-depth definitions.