The title — Confuzzled by these English words — obviously contains a word that is made up. But I think it conveys the truth: Many words in English are tough to understand! In English, these words are known as homophones,…
Homophones: Oh–Oracle
Homophones Oh–Oracle Woohoo, three weeks in a row! I’m finally back on track to post several articles a week, all in an effort to help others remember or learn ways to use the American system of grammar, usage, and language.…
Nit — Noes
Since 2014, I’ve been publishing several different types of articles, all based on days of the the week. Over time, a couple have dropped away, and I’m intent on bringing them back for others to learn from. Today’s article is…
Homophones: Principal and Principle
I was talking on LinkedIn recently with Tom Dietzler, who wondered if I could help with two words — homophones — that he kept getting mixed up. Of course, he’s in great company; a lot of writers confuse these two.…
Affect & Effect
For most of us writers, affect will be a verb and effect will be a noun. Each can be used differently, but it’s far less common. If you can see how to use effect correctly, you’ll know whether affect or…
Alot / Allot / A Lot
The non-word “alot” has an amazingly strong hold on many writers, even with spellcheckers separating the two parts of it. I will bet that some writers override their spellchecker, pulling those four letters back together, muttering something like “Stupid program!…
Homophones: New — Night
Homophones: New — Night Here are five more pairs/groups of words known as homophones (words that sound alike or almost, anyway), but are spelled differently and mean something different. They’re the toughest words in English to use correctly, because it’s…
Naval — New
With all the possibile things to write about, sometimes I forget to put out a regular Tuesday Tricksters or Wednesday Words post! So, here are a few more difficult-to-remember words, because they sound alike (or nearly so, anway), but don’t…
Tuesday Tricksters: Mustard — Nark
Welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tricksters, posts intended to help all writers of English remember that there are words called homophones that sound the same (or nearly so), but mean something different and are spelled differently. Spellcheck is useless…
Tuesday Tricksters: Helpful Hacks
Here are some helpful hacks to use with Tuesday Tricksters! For the last three years, I have posted on most Tuesdays about words that make many writers look bad: homophones. They’re the ones that sound like another word (or nearly,…
Morning — Musth
It’s been a few months since my last Tuesday Tricksters post, and I’m not sure why I stopped posting this series. Because each post shows my readers words in English that are easy to misuse (no matter whether English is…
Tuesday Tricksters, Missal — Mode
You thought I’d abandoned these, right? Nope. Not a prayer. Just got very busy the last couple of weeks. But I’m baaaaaaack! Using the correct words, to me, is the hallmark of good writing — knowing the difference between you’re…
Tuesday Tricksters, Mil–Minks
It was a lazy, hazy, snowy morning here at the Grammar Goddess abode; the dogs were sleeping, and I was lazily gazing out through the snow-covered windows to the snow-covered trees, when suddenly I realized it’s TUESDAY! Yikes. I hadn’t…
Tuesday Tricksters, Mews–Might
It’s (its) another Tuesday, and time (thyme) to (too, two) (re)learn five more (moore) pairs (pears) of tricky words that can make even the best writers look not so smart. They’re (their, there) known as homophones, words that sound the…
Tuesday Tricksters, Medal — Mewl
So here it is: the last day of February. How did this come on so quickly? It’s also a Tuesday, which means I have another chance to remind writers about an important fact: Spellcheck, for all its wonderfulness, does only…
Tuesday Tricksters, Me — Meatier
So today is the day of love — around the world. It’s St. Valentine’s Day, at least here in the U.S. Love is in the air. Cupid is shooting his arrows, sometimes hitting the wrong people. Those who are not…
Tuesday Tricksters, Marten — Maw
Who hasn’t written the wrong word, thinking one (won) that sounded like it was the right (rite) one? Learning English, with its (it’s) homophones (words that sound alike or nearly so) can be (bee) really tough. This Tuesday Tricksters series…
Homophones Licker – Limn
It’s Tuesday again! Time for more difficult words — homophones — that we all need to pay attention to! They’re the ones that sound the same (or nearly so), but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Licker (n.): one…
Lesser — Liken
More homophones: lesser and liken. Homophones: tough words (aka homophones) in English that sound the same (or nearly so, anyway), but mean something different and are spelled differently. And it doesn’t matter how much English we know; these words bedevil…
Leave — Lesson
It’s (Its) time (thyme) again for Tuesday Tricksters! It’s a quick peek (peak/pique) at some (sum) words that sound the same but (butt/butte) are not (knot/naught) the same! They have different meanings and different spellings. Smart writers remember that spellcheck…
Tricksters Leak — Leased
It’s Tuesday, so here’s another edition of Tricksters, those words that sound alike (or nearly so, anyway) and can make us writers look bad when we misuse them. Spellcheck will never help here; the words are spelled correctly, but used…
Homophones Lea — Leaf
The homophones lea — leaf are among today’s tricky words. Yes, it’s Tuesday, and that means another edition of the Tuesday Tricksters, words called homophones that sound the same as another one (or nearly so, anyway) but mean something different…
Larva — Ley
Don’t you (ewe) love how Ms. Jenkins, the teacher who wrote the above note, thinks? It’s the same way (weigh) I (eye) try to (too, two) help my readers remember the perils of following spellcheck too closely; it only…
Lain — Laps
Here (hear) are more tricky words for (fore, four) your learning pleasure! I (eye) call them tricky, but (butt, butte) they’re (there, their) usually referred to (two, too) as homophones. Smart writers take great (grate) care while writing because…
Laager — Lade
Here’s another edition of Tuesday Tricksters, all in an attempt to keep us sharp as we write in English (American English, anyway). These words defy spellcheck’s ability to help writers, as they are REAL words, but too many times they’re…
Knead . . . Knob
Here we go again, dear readers! More Tuesday Tricksters (aka homophones) to delight and bedevil us (if we’re not carefully reading what we wrote, that is). These words have the power to make any one of us look bad, so…
Jinks – Karat
Once again here is an edition of Tuesday Tricksters! I keep publishing these because I know how hard it can be to remember all the variations of words that sound alike (or nearly so), but aren’t spelled the same and…
Jalousie — Jibe
Here is the latest installment of Tuesday Tricksters, words (homophones) that sound alike (or nearly so), but mean something different and are spelled differently. Remember that spellcheck will not help you here; if you spell the word correctly, spellcheck won’t…
Innocence – Its
Good Tuesday morning, folks! Here’s the latest installment of my Tuesday Tricksters series – in a new format. Because I’m now publishing on several platforms, I’m trying to make it easier for anyone reading this post to see the words…
Impatience – Independence
Here is the latest installment of a series I started a year ago to help remind all my connections of the dangers of believing in spellcheck. Don’t get me wrong — I LOVE spellcheck! It has saved me many times…
Tongue Twisters
Good rainy Tuesday, dear readers! It’s one of those days to hunker down, stay inside, and maybe learn about a few phrases and words that too many of us mispronounce or misuse. Here are 10 classic ones: And here are…
Complement / Compliment
Once again, Tuesday’s Tricksters strives to help us remember there are often many ways to write a word that sounds like another. Two I want to focus on this morning, thanks to a comment made by Sarah Elkins a few…
It’s Time to Master These Two Words!
Dear Readers — Here are two more words in a continuing series of almost homophones — those pesky words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings — that confuse so many of us. Many English words are written…