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 is intended to (too, two) remind us all to read what we’ve written carefully! And if we’re (weir) not (knot) sure (shore), ask someone else to read it too.
Marten (n.): a mammal of the genus Martes with a slender body, bushy tail, and soft fur
Martin (n.): a bird such as the house martin or the purple martin
Maser (n.): a device similar to the laser that emits microwave radio waves rather than light
Mazer (n.): a large drinking bowl or goblet made of metal or hard wood
Mask (n.): a covering for the face or part of the face, to conceal the identity; (v.): to cover up or conceal
Masque (n.): a form of dramatic entertainment popular among the English aristocracy during the 16th and 17th century
Massed (v.): the past tense of to mass (to form or collect into a mass; to form into a collective body; to bring together into masses; to assemble)
Mast (n.): a tall pole used for support of the sails on a boat
Mat (n.): a flat fabric used as a floor covering; (v.): to cover, protect, or decorate with mats or a mat; to pack or interweave into a thick mass
Matte (adj.): a dull or unshiny finish; (n.): a mixture of a metal with its sulfides, produced by smelting the sulfide ores of copper, lead, or nickel; in photography, a decorative border around a picture
Maw (n.): the mouth, stomach, jaws, or gullet of a voracious animal, especially a carnivore
Moor (n.): a member of a Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent living in Northwest Africa; a large open marsh land
More (adv.): to or in a greater extent or degree (more difficult); (adj.): greater in number or size (more books); (n.): a greater or additional quantity, number, degree, or amount (the more I like you); (pron.): a greater or additional number of persons or things (there were more in the hall)
Are any of these new to you? I had never heard of maser or mazer, and I was unsure about the definition of masque and maw.