sign, sine, syne

Sign or sign means a notice, announcement, identification, or advertisement for public view, in words or symbols--
Watch for the stop sign.
The sign said the store is open until 9.
The sign says "trees for sale".
We missed the sign for our exit.
Sign may also mean a gesture--
He made a sign that he wanted to leave.

Sine or sine ( rhymes with sign ) is a term used in trigonometry--
A sine is one of the relationships between the parts of a triangle.
Find the sine, cosine and tangent.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The surveyors used the sine of the measurements to determine where the sign should be installed."

Note--"syne" ( rhymes with "sign", but with a "z" sound ), as used in the expression "auld lang syne", is a Scotch word. The phrase means "for old time's sake".  The people of Scotland speak English, but still use many words from their original language--
They always sing "Auld Lang Syne" at New Year's parties.

Note #2--"cosign" or "co-sign" means to sign the papers for someone who is getting a loan from the bank. Parents might cosign a car loan for a young person, for example. If the young person cannot make the loan payments, the parents have agreed to pay by cosigning the loan--
His dad agreed to cosign his car loan.
Not to be confused with "cosine", another trigonometry term--
Find the sine, cosine and tangent.

Note #3--"zine" ( rhymes with teen ) means a small circulation magazine, either digital or on paper--
He started a zine on the internet, and has a lot of subscribers.

Note # 4--"sine" is a Latin word meaning "without", still used in the phrase "sine qua non", meaning the necessary thing. If the necessary thing or idea is missing, the whole thing described by the phrase does not exist--
 Baggy clothes are the sine qua non of hipness, to some young people.

choral, coral

Choral or choral describes music meant for a group of singers or choir--
Some of the classical composers wrote choral music.
The choir director spent the summer looking for new choral music.

Coral or coral ( rhymes with choral ) means the little creatures that live in the ocean, or the things made from their dried remains--
They passed a new law to protect the coral reef from pollution.
Coral sometimes washes up on the beach here.
She gave her sister coral earrings for a holiday present.
"Full fathom five thy father lies--Of his bones are coral made..."

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The composer's visit to a coral reef inspired him to write a piece of choral music in its honor."

Note--"chorale"  means a particular sort of choral music, or the group that sings it--
He wrote a chorale for a four part choir, inspired by a trip to Manhattan.
Not to be confused with "corral", meaning a pen or fenced enclosure for cattle, horses, or other livestock--
Let's drive the horses into the corral before dark.
"Corral" may also be a verb ( action word ), meaning to drive or move animals into a pen or enclosure--
When we're finished here, we'll corral the rest of the horses.

fourth, forth

Fourth or fourth means the item in a series between the third and the fifth--
This is the fourth time we have seen this movie.
Their child is in the fourth grade.

Forth or forth ( rhymes with fourth ) means out, forward or away--
"She brought forth her first born son..."
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation..."
Come forth and be recognized.

 Now that you know that, you can say--
"For the fourth time, he came forth and granted an interview."

Note--"forthcoming" means expected soon; about to appear or be delivered--
No explanation will be forthcoming.
The forthcoming play contains mature themes.
"Coming forth" means stepping out of hiding, or making a public statement--
The mayor thanked him for coming forth and making a statement."
"Coming fourth" means coming between third and fifth--
He was tired of always coming fourth in the race.

choir, quire, acquire

Choir or choir means a group of people who sing together--
The church choir taught the congregation a new hymn.
During her teen years, she sang in a choir.

Acquire or acquire ( rhymes with a choir ) means to get or obtain--
They didn't have the money to get a new car, so they tried to acquire one through barter.
He studied at night to acquire fluency in Spanish.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The choir requested enough funds to acquire new robes."

Note--Quire or quire ( rhymes with choir ) means a sheaf of paper--to a bookbinder, 24 sheets bound together--
Each quire of a hardbound book may be sewn together.
Note # 2--"coir"  ( pronounced koyr ) means fiber from coconut husks, used to make rope and matting--
Her house had a lot of hanging plants and coir mats on the floor.
Note # 3--"require" ( ree choir ) means to insist on as necessary, or to need--
Will the restaurant require a jacket?
They will require a background check if you are offered the job.

degree, decree

Degree or degree means a step in a series or scale--
He became a 12th degree mason recently.
"To the nth degree" means to the very limit.
Degree also means extent, scope, or level--
They reached a degree of consensus that everyone could live with.

Degree also means a measurement of the distance around a circle or arc, or the width of an angle--
There are 360 degrees in a circle.
Degree is also a measure of temperature--
It hasn't warmed up by even one degree.
It's so hot out.It must be at least 90 degrees.
It's so cold out.It must be ten degrees below zero.

Degree is also what someone earns in college--
He was granted his degree in physics.

 Decree means a public proclamation--
"There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed."
 According to the new decree, everyone must be indoors by 9 pm.

Now that you know that you can say--
"They reached a degree of acceptance of the new decree."

Note--"to a degree" means to a certain extent--
I believe what the speaker said, to a degree.
"They agree, to a degree" means they agreed, but not about all of the points or particulars.
"By degrees" means in steps or stages--
They got used to the new method by degrees.

birth, berth

Birth or birth is a noun ( thing or idea ), meaning being born, or bearing a child--
He went to a hypnotist and now he believes that he can remember his own birth.
Christians believe that a virgin gave birth to a child 2011 years ago.

Berth or berth ( rhymes with birth ) means a sleeping compartment on a train, plane, or ship--
They took the train to the coast, and slept in a berth.
The plane did not have a berth available, so they slept in their seats.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"It was difficult, but she gave birth in the berth of a train."

Note--"berth" also means a ship's officer's cabin--
He got a berth on ship headed for home.
To "berth" a ship means something like to park it--
They couldn't berth the  ship until they found the pilot.
To give someone a "wide berth" means to keep a distance from him or her, or to let him or her alone--
The boss looks very annoyed. Let's give him a wide berth.

fir, fur

Fir or fir means a kind of evergreen tree--
A fir tree makes the house smell wonderful.
The man at the Christmas tree stand was explaining the difference between  fir, pine, and spruce trees.

Fur or fur ( rhymes with fir ) means the hairy coat of an animal such as a dog, cat, or rabbit--
Minks are often made into fur coats.
We took the dog for a walk in the woods, and now he has twigs and leaves stuck in his fur.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Needles from the fir tree are stuck in the cat's fur."

Note--"furry" ( rhymes with worry ) describes something that is made of fur--
The baby likes to cuddle her furry stuffed animal.
Not to be confused with "fury" ( rhymes with jury ), meaning an extreme state of anger--
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned..."

slay, sleigh

Slay or slay means to kill a person--
The vikings were taught to slay their enemies without remorse.
Even the worst criminal would refuse to slay a family member.
To "slay" someone is also an old-fashioned slang expression for making someone laugh--
That's too funny. You slay me!

Sleigh or sleigh ( rhymes with slay ) means a carriage or wagon with runners on the bottom, to be pulled through the snow by a horse or draft animal--
"Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh..."
They found an old sleigh in the barn, and are waiting for some snow to try it out.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The part where the sleigh is used to slay the yeti never fails to slay the audience."

Note--"slay" is a verb ( action word ), so its third person singular ( he, she, it ) form is "slays"--
Wait for the part where he slays them with a jawbone.
"Sleigh" is a noun ( thing or idea ). Its plural ( more than one ) form is "sleighs"--
They hoped to get several sleighs to make a winter party.
Note # 2--The past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "slay" is "slew"--
The hero slew many of the enemy's soldiers.
Note # 3--"Slain" is a participle ( used with a helper verb ) of "slay"--
The hero had slain many before the battle was over.
Note #4--"sley" ( rhymes with slay ) means a part of a loom, used for weaving, or the warp ( up and down ) count in woven fabrics--
The sley of this fabric is loose; it won't wear well.

angel, angle

Angel or angel means a heavenly or supernatural winged being--
They always put an angel on the top of their Christmas tree.
Many people believe that angels visit Earth and help people.

Angle or angle ( rhymes with bangle ) means the place where two lines meet--
The corners of a box or room form a right angle.
You can find a picture of an angle in a geometry book.
Angle is also used to mean at a slant, or not straight--
Set the chair at an angle; it will look better.
Angle may also mean the approach of a writer to a story, an opinion piece, or an argument--
This writer has a fresh angle on the protest story.
Interviewing the chef may be a new angle, but I don't think it really adds to the story.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The author decided to use the angle of interviewing people who claimed to have seen an angel."
"The two fences meet at an odd angle, making an image of the wings of an angel."

Note--to "angle" means to fish with a rod and bait or lure--
He stood on the bank all day, hoping to angle up his dinner.
A person who fishes in this way is called an "angler"--
The old angler made his own lures, and set great store by them.
To "angle" also means to use sly or coy hints to get something--
He's pretends modesty  to angle for a compliment.
He angled for a raise, but never came right out and asked for one.
"He's just fishing for a compliment" is also a common saying--
He's just fishing for a compliment.
When we say that someone is "fishing", figuratively, we usually mean trying to get information--
He is fishing to find out where she lives.
On the internet this is called "phishing" ( rhymes with fishing )--
He got an email from someone phishing for credit card information.
Note #2--"Angle" is a proper noun ( name of a specific person, place, and sometimes thing, always capitalized ), meaning one of the ancient people who once inhabited Great Britain. "Angle" is the root word of the term "Anglo-Saxon", still used to describe people of British heritage or descent--
Britain was once inhabited by Angles, Saxons, Picts, and Jutes.
Anglo-Saxon England was invaded and conquered by the Normans.

manager, manger

Manager or manager means the person in charge of something, or a supervisor of staff--
Make sure you tell the manager if you are going to be late.
He is hoping to be promoted to manager.
Manager is also an old-fashioned term for taking care of a household and its expenses--
The grandmother was a good manager, even though there was little money.

Manger or manger  ( rhymes with stranger ) is a place to put hay or feed for cattle or other livestock--
"She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and put him in a manger."
They always put up lights and a manger scene at Christmas.
He put hay in the manger for the cow.

Now that you know that, you can say--
The manager says we're going to have a before-Christmas sale on manger scenes."

Note-- "mangier" ( main gee err ) means more mangy, or having more of the disease "mange"--
We used some medicine on the cat, but he is even mangier than before.

clause, claws

Clause or clause means a provision of a contract, will, treaty, or other legal document--
I want a clause in my contract that requires prompt settlement of disputes.
Read the fine print--there's a clause requiring you to sign away any future financial claims.
Clause or clause is also a grammar term, meaning a part of a sentence--
A simple statement may be an independent clause, when combined with a dependent clause.

Claws or claws ( rhymes with clause )  is the plural ( more than one ) form of "claw"--
Don't let the cat sharpen his claws on the furniture.
The kitten's claws are sharp!
Claw can be a verb ( action word ), so "claws" would be the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form--
The cat claws at that cardboard thing every day.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"If our cat claws him, Santa Claus may invoke the naughty clause, and leave us coal and old potatoes."

Note--Santa Claus is a proper name that happens to rhyme with "claws" and "clause". "Santa Claus" is what an English-speaker hears when a Dutch or German speaker says "Saint Nicholas".

presence, presents, present

Presence or presence is the noun ( thing or idea ) form of "present", meaning in the place mentioned,, or in the same place as the speaker or writer--
The crime was committed in the presence of several witnesses.
The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of...
He detected the presence of gas, and left the house to call for help.
The presence of so much hostility made everyone uneasy.

Presents or presents ( rhymes with presence ) is the plural of present, meaning a gift--
He bought two presents for her birthday.
The children get excited about holiday presents.

Presents ( pree zents ) is  the third person singular  ( he, she, it ) form of  "present", meaning to give, display, or to hand over for payment or processing of some kind--
The Happy Soap Company now presents the new holiday special.
He always smiles when he presents a check to be cashed at the bank.


Now that you know that, you can say--
"The presence of presents under a fir tree is evidence, for many, that Santa has been there."
"Presents are evidence of the presence of Santa and the reindeer."
"Grandma presents us with presents every holiday season."

Note--"precent" ( pree sent ) means to lead a group in singing--
He will precent the new hymn on Sunday.
Not to be confused with "present" ( pree-zent ), meaning to give or hand over, or display--
Present arms! Forward march!
"Present" ( preh zent ) means a gift--
Did you remember the present for her birthday?
"Present"  ( preh zent ) also means in the place mentioned, or where the speaker is--
The teacher expected them to answer "present" when she checked attendance.
Note # 2-- "prescience" ( preh shee ens ) means knowledge of future events; foreknowledge--
His ability to predict the winner seems like prescience, but he has been following the games for years.

in, inn

In or in means not out, or inside of, or within the limits of, in space, time or ideas--
Did you let the cat in?
Put the milk in the refrigerator.
Drop the coin in the slot.
In our town...
It will be over in a week.
There are no pictures in this book.

In also means undergoing a state of--
The wheels are in motion
They are in love.
This is in style now.
In may mean using, or by means of--
In my humble opinion...
In a word, no.
In so many words...
Can you read that sign? It's in Spanish.

Inn or inn ( rhymes with in ) means a hotel, motel or bread-and-breakfast--
"There was no room at the inn..."
They stayed at an old-fashioned inn while on vacation.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Is there a fireplace in the inn?"

Note-- "in-" is a prefix ( something added to the beginning of a word ). When "in-" is added to a word, it alters the meaning of the original word to its opposite or negative, much the same as "un-" does--
expensive, inexpensive
tolerant, intolerant
accurate, inaccurate
accessible, inaccessible
adequate, inadequate
ability, inability
advisable, inadvisable
animate, inanimate
necessary, unnecessary
kind, unkind
fortunate, unfortunate
"In-", as a prefix, may also mean inside of, or withing the limits of--
The Great Lakes are well known inland waterways.

you'll, yule

You'll or you'll is a contraction ( short, informal form ) of  "you will"--
You'll go to the store after work, won't you?
If you'll move over, I can sit there, too.

Yule or yule ( rhymes with you'll ) means Christmas--
Don't you just love to watch the yule log burning?
Aren't yuletide carols fun?
I enjoy sipping wassail while hearing shouts of "glad yule!"

Now that you know that, you can say--
If Elvis had been Swedish, he might have sung 'You'll be home for Yule'.

Note--two men's names rhyme with you'll--
Yul Brynner is a famous actor, now dead.
Euell Gibbons is the man who advocates eating twigs and tree bark, among other things.

team, teem

Team or team means a group of people combined for a purpose. The purpose may be a sport, but there are other kinds of teams, such as people who work at the same job--
They went to every game their favorite team played.
The men in the office talk about nothing but the baseball team.
To "team up" means to make a pair, or to meet and do something together--
Let's team up later and go to the movies.

Teem or teem ( rhymes with team ) means to rain very hard--in sheets, or cats and dogs--
You'll be glad you took an umbrella when you hear the thunder and it begins to teem.
If if stops drizzling and starts to teem, we'll have to run for cover.


Now that you know that, you can say--
"The team was sorry when it began to teem. It meant  the game was postponed."

Note--"team" is also an old-fashioned word for a pair of horses or other draft animals that pull a wagon or a cart. A pair of oxen may be a team. This is why truck drivers are still called "teamsters"--they once were "teamsters", meaning people who drove "teams"--
He learned to drive a truck and joined the teamster's union.

sure, shore

Sure or sure means certain or convinced--
Are you sure that's the right number?
He was sure he had met her somewhere before.

Shore or shore ( rhymes with sure ) means the beach, or the land bordering an ocean or lake--
Let's go to the shore for the day.
They liked to visit the shore in the summer.
To a sailor, shore means land--
The sailors were always glad to be on the shore.
The sailors had shore leave for the day.
Shore also means to brace something physical by propping it up with a beam or post--
He tried to shore up the garage wall with some pieces of lumber.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Are you sure this is the way to the shore?"

Note--"seashore" is another way of saying "shore"--
You might "see the shore", or "see the seashore", or be "sure you see the seashore".

rap, wrap

Rap or rap may be a verb ( action word ), meaning to knock lightly or quickly--
He liked to rap his knuckles on the table, even though it annoyed her.
As a  noun ( thing or idea ) rap means a light or sharp knock--
Make sure to give a loud rap on the door, so we'll know it's you.

Rap is also a form of popular music--
Did you hear the new rap song?

Wrap or wrap ( rhymes with rap ) means to cover something on all sides--
Wrap the baby up in a blanket. It's cold out.
Let's buy some paper to wrap the present.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Give a rap at the door before you come in. I don't want her to look while I wrap the present."

Note--"rap" is also slang for a criminal indictment--
A "bum rap" or a "bad rap" means a false conviction.
To "beat a rap" means to be found not guilty.
Note # 2--to "wrap up" may mean to finish a project or discussion--
Let's wrap this up.
Let's wrap up the meeting by taking questions from the audience.

bore, boar, boor

Bore or bore means to cut a round  hole into--
They needed to bore a hole through the mountain to construct the tunnel.
He tried to bore a hole through the wall.
The past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) form of "bore" is "bored".
Bore or bore is also a measure of the inside of the hole--
The bore is the measure of the inside of the barrel of a gun or cannon.

Bore or bore is also the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) form of "bear", meaning to carry a load or burden, or to tolerate or put up with something--
Without his horse to help him, he bore the load alone.
He bore her nagging with patience for forty years.
Bore is also the past tense of "bear",  meaning to have a baby--as in to "bear a child"--
His wife bore him many sons.
She bore a child after several years of marriage.

Bore also means to fail to sustain the interest of an intended audience, by being dull and tiresome--as a verb ( action word ) or a noun ( thing or idea )--
Long lectures nearly.always bore students.
The new comedian was a bore.
The audience was bored.

Boar or boar ( rhymes with bore ) is a male pig or hog--
The coat of arms had a wild boar on it.
They went out to see the wild boar in the woods.

Boor or boor ( rhymes with bore )means a person with no social graces or manners--someone who says awkward and annoying things, and spills at parties--
They thought the new co-worker was a boor, and didn't invite him again.
Don't talk about money so personally. People will think you are a boor.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"They all found the speech on the wild boar a bore, and the speaker a boor."


Note--a "Boer" is a descendant of the Dutch settlers in South Africa--
The British fought the Dutch in the Boer War.

all, awl

All or all means the entire lot, set or quantity of--
Did you have to eat all of the cookies?
He spent all of his money on comic books.
All may also mean completely--
Are you all right?
Is it all finished?

Awl or awl ( rhymes with all ) means a tool used for boring holes--
He made a new hole in his belt with an awl.
Don't let junior play with the awl. It's sharp, and he might get hurt.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"If I had an awl, I could make new holes for all of the shoelaces."

Note--"all right" is always 2 words, meaning "is everything right?", or "everything is right"--
Are you all right?
We are all right.
Are the answers all right?
The answers are all right.
"Already" ( one word, one "l" ) means "so soon?" or "so quickly"--
Is it quitting time already?
Are we already home?
We are already home!
Are we going already?
We are going already!
"All ready"  ( 2 words, 2 "l's" ) means "everything or everyone set to go", or "everything or everyone prepared"--
I was waiting until dinner was all ready to call everyone to the table.
We are all ready to go.
We are all ready to go already.

way, weigh, whey

Way or way means a path or course, or a method or means of doing something--
Do you know the way to San Jose?
Is this the way to the sports arena?
That is not the way to win friends and influence people.
That is not the right way to give a cat a bath.
That's one way of looking at the problem.
Way may mean a direction--
Look both ways before you cross the street.
Is this a one-way street?
Way may mean a manner, habit, or custom--
He spoke in an old-fashioned way.
It is the way of new Yorkers to butt in line.
Way or ways may mean an aspect or approach--in a physical or in a mental sense--
I disagree with this editorial in some ways, but agree with it in others.

Weigh or weigh ( rhymes with way ) means to find out how heavy something is--
They put the baby on a scale to weigh him.
How much does this pumpkin weigh?
One may weigh in a mental or figurative sense--
He weighed the options, and decided to take the job.
The good recommendation will weigh in your favor.

Whey or whey ( rhymes with way ) is the watery milk left over when making cheese-
In the nursery rhyme, she was eating curds and whey.
Whey is newly popular with some vegetarians.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Do you know the proper way to weigh curds and whey?"

Note-- "a way" ( two words ), means a manner or method, direction or approach--
There must be a way  to fix this.
 "Away" ( one word ) means absent, at a distance, or in another direction--
He is away for the weekend.
"Throw away" means discard, or put in the trash--
She threw it away by accident.
"Aweigh" ( rhymes with away ) is an old-fashioned term for "weigh", meaning, nautically, to raise the anchor as a preparation for sailing--
"Fly, Navy, down the field, anchors aweigh..."

foul, fowl

Foul or foul means disgusting, dirty, or spoiled--
What is that foul smell?
Even a rat won't foul its own nest.
Foul may mean against the rules or unfair, as in some sports--
The fourth foul ball makes an out, in baseball.
"Foul play" is an expression from the old detective novels, meaning crime--
The detective began to suspect foul play.

Fowl or fowl ( rhymes with foul ) means a chicken, a duck, or another bird that is commonly eaten, such as a turkey or pheasant--
The fowl in the barnyard made a lot of noise.
They liked to hunt wild fowl in the woods.
Chickens are the most common domestic fowl.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The barnyard was foul with the mess made by the fowl."

Note--to "foul up" something means to make a mess of it, or to ruin it--
Be careful. Don't foul up, or the team will never let us forget it.
Something that is "fouled up" is ruined--
The old army word "snafu" is said to be an acronym for "situation normal, all fouled up".
"Fouling" means getting something dirty--
He never stops fouling his own nest.
 Note # 2--"foul language" means obscene language, cursing or swearing--
The student was sent to detention for his foul language.
Note # 3--a "fowler"  hunts fowl, such as geese or pheasants--
The fowler shot a duck and a partridge.
A "fowling piece" means a gun used for shooting fowl--
He kept his old fowling piece cleaned and oiled.

not, knot

Not or not is used to express a negative--a refusal, or the absence or denial of. Not may modify ( describe ) an action or a state of "being"--
It is not raining; we don't need an umbrella.
You may not go to the movies. It's too late.
It does not matter.
Do not do that.
We are not going.
We were not allowed to go.
It was not raining.
He is not sure.
"Isn't" is a contraction ( short form ) of "is not"--
It isn't raining.
"Doesn't" is a contraction of "does not"--
It doesn't matter.
"Don't" is a contraction of "do not"--
Don't do that.
"Aren't" is a contraction of "are not"--
We aren't going.
"Weren't" is a contraction of "were not"--
We weren't allowed to go.
"Wasn't" is a contraction of "was not"--
It wasn't raining.
"Won't" is a contraction of "will not"--
He won't answer.
"Can't" is a contraction of "can not"--
He can't go with us.

Knot or knot ( rhymes with not ) may be what you get in your shoelaces when they become tangled or tied in a way you didn't intend. Knots are also made on purpose to secure or fasten things with string, rope, twine, or the like--
I got a knot in my shoelace.
The girl scout learned to make a square knot.
Something is "knotted" if it has knots in it--
The strings are all knotted. I can't get them loose.
A "knotty" problem is difficult to solve--
We may never straighten out this knotty problem.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I meant to tie a bow, not a knot."

Note-- "Ain't" is always incorrect--
I'm not going.
I am not going.
You're not going.
You are not going.
He's not going. She's not going. It's not going.
He is not going. She is not going. It is not going.
We aren't going.
We are not going.
They aren't going.
They are not going.
Remember the old rhyme--
"Ain't ain't a word, ain't ain't in the dictionary, and I ain't gonna say ain't no more."
Don't write if you find "ain't" in a dictionary, unless it fails to note that "ain't" is incorrect with an inc. or something like it.
Note # 2--some more "not" contractions --
"couldn't"  for "could not"
"wouldn't" for "would not"
"shouldn't" for "should not"
"hasn't" for "has not"
"haven't" for "have not"
"shan't" for "shall not"
"mustn't" for "must not"

prescribe, proscribe

Prescribe or prescribe means to write down a set of rules or behavior. As a medical term, prescribe means a doctor has ordered a medicine or treatment--
The doctor might prescribe an antibiotic for his infection.
Only a doctor can prescribe something like that.
My grandmother used to prescribe chicken soup for a cold.
Most people with poor vision have a doctor prescribe their glasses.
Prescribe is also a legal term having to do with the use of property--
The court agreed to prescribe a passage to the river across his neighbor's land.

Proscribe or proscribe means to ban or prohibit, as in to make illegal--
The intent of the law is to proscribe illegal gambling.
We would probably need a constitutional amendment to proscribe guns.
Proscribe also means to denounce something--
The minister could be counted on to proscribe lewd behavior.
The historical meaning of proscribe is to declare a person an outlaw or condemned--
In Ancient Rome, to proscribe someone meant to take all of his property.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The speaker did not hesitate to proscribe the tendency of doctors to prescribe too many narcotics."

Note--"prescription" is the noun ( thing or idea ) from of "prescribe"--
The doctor wrote a prescription.
He waited at the drugstore while they filled his prescription.
Note # 2--"proscription" is the noun ( thing or idea ) form of "proscribe"--
The congregation paid little attention to the preacher's proscription of  alcohol.

hair, hare

Hair or hair means the stuff that grows on your head--
Mom said to comb your hair before you leave for school.
Long hair still reminds most people of the 1970's.

Hare or hare ( rhymes with hair ) means a rabbit-type creature--
Remember the old story of the tortoise and the hare?
The dog ran off, chasing a hare.

 Now that you know that, you can say--
"Her hair was a beige color, like the fur of a hare."

Note--not to be confused with "heir" ( rhymes with "air" ), meaning the one who will inherit a legacy or a kingdom--
They all wondered if he would be the heir to the throne.

sale, sail

Sale or sale is the noun ( thing or idea ) form of  "sell"--
The sale of his childhood home brought tears to his eyes.
The school has asked for contributions to its bake sale.
The car dealer was pleased that he made the sale.
Sale often means a "special sale" or a temporary reduction in price--
Let's go shopping. They're having a sale.
The sale ends tomorrow.

Sail or sail ( rhymes with sale ) means to use a boat powered by canvas sheets. Sail may refer to the sheets of canvas themselves, or to the action of  gliding over the water, powered by the wind in the canvas sheets, or "sails"--
He wanted to learn to sail a boat.
The sailor used his spare time to mend the torn sail.
We'll need some wind before we can sail.
Sail is often used to mean any act of gliding through something in a way that seems effortless--
He was sure to sail right through the final exam, after all that studying.
He still remembered the way she would sail through a room.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"They bought a new sail when the boating  store had a sale."

Note--a "sailer" means a boat powered by sails--
This boat is a good sailer.
A "sailor" is a person who goes about on boats, including someone in the navy or the merchant marine--
He wanted to become a sailor, so that he could travel to distant places.
A "sailor" is a "sailor" even if the boat doesn't have "sails"--
The sailor worked all day on the ship's engines.

stake, steak

Stake or stake means a post used to secure something, or to mark a border or boundary, usually by driving the post into the ground--
Last time they went camping, they lost a tent stake.
He sawed up the old broom handle to make a stake for the tomato plant.
Stake may be used as a verb ( action word ), meaning to secure something with a stake--
I can use this to stake up the tomato plants.
Stake may also mean one's interest in a matter, or what one has risked --
His job might be at stake in this investigation.
I wouldn't stake a cent on what that man said.

Steak or steak ( rhymes with stake )  means a cut of meat, usually beef--
He went to a restaurant for a steak dinner.
Steak is too expensive--buy some ground beef.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He tripped over the tent stake, and the tent fell down on our steak dinner."

Note--a "stake truck" has wooden or metal "stakes" around the back to form an enclosure--
He needed to keep the old stake truck running, or he wouldn't be able to drive to town.
Note # 2--to "burn someone at the stake" meant to tie him or her to a post and set a fire underneath. This is how some of the medieval saints died You can read about it in the story of Joan of Arc, if you're interested. People were also burned at the stake when accused of witchcraft. You can read about this in the history of the Salem witch trials--
He was burned at the stake, and became a martyr and a saint.
Note # 3--to "burn the steak" is culinary. Someone has left the steak on the grill too long, or cooked it too much in some other way--
Watch the grill. I don't want you to burn the steak.
"Steaks" is the plural ( more than one ) of "steak"--
Don't let the steaks burn.
Note # 4--"stakes" is the plural ( more than one ) of "stake"--
Don't forget the tent stakes this time.
They are playing for high stakes.

grate, great

Grate or grate means the frame of crossed metal bars that may make the bottom of a fireplace or the cover of a vent or window--
When the fire went out, she swept the ashes out of the grate.
The grate that covers the basement windows can't be removed.
To "grate" something means to shred it on the teeth or openings of a metal kitchen gadget--
Will you grate the cheese while I make the dough?
She likes to grate carrots for the salad.
Something may "grate" on one's nerves--
Her endless chatter may grate on your nerves.

Great or great ( rhymes with grate ) means extremely large or important--
They study great men of letters at school.
There are statues of  great generals in the park.
"Humpty Dumpty had a great fall..."
There is a great crowd of people at the mall.
Great is also used to mean very good--
That was a great movie!
They make great burgers there!
What a great idea!

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Will you help me grate the carrots to make that great carrot cake we had last Thanksgiving?"

Note--"greater" means larger than, in size, number, or importance--
Six is greater than four.
The taxes will be a greater problem.
"Grater" means the device used for grating cheese or other food--
Don't let the grater get rusty.
Where's the grater? I want to make a pizza.

idle, idol, idyll

Idle or idle means not in use--
His tools sat idle while he was ill.
The car sat idle in the garage while they were away.
When idle is used to refer to a person, it means not working, or doing nothing--
His wife always complained if he was idle for a moment.
She rarely spent an idle minute.
"Idle hands are the devil's workshop".
When idle is used to refer to a machine, it means that the machine is not being used, as in the expression "to let the car idle", meaning with the motor on, but sitting still--
Don't let the car idle too long; it wastes gas.
Her typewriter sat idle for weeks while she was on vacation.
Idle is also used to mean useless or ineffective--
That's just idle gossip.
They are just idle rumors.
Don't make idle threats.
"tears, idle tears..."

Idol or idol ( rhymes with idle ) means a religious statue that is worshiped or prayed to--
The plain people believe that any image might be used as an idol.
Many people think that all religious images are idols, if the images belong to a religion not their own.
Movie stars were once called "matinee idols".

Idyll or idyll ( rhymes with idle ) means something like a day in the country, or in an unspoiled natural place--it may mean the type of poem that is written about such a day, or it may refer to the day itself, and how it felt to be out of doors in a lovely setting--
The day was so lovely it  lacked only a poet to write an idyll.
The visit to the park seemed like an idyll.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"In his idle moments, he dreamed of an idyll in which his favorite movie idol played a part."

Note--"idler" is an old-fashioned word for a loafer or ne'er-do-well--someone who lounges about and does nothing, usually a man--
The townspeople called him an idler, but his farm was prosperous.
"Idly" describes an idle state, or a state of inaction--
He stood by idly while the barn burned.
Note # 2--An "idolater" is someone who worships an idol or image--
The country parson was sure the big city was full of idolaters.
"Idolatry" means the worship of idols, or "magic" statues or images--
Idolatry was once a criminal charge.
Note # 3--"idyllic" describes a lovely scene of nature at peace--
The picnic was lively, and the setting was idyllic.

steal, steel

Steal or steal means to take what doesn't belong to you--to commit robbery, larceny, or burglary--
The team hatched a plot to steal the rival school's mascot.
Don't steal my seat while I'm gone.
He planned a romantic date to steal her heart.
The runner tried to steal third base, but got caught.

Steel or steel ( rhymes with steal ) means the metal made of iron and coke ( the mineral )--
Most cars are made of steel.
Steel can rust, unless it is stainless steel.
Steel may mean to harden, in an emotional sense--
He took a deep breath and tried to steel his nerves.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She tried to steel her heart against his efforts to steal her heart."
"He tried to steal the workman's steel tools."

Note--the past tense( yesterday, or some time ago )  of "steal" is "stole"--
He stole my sandwich!
The modifier ( describing ) form of "steal" is "stolen"--
He was arrested for receiving stolen goods.
"Stole" is also a noun ( thing or idea ), meaning a wrap that goes around a woman's shoulders--
She wanted a mink stole in the worst way.
A "stollen" is a kind of cake--
She offered coffee and stollen to the visitors.
Note # 2--a "stele" ( rhymes with steal ) is an upright slab of stone with words or images carved on it--
The museum staff spent years trying to decipher the writing on the ancient stele.

rain, reign, rein

Rain or rain means the drops of water that fall from the sky--
Take an umbrella; it looks like rain.
He got soaked in the rain on the way home.
Do you think it'll rain?

Reign or reign ( rhymes with rain ) means the duration of the rule of a king or queen, or the royal power of ruling the state--
Queen Victoria's reign lasted more than sixty years.
The next sovereign to reign over England will be Prince Charles.

Rein or rein ( rhymes with rain ) means a leather strap used to control a horse or other animal. It may refer to the strap itself  ( a thing ), or to the capacity to control the animal with it--
He checked the horse with a light rein.
Rein in your horse!

Now that you know that, you can say--
"During the reign of the late king, Grandfather helped the prince rein in his horses, which were upset by the rain."

Note--"reins" is the plural ( more than one ) of "rein"-- 
Hold on to the reins, or the horse might bolt.
"Reins" is also an old-fashioned term for a person's kidneys--
Some ancient people believed that the reins were the seat of emotion. 
Note # 2--"arraign" means to make someone appear in court to answer a charge or indictment--
The judge will arraign him on Monday.
Not to be confused with "a rain"--
They were plagued by a rain of frogs.
Or "a rein"--
Try to keep a rein on your temper.
Or "a reign"--
She celebrated a reign of sixty years.

him, hymn

Him or him is the objective form ( action is done to the person or thing ) of  "he"--
Give the sandwich to him.
I asked him, but he didn't know.

Hymn or hymn ( rhymes with him ) means a song about ( or to ) God--a religious song--
The cantor taught the congregation a new hymn.
We hear this old hymn on the radio a lot at Christmas time.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"There's the choir director. Ask him if he knows this hymn."

Note--a book of hymns is called a "hymnal"--
If you'll turn to page 100 in your hymnal...

dear, deer

Dear or dear modifies ( describes ) something or someone associated with feelings of affection or love--
Few people still use the salutation "dear sir or madam" in letters.
I'm writing a poem. What rhymes with "dear" ?
"Dear John...."
Hang on for dear life.
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
Dear is also an old-fashioned term for expensive or costly--financial or mental--
I bought chicken because beef was too dear.
The confession cost him dearly.

Deer or deer ( rhymes with dear ) means the creature that lives in the forest--Bambi, or another of the same species--
A deer ran right in front of our car.
Watch for "deer crossing" signs.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"My dear, you just nearly ran over a deer."

Note--the plural form ( more than one ) of "deer" is "deer". One deer. Two deer. Like fish. Or sheep.

plain, plane

Plain or plain means not fancy; unadorned, or without anything added--
He only likes plain hamburgers.
The plain truth is that it looks awful.
The Amish are also called the plain people.
She always considered herself a plain woman, but he thought she was pretty.
Plain also means a flat field--unobstructed, unadorned by trees, "plain"--
"..above the fruited plain."
The great plains of the west grow much of our wheat.
"The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain."
Plain is used to mean obvious or clear--
It became plain that the plan would not work.
It is plain to me that we are not getting a raise after all..

Plane or plane ( rhymes with plain ) usually means an airplane--
Are you taking the train or a plane?
"Trains, and boats and planes, can mean a trip to Paris or Rome."
Plane also means a woodworking tool, one that shaves off slivers of wood--
He fixed the door with a plane.
To plane, a verb ( action word ), means to use the woodworking too--
He planed the top of the door, but it still won't shut.
Plane may also mean a level, as in a "moral plane" or an "astral plane"--
Some amateur philosophers believe that they inhabit a different astral plane.
Plane is used as a math term, meaning all of the points on one flat level or "plane"--
The only poor grade he got was in plane geometry.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"From the plane, we could see the plain below, like a patchwork quilt."
"Standing on the plain, we could see the plane flying overhead."
"It was plain to see that she was afraid to get on the plane."

Note--"planed" is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of the verb ( action word ) "plane"--
He planed the door so that it wouldn't stick.
"Planet" means Earth, or another celestial body, out in space or orbiting the sun--
NASA will soon have video from another planet to show us.

wood, would

Wood or wood means the stuff that furniture and other items are made of, or the boards we get from cutting down trees--
Most furniture is made of wood.
We can used the wood in the fireplace.
Real wood furniture is more expensive than particle board.

Would or would ( rhymes with wood ) is the conditional  form of "will", as in might or might not do something, depending on circumstance--
I would go to the store, but it's raining.
Would you like some coffee?
Would you move over, please?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Would you prefer wood or metal furniture?"

Note--"wooden" describes something made of wood--
Look at the old wooden bucket.
"Wouldn't" is a contraction ( short, informal form ) of "would not"--
I wouldn't go bungee jumping on a bet.

alley, ally

Alley or alley ( rhymes with valley ) means a narrow street or the space between two buildings--
The alley was too narrow for a plow, so they had to shovel it when it snowed.
They kept the trash cans in the alley.
People bowl in a bowling alley.

Ally or ally ( sounds like al--lie ) means a friend for a particular purpose, as in a war or political campaign--
He became an ally of the popular candidate after dropping out of the race himself.
Since we signed the treaty, our country has been an ally of their country.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The cat got in a fight in the alley, but found an unexpected ally in the neighbor's dog."

Note--the plural ( more than one ) of "alley" is "alleys"--
We have been in all the bowling alleys in town.
The plural of "ally" is "allies"--
Russia and the United States were allies in both world wars.
Not to be confused with "allay", meaning to relieve or diminish--
Her mom told her a story to allay her fear of the dark.
Laughter is believed to allay pain.

pair, pear, pare

Pair or pair means two matching things or people--
He bought a new pair of socks.
Don't they make a pretty pair?

Pear or pear ( rhymes with pair ) is the usually green pear-shaped fruit--
Would you prefer an apple or a pear?
There is a pear tree in the backyard.

Pare or pare( rhymes with pair ) means to peel a fruit or a vegetable, or to cut off the outer layer of something--
Don't forget to pare the potatoes.
You can't pare an apple with a butter knife.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The old Christmas song calls for a partridge in a pear tree and a pair of turtledoves."
"I can't find either of the pair of knives I need to pare the pear."

Note--"a pear" ( uh pare ), means one pear --
Would you like a pear?
Not to be confused with "appear" ( uh peer  ), meaning to become visible or come into sight--
"When what to my wondering eyes should appear...".
Appear also means to play in a movie, stage show, or other performance--
The famous comedian will appear later in the show.
Note # 2--au pair ( oh pare )  is a borrowed French phrase for a nanny or childcare professional--
They decided to hire an au pair for the summer.

precedent, president

Precedent or precedent ( press eh dent ) means something that happened before, used as an example for something current--
The court's ruling acknowledged the precedent set in a similar case last year.
The judge worked late looking for a precedent that would support his opinion in the case.
A precedent may be "set" in current time ( now ). It will become the example used in future cases--
This ruling will set a new precedent.
The new ruling sets a dangerous precedent.

President or president ( prez ih dent ) means the chief executive officer or decision-maker--
We will have another election for president next year.
He ran for class president in his junior year.
The president of the firm will retire next year.

Now that you know that, you can say:
"The procedure for counting the votes for president follows a precedent set in the last election."

Note--"presidents" is the plural ( more than one ) form of "president"--
Several former presidents are pictured on the money.
"President's" is the possessive  ( belonging to ) form of "president"--
The president's car is coming into view.
"Precedence" means a claim of greater rank or importance--
The need for security takes precedence over any campaign issues.
"Presidential" is the modifier ( describing ) form of "president"--
The presidential election is next week.
"Precedential" is the modifier ( describing ) form of  "precedent"--
This court ruling may be precedential.
"Precedential" is also a modifier  ( describing ) form of "precedence"--
His place in the ceremony is precedential to mine.

beside, besides

Beside or beside means next to or standing near--
No, put the lamp beside the table.
He stood beside her through the whole ceremony.

Besides or besides means with the means except or with the exception of---
Does anyone besides Dad want anchovies on the pizza?
Besides also means ( informally ) in addition to, or over and above--
We get benefits besides our pay.
It's not far to the store, besides, I'm going that way anyway.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Will anyone besides my mom stand beside me?

Note--"beside him" means next to him--
She stood beside him throughout the ceremony.
"Besides him" means except for him--
No one noticed, besides him.

Not to be confused with "bedside", meaning at the side of the bed of someone who is sick--
The new doctor has a terrible bedside manner.
She sat at the child's bedside night and day, until he recovered.

altar, alter

Altar or altar means a table or platform used for religious services--
The minister stood at the altar to lead the congregation in prayer.
The church ladies made a fine cloth for the altar.

Alter or alter ( rhymes with altar ) means to change or make different--
The tailor said he could alter your new suit to fit.
The room looks perfect. I wouldn't alter anything.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We'll have to alter the altar cloth. It's too long."

Note--the noun form ( thing or idea ) of "alter" is "alteration"--
"Love is not love that alters when it alteration finds..."
The tailor shop does alterations, too.
Note # 2--Not to be confused with "alternation", a noun ( thing or idea ) , meaning  switching  back and forth between two different choices--
They argued about the alternation of duties on a weekly basis.
"Alternate" is a verb ( action word--pronounced all ter nate ), meaning to switch between two choices--
Some wanted the duties to alternate on a daily basis.
Manic-depressive people alternate between extremes of happiness and sadness.
An "alternate" ( pronounced all ter net ) is a person who serves in a particular position when the official person can't attend--
The alternate will attend if a juror is absent.
An "alternative" is one of two choices, or a different means or method for accomplishing the same end--
The traffic report said there is a detour. We'll need an alternative route.
"Alternating" is more familiar in the phrase "alternating current"--
Alternating current comes from the electric company, through house wiring or sockets. Direct current comes from batteries.
Note # 3--Not to be confused with "altercation", meaning an argument--
The police stopped by to see about the altercation.

profit, prophet

Profit or profit means the money left over after paying business expenses such as wages, rent, and supplies--
Our community bake sale made a profit of $500.
After paying the wages, the rent, utilities, and taxes, there was not much profit.
Profit is sometimes used figuratively--
"What profit a man if he gain the whole world but lose his own soul?"
There is little profit in listening to the rantings of fools.

Prophet or prophet ( rhymes with profit ) means a seer--someone who has visions, or who claims to predict the future--
He thundered and roared like an Old Testament prophet.
Many people hope to find a financial or investment prophet, instead of a mere advisor.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He made such a profit on Wall Street that he was considered a financial prophet or wizard."

Note--the verb ( action word ) form of prophet is "prophesy" ( proff eh sigh )--
It is forbidden to prophesy, according to many religious people.
The speech or prediction of a prophet is called a "prophecy" ( proff eh see )--
They were astonished when the prophecy came true.

pain, pane

Pain or pain means an ache or suffering--physical or emotional--
He went to see the doctor about the pain in his leg.
Some people get a sharp pain when they eat ice cream.

Pane or pane ( rhymes with pain ) means a section of glass that makes up a window, or a section of a door made in separate panels--
Luckily, the windows have small panes, and only one is broken.
He went to the hardware store to buy a pane of glass to fix the window.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He still has a pain in his hand from cutting it on the window pane."

Note--a window may have "panes"--
She disliked cleaning all the little panes in the front room windows.
Note # 2--A person might have "pains"--
She couldn't wait to tell the doctor about her aches and pains.
A person may also be "a pain"--
Tell your kid brother to stop being a pain.
A person may be "pained", meaning uncomfortable with something, mentally--
It pained him to think of it. It pains him to think of it.
Note # 3--to "take pains" or to be "painstaking" means to take great care with a project, or with a social dilemma--
She made sure to take pains to make her mother-in-law comfortable.
He went over the manuscript on a very painstaking and professional way.

incite, insight, in sight

Incite or incite means to encourage or rouse to action--
The demagogue meant to incite the crowd to riot.
It is unlawful to suggest violent crime. A speaker should know better than to incite mayhem.

Insight or insight ( always one word, rhymes with incite ) means a form of perception or intuition, such as a particular mental grasp of the reality of something, or of the true nature of something or someone--
The lecturer offered the audience some interesting insight into the problems of foreign relations.
Some people hope a therapist can offer insight into their emotional problems.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Professional insight on the psychology of crowds may help us discern which speaker might incite a crowd to riot."

Note--not to be confused with the phrase "in sight" ( two words ), meaning visible to the eye, or in view--
Do you see the bus? Is it anywhere in sight?

passed, past

Passed or passed is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "pass", meaning to get by or go by, physically, or to get an acceptable score or grade--
He passed the history exam by ten points.
We passed a gas station a few miles back.
We passed the exit!

Past or past ( rhymes with passed ) modifies or describes something that has gone by, in time or in space--
That is all past history.
Past may be used as an adverb ( describes an action) --
We drove past the exit!
He walked right past us!
Past or past may also be used as a noun ( thing or idea ), meaning the time gone by, in general, or a particular time period of years ago--
The museum has interesting relics of the past.
In the distant past, people had to walk anywhere they wanted to go.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We just drove past the burger stand that we passed earlier. We went in a circle!"
"We passed a gas station on the highway"
"We drove past a gas station."

Note--a "pass" may mean the slip of paper an official gives someone to permit access to a building, or permission to move about in a building--
Where is your pass? Does your teacher know where you are?
Ask your teacher for a pass to visit the library.
Note # 2--To give something "a pass" means to skip it, or to decide not to participate--
We gave the new movie a pass, and went to the arcade instead
Note # 3--a person "with a past" ( usually a woman ) has a disreputable reputation--
The old biddies were sure their new neighbor was a woman with a past.
Note # 4--"pasta" ( one word ) means noodles--
Would you like a bowl of pasta?
Not to be confused with "past a " ( two words ), meaning the time gone by,  followed by the article "a" --
Do you think about the past a lot?
Or meaning having gone by something--
Did we drive past a sign?
No, we passed a truck with an ad on the side.

flour, flower

Flour or flour is the stuff that bread and other baked goods are made of. In the United States flour usually means wheat flour. Flour may also be made from rye, potatoes, rice, and other grains--
She bought a bag of flour to make a cake.
Make sure to grease the pan and dust it with flour, so the cake won't stick.
"Flour" may be a verb ( action word ), meaning to dust with flour--
Make sure to flour the rolling pin, or the cookie dough will stick to it.

Flower or flower ( rhymes with flour ) means the blossoms we see in vases, or growing on trees or plants--
She wore a flower in her lapel.
He put the flower in a vase.
"Flower" may be a verb ( action word ), meaning to put forth a bloom or blossom--
The tomato plants will flower in a couple of weeks.
Spring is lovely when the fruit trees flower.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"They bought some flour to make flower-shaped cookies for dessert."

Note-a plant making flowers is "in flower" or "flowering"--
The flowering apple trees are really a sight.
The trees are so pretty when they are in flower.
If a plant has made flowers already, it has "flowered"--
The cherry trees flowered last week. It's too bad you missed them.
More than one "flower" is "flowers"--
What a nice bunch of flowers!
"Flowers" is also the third person singular ( he, she , it ) form of the verb ( action word ) "flower"--
This tree is pretty when it flowers.
Note # 2--More flour is just more flour--a quantity, not a number--
Add more flour.
In discussing two or more kinds of flour, "flours" might be appropriate--
Measure the wheat flour and the rye flour. Add the two flours to the batter.
"Flours" may also be the third person singular ( he, she, it form ) of the verb "flour", meaning to dust with flour--
Tell her to make sure she greases and flours the pan.

pail, pale

Pail or pail means a bucket--
Go and fetch a pail of water.
The farmer used a pail to feed the hogs.

Pale or pale ( rhymes with pail ) means light in color--
She turned pale when she heard the bad news.
He wanted pale green paint for the living room.
Pale is also used as a verb, meaning to lose one's color, as at an upsetting moment, or to turn pale--
She saw him pale when she mentioned it.
You can't be a hero if you pale at the thought of danger.

 Now that you know that, you can say--
"Grandpa is getting old. He turns pale whenever he lifts a pail of water."

Note--pale is used to mean not as interesting or exciting--in the expression "to pale in comparison" or "to pale by comparison"--
It pales in comparison to the new model.
Note # 2--Pale or pale is an old-fashioned or archaic word for a fence or boundary made of stakes or wood pieces ( palings). It survives in the expression "beyond the pale", meaning outside of what is acceptable or decent behavior; or otherwise "beyond the limits"--
Using foul language in public really is beyond the pale.
Note # 3--"paled" is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of the verb ( action word ) "pale", meaning to turn pale--
She paled noticeably whenever anyone mentioned his name.
Not to be confused with "pallid" ( pronounced pal lid ) , meaning very pale, literally, or lifeless, figuratively--
He had such a pallid complexion that she wondered if he was a vampire.
The performance was pallid and uninspired.

made, maid

Made or made means fashioned, devised, or constructed. Made is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago) of "make"--
He made a model volcano for a science project.
She made a cake for his birthday.
She made a dress in sewing class.

Maid or maid ( rhymes with made ) means a female domestic employee, hired to clean or tidy up--
They were so messy, they hired a maid to take care of the house.
She did all her own cleaning, and wouldn't hire a maid, although they could afford it.
Many old plays use maids and servants to help explain the plot.
Maid or maid is also an old-fashioned or archaic word for an unmarried woman--
Medieval stories are full of comely maids and knights in armor.
Joan of Arc is called the "Maid of Orleans" .

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Did you try some of the cake the new maid made? It's delicious."
"The maid made the beds."

Note--"maiden" is another form of maid, meaning an unmarried woman. It is still used today to refer to a woman's surname ( last name ) before marriage--
I can't find my old high school friends on Facebook, because I only know their maiden names.
Maiden is also used to refer to the first voyage of a ship--
The "Titanic" sank on its maiden voyage.
Maiden may also refer to the first speech a new member of parliament makes--
His maiden speech was reported in all the papers.
Maiden is also used in a more general way to mean a first attempt at doing something--
Not bad for a maiden effort.
Not to be confused with "made in" ( two words ), which may be on the label of imported goods--
Made in China
This car was made in England.

flee, flea

Flee or flee means to run away, as in escaping from someone or something--
He thought about trying to flee when the police came to arrest him.
The highway was jammed with people trying to flee the storm.

Flea or flea ( rhymes with flee ) means the small insect that bites cats, dogs, other animals, and sometimes people--
The dog is scratching. I hope he doesn't have a flea.
We put a flea collar on the cat to keep it free of  the pests.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The cat ran around in circles in an attempt to flee a flea that was biting it."

Note--"fleas" ( rhymes with please ) is the plural ( more than one) of "flea"--
My dog has fleas.
Not to be confused with "flees" ( rhymes with please ), the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "flee"--
Every time he gets out on bail, he flees law enforcement authorities.
Note # 2--"fleece" ( rhymes with Greece ),  means the pelt of a sheep or a similar animal--
Theses boots are lined with fleece. They are very warm.
Note # 3--the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) form of "flee" is "fled" ( rhymes with red )--
They tried to catch him, but he fled.

bizarre, bazaar

Bizarre or bizarre ( pronounced  bizz are ) means exceedingly strange--
His costume was so bizarre that no one knew what he was supposed to be.
The eclectic decor seemed bizarre to the guests.
What a strange idea! That is a bizarre notion.

Bazaar or bazaar ( pronounced buh zarr ) means the outdoor street market you might visit in a foreign country--a combination of mall, farmer's market and flea market--
We visited the bazaar and haggled over the price of souvenirs.
Our county had an old mall with booths that was called the bazaar.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We bought that bizarre old figurine at a bazaar in Egypt."

peace, piece

Peace or peace means tranquility, calm, or quiet; the absence of strife or war--
When the war was over, both sides signed a peace treaty.
The peace symbol is still popular on t-shirts after all these years.
Those children never give their mother any peace.

Piece or piece ( rhymes with peace ) means a section or segment of, or a part of something that has been divided or even torn--
She cut the cake equally, and gave each of them a piece.
He tried to sew the piece of his torn shirt back on.
Can we have a piece of pie?
Pie? Those children never give their mother a piece.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"This is so nice--peace and quiet and a piece of pizza for everyone."

Note--not to be confused with "peas", the plural of "pea", as in the green vegetable that grows in a pod--
They are as like as two peas in  a pod.
Note #2--"apiece" means each--
Those apples cost fifty cents apiece.
They were paid $100 apiece for the day's work.
"Apiece", meaning each, is one word--but "a piece" ( two words ) may also be part of a sensible sentence--
The candy is twenty cents a piece. ( Each piece of candy costs twenty cents. )
They paid twenty cents apiece for candy.  ( Each person paid twenty cents. )
Note # 3--"peace of mind" means contentment or mental tranquility--
She always checked the gas before they left, for her own peace of mind.
Not to be confused with "a piece of one's mind", meaning an angry outburst or rebuke--
I'm so mad; I would like to give him a piece of my mind.

palate, palette, pallet

Palate or palate means the part of the mouth that tastes food ( called the roof of the mouth ), or the sense of taste--
This dish would please the fussiest palate.
The spicy food they serve isn't for my palate.
The food snob was sure that he had a very refined palate.

Palette or palette ( rhymes with palate ) means the oval or kidney-shaped board with a thumb hole that an artist uses--
She liked to watch him mixing the colors on his palette.
The palette, with its splotches of different colors of paint, was decorative in itself.
He used a palette knife to mix the colors.
Palette may refer to  a set of colors used in a decorating scheme, or for some other purpose--
The autumn palette of browns and golds made the room look warm.

Pallet or pallet ( rhymes with palate ) means a platform on which things are placed for storage, to keep them from a damp floor, or to make it possible to move or transport them--
That old wooden pallet will make good firewood.
We put the washer on a pallet because of the damp basement floor.
A pallet is also a mattress of straw, or concocted of household goods.--
They slept on a pallet on the floor.
Pallet may also refer to some kinds of specialized tools-
A pallet knife is used for mixing pastry.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The aroma of dinner cooking roused his palate, as he sat on the pallet considering a new color palette for their home's decor."

Note--"palliate" ( rhymes with pal-he-ate ) means to make better or improve--
He hoped that a sincere apology would palliate her anger.
Palliate is used as a medical term, meaning to make symptoms better in a disease that can't be cured--
This prescription should at least palliate some of his tremors.
Note # 2-- "pal ate" ( two words ), means my friend has consumed--
I had some pizza, but my pal ate it.

fair, fare

Fair or fair means light in color, as in skin or hair--
Fair people burn easily in the sun.
Many people use dye to imitate fair hair.
Fair also means a sunny or cloudless day--
The weather report says fair skies.
We need fair weather for our picnic.
Fair or fair also means just or right, as in making a choice or decision--
He lost, but the contest was fair, so he didn't grumble.
Our teacher is strict but fair.
Fair is also a term for an outdoor festival--
The school fair is on Saturday. Let's go.
They are having an art fair on Main Street.
Fair may mean an average rating, or an acceptable grade--
The grade of "C" on a report cards means fair.
She thought the movie was only fair.

Fare or fare ( rhymes with fair )  means something that is served, as food in a restaurant--
A bill of fare is an old-fashioned way to say menu.
They made a face as if they were used to more elegant fare.
Fare also means the cost of taking a taxi or some other mode of transportation--
I need exact change for car fare.
Car fare means the money we spend to take the bus or train.
Fare or fare is also a verb ( action word ), meaning to get along or make do--
Fare thee well.
How will this fare in the marketplace?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"It doesn't seem fair that some people fare better than others."

Note--"fairly" means acceptably--
She was fairly certain her plan would work.
The decision was fairly made.
Not to be confused with "fairy", a magical little creature that lives in the forest--
"...along came the good fairy and she said..."
Note # 2-- "affair" ( one word ) may a social event, a business matter, one's personal business, or a romantic episode--
The affair was lovely, and the weather was perfect.
They had a special meeting to discuss the affair.
That's my affair!
They had an affair, but broke it off before they were discovered.
Not to be confused with "a fair" ( two words )--
The children went to a fair and had ice cream and cotton candy.
Not to be confused with "a fare" ( two words )--
The cab driver went downtown to pick up a fare.
Once more, and simply--
They went to a fair.
They went to an affair.
They had an affair.
He picked up a fare.

dough, doe

Dough or dough is what is mixed together to make some baked goods--
Bread dough has to rise before you bake it.
Mix the dough until it sticks together.
Dough and bread are both slang for money.

Doe or doe ( rhymes with dough ) means a female deer--
You can tell which is the doe because she has no antlers.
A doe and two fawns hopped across the road.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The doe may eat bread dough out of your hand if you are patient."

Note--a "doughnut" and a "donut" are the same thing--
I would like a cup of coffee and a doughnut, please.
The famous donut shop made "donut" a popular way to spell "doughnut".

hole, whole

Hole or hole means the empty space that is left when you take something away--
There's a hole in the bucket.
It took a long time to dig a hole to plant the tree.
There's a hole in my shoe.
He covered the hole in the wall with a picture.

Whole or whole ( rhymes with hole ) means complete or entire--all of something--
I can't believe we ate the whole pizza.
Do you want a whole sandwich, or a half of one?
He's been gone for a whole day.

Now that you know that you can say-
"My whole outfit was ruined by the hole in my jacket."
"The whole thing looked perfect until I noticed the hole."

Note--"wholly" is often used as to mean "entirely"--
That's not wholly accurate.
"Holey" means having a lot of holes--the way a teen or child might say it--
My socks are holey. I need some new ones.
Not to be confused with "holy", meaning sacred, as in a church artifact, or a religious thing or idea--
Christmas is a holy day to many people.
 Note #2--"holly" ( rhymes with dolly ) is the green plant with red berries you see in Christmas decorations--
"Haul out the holly, put up the tree... "

son, sun

Son or son is a male offspring, child or adult--
I have a daughter, but I do not have a son.
Her son always remembered her on Mother's Day.

Sun or sun ( rhymes with son ) is the big ball of light in the sky in the daytime--
I wish the sun would come out. I'm tired of rain.
"Wait till the sun shines, Nellie"

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When my son was a baby I had to keep him out of the sun."

Note--"sunny" describes a cloudless or bright day--
The weather forecast for today said it would be sunny.
"Sonny" is what some people call their sons or grandsons--
Grandpa will help you with your homework, Sonny.

affect, effect

Affect or affect ( a verb--an action word ) means to produce a change in--
Will the new rules affect our benefits?
Will this medicine affect my vision?
Affect may also mean to produce feelings or emotions in--
Sad movies always affect me this way.
The TV news can affect people in many ways.

Effect or effect ( a noun--a thing or idea) means a result or consequence--
The only effect of the new regulations was more paperwork.
All the lecturing had no effect on him whatsoever.
Effect may mean the main idea or impression--
I don't like the effect that produces.
I'm not sure the effect is what we wanted.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The effect of the sad movie was to affect everyone for days."
 "This affected me. That had an effect on me."

Note--Affect or affect is a psychological term for emotion--
He was diagnosed with an affective disorder--what they used to call an emotionally disturbed
Note # 2--"effective" means useful for the purpose, or likely to produce a desired result--
This medicine has often been found effective for conditions like yours.
Note # 3--"affected" means to speak or interact socially in a very artificial manner, as in copying speech directly from a movie or novel--
I don't like that woman; she's so affected.
He affects an air of the lord of the manor with his ascot and monocle.
The pose put on in this manner is called an affectation--
That accent is an affectation. She was born in Brooklyn.
Not to be confused with affection, meaning an emotion of fondness or attachment--
Our dog wags his tail in a show of affection.

lightning, lightening, lighting

Lightning or lightning means the flashes of electricity in the sky during a storm--
Lightning hit the tree on the corner.
The man was struck by lightning, but survived.

Lightening or lightening is the present participle ( going on now) or gerund ( an action as if it were a thing ) form of lighten--
Her mother chastised her for lightening her hair.
A case on wheels is useful for lightening one's load.

Lighting or lighting (noun--thing or idea) means the set of lamps or fixtures that illuminate a room--
The decorator did a good job with the lighting.
The lighting was arranged to make everyone feel comfortable.
Lighting may also mean the effects of stage lamps, spoken of professionally--
The lighting for the new play was very dramatic.
Lighting or lighting is also the present participle of the verb ( action word ) "light"--
He was lighting his cigar.
She is lighting the candles.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The lightning made such a dramatic lightening in the sky, that it looked like stage lighting."

Note--to "light" or "alight" ( one word )  is an old-fashioned way to say to land on something--
It was so quiet that we could hear a bird lighting on a branch.
Light or alight may also mean to get down from something, such as a horse or a train--
He helped the old woman to alight from the train.
Not to be confused with "a light" ( two words ), meaning a lamp or a match--
Do you have a light?
Bring a light. It's dark in here.

desert, dessert

Desert or desert ( DEZ urt ) means a dry, sandy place, with perhaps cactus or camels--
It rarely rains in the desert.
Death Valley is America's most famous desert.

Dessert or dessert ( deh ZERT ) means the sweet or treat after a meal, usually dinner-
We're having cake for dessert.
We brought pies for dessert.
Finish your vegetables if you want to eat dessert.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"While we were in the desert, I thought constantly of ice cream for dessert."

Note--more than one desert ( plural ) is "deserts"--
There are several deserts in the American southwest.
More than one dessert is "desserts"-
They brought out a tray of desserts after dinner.
"Deserts" is also an old-fashioned term for what one deserves, usually used with "just"--
We couldn't wait to see if the wicked witch got her just deserts.
The audience was satisfied to see that the villain got his just deserts.
Note # 2--"desert" ( dee Zert ) means to abandon; to leave without intending to return--
He hasn't come home, but we can't believe that he would desert his family.
"Desert" ( dee Zert ) also means to leave one's military unit without permission, in wartime--
Did he desert, or is he wounded and unable to rejoin his unit? We don't know.
Note #3--"Deseret" is a place in Utah, and a part of Mormon tradition.

so, sew

So or so means thus, or like this; to this extent or degree--
He like the burger so much, he ordered another.
She was so tired that she fell asleep.
How can you be so rude?

Sew or sew ( rhymes with so ) means to put together or mend with a needle and thread--
I learned how to sew when I was very young.
Everyone should know how to sew on a button.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He wanted to learn to sew so much that he took a night class."

Note--"sews" ( soze ) is the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of ""sew"--
She sews very well.
Not to be confused with "so's" ( soze ), a contraction ( short, informal form)  of "so is"--
Is your hair wet from the rain? So's mine.
Note # 2--"sow", when pronounced to rhyme with "so" means to plant seed by casting it in handfuls, or with a machine--
"As ye sow, so shall ye reap..."
"Sow", when pronounced to rhyme with "cow" means a female pig--
The children enjoyed seeing the sow with her farrow.
Note # 3--"sough " ( rhymes with cow ) means the sound the wind may make--
He sat under a tree, listening to the sough of the wind.
"Sough" also means a drainage ditch or gutter--
Make sure the sough is deep enough to carry the water from a heavy rain.

insure, ensure, assure

Insure or insure ( inn shoor ) means to guarantee against loss--to agree to pay a sum of money in case of injury, death, or financial loss or damage, as to a home or car--
The company refused to insure my classic car.
I called them to see if they would insure our house.
Insurance is the service you buy when a company ( an insurance company ) agrees to insure you--
I want to buy some life insurance.
The insurance will pay for the damage to our house.

Ensure or ensure ( enn shoor ) means to make sure or certain--usually meaning by something that you do--
To ensure best results, shake well before using.
They used a video camera to ensure that safety regulations were followed.

Assure or assure ( uh shoor ) means to state positively, or with confidence--
I assure you that I didn't mean to be rude.
I would like to assure our customers that our company is very concerned about the problem.
Assure may also mean to guarantee,  secure or confirm--
This will assure you a place next term.
Assurance or assurance means the act ( a noun--thing or idea ) of stating something with confidence--
You have my assurance that we will solve the problem.
He offered his assurance that no one would be fired.
Reassure or reassure means to offer comfort ( in words) , usually by convincing someone of something--
She was upset, but his kind words served to reassure her.
The team lacked confidence, but the coach's pep talk reassured them.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I would like to assure everyone that we are doing our best to ensure that we can insure all of you against floods and hurricanes."

Note--ensure and assure are often used to mean insure. Some dictionaries list them as synonyms, but this is confusing. In the United States, currently, only "insure" is used to mean insurance that you buy--
To ensure peace of mind, I can assure you that it would be best to insure your property."
Note # 2--reinsurance is a technical word used by insurance companies--
A reinsurance company sells insurance to other insurance companies.
Note # 3--self-assured means very confident--
They hired him because he seemed such a self-assured young man.
Note # 4--self-insured means someone has deposited money in a bank account for the purpose of insurance claims, instead of buying an insurance policy. This is legal in some states with financial responsibility laws. If the self-insured person hits a car, the damages are paid out of this account, instead of through an insurance policy--
Pleas send a copy of the insurance policy or proof that you are self-insured.
Note # 5--"as sure" ( az shoor ) , two words, means equally as positive, or having as much confidence in--
I am as sure of the outcome as if I were watching it myself.
He was not as sure of the answer after hearing the other responses.
Note # 6--"ashore" ( uh shoor ) means on land, to somemone on a ship or boat--
"All ashore that's going ashore!"
Not to be confused with "a sure" ( uh shoor )--
This is a sure thing! Really!

sent, cent, scent

Sent or sent is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago) form of send--to cause to go; to propel or dispatch on its way--
Your message has been sent.
I sent you a postcard. Did you get it?

Cent or cent ( rhymes with sent ) means a penny--
You can't buy anything with only one cent.
The new one cent coin has a shield on the back.

Scent or scent ( rhymes with sent ) means an odor or aroma--the connotation is that this is a pleasant aroma--
The scent of roses perfumed the air in the garden.
That's a lovely scent you're wearing.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I sent away for a sample of a new scent, but they wanted me to pay one cent for the postage."

Note--"cents" is the plural ( more than one ) of "cent"--
You get four cents change back from a dollar when you spend ninety-six cents.
Note # 2--"Sense" means a form of perception, as in the sense of smell, or the sense of taste. Sense can also refer to mental perception--
His cold interfered with his sense of smell, and he didn't notice the toast burning.
He had the sense that something was wrong
Don't you have any sense?
The plural of "sense" is "senses"--
There are five physical senses.
Sense may also be a verb ( action word) --meaning to perceive something--
I sense something wrong.
The third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "sense" is "senses"--
He senses something wrong.
Note # 3--"scents" is the plural ( more than one ) of "scent"--
I tried on so many different scents that I can't tell if I like any of them.
You can identify scents with your sense of smell.

pray, prey

Pray or pray means to appeal to a deity, or to worship a higher being--
The Sunday school teacher taught the children to pray.
The congregation knelt down to pray.

Prey or prey ( rhymes with pray ) means the creature another creature hunts for food--
Birds and mice are the natural prey of cats.
The tiger stalked its prey.
Prey  may also mean the act of hunting another creature for food--
Lions prey on antelopes.
We were afraid the dog would prey on the neighbor's rabbit.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"If mice pray, they might pray not to become the prey of cats."

Note--prayer is a noun ( thing or idea ) meaning  an appeal or petition to a deity--
They offered a heartfelt prayer for his recovery.
Her aunt gave her a prayer book as a confirmation present.
Prayer may refer to a person praying--
Each prayer was on his knees with folded hands.
Note # 2--"praise" ( pronounced praze ) means commendation, or words of approval or admiration--
The child was delighted to hear her parents praise her work.
Not to be confused with "prays" ( pronounced praze ), the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "pray"--
He prays every morning before breakfast.
Not to be confused with "preys" ( pronounced praze ), the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "prey"--
The cameraman wants to be there when the lion preys on the antelope.
Note # 3--the creature preying on another creature is called a predator--
The predator in this case is a lion. Its prey is an antelope.
The behavior is called predatory--
The cat's predatory instincts were aroused by the sight of the mouse.
Prey, predator and  predatory are sometimes used in TV crime shows to describe human behavior--
This criminal preys on unsuspecting old women.
The predator stalks his victims as they leave the bank.
The perpetrator's predatory behavior has gone unsuspected for years.

parties, party's

Parties or parties is the plural ( more than one ) form of party--
There are so many parties going on this weekend!
Children love to have ice cream at their birthday parties.
There are two main political parties in the United States.
There are many parties to this lawsuit.

Party's or party's ( rhymes with parties ) is the possessive ( belonging to ) form of party--
The party's platform includes health care reform.
The party's music was terrible, so we left.
The other party's lawyer was very aggressive.

Party's or party's may also be a contraction of  "party is"-
The party's over.
This party's no fun.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Both parties agreed that each party's speech should take five minutes."

Note--"parties" may also be used as the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of the verb ( action word ) "party"--
He parties with us every Friday night.

sight, site, cite

Sight or sight means vision, or the capacity to see--
His sight was poor, so he needed glasses.
They hope his sight will improve with medical treatment.
Sight may refer to the view before someone--the thing that is seen--
What a sight the house was!
You're a sight for sore eyes! ( good )
You're a sight! ( bad )
To sight something ( verb or action word ) may mean to have it in view--
If you sight the enemy approaching, give the alarm.
They hoped to sight land soon.
Shoot them on sight!

Site or site ( rhymes with sight ) means a place or location, often used to mean where something is planned, but not yet in existence, or where something used to be--
Is this the site of the new building?
They erected a memorial at the site of the World Trade Center.
We ought to be able to handle this on site.

Cite or cite ( rhymes with sight ) means to quote something from a book or other reference, such as a computer file or encyclopedia--
If you cite a reference book, make sure to include it in your bibliography.
The preacher could cite large portions of the Bible from memory.
Some people like to cite famous authors when they write articles.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I want to cite the news report about what an awful sight the site of the explosion was."

Note--when you cite something, your "citing" of it is called a "citation"--
You forgot to include the reference for this citation.
Citation also means some kinds of traffic tickets--
The officer gave her a citation for speeding.
Citation may also mean a commendation or award,  usually in writing--
The mayor gave him a citation for good citizenship.
 Note # 2--"in situ" is Latin for "on site", used to mean, legally, "in its original place"--
The grand jury would like to examine the evidence in situ.
Not to be confused with "on site", meaning here at our location--
We will handle all of the business on site. 
Note # 3--a "sighting" means a view of something, as of an unusual or are occurence--
There was another UFO sighting last night.

what, watt

What or what is a pronoun--a sort of replacement for a  thing, person, place or idea--
What did you buy at the store?
What is the name of that song?
What is your name?
What is used to ask several kinds of questions--
"Oh, dear, what can the matter be?"
What is wrong?
What were you thinking?
What if we order 2 pizzas?

Watt or watt means a measure of power,  as a measure of electrical power, like the different kinds of light bulbs--the higher the watts on the bulb, the brighter it is, and the more electricity it uses--
The hundred watt bulbs make the room too bright.
You can save money on your electric bill by using 60 watt bulbs.

Note--"Watts" refers to a section of the city of Los Angeles, California--
The Watts Towers are a famous landmark.
Not to be confused with "watts", meaning a measure of power--
This light bulb says 60 watts.
Note # 2--"what's" is a contraction ( short, informal form ) of "what is"--
What's the matter?
"What's up, Doc?"

waist, waste

Waist or waist means the part of the body or clothing where the pants or skirt meet the shirt--the middle, where the navel is--
These pants are too big in the waist.
Women used to wear corsets to make their waists smaller.

Waste or waste ( rhymes with waist ) means to throw something useful away, to spoil it or allow it to be spoiled--
Finish your dinner--we don't want to waste food.
They forgot to put it in the refrigerator, and it all went to waste.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She often let her dinner go to waste, in hope of keeping her slender waist."

Note--a "wastrel" is a good-for-nothing, or someone who wastes money--
He ran away from home and became a drunkard and a wastrel.

sole, soul

Sole or sole means the one and only--
The old woman's son was her sole means of support.
The error in his resume was the sole reason they didn't hire him.

Sole also means part of the bottom of a foot or shoe  ( the part that's not the heel )--
The shoe repair shop can fix your sole.
He got a blister on the sole of his foot.

Sole is also a kind of fish--
We had broiled sole for dinner.
Sole in butter is one of my favorites.

Soul or soul ( rhymes with sole ) means the seat of belief--to many people, the spirit of a person--
Many people believed that he sold his soul to the devil.
Some people believe the soul is immortal.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Religious teaching is the sole reason some people believe they have a soul."

Note--"sold" is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago) form of "sell"--
Someone sold him the item on the internet. Then he resold it.
"Soled" is the past tense of "sole", meaning to put new soles on shoes, often called "resoled"--
The shoe repair shop soled my shoes.
I had my shoes resoled at the shoe repair shop.

advise, advice

Advise or advise ( ad vize ) means to offer counsel, help, or guidance--
He asked the teacher to advise him on college entrance requirements.
The stockbroker offered to advise his client on investments.

Advice or advice ( ad vice )  is the counsel, help or guidance offered--
Unsolicited advice may be unwelcome.
People often offer free advice.
Take my advice--don't do it.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Their grandfather used to advise them not to take advice from strangers."

Note--a person who gives advice is called an adviser or advisor --
Make sure to ask your adviser which courses you should take.
Make sure to ask your advisor which courses you should take.
Even dictionaries do not agree on how advisor or adviser should be spelled. It is best to stick with one or the other, although you may be given a style manual by your college or employer. The style manual should include which spelling to use.

horse, hoarse

Horse or horse means the four-legged animal that cowboys ride--
At the end of the movie, he rode his horse into the sunset.
After cars were invented, some people didn't ride horses anymore.

Hoarse or hoarse ( rhymes with horse ) means having a sore throat that makes one's voice raspy--
The speaker talked so long that he became hoarse.
They were hoarse from cheering at the ball game.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He yelled 'my kingdom for a horse' so many times that he became hoarse."

Note--"hoar" is a different word, meaning something like frost, that  settles on the ground when it is cold--
The sight of the hoar on the fields made him shiver.
"Hoary" may mean covered with frost, or with gray or white hair--
The old man was hoary with age.

wave, waive, waver, waiver

Wave or wave means to move the hand back and forth or to move something back and forth--
They taught the baby to wave good-bye.
Crowds at stadiums now do the wave.
Wave may also mean the movement of the ocean--
The surfer waited to catch a wave.
The next wave may knock down our sand castle.
Wave may mean something with a ripple in it, like hair--
Grandmother used to go to the beauty parlor for a permanent wave.
There are waves we can't see, like radio waves--
Light is considered to be both a wave and a particle.

Waive or waive ( rhymes with wave ) means to make an exemption  from a rule or requirement--
If you ask, they may waive the entrance fee.
The personnel department may waive the education requirement, and accept experience instead.

Waver or waver means to vacillate, or go back and forth in one's opinions or ideas, to be unable to make up one's mind, or make a decision--
The reporter always noticed a politician who seemed to waver.
If they notice that you waver, they will not believe you.

Waiver or waiver ( rhymes with waver ) means an exemption from the usual rules or procedures--the thing granted in this way, either the piece of paper itself, or the idea--
They granted him a fee waiver.
I hope they accept my request for a waiver.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The fans asked them to waive the rule against doing the wave."
"The dean seemed to waver when I asked for a waiver."

Note--a "wafer" is a sort of cracker or cookie or a small piece of flat bread--
She was superstitious about choking on a communion wafer.
Note #2--a person waving might be called a "waver"--
A waver fell down at the football game.
Something used to wave hair might also be called a "waver"--
She used the waver to do her hair. It looks nice.
Note # 3--a person wavering might be called a waverer--
He is such a waverer. He can never make up his mind.
Note # 4--not to be confused with "wavier" ( wave ee err ) , meaning more wavy than--
His hair is wavier than hers.
Note # 5--a "wayfarer" ( way fare err ) is someone who is on a journey--
The wayfarer asked if he might sleep in the barn.
Note # 6--a "waif" is a poor or homeless child--
They took the poor little waif home and found her some warm clothing.