principle, principal

Principle or principle means a moral or philosophical tenet by which we live--a code of conduct--
It's the principle of the thing.
Some people have no principles.

Principal or principal ( rhymes with principle ) means the chief or main person, or maybe thing--
He is the principal of an elementary school.
Principal may mean the unpaid balance of a loan, as distinguished from interest paid--
We have been paying on our mortgage for ten years, and the principal is nearly the same amount we originally borrowed.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The principal of a school must run it on sound educational principles."

male, mail

Male or male means a man or boy--the male gender, or a male person--
Check one-- male or female?
Male infants are traditionally dressed in blue.

Mail or mail ( rhymes with male ) means something sent through the post office, or a letter or package carrier--
The mail is late today.
I got a postcard in the mail.
The check is in the mail.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Most of the people who deliver the mail are male."

Note--a coat of mail is what a medieval knight might wear, made of linked together pieces of metal--
The knight was protected by a coat of mail.
Note #2--email or e-mail stands for electronic mail--
She sent me an email, but I deleted it by accident.
Note # 3--email ( pronounced A mile ) is a borrowed French word for enamel worked on metal--
If you are reading about antiques, don't confuse email with email.

but, butt

But or but means except; on the contrary; yet--
We ate all but one slice of pizza.
We ordered a pizza, but it never got here.
We went out early, but came home late.

Butt or butt ( rhymes with but ) means the end or bottom of something--
The yard is full of cigarette butts.
Butt may mean the target of a joke or sarcasm--
That poor guy is always the butt of their jokes.
Butt may mean to strike with one's head--
The goat butted the gate until it opened.
Butt is also a kind of fish; a kind of wall on a target range, a type of barrel for wine or beer, or a slang term for a person's behind.

To butt things together means to join them end to end.
To "butt in" means to interfere in someone else's business or conversation
To "butt in line" means  take a place in line ahead of where you belong.
To "butt out" means to mind one's own business.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He smoked all but the butt."
"We butted in line, but no one noticed."

Note--"abut" ( one word )  means to be joined at the edge or to touch at the ends--
The fence ends where it abuts the wall.
Note #2--a "butte" ( rhymes with shoot ) is a western word for a type of hill--
He could see them riding over the butte from a great distance.
Not to be confused with the common slang--"it's a beaut", ( also rhymes with shoot ) meaning it's great--
I like your new car. It's a beaut!

quite, quiet, quit

Quite or quite ( rhymes with bite ) means very, extremely, or completely--
It is quite cold out.
It is not quite finished.

Quiet or quiet ( rhymes with by it ) means making no noise or little noise; hushed--
Be quiet!
It's very quiet here in the park.
The children are being too quiet.

Quit or quit ( rhymes with bit ) means to stop or give up doing--
He is trying to quit smoking.
Quit that!
She quit her job.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Quit yelling, I want it quite quiet in here."

Note--a quilt is a comforter or counterpane--
She is making a patchwork quilt in her spare time.

seen, scene

Seen or seen is a past participle of "see". It is always used with the appropriate form of "have" or "be"--
I have seen this movie before.
The movie was seen by a lot of people.
Have you seen my cat?

Scene or scene ( rhymes with seen ) means the place where something happens--
The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime.
Scene may mean what is present to view--
The house looked like the scene of a disaster.
A scene may mean a public display of emotion, as in an argument--
Quiet! Don't make a scene.
A scene may be literary--a part of a play, or an episode from a movie, TV show or novel--
There is a sword fight in Scene 2.
We'll have to do that scene over again.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I have never seen anyone make such a scene!"
"Have you seen Scene 3 ?"

Note--scenery describes what we like to look at when we go on vacation, such as the beautiful scenery in a park--
They took a lot of photos of the beautiful scenery.
Scenery also means the set that has been devised for a stage show or film--the cardboard trees and painted backdrop--
They made all of the scenery out of plywood, cardboard and paint.
Note 2--a skein ( pronounced skeen ) is a hank of yarn, or a package of yarn sold that way--
I need another skein of red yarn to finish this sweater.

ones, one's, once

Ones or ones means more than one one--it may refer to one-dollar bills, or typed or written characters--
Can I have five ones for a five? 
Can I have 5 1's for a 5?
I remember there were three ones in the phone number.
I remember there were 3 1's in the phone #.

One's or one's is the possessive ( belonging to) form of the pronoun "one"--
One should take one's time and read the questions carefully.
One should not divulge one's personal information to strangers.
One's or one's might also be used as a contraction (short form) for "one is", but this would be uncommon, as the use of "one" as a pronoun is very formal, and the use of a contraction is informal--
One's not likely to remember something that is not important.

Most people are more familiar with the use of "one" as a pronoun in the expression "no one"--
No one was home.
I rang the bell, but no one answered.

Once or once ( pronounced wuhnss ) means only one time--
We ate there once, but didn't like it.
I met him once, a long time ago.
Once upon a time...

Now that you know that, you can say--
"One should count one's ones once, at least."

Note--"no one" may be mistaken for "noon", meaning 12 in the afternoon--
I called at noon, but no one answered.
Note #2--"once" sounds a lot like "wants", meaning desires or has a wish for--
He wants to go there, just once.
Note #3--"ounce" or "ounces" ( rhymes with pounce or pounces ) means a unit of measure--of weight or volume--
There are 16 ounces in a pound.

one, 1, won

One or one means the number 1--
Can't you wait one minute? 
Can't you wait 1 minute?
There is only one left.
There is only 1 left.
It's one o'clock.
It's 1 o'clock.
One or one is also used as a pronoun ( substitute for the name of a thing, person, or idea )--
One should never arrive late.
One never knows, does one?

Won or won ( rhymes with one ) is the past tense (yesterday, or some time ago ) of win. Won means   gained, especially in a contest or game of chance--
Our team won the game.
He won the lottery.
I never won anything before.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I only won one game of  cards in my life."

Note--One o'clock is written 1:00 , or 1 am ( 1 in the morning--after midnight ),
or 1 pm ( 1 in the afternoon ).
One thirty is  written 1:30.
Quarter after 1 is  written 1:15.

ate, eight, 8

You may have used this while texting, or perhaps you have seen it in a "rebus"--

Ate or ate is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of eat--
We ate already.
We ate at the new restaurant.

Eight or eight ( rhymes with ate ) means 8, the number 8--
There were eight people at the party.
There were 8 people at the party.
The movie is at 8 o'clock.
The movie is at eight o'clock.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Eight of us ate at 8 o'clock."

Note--eighteen is 18---the legal age of adulthood for many purposes--
When I am 18, I will register to vote.
When I am eighteen, I will register to vote.
Eighty is 80--a very old person, or 4x20--
My grandmother is almost 80 years old.
My grandmother is almost eighty years old.

be, bee, been, being, bean

Be or be means to exist or live--
What will be, will be.
"To be, or not to be..."
Be or be means to occupy a place or position--
I can't be there tomorrow.
Will you be my valentine?
She will be the new director.
Be or be means to embody, express or act out a particular state, age, condition, or quality--
I will be 55 soon.
Don't be rude.
I can't be sure.
Be or be may mean to take place or happen--
It will be quitting time soon.
It seems to be raining.
Be or be may be used to form a future ( tomorrow, or later ) form of a verb ( action word )--
I'll be seeing you.
We will be there next week.

Been or been ( nearly rhymes with bin ) is the past participle of "be"--it is combined with a form of "to have"--to make the past perfect--something that was already done, or already existed, in the past, or that continues from past to present--
I have been waiting for hours.
It has been a long, long, time.
Have you been here long?
Has this always been here?

Being or being is the present participle of "be"--something going on as we speak--combined with the appropriate form of "to be"--
He is being obnoxious.
Being right is all that matters to him.
Being is also used to make the "passive voice"--the action in a sentence is happening to the subject--
The movie is being shown at 9.
This instead of making the main idea an object-- "They are showing the movie.
By using the passive voice, the main idea ( the movie ) remains the subject.  If "they" are the main idea--you have been talking about your friends, who show movies--then "They are showing the movie" may more clearly express what you mean.

Being is also used to mean creature or wight, as in "human being"--
What sort of being is this?
All human  beings are the same species.

Bee means the six-legged, winged creature that makes honey--
Don't bother the bee or it might sting.
She has a bee in her bonnet.
She's as busy as a bee.
The plural ( more than one) of bee is bees (rhymes with freeze)--
Let's picnic somewhere else. There are too many bees here.
He is afraid of bees.
A bee is also a group of people working on a project, such as a quilting bee, or in a competition, such as a spelling bee.

Bean or bean is a legume--the food we cook in a bean pot, or sprout to put in salads--
Boston is famous for its baked beans.
Would you like some three bean salad?
No, I prefer ten bean soup.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"There  seems to be a bee in my beans."
"Has the bee been in the beans long?"
"Being a bee, he doesn't say ."

Note--a "be-in"  was a groovy type of party in the late 1960's---for hippies and their friends.
Note # 2--"bin" means a box or enclosed place for storing bulk goods such as flour, potatoes, or coal--
The coal bin is nearly empty.

except, accept

Except or except means but for, excluding or with the exclusion of--
I like cake except for chocolate.
People are so rude, present company excepted.

Exception or exception is the noun ( thing or idea ) form of except--
This is fine with the exception of your spelling.
We usually don't honor such requests, but we will make an exception in your case.

Accept or accept means to agree or consent to, to take or receive with approval, to regard as true--
I accept the terms and conditions.
She accepted his proposal of marriage.
He accepted their gift happily.
I can't accept the notion of extraterrestrial beings.

The act of accepting something ( noun ) is acceptance--
Your acceptance of the terms and conditions means you can't do that.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I accept the terms except for the part about selling my soul."

Note--don't confuse except with expect, meaning to wait for or look forward to--
We are expecting company.
The weather broadcast said to expect rain.
We can expect delivery before noon.
Expecting is also a euphemism ( "nice" way of saying something ) for pregnant--
She is expecting.

close, close, clothes, clothe, cloth

Close or close ( rhymes with rose ) means to shut, to latch or fasten--
Close the door.
They had to close the store because of the flood.
We can't close this case without more information.


Forms of close are--close, closes, closed, closing.
A "closer" is someone who finishes the paperwork and gets the signatures for a business deal.

Close or close ( rhymes with dose) is considered to be a different word, meaning very near--
Don't stand so close to me.
"Just like me, they long to be, close to you."
Forms of close are--closer ( more close); closest ( most close), closely ( in a close manner )

Closet or closet ( rhymes with posit or deposit ) means  a place to put clothes and other things--
Hang your coat in the closet.
I need to straighten out the closet.

Clothes or clothes ( rhymes with  rose) are garments--the things we wear--
I need to wash my clothes.
She wants to buy some new clothes.

Clothe or clothe ( rhymes with loathe) is a verb ( action word ) meaning to provide garments or to dress someone--
They offered to clothe her in designer garments.
The studio promised to clothe all of the actors.

Clothing or clothing ( rhymes with loathing ) usually means garments--
I want some new clothing.
They didn't have any clothing in my size.
Clothing may also mean putting clothes on someone, or dressing them--
She spent all her money clothing the baby.

Cloth or cloth ( rhymes with moth ) means fabric or material--the stuff clothes and household linens are made of--
I bought some cloth to make a new dress.
This cloth is very stretchy.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The clothing store close to our house is closed, and I wanted some new clothes to put in my closet."
"The store that sells my favorite clothes will close at 9 p.m."
"I want to buy some cloth to clothe my family."


Note-- "cloze" ( rhymes with rose ) is a special kind of reading test that teachers use--
He was having trouble with reading, so the teacher used a cloze test to try to find out why.

lose, loose

Lose or lose ( rhymes with ooze ) means to misplace and to be unable to find again--
Don't lose your mittens.
If I lose my school book, I will have to pay for it.
If I lose money gambling, I'll be broke.

The past tense of lose is "lost"--
I lost my money at poker.
The person who loses is a "loser"--
Loser buys the pizza.
To be in the middle of a lost game is "losing"--
I don't mind quitting. I was losing, anyway.

Loose or loose ( rhymes with goose ) describes being unfastened, untied, let go, or made less tight or binding--
My shoes are too loose.
Unwind the dog's collar until it's loose.
Loose is used as a verb ( action word ) on occasion, but it is very old-fashioned--
He would loose the ties that bind him.
The act of making something loose (verb form) is to loosen--
Loosen the dog's collar.
The school  loosened the restrictions on going out at night.
Looser means more loose.
Loosest means most loose.
Loosing is to be in the middle of making something loose.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"If you have a hole in your pocket you may lose all of your loose change."

Note--to "lose change" would mean to be unable to find some coins.
"Loose change" means leftover coins, or uncounted odd coins and small bills.
Note # 2--a "loose woman" is a tramp or strumpet--
When they saw the way she was dressed, they assumed she was a loose woman.

though, although, thought, thou

Though or though ( rhymes with go ) means however; in spite of the fact that--
He didn't win, though he tried very hard.
She wouldn't stay for dinner, though she likes spaghetti.

Although or although means the same as though--however, or in spite of the fact that--
We all chipped in for a cake, although it wasn't anyone's birthday.
He seemed depressed, although we won the game.

Thought or thought ( rhymes with caught ) is the past tense (yesterday, or some time ago ) form of "think"--
I thought the weather would be nice today.
I thought our team would win.
Thought or thought can also be a noun ( thing or idea), meaning  mental processes or activity (thinking)--
A penny for your thoughts.
Perish the thought!
I never gave it a thought.
Our thoughts are with you.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I thought it would rain, although the sun was shining."

 Note--"thou"( rhymes with now ) is an old-fashioned word meaning "you" . It is still in the dictionary, as all archaic words are, so that we can find out the meaning of the words in old books. It is also still an appropriate translation, in some ways, of  one of the forms of "you" used in some foreign languages. Our language, English, only has one way left to say "you"--the others--thou, thee, ye--are archaic or old-fashioned. Some languages have more than one way to say "you"--including one that is only used for members of one's household, or intimate friends. Someone might translate this as "thou"--but it wouldn't really fit, as in English, "thou" merely denotes a story set long ago, or perhaps a Biblical reference. There really is no translation for a familiar form of address, or a way to convey this meaning when that is what the author intended--and the author might have intended to show that someone was inappropriately or offensively being too familiar with someone else.

ad, add

Ad is short for advertisement, or commercial--
Did you see the new ad on TV?
Did the ad mention the price?

Add or add ( rhymes with ad ) means to combine into one total, or find the sum of, as in math or arithmetic--
If you add 2 and 2, you get 4.
Did you add up the bill?
Add also means to combine with what you had--
The recipe says to add sugar.
Add may also mean to say something more--
Then she added that she was glad I was leaving.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Did you add up all the prices in the ad?"

Note--an "adder" is a kind of poisonous snake, having nothing to do with math--
She was bitten by an adder, but survived.
Note # 2--"ads" ( pronounced adz ) is the plural ( more than one ) of "ad"--
These new ads are very clever.
"Adds" ( also pronounced adz ) is the third  person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "add"--
If he adds it up again, he should get the same answer.
Note # 3--not  to be confused with "adze" ( also pronounced adz ), meaning a tool something like an axe--
He used an adze to carve wooden sculptures.

read, reed, red, read, ready, already

Read or read ( rhymes with reed ) means in to look at printed words or writing and take in their meaning--
I think I'll read a book.
I will read that tomorrow.
I will read that later.
Read has a past tense (yesterday, or some time ago) form that is spelled the same, but sounds different. It rhymes with red--
Yesterday I read a book.
I read that earlier today.

Reed or reed means a plant--used to make the mouthpiece of reed instruments, such as the clarinet--
There are a lot of reeds growing by the stream.
I have to replace the reed in my clarinet.

Red or red  is the color, as in a box of crayons--
I like a lot of red decorations for holidays.
To "see red" means to get angry.
 
Ready means set to go, or prepared and waiting for use--it sounds like red, the color--
The person who is fixing my car said it will be ready tomorrow.
Are you ready to go?

Already means sooner than expected--
Is it Monday already?
Already also means done or accomplished before the action in the rest of the sentence--
When we got there, they had already closed.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I have already read the red book. I would like to read the book about reeds. Is it ready?"

Note--"Rede" is an old-fashioned or archaic word meaning to counsel or give advice--
Ye would not reck my rede, forsooth.
Note # 2--already is one word.
 It is possible, however, to make a sensible sentence with the two words "all" and "ready" together--the meaning would be that everyone or everything is ready--
Where are the actors? Are they all ready to go?
Are they ready already?
Are they all ready already?

Note # 3----the town of Reading, Pennsylvania, is pronounced  "red-ing".
With a small "r"--reading--the same word may mean reading a book--pronounced "reed-ing".
If "reading" is at the beginning of a sentence, it will begin with a capital "R"--so we would have to read the sentence first, to find out if it is about reading a book, or about Reading, Pennsylvania.
Reading is in Pennsylvania.
"Reading is fundamental."

through, threw, thru, throw, throe, thorough

Through or through ( rhymes with threw ) means in one end and out the other--
They had trouble getting through the narrow door.
Through also means to the end of--
We will be in school through June.
He got through his work in an hour.
Through may mean to go past or over--
He went through that stop sign.
It flew through the air.
You may see through spelled "thru" on signs, to make them easier to see at a glance--
 "No thru traffic".

Throw means to propel or cast something, or to send it forth--
Throw the ball to me.
She may throw you an angry look.
The past tense (yesterday, or some time ago) of throw is threw ( rhymes with through )--
He threw me the ball.
She threw him an angry look.

Thorough means painstaking, complete, or accurate to a detail--
He has a thorough understanding of the subject.
It looks like someone did a thorough job of cleaning up.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Throw the ball through the goal for a thorough victory".
"He threw the ball through the window."

Note--a "throe" ( rhymes with throw ) is a pang of passion or spasm of emotion, denoting an internal struggle of some kind. Its plural form is more common--
He wrote that poem while in the throes of passion.

Note # 2--the past participle of "throw" is "thrown"--
"If I had seen you, I would have thrown you the ball".
Not to be confused with throne ( rhymes with thrown ) , the fancy chair a king or queen sits on--
Her majesty is in the throne room.

Note # 3--"threw out"--is the past tense of "throw out"--the trash, one's back, a suggestion--
My mom threw out my homework.
"Throughout"  ( rhymes with threw out ) means  in every part of; or from the beginning to the end--
There are illustrations throughout the book.

I, eye, aye, aye-aye

I  (always a capital letter)  refers to ourselves when we are the subject ( the one doing something )--
I am going to the store.
I like the other chips better.
If you are going to argue, I am going to leave.

Eye or eye ( rhymes with I ) is one of the 2 things you see with, on your face--
Keep an eye out for the stop sign.
The plural ( more than one ) form of "eye" is "eyes" ( pronounced "ize" )--
He has blue eyes.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I have something in my eye".

Note--"aye"--( rhymes with eye )--is an affirmative response in a voice vote--
Let each representative answer aye or nay.
The ayes have it.

Note # 2--Aye or aye-aye is still an affirmative response to a nautical (on board a ship) command--
Aye-aye, captain.

right, write, rite

Write or write means to set down on paper with letters, numbers, and perhaps punctuation marks--
I'm going to write a novel.
Why don't you write me a letter?
Write it down so you don't forget.

Right or right ( rhymes with write ) means the opposite of left, directionally--
Make a right at the corner.
Raise your right hand.
He swerved from left to right.
Right or right also means correct--factually or morally--
That is not the right answer.
Don't litter--it isn't right.

Right or rights, as a noun ( a thing or idea ) means what a person or entity gets to do--
You have the right to remain silent.
We all have civil rights in the United States.

Rite or rite ( rhymes with write ) means a religious or other ceremony, usually marking a change in the person's status in the community--
Marriage is a rite practiced all over the world.
Graduation ceremonies are a modern rite of passage into adulthood.

Now that you know that you can say--
"When you write about religious rites, make sure to get it right".

Note--you may have noticed that religious rites--such as baptisms, confirmations or weddings--could be confused with religious rights--which may be why we usually say "freedom of religion"--
Each church has the right to perform religious rites.

Note # 2--"wright" ( rhymes with write )  is an old-fashioned word  meaning  a maker or fashioner of a particular thing, and is usually combined with that thing, as one word--
People surnamed wheelwright don't necessarily make wheels nowadays.
People surnamed wainwright probably don't make wagons.

new, knew, gnu

New or new means not old, something freshly made or minted--
I like your new dress.
Have you been to the new restaurant?
Let's think of a new idea.

Knew or knew ( rhymes with new ) is the past tense (  yesterday, or some time ago) of know, meaning to be aware of, familiar with, or understand --
He knew where the restaurant was.
I knew those people in high school.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We knew this new restaurant was going to be popular."

Note--"gnu" ( rhymes with new ) means a large ruminant animal--
We went to the zoo to see the gnu.
Note # 2-- "nu" ( also rhymes with new ) is  a letter of the Greek alphabet--
He belongs to a fraternity named nu something--I forget the rest.

do, due, dew

Do or do means to perform an action--
I am going to do some baking.
Will you do the wash?
Do or do may describe how well something is performed--
They always do well.
They do that very well.
Do has several slang or colloquial uses--
To do time means to  serve a prison sentence--
We hope he won't have to do time.
 To do in  means to kill or murder--
They planned to do him in.
To do without means to  lack or need--
We will have to do without a phone until the repairman gets here.
To do over means to  refurbish--
They want to do the whole house over.
Do's and don'ts mean shoulds and shouldn'ts--
Here are some do's and dont's that everyone should know.
To  have to do with means to be involved in--
We don't want anything to do with that.
To make do means to use what is available--
There are no plates. Well, we'll just have to make do.
To do away with means to abolish--
The school plans to do away with some of the sports programs.
 A "do" is a hairdo--
I like your new do. It's very flattering.
A "do" may also be  a party--
They're having a do on Saturday.
.
Due or due ( rhymes with do ) means payable or owed--
The bill for the birthday cake is due on Monday.
The library books are due tomorrow.
Due or due may mean expected--
The train is due at three o'clock.
It may mean an expected birth--
When are you due?
She is due in September.
Due may mean attributable to a particular cause--
Game called due to rain.

Dew or dew ( rhymes with new ) is the moisture that forms on the ground overnight--
If you go out early, the grass will be wet with dew.
The chairs are wet from the morning dew.

Now that you know that you can say--
"Due to the dew on the grass, we will have to do our grilling on the porch."

Not to be confused with doo, or doo-doo, which is something in which one should not step.

for, four, fore

For or for means on behalf of,  in order to,  with the object of,  in place of, in consideration of,  in favor of, or with the purpose of--
We are doing this for him.
We are going out for a steak.
She wants us to be there for dinner.
You could have another potato for a vegetable.
We paid too much for the steak.
They charge $40 for a steak.
We all voted for steak.

Four or four means the number 4--
We will have four guests tonight.
There are four more steaks in the freezer.

Fore or fore means in the front; ahead of in time or place--
The company is bringing its new product to the fore with an advertising campaign.
He started to learn all the fore and aft parts of the ship.
Fore! is also a shout of warning when playing golf. It means heads up, or look out for the ball--
Make sure to duck when you hear someone yell "fore!".

Now that you know that you can say--
"I had to wait for four other golfers to swing before I could shout fore!"

Note--"forward" means ahead, or to send ahead, as in to forward mail, or to move forward--
No need to explain, just forward the email to me.
Note # 2--"foreword" is a note of explanation at the beginning of a book--
The foreword explains the history of the work.
Note # 3--"fore-" is also used as a prefix ( word beginning )--
They may foreclose on our mortgage.
"Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers..."
The eerie old house gave them a sense of foreboding.

ant, aunt, aunty, auntie, anti, ante

Ant or ant is a small insect that lives in an underground ant city--
Don't leave your sandwich on the ground. The ants will get it.
An ant is creeping toward the picnic basket.

Aunt or aunt is used to refer to or address your father's sister; your mother's sister; your father's brother's wife or your mother's brother's wife--
I have seven aunts and three uncles.
Aunt begins with a capital ( large) letter when it is used as part of a proper ( particular person's ) name--
Is Aunt Betty coming to visit?
Betty is my aunt.
This is my Aunt Betty.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"My aunt was afraid of an ant!"

Note--Auntie or aunty refers to your aunt--the same kin or relation described above--
Say hello to Auntie Margaret.
Say hello to your auntie.
Auntie or aunty may also mean a pawnbroker or fence--sometimes called uncle--
I'm out of money; I shall have to visit aunty.

Note # 2--Anti- or anti- means against or opposed to--as  a term for people who are opposed to a certain political measure--
The vivisectionists and the antivivisectionists were having a heated argument.
"Con" more properly refers to the bad points people see in a  political measure--
Let's discuss the pros and cons.

Note # 3--Ante or ante refers to the stake required to participate in a poker game--
The ante is only $1.00.

Note # 4--Ante or ante also means before--
as in antebellum ( before the war--in the USA, the Civil War ),
or antediluvian ( before the flood, as in Noah and the Ark ).
"Status quo ante bellum "is Latin for "the state of things before the war".  When a war ends under terms of "status quo ante bellum", no land is transferred from one country or party to another. Boundaries are the same as they were before the war.

the, thee

The or the is a definite article--it refers to a particular or specific thing, not to just any example of the same thing--
Where is the pizza I was saving for later?
What is the phone number of the pizzeria on the corner?

The is usually pronounced to rhyme with "we" when it comes before a vowel (open-mouthed) sound--it is spelled the same, however--
I liked the old pizzeria better.
I want the onion and mushroom pizza.

Thee or thee is an old-fashioned  form of "you". We don't say thee anymore, except in movies about long ago, and perhaps in poems or song lyrics. It is still in old books and poems, since many people prefer to read old things as they were written, instead of a modernized version--
" of thee I sing..."
"My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty..."