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.