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"