Wednesday, February 29, 2012

wine, whine

Wine or wine means an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes, or from other fruits--
They ordered a glass of wine with dinner.
He stopped at the liquor store for a bottle of wine.

Whine or whine ( rhymes with wine ) means to complain in a pathetic and annoying way--
When the children whine, their mother refuses to give them what they whine for.
Did you hear the dog whine? We forgot to feed him.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Do you think the waiter will bring me another glass of wine if I whine loud enough?"

Note--"wined" means tried to ply with liquor or attention--
He always wined and dined potential clients. It was good for business.
"Whined" is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "whine"--
The children whined, but she wouldn't give in. She didn't want to encourage whining.
Not to be confused with "wind" ( rhymes with wined ), meaning to turn a knob or key to set a mechanical device in motion--
When I was a young woman, I had to remember to wind my alarm clock and wristwatch each day.
Not to be confused with "wind", ( rhymes with sinned ), meaning the movement of the air, or a breeze--
There is not enough wind to fly our kite.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

bail, bale

Bail or bail means the sum of money left as surety for appearance in court--
The judge set bail at $50,000.
His parents offered the money to pay his bail.

Bail also means to remove water from a boat or ship--
Everyone get a bucket and help bail out the boat, or we'll sink!
Figuratively, to bail someone out means to get someone out of trouble-
I had a lot of trouble with the report, but a coworker bailed me out.
Don't count on us to bail you out if you get into trouble.

Bale or bale ( rhymes with bail ) means to compress into a bundle--
Get moving--we have to bale all of that hay.
They used a machine to bale the hay.
Bale may refer to the bundle--
They sat the scarecrow on a bale of hay.
The bale of newspapers was too heavy to lift.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"They tried to bail out the boat by using a bale of cotton to soak up the water. Then they threw the bale overboard."

Note--"bail" also means the metal or wire handle of a bucket or container--
She carried the bucket by the bail, and swung it back and forth.
Note # 2--"bale" also means sorrow or woe--
He heard a baleful cry
Note # 3--a "bailiff" is an officer of a law court--
The bailiff instructed everyone to rise.
Not to be confused with "bail if" ( two words ), meaning the sum of money deposited with a court, conditionally ( if ) --
We can post bail if our parents will help us. 

Monday, February 27, 2012

done, dun

Done or done is the past participle of "do", meaning to perform or execute--I do, I did, I have done--
Have you done your homework?
We have done this before.
Done or done may mean finished or over--
That was a lot of homework. Are you done?
The washing is done.
Done may mean ready--
Are the steaks done? Did you check them?

Dun or dun ( rhymes with done ) means to press for payment of a bill or debt--
He has to dun people by phone for his new job.
No creditor may dun you by calling late at night, or by calling too often.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Before he was done with the call, he promised not to dun them again."

Note--"dun" also means a grayish-brown color, said particularly of a horse or a cow--
The old dun cow hasn't come home yet. I hope she isn't lost.

Friday, February 24, 2012

course, coarse

Course or course means a path or way--
The obstacle course was a part of their military training.
The ship went off its course and they didn't know where they were.
They decided on a new course of action.
"The course of true love never did run smooth."
Course may mean the movement along a path or way, literally or figuratively--
The heart causes the blood to course through our veins.
The landslide forced the river to course through a narrow channel.

Course may mean a series or progression--
He is taking a course in physics.
The doctor prescribed a course of antibiotics.

Coarse or coarse ( rhymes with course ) means crude, rough,  or unrefined--
The cookbook says to use coarse meal to keep it from sticking.
This linen is of a very coarse weave.
His manners were coarse; he was not used to society.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His father hoped that a course in public speaking would help to refine his coarse speech."

Note--"coarser" means more coarse--
This fabric is coarse, but the other is coarser.
"Courser" means a steed or mount--
"Away to the housetops his coursers they flew..."
Not to be confused with "corsair", a kind of ship--
She could see the sails of a corsair on the horizon.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

dinner, diner

Dinner or dinner ( rhymes with winner ) means the evening meal--
What are we having for dinner?
I think I'll make meatloaf for dinner.
In an old-fashioned book, dinner may mean the noon meal--
They have dinner at noon and supper at six.

Diner or diner ( rhymes with minor )--means a small casual restaurant--
They like to go to the diner for breakfast on Saturday mornings.
The diner is open all night.
Diner may also mean someone who is eating dinner, particularly in a restaurant--
The diner jumped when he heard the crash.
Each diner in that restaurant gets a free slice of cake.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Let's go to the diner for dinner."

Note--"dine" means to eat dinner--
We dine at 8.
They like to dine on pheasant and caviar.
Not to be confused with "din", which means an awful noise--
Quiet down! I can't hear the phone over the din!
The din was so awful they needed ear plugs.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

weather, whether

Weather or weather means what's going on outside--wind, rain, snow, hot, cold, etc.--
She watched the weather report every night so that she would know how to dress the next day.
How's the weather? It's raining.

Whether or whether ( rhymes with weather ) means in case of one alternative or the other--
Do your homework whether you want to or not.
He wants to know whether we're going or not.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We are going to the beach tomorrow, whether the weather is good or not."

Note--a "wether" ( rhymes with weather ) is a male sheep that has been neutered--
Is he a ram or a wether?

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

or, oar, ore

Or or or means having a choice between one option and another, but not both--
Do you want pizza or burgers?
Do you want to go, or not?

Oar or oar ( rhymes with or ) means the thing used to row a boat or paddle a canoe--
Oh no! I dropped the oar. We'll have to try to get it out of the water, or we'll have trouble getting back.
I'm tired of rowing. You take the oar.

Ore or ore ( rhymes with or ) means a rock or deposit containing metal or minerals--
Iron ore is used to make steel.
The ore is smelted in a furnace to retrieve the metal.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"This ore contains silicon, which can be used to make an oar or a boat."

Note--"or", in heraldry, means gold--
The family crest was a lion on a field of  or.

Monday, February 20, 2012

council, counsel

Council or council means a body of people who meet to make decisions--
One of our neighbors is running for city council.
The council meets on the first day of each month to hear complaints and suggestions.

Counsel or counsel means to give advice, or the person who gives the advice--
His counsel was to wait and see.
In civil court, an attorney is called counsel for the defense or counsel for the plaintiff.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The members of the council decided to ignore the counsel offered by the retired treasurer."

Note--a person who offers counsel may also be called a counselor--
In high school, the guidance counselor helps students choose courses.
Note #2--You may see "councillor" or "councilor" in an old book, a British book, or a dictionary, but in America, "counselor" is the usual spelling.
Not to be confused with "council or" ( two words )--
Is he running for city council or for mayor?

Friday, February 17, 2012

chic, shiek , chick

Chic or chic ( a French word we have borrowed--pronounced sheek ) means stylish--
She always looks very chic.
That is a chic ensemble!

Sheik or sheik is a title or honorific in  Arab-speaking countries, meaning  "sir" or "lord"--
We have invited the sheik and his wife to dinner.
Remember that old song "The Sheik of Araby"?

Chick or chick ( rhymes with sick ) means a baby chicken--
Look! The chick is hatching out of its egg!
The children got a real live chick for an Easter present.
Chick is also a slang term for a young woman. It may be considered offensive--
That's a cute chick!

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The sheik, being foreign, thought the woman in denim overalls with a baby chick was quite chic, American style."

Note--a "chiclet" ( chick--let ) is a candy-coated piece of chewing gum, from the brand name "Chiclet"--
Would you like a chiclet? They're peppermint flavored.
Note # 2--"cheek" means the parts of your face  that are below your eyes and above your jaw, on either side--
She put a little bit of rouge on each cheek.
She may be embarassed; her cheeks are red.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

callous, callus

Callous or callous means cold, unfeeling, or having no sympathy or understanding for other people--
His callous disregard for the consequences of his actions was considered an aggravating circumstance.
That was a callous remark!

Callus or callus ( rhymes with callous ) means a thickened spot on the skin where someone has used a tool or implement repeatedly--
Many people have a pencil callus on their right middle finger.
His hand had a callus from wielding a hammer for years.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He sneered when he saw a callus on someone's hand, displaying his callous attitude."

 Note--not to be confused with callow, meaning unripe or immature ( of a person )--
"Callow youth" was once a common phrase.
"Try to remember that kind of September when you were a gay and a callow fellow."
Note #2--"Callused" means having calluses, or thickened skin where something has repeatedly rubbed--
His hands were callused and scarred.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

die, dye

Die or die means to cease living; to expire or pass on--
Life insurance pays a sum of money to the beneficiary when you die.
I hope this plant doesn't die. It doesn't look healthy.
Die also means the mold used to cast metal machine parts, or other parts--
He works in the tool and die department.
When the die wears out, the parts won't work properly.
Die is also the singular ( one, and only one ) of dice--
The die is cast.
Roll the die.

Dye or dye ( rhymes with die ) means to use chemicals to alter or change the color of something, generally hair or clothing--
Is she a natural blonde, or does she dye her hair?
Indigo is used to dye blue jeans.
Dye also means the stuff used to alter or change the color of something--
He bought  package of dye.
This dye came out a funny color.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Some people dye their hair dark until they die."

Note--the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "die" is died--
He was only sixty when he died.
The past tense of "dye" is dyed--
She dyed her hair red, but then changed her mind and dyed it blonde.
Note # 2--the plural ( more than one ) form of "die" is dies--
The dies are worn. The parts will be substandard.
"Dies"( dize ) is also the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "die"--
She said she'll treasure that memory until she dies.
"Dice" may also be the plural ( more than one ) of die--
Roll the dice. It's your turn.
Note # 3--the plural of "dye" is dyes--
She tried several different dyes before she found one she liked.
"Dyes" ( dize ) is also the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "dye"--
She dyes her hair. Real red hair doesn't look like that.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

sweet, suite

Sweet or sweet means the taste of candy, sugar, or something similar--
He has a real sweet tooth. He always enjoys candy.
This coffee isn't sweet enough. Where's the sugar?
Sweet may describe the smell of some flowers or spices--
The sweet smell of cookies baking brought them all to the kitchen door.
Sweet may describe a person, a person's behavior, or life in general--
You remembered my birthday--how sweet.

Suite or suite ( rhymes with sweet ) means a set of something, such as rooms, musical compositions, or furniture--
What a nice hotel. They are staying in the penthouse suite.
We got a bargain on a living room suite.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The roses filled the honeymoon suite with a sweet fragrance."

Note--not to be confused with "suit" ( rhymes with boot )--meaning a set of clothing or the matching cards in a deck--
Is that a new suit? It looks great.
The cards have to match either number or suit to make a play.
Note # 2--a suit may also mean a civil law case--
He will never win his suit with a lawyer who is always late.
Suit may also mean a courtship, with marriage usually the object--
He was so persistent in his suit that she accepted.

Monday, February 13, 2012

root, route

Root or root means the part of a plant or tree that grows underground--
The lawn mower won't go over the roots of that tree.
The roots of a plant are usually about the same size as the plant.
Beets are a root vegetable.
Hair also has roots--
This is supposed to be good for the roots of your hair.
She dyes her hair. Her roots are showing.
People may be said to have roots, meaning origins or upbringing--
He never forgot his farm country roots.
Troubles or problems are said to have roots--
The root of the problem seems to be a lack of information.
Root may also be a verb ( action word ) meaning to dig for something--
He has been rooting around in the garage for an hour.
Look--don't just root in the drawer.
Root also means to cheer for a team or contestant--
"Let's root, root, root for the home team..."
Which team are you rooting for?

Route or route ( rhymes with root ) means the set of roads or trails taken to get from one place to another--
An alternate route would be to take the expressway and get off at the next exit.
The GPS system can tell us the route from here to the city.
Route may be part of the name of a particular highway--
"...get your kicks on Route 66..."
You can follow Route 1 from here to Maine or Florida.
Route may mean the order in which someone goes about delivering goods, or making calls--
The mailman follows the same route every day.
He has a paper route. He delivers the papers after school.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The puppy's route around the backyard included a stop to chew on every tree root and stick."

Note--"rout" ( rhymes with out ) means to defeat badly--
The score was ten to one. It was a rout.

Friday, February 10, 2012

guerrilla, gorilla

Guerrilla or guerrilla ( ger ill uh ) means a soldier not attached to a regular army, or one who fights in the forests or streets, attacking enemy soldiers wherever they are found--
The guerrilla hid in the mountains, waiting for the troops to get within shooting range.
The army was harried by guerrilla attacks all the way back to the camp.

Gorilla or gorilla ( gur ill uh ) means the large ape found only in Africa--
Dian Fossey learned to communicate with gorillas.
The gorilla looked out of place in the cage at the zoo.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The gorilla was frightened by a guerrilla with a rifle, and hurried into the forest."

Note--a "guerrilla" soldier may not be the same as an "irregular" or a "partisan", although an author may sometimes use these interchangeably--
An "irregular" is something more like a member of a special forces unit--
He worked out every day, hoping to be assigned to an elite unit of irregulars.
A "partisan" is a citizen of an occupied territory who sympathizes with or aids a band of revolutionaries, who may use the tactics of guerrillas--
They were given the address of a partisan who had offered to hide them from the occupying troops.


Thursday, February 9, 2012

rye, wry, awry

Rye or rye is a cereal grain used to make bread, whiskey, and other things--
Today's special is ham on rye.
I'd like a pound of cheese and a loaf of rye bread.

Wry or wry ( rhymes with rye ) means twisted or devious--
His coworkers enjoyed his wry sense of humor.
She acknowledged the jest with a wry smile.

Awry or awry ( rhymes with a wry ) means crooked, twisted, or not working out right--
Their vacation plans went awry when he lost his job.
Their plans went awry when she broke her leg.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Our lunch plans went awry when the deli ran out of rye bread, he said with a wry smile."

Note--"awry" ( one word ) means not working out right,--
Their plans went awry.
Not to be confused with "a wry" ( two words ), meaning a twisted or devious--
He had a wry sense of humor.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

allowed, aloud

Allowed or allowed is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) form of "allow". Allowed means permitted, according to the rules, an authority, or parents
We are not allowed to go to the mall.
Students are not allowed outside during breaks.
Mom said we're allowed to go to the movies.

Aloud or aloud ( rhymes with allowed ) means spoken so that others may hear, instead of reading silently--
The teacher asked us to take turns reading aloud.
Some parents read a story aloud at bedtime.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We are not allowed to read aloud in the library."

Note--"aloud" ( one word ), means spoken so that others may hear--
He didn't realize that he spoke aloud.
Not to be confused with "a loud" ( two words ), describing something  noisy or spoken or played at a great volume--
I heard a loud voice.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

vain, vein, vane

Vain or vain means conceited, as in thinking highly of oneself or one's qualities--
"You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you..."
He was annoyed when she dyed her hair, and thought it vain of her.
Vain or vain also means futile or pointless--
All of his efforts were in vain.
He made a vain attempt to stop the moving car.

Vein or vein ( rhymes with vain ) means a blood vessel in the body--
A vein is like a tiny tube through which blood flows.
He got so excited that a vein stood out on his forehead.
A vein of a leaf circulates water--
He put a piece of paper over the leaf and rubbed it with a crayon. You could see each vein clearly.
Vein or vein also means a line of ore running through a mine--
The miner yelled for joy when he struck a vein of gold.
There is a rich vein of copper in the new mine.
Vein may mean a line of thought or discussion-
To continue in the same vein, let's discuss the funding for the new roof.

Vane or vane ( rhymes with vain ) means a flat blade or shape fashioned to move with the wind or by some other means--
You can tell which way the wind is blowing by looking at the weather vane.
He made a weather vane shaped like a rooster for the roof of the barn.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"They followed the weather vane, as the map directed, and dug for months to find a vein of gold, but all in vain."

Note--"vanity" is the noun ( thing or idea ) form of "vain"--
"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity..."
She often chided him for his vanity.
Note # 2--a "vanity" or "vanity table" is a piece of furniture with a large mirror--
She sat combing her hair in front of the vanity.

Monday, February 6, 2012

boy, buoy

Boy or boy means a male child or infant--
Was the baby a boy or a girl?
When Grandpa was a boy they had a horse and wagon.

Buoy or buoy  ( rhymes with boy ) means a kind of float used to mark a channel in the water, or a hazard a boat needs to avoid--
Watch for the buoy that marks the channel.
They placed a buoy with a light on it at the site of the shipwreck.
Buoy also means to keep something afloat, or spirits "up"--
This inner tube will buoy you up until help gets here.
The sight of a balloon is meant to buoy the spirit.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The boy saw a buoy floating in the water, and wondered what it was."

Note--a "life buoy" is a floating life-saving device, like the ring you might have seen in a movie about a ship--
When they saw him in the water, they threw him a life buoy.

Friday, February 3, 2012

addition, edition

Addition or addition ( add ih shun ) means what happens in elementary school math class-
The children are learning addition and subtraction.
I added it up again and got a different answer. I must have made a mistake in the addition.
Addition also means something extra, or something included after an initial list or count--
There will be an addition to the program.
We can stop at the discount store, in addition to the errands we planned.
Addition also means "as well as", particularly in the phrase "in addition to"--
We will be discussing employee benefits in addition to the regular program.
He had to pay court costs, in addition to the fine for his driving citation.
An "addition" means a room or rooms added to an existing house or building--
They took out a second mortgage to put an addition on the house.
Their family was too big for the house, so they built an addition.

Edition or edition ( ed ih shun ) means an issue of a book, newspaper or other publication--
We are using the 1983 edition.
Go out and see if there's an evening edition of the paper.
Edition may also mean a version or "retelling" of a  story--
The revised edition of the story left out the part about the candidate.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He wants to buy the illustrated edition, in addition to the paperback."

Note--not to be confused with "audition", meaning a try-out for a film or stage part, or some other job--
The actress was nervous during the audition,. but she got the part.
The singer was scheduled for an audition with a record producer.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

burrow, borough, burro

Burrow or burrow means the home an animal has dug in the ground--
What shall we do? The groundhog won't come out of his burrow!
Some small animals live in an underground burrow.
Burrow is also a verb ( action word ), meaning to dig in the ground, so as to make a hideout or a place to live--
Look--the groundhog has been burrowing all day.
The creature will burrow under the roots of a tree to make a sturdy home.

Borough or borough ( rhymes with burrow ) means a small town or part of a town--
A small town that doesn't provide all of its own municipal services is sometimes called a borough.
Brooklyn is a borough of New York City.

Burro or burro ( rhymes with burrow ) means the small animal that looks like a tiny donkey--
They had a pet burro that would let the children ride on its back.
A burro can sometimes carry a small load for people.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The burro stumbled into the rabbit's burrow, and its braying could be heard all over the borough."

Note--not to be confused with borrow, meaning to ask for the use of an item, meaning to return it--
We go to the library to borrow books.
May I borrow your pen?

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

discreet, discrete

Discreet or discreet means having the ability to keep a secret, or to refrain from giving a secret away, as a form of tact or savoir-faire--
Try to find out what the boss is planning, but be discreet.
Be discreet when you try to find out if he's interested.

Discrete or discrete ( rhymes with discreet ) means completely distinct or separate--
The people assembled formed three discrete groups.
He attempted to classify the information into discrete categories.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His injunction to be discreet had four discrete parts."

Note--"discretion" is the noun ( thing or idea ) form of "discreet"--
"Discretion is the better part of valor."
Use discretion when asking for personal information.
Note # 2--"indiscreet" means lacking tact, or blabbing something that should have been kept a secret, such as a personal opinion of one's employer, or an illicit relationship or extramarital affair--
Posting that note about your boss was indiscreet.
"sexy ladies, from the 80's who are indiscreet..."