exercise, exorcise

Exercise or exercise ( pronounced Ex-er-size ) means physical activity or a workout--
We really need to get more exercise.
The exercise will be good for them.
Exercise may also mean to make use of a right or faculty--
Be sure to exercise your right to vote in the November election.
Exercise your own judgment.
Exercise may also mean an operation or drill--
This will be a training exercise.
It was an exercise in futility.

Exorcise or exorcise ( pronounced Ex-or-size ) means to cast out demons or evil spirits through prayer or a religious ritual--
In olden days, people called on a priest or shaman to exorcise evil spirits.
Today only a few churches still exorcise people afflicted with mental disturbances.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She thought about calling a priest to exorcise the child, but he probably just needed to get some exercise."

another, other

Another or another ( always one word ) means an additional something or someone--
Would you like another cup of coffee?
I would like another slice of pizza, please.
Another may also mean a different someone or something. Another remains one word when used in the sense of  "an other", meaning a different or alternative something or someone--
"Tomorrow is another day."
They moved to another town.

Other or other ( rhymes with another )  describes something else or something different, often one of two alternatives--
No--put that shoe on your other foot.
On the other hand...
We will have to finish this some other time.
The other day, as I was walking down the street, I ran into an old friend.

 Now that you know that, you can say--
"Our friend at the other table would like another soda."

ought, aught

Ought or ought means should, in the sense of duty or obligation--
He ought to go to school.
You ought to stop littering.
Ought may be used in the sense of probability --
See who's knocking. It ought to be the delivery man.

Aught or aught ( rhymes with ought ) means zero, or nothing at all--

In the year two thousand aught one...
He can stay there, for aught I care

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He ought to be ten years old if he was born in two thousand aught two."

Note--"nought" ( rhymes with ought ) is another way of saying zero or nothing, usually British except in the old-fashioned expression "all for nought" or "it came to nought"--
He studied at night in hope of a promotion, but it came to nought.
His hard work was all for nought; they hired someone else.
Not to be confused with "naughty", meaning badly behaved, but not too--
That was naughty, little girl. Don't do it again!

trust, trussed

Trust or trust means to have faith or confidence in someone or something--
If you trust your doctor, you will follow his advice.
The cat won't come near us. She doesn't trust us.
I don't trust this car in city traffic.
Trust also means a kind of account or bequest--
Their grandparents left them money in a trust fund.

Trussed or trussed ( rhymes with trust ) is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "truss", meaning to tie up securely, with string, skewers, or rope--
She stuffed and trussed the turkey right after breakfast, so it would be ready in time for dinner.
She trussed the chicken with kitchen twine and wooden skewers.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I trussed the turkey as directed, but I'm not sure that I trust the recipe."

Note--a "truss" --a noun ( thing or idea ) is a kind of support--for a person or for a structure, such as a bridge--
He always wore a truss when lifting heavy objects.
Note # 2--"trusty" ( pronounced TRUSS-tee ) describes something or someone that can be relied upon--
He won't leave the house without his trusty Swiss Army knife.
Not to be confused with "trustee"  ( pronounced truss-TEE ) , meaning someone who administers property or business on behalf of someone else--
The trustee of the estate said that nothing can be sold until all of the debts are paid.

chased, chaste

Chased or chased is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of  "chase", meaning to run after or pursue, with the intent of catching --
The dog chased the cat until it ran up a tree.
The police car chased the suspect through the town to the highway.

Chaste or chaste ( rhymes with chased ) means virginal or pure, sexually--
Once upon a time, young women and men were expected to remain chaste until they married.
The chaste young man blushed when he heard their lewd talk.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The other boys chased girls, but the young monk remained chaste."

Note--"chasten" ( pronounced chase-enn ) is an old-fashioned way of saying "chastise" ( pronounced chass--tize ) , meaning to scold or berate--
She never failed to chastise the children when they forgot their manners.
Note # 2--"chastity" ( pronounced CHASS-tih-tee ) is the noun ( thing or idea ) form of "chaste"--
Nuns take vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. 

mist, midst, missed

Mist or mist means water vapor close to the ground, or rising from the ground--
It was a damp morning, with a fine mist over everything.
Mist may also mean a fine spray or a light, fine rain--
He used the garden hose to mist the plants.

Midst or midst means among or in the center of a group of people or things--
There was a large crowd, and in their midst a man waving frantically.
"...in the midst of life we are in death..."

Missed or missed ( rhymes with mist ) is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "miss" meaning to aim at something and fail to hit it; to fail to show up for something; or to feel the absence of something or someone--
He swung at the ball and missed.
He missed his train, and was late for work.
They had a carnival last week, but we missed it.
He missed his wife while she was away.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"In the midst of a group of coworkers, he told how he got lost in the early morning mist and missed his train."

Note--"amidst" or "amid" is a preposition ( direction, as under, over, through ) form of midst--
He stood amidst the wreckage and didn't seem to notice anyone.
"... if you walk amid the burning flames, you will not be harmed..."
Note # 2--"mister" may mean a device used to spray a mist--
She sprayed the plants with a mister every day.
"Mister" may also be a form of address or a title for an adult male, usually abbreviated as "Mr."--
Hello, Mister Smith; it's nice to meet you.
Hey mister, you forgot your bags!
Not to be confused with "missed her"--
He threw a snowball, but he missed her.
When she was away, he missed her.

ladder, latter

Ladder or ladder means the movable set of steps or rungs used to climb or reach things--
The firemen practiced climbing up and down the ladder.
He'll have to borrow a ladder to fix the roof.

Latter or latter ( rhymes with batter ) means the last-named of 2 alternatives--
They wanted some new furniture and a vacation, but the latter was more important.
Latter may also mean of a later or more recent period in time--
The latter half of the 20th century was an era of rapid technological progress.
Many people in the 1960's attempted latter-day homesteading.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He needed an assistant, a hammer, and a ladder, but the latter most of all."

Note--not to be confused with "later", meaning at some time in the future, or at some time after--
I'll talk to you later.
See you later.
We can have dinner and go to a later show.
We could go to the movies later.

rung, wrung

Rung or rung is a participle ( used with a helper verb ) of "ring", meaning to sound or peal, as a bell--
He knew he was late because they had already rung the bell.
The bell will be rung to start the ceremony.

Rung or rung also means one of the steps of a ladder--
Don't step on the top rung--you might fall.
One rung of this ladder is broken.

Wrung or wrung ( rhymes with rung ) is the past tense of "wring", meaning to twist and squeeze--
She wrung out the laundry by hand, and hung it on the line.
She wrung her hands in dismay.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She wrung her hands with worry when the rung he was standing on broke."

toll, tole

Toll or toll means a fee or tax paid to use a bridge or highway, or some other service --
There is a $2 toll to cross the new bridge.
Did you remember to bring change for the toll?

Toll is also the sound a large or low-pitched bell makes--
"...therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
He was startled when he heard the bell toll.

Tole or tole ( rhymes with toll ) means a kind of folk-painting on metal objects--
She took a night-school class in tole painting.
They like to look in antique shops for old tole painted items.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She spent $5 for the tole ware box, and another $5 for the highway toll ."

Note--"tolled" is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "toll"--
The bell tolled each time there was a funeral.
Not to be confused with "told" ( rhymes with tolled ), the past tense of "tell", meaning to recount or state plainly--
She told him, but he wouldn't listen.
Note # 2--"toll" may mean a measure or count of the extent of damages or injury--
The highway death toll was higher than the toll for last year's holiday weekend.

hew, hue

Hew or hew ( rhymes with new ) means to hack or chop with an axe or sword, as in cutting down a tree--
He used his axe to hew the mighty oak.
The knight used his sword to hew a path through the forest.

Hue or hue ( rhymes with hew ) means color, or a variation or shade of a color--
She decorated the room in a sombre hue, making it seem gloomy.
Do you have a paint like this, but with a greenish hue?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He used  a hatchet to hew some of the bark from the tree, so that he could show the hue to the painter."

Note--"hue" is also used in the old-fashioned expression "hue and cry", meaning an outcry or public alarm--
He saw smoke coming from the building, and started a hue and cry.
Note # 2--"Hugh" ( rhymes with hew ) is a man's given name.
Not to be confused with "huge" ( rhymes with Scrooge ) meaning enormous or very large--
The giant redwoods are huge; you can drive a car through some of them.

rapt, rapped, wrapped

Rapt or rapt means transported by a sight, sound, feeling, or thought, as to another world--
He gazed at the ocean, rapt with wonder.
Rapt may mean engrossed in thought--
He listened to the speaker with rapt attention.

Rapped or rapped ( rhymes with rapt ) is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of rap, meaning to knock lightly or smartly--
He rapped his knuckles on the table whenever he got nervous.
The teacher rapped on the desk to get their attention.

Wrapped or wrapped ( rhymes with rapt ) is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "wrap", meaning to cover on all sides, as with paper or a blanket--
She wrapped the presents and hid them in the closet.
He was sitting  in front of the fire, all wrapped up in a blanket.
Wrapped may also be used in a figurative sense--
She was so wrapped up in what she was doing that she didn't notice the time.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She wrapped the lettuce in a towel, rapped it smartly on the counter, and  gazed in rapt amazement at the results."
 

wretch, retch

Wretch or wretch means a person completely awful with misfortune or unhappiness--
"...how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me... "
Wretch may also mean a completely  despicable person, someone morally destitute--
What awful wretch would commit a crime like this?

Retch or retch ( rhymes with wretch ) means to vomit or to try to vomit and fail--
The awful stench made them retch.
He tried not to retch while he listened to the account of the crime.

 Now that you know that, you can say--
"The condition of the poor wretch, and his pitiful story, made the aid worker want to retch."

Note--"wretched" ( pronounced wretch-ed ) describes a truly unfortunate or a truly despicable person--
The flood left the family not only destitute but wretched.
Many addicts don't ask for help until they are wretched in every way.
Not to be confused with "retched" ( pronounced retchd ), the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "retch"--
Even the veteran police officer retched at the scene of the crime.

feign, fain

Feign or feign means to sham or pretend--
He tried to feign illness to avoid school.
It took all of his willpower to feign interest in the proceedings.

Fain or fain ( rhymes with feign ) means prefer to, or willingly--
He would fain be left out of the fray.
Forsooth, he would fain have remained at home.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The soldier planned to feign an injury, as he would fain be sent back home."

Note--"feigned" is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "feign"--
He feigned interest in what she was saying, but was really watching someone else.
Not to be confused with "faint", meaning slight or weak--
"Faint heart never won fair maid."
Faint also means to pass out or lose consciousness--
He tried not to faint at the sight of blood, because he wanted to be a doctor.
Not to be confused with "feint" ( rhymes with faint ), meaning a move meant to trick or deceive--
The bombardment was a feint meant to conceal the movement of the troops.
Note # 2--"fane" ( rhymes with feign and fain ) is an old-fashioned word for a church or temple.

air, heir

Air or air means the stuff that we breathe, that you can't see except for its action as wind--
He let the air out of all the balloons when the party was over.
Open the window and let in some air.

Heir or heir ( rhymes with air ) means the person who inherits an estate or kingdom--
His son was his only surviving heir, and inherited everything.
It was important to the king that he leave an heir to the throne.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Though the air was thick with smoke, the guard rushed in to rescue his employer's  heir."

Note--an "heiress" is a female who inherits, or who will inherit, an estate--
The fortune hunter had designs on the young heiress.
"Airless" means close and stifling, without air--
They found it difficult to breathe in the airless room.
"Hairless" means bald--
This dog is a Mexican hairless.
Note # 2--"air" may be used to mean an aspect of demeanor--
He had the air of a failed poet.
To "put on airs" means to pretend to something grander than we are--
The swineherd's daughter often put on airs, and pretended to be a great lady.
Note # 3-- "air" and "heir" are not to be confused with "hair" , meaning the stuff that grows on human heads, or "hare", a kind of a rabbit.
Note # 4--"ere" ( rhymes with air ) is an old-fashioned or poetic way of saying "before" ( in time )--
"Able was I ere I saw Elba."
Not to be confused with  "err" ( rhymes with "her"  ), meaning to make a mistake--
"To err is human, to forgive, divine."
Note# 5--"eyre" ( rhymes with air ) means a journey in a circuit, as some judges once made--
An old English justice in eyre examined county records and held court.

mean, mien

Mean or mean means purpose or intention--
He didn't mean to break the window!
What does that strange look mean?

Mean also means definition, when used to refer to a word, phrase, symbol, logo, acronym or abbreviation--
What does this word mean?
Does the little triangle mean wash or dry clean?

Mean or mean also means unkind or nasty--
That mean old man is always yelling at the children, even though they don't bother him.
What a mean thing to say!

Mien or mien ( rhymes with mean ) means the physical aspect of a person's stance, posture, or gait that may reveal character or personality--
The salesman's words were confident, but his mien was hesitant and nervous.
The retired general still had the mien of someone used to command.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The student had the arrogant mien of a delinquent, which the teacher understood to mean trouble."

Note--"mean" also has a mathematical meaning. The "mean" is the number in the middle of a series of numbers. Half of the numbers in the series will be greater than the "mean", and half of the numbers in the series will be less than the "mean"--
The "mean" of 1, 20, 100, 500, and 1000 is 100.
The average of 1, 20, 100, 500, and 1000 is 810.5, or 810 1/2.
So mean is not the same, mathematically, as average."
Note # 2--"mean" was an old-fashioned way of saying poor, lowly, or miserly--
They lived in a mean little hovel.
Note # 3--"means" may be the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "mean"--
The red sign means stop.
"Means" also means financial capacity--
They didn't have the means to travel or to go on vacation.
"Means" also means a method or instrument--"how" something gets accomplished--
The cell phone was her only means of communication.
"The end justifies the means."

wrote, rote

Wrote or wrote is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of  "write", meaning to put words on paper or a screen--
He wrote a letter, but forgot to mail it.
She saved every paper she wrote in college.

Rote or rote ( rhymes with wrote ) means habit and routine, or memorization and repetition--
Modern educators frown on rote learning for young children.
At certain ages, children enjoy learning by rote.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She wrote a paper about the use of rote learning in elementary school."

cheap, cheep

Cheap or cheap may mean inexpensive, in a good way, or shoddy, in a bad way--
Let's buy some of this--it's cheap!
This cheap stuff never works for long.
Cheap may also describe someone who refuses to part with money, even when spending would save money in the long run--
He was too cheap to maintain his car properly, so now he needs a new one.

Cheep or cheep ( rhymes with cheap ) is the sound some birds make--
Every time the bird said cheep, she gave him some more bread crumbs.
She liked to hear the little birds cheep.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He bought a cheap doormat that said "cheep" when someone stepped on it."

college, colleague

College or college ( pronounced coll ledge ) means a post-secondary school, or one of the departments of a university--
He planned to attend the local college after graduating from high school.
They like to watch college sports on weekends.

Colleague or colleague ( pronounced coll league ) means a co-worker or collaborator--
His colleague was a hard worker, and always did his share.
He was uncomfortable with his new colleague, but they soon got to know one another.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His colleague on the new project had been his teammate in college."

Note--"collage" ( pronounced coe LAHJ ) means a work of art made by pasting bits of different colored or printed paper to a background of some kind--
He liked to tear pieces from magazines and paste them into a collage.

veil, vale, avail

Veil or veil means a piece of cloth that covers the face or part of the face--
An American bride often wears a white veil.
It is still the custom in some countries for a woman to wear a veil in public.

Vale or vale ( rhymes with veil )  is an old-fashioned word for "valley", meaning a depression in the landscape, as between two hills--
The sunset filled the vale with golden light.
Some people believe that life is meant to be a vale of tears.

Avail or avail ( one word, rhymes with a veil ) means usefulness, advantage or profit, usually of an action--
He tried every suggestion in the instruction manual, but to no avail.
To "avail oneself"  means to take advantage of an opportunity, or to help oneself  to something--
Since he had to go to California on business, they decided to avail themselves of the chance to visit the Pacific.

 Now that you know that, you can say--
"They searched all over the vale for the veil the bride had lost, but to no avail."

Note--"vale" ( pronounced voll-ay ) is a Latin word, meaning farewell--
Ave atque vale means hail and farewell, or greetings and good-bye.
Note # 2--you may see "vail" in an older book, meaning to be of use or profit.
"Vail" may also mean a tip or gratuity, or to lower something, including one's hat to the gentry.

rest, wrest

Rest or rest means to relax, or to take a nap or a break--
Let's rest for a while.
You should rest, or you'll be tired later.
Rest may mean a nap or a break--
You look tired. Why don't you lie down and get some rest?
We have been working all morning. It's time for a rest.
Rest may mean to lean on something--
He like to rest against the wall and watch everyone go by.
If you rest your foot on the step, you will be able to tie your shoe.
Rest also means the remainder--
What happened to the rest of the cereal?
Are you going to watch TV for the rest of the day?
Rest is used in several expressions--
Give it a rest!
This is no time to rest on your laurels.
The deceased will be laid to rest on Tuesday.

Wrest or wrest ( rhymes with rest ) means to struggle with someone for possession of a thing--
He got a firm grip on the weapon and tried to wrest it from her.
The child would not let his playmate wrest the toy from him.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He needed a rest before making another attempt to wrest the remote control from his roommate."

Note--a "rest" may mean a type of musical notation, denoting a pause--
You didn't notice that there's a rest here.
A "rest" may also mean a thing specifically used to support something --
She used a saucer for a spoon rest.
The chair had a comfortable back rest.
This piece of wood will make a rest for your tools.
Rest also means a nap or a break--
Let's take a rest.
Not to be confused with "arrest", literally meaning to stop, but usually meaning to be taken into custody by the police--
The police read him his rights because he was under arrest.

shoe, shoo

Shoe or shoe means footwear, singular ( only one )--
He had a nail in his shoe, and had to stop to remove it.
"One, two, buckle my shoe..."

Shoo or shoo ( rhymes with shoe ) means to cause or force a cat, dog, or some other animal to leave a house, a room, or another place--
Shoo the cat away from the stove; I'm cooking.
Shoo! You're being a nuisance!

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He tried to shoo the barking dog away by throwing a shoe at it."

Note--the plural of  "shoe" is "shoes" ( pronounced shooze ) or "a pair of shoes"--
My shoes got wet in the rain.
Not to be confused with "shoos" ( rhymes with shoes ), the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "shoo"--
She shoos that cat away every day, but it keeps coming back.

label, lapel

Label or label ( pronounced LAY bell ) means the slip of paper or plastic that identifies the contents of a can, jar, bottle, box, or another container--
The label says to keep this refrigerated.
If you label each of the boxes, we'll know what's in them when we want to unpack.

Lapel or lapel ( pronounced luh PELL ) means the part of a jacket or coat collar that is folded back to leave a "V" shape in the front--
When he got dressed up, he always wore a carnation on his lapel.
He is still wearing a campaign button from the last election on his lapel.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The label on the can says that this cleaning fluid will remove the spot from my lapel."

wig, whig

Wig or wig means a hairpiece, or an artificial, removable  head of hair--
She shaved her head, but later regretted it and wore a wig.
No one will know it's a wig--really.

Whig or whig ( rhymes with wig ) means a member of a political party now defunct in the United States--
Instead of democrat or republican, people were once whig or tory.
An American whig was someone in favor of independence from England.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"A whig rarely wears a wig, so the man is probably a tory."