ink, inc.

Ink or ink means the stuff used to print, with a computer printer or a printing press--
We are out of ink. I can't print my coupons.
She loved the smell of fresh ink in a new book.
Ink is also used to make drawings, or for calligraphy--
He made a pen and ink drawing of their house.
She did the invitations in blue ink.

Inc. or inc. ( rhymes with ink ) is an abbreviation of "incorporated", meaning set up as a business entity, separate from any individuals who may run the enterprise, or anyone employed by it--
They named their new company "We Fix Things, Inc."
The formal name of the business is "Department Store, Inc."

Now that you know that, you can say--
"They decided to sell ink cartridges by mail, and called their business 'Ink, Inc.' "

Note--"incorporate" is used in ways that are not abbreviated--
"Incorporate" may mean to include as a part of--
We will incorporate the changes in the new edition.
When you write your paper, try to incorporate what you have learned in class.
"Incorporate" may also mean to make one body of--
If we incorporate all of the evidence, it adds up to fraud.
"Incorporate" may mean to form a legal corporation--
We asked our lawyer how much it would cost to incorporate our business.
Note # 2--"in corporate" ( two words ) means within or concerning a business or a group--
He is a specialist in corporate strategy.

defuse, diffuse

Defuse or defuse means to render an explosive device inoperable by removing the fuse that was meant to set it off--
The police cordoned off the area, while the experts tried to defuse the bomb.
The old British TV series "UXB" was about a squad that went out to defuse any unexploded bombs leftover from the war.
Defuse may be used figuratively--
He made a feeble attempt to defuse the situation, but the crowd was still angry.

Diffuse or diffuse means scattered or sparsely spread about--
The diffuse coating of road salt did very little to melt the ice.
Diffuse may also be a verb ( action word ), meaning to spread about or scatter widely--
The scientists watched to see if the particles would dissolve or diffuse in the solution.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The crowd dispersed somewhat and had become diffuse by the time the police arrived to defuse the situation."

eve, eave

Eve or eve means the night before--
On the eve of their wedding, they considered running away and eloping.
They are having a party for New Year's Eve.
Halloween was once called All Hallow's Eve.
Eve is also a poetic or old-fashioned term for evening--
"I hear a thrush at eve..."

Eave or eave ( rhymes with eve ) means the edge of a roof that hangs over the wall of a house--
The water dripping from the eave is making a puddle in the garden.
The eave of the roof has a few broken shingles.

Now that you know that, you can say--
On the eve of the big game, he sat up all night listening to water drip from the eave."

Note--"Eve" is a woman's given name--
They decided to name the baby Eve if it was a girl.
Note # 2--"eavesdrop" means to secretly listen in on a private conversation--
She knew they were talking about her, and couldn't resist the urge to eavesdrop.
Not to be confused with "eavesdrip", the water that drips from the edge of a roof--
If the eavesdrip gets any worse, we'll have to put up a new gutter.

missal, missile

Missal or missal means a religious book with prayers or readings for each day--
Her grandmother gave her a missal as a confirmation present.
She was a religious woman, and read from her missal each day.

Missile or missile ( rhymes with missal ) means something that is shot,  fired or thrown--
The movie about the missing nuclear missile gave him nightmares.
He helped to design a guided missile that could hit a target 2,000 miles away.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The movie about a nuclear holocaust made her wonder if her missal had a special prayer in case of a missile attack."

Note --"missel" is a type of European thrush--a bird, aslo spelled "mistle" --
The missel thrush may be found feeding on mistletoe.

coop, coup, coupe, co-op, coo

Coop or coop means a little shed or cage where chickens or small animals are kept--
There's a fox in the chicken coop! Come and help us chase him away!
They built a new chicken coop behind the barn.

Coup or coup ( rhymes with coo ), short for the French  coup d'etat,  means a sudden takeover of the government by a small powerful group, usually a military group--
There has been a coup, and we are not sure who is running the country.
The general led a coup to take over the country, and remained in power until the people demanded an election.
Coup or coup also means a successful blow or stroke, literally or figuratively--
Winning the case was a coup that made his career.

Coupe or coupe ( rhymes with coop ) means a closed car with a short body--
He couldn't decide whether to buy the coupe or the sedan.
He wanted a coupe, but she liked the convertible.

Co-op or co-op ( sometimes spelled coop ) is short for cooperative. A cooperative store may be run and owned by its members, who may also make up its staff--
There is a co-op nearby that sells all kinds of organic food.
They are considering founding a co-op to sell produce and homemade bread.

Coo or coo is the sound a dove or pigeon makes. A baby or a lover may be said to make a similar sound--
I have always liked to hear the coo of a pigeon nearby.
The baby would coo whenever she held up his favorite toy.
The young lovebirds went out on the front porch to bill and coo.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Instead of staying home to bill and coo, the newlyweds set out for the co-op in their new coupe to deliver a coop for the chickens, but they stopped when they saw a military unit, which was attempting a coup."

Note--to be "cooped up" means to be confined, or forced to stay indoors or at home--
They felt cooped up when they had to stay indoors during the storm.
Not to be confused with "couped" a heraldry term for separated or cut off--
His escutcheon bore a lion couped.
Note # 2--"co-opt" means to take for one's own, or to elect as a member of a club--
They tried to co-opt his idea, but they didn't really know how it worked.
Note # 3--"coupe" also means a small stemmed bowl for serving ice cream or fruit--
We'll have coupe de fruits for dessert, or fruit cup, if you prefer English.

more, moor

More or more means extra or additional--
Would you like some more pie?
More also means to a greater extent or degree--
She liked that more than the other.
More also means further or longer--
She doesn't like him any more.
We don't go there any more.

Moor or moor ( rhymes with more ) means a piece of waste ground--
They went out hunting on the moor, hoping to spot a rabbit or a moor hen.

Moor also means to secure a ship or boat to a a pier or wharf--
He helped to moor the boat to the pier.

Moor may mean to secure something, literally or figuratively--
The spire at the top of the Empire State Building was once used to moor a dirigible.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"They don't moor the boat near the town any more."

Note--"Moor" ( always capitalized ) means one of the people of North Africa--
The Moors once conquered Spain, and ruled there for centuries.
"Moorish" describes the things made by the Moors--
They took a tour of Spain, which included several stops to admire the Moorish architecture.
Note # 2--"mooring" is a participle or noun ( thing or idea ) form of "moor"--
They are mooring the boat now.
The boat has come loose from its mooring.
"Mooring" is used in the figurative expression "to lose one's moorings", meaning to lose one's sense of direction or purpose--
He started out with a career plan in mind, but he seems to have lost his moorings.

beach, beech

Beach or beach means the shore, or the sand near an ocean, lake or river--
We went to the beach, and our shoes are full of sand.
Don't forget the beach chairs.

Beech or beech ( rhymes with beach ) is a kind of tree--
The beech tree in front of the house is starting to lean on the roof.
A beech tree will grow too tall for that spot. How about a dogwood?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"If it rains and we can't go to the beach, we'll have a picnic under the beech tree--with umbrellas."

Note--"beech nuts" grow on beech trees--
A squirrel has been burying beech nuts in the garden.
"Beech Nut" is a brand of baby food or chewing gum--
I don't know if they make Beech Nut gum from beech nuts.

afraid, frayed, affray

Afraid or afraid means frightened or feeling scared--
She was afraid of the dark, and always left a light on.
"Be not afraid, I go before you always..."

Frayed or frayed ( rhymes with raid ) is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "fray", meaning to ravel or wear at the edges--
Her sweater was frayed at the cuffs.
The only souvenir he kept of his childhood was a frayed teddy bear.
Frayed may be used figuratively--
The constant chatter frayed his nerves.

Affray or affray means a scene of public disorder in which blows are exchanged--
The police were called to break up the affray.
After the affray, the saloon was closed for a week.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His nerves and clothing were frayed after the affray, and he was afraid of being arrested."

Note--"afraid" means scared or frightened--
The dog was afraid of her blue sweater.
Not to be confused with "a frayed", which describes something tattered or worn--
She wore a frayed blue sweater.
Note # 2--"freight"  ( rhymes with date ) means goods that are carried by a train or truck from one place to another--
They had to weigh all of the freight before loading it on the train.

bell, belle

Bell or bell means the thing that rings--either a cast metal object hanging in a steeple or belfry, or some other kind of metal or mechanical device that clangs, tolls, or rings--
Ring bell for service.
Bell out of order. Please knock.
The bell on the church tower rings on the hour and half hour.
Bell may also refer to something shaped like a bell--
He put a mute in the bell of his trumpet, because he liked the sound.

Belle or belle ( rhymes with bell ) means a popular and fashionable young lady--
Whenever she went out, she was the belle of the ball.
Grandmother had been a belle in her day, and was still something of a coquette.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When the bell tolled at midnight, the belle was still dancing."

sentry, century

Sentry or sentry ( sen tree ) means a guard, particularly a guard who keeps unauthorized people out of a restricted area, such as a military base or camp--
They tried to sneak onto the base, but they couldn't get past the sentry.
I can't go. I'm on sentry duty tonight.
He froze when he heard the sentry shout "Halt! Who goes there?"

Century or century ( sen choor ee ) means one hundred ( 100 ) years--
Cars were invented more than a century ago.
In the 19th century, people rode in carriages pulled by horses.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Even with 21st century technology, the base still needed a sentry at the gate."

Note--a "centurion" was a kind of soldier in Ancient Rome, who commanded a century, meaning 100 other soldiers--
The preacher seemed to refer to the story of the faithful centurion nearly every Sunday.
Note # 2--a bit of trivia--there is a "century plant", a type of agave supposed to flower only once in a hundred years. Not to be confused with  "centaury", an herb that grows in Europe.

ceiling, sealing

Ceiling or ceiling means the overhead panels in a room, or the indoor "roof"--
The ceiling has a stain where the rain leaked in.
The garlands hanging from the ceiling look very festive.
Ceiling may be used figuratively to mean the upper limit of a thing or idea--
Many female executives claim that there is a glass or invisible ceiling, which they never rise above.

Sealing or sealing ( rhymes with ceiling ) is the present participle ( the action is happening as we speak, or we are writing about the action as if it were a thing ) of "seal", meaning to close or glue shut, or to cover with a protective coating--
I am thinking of sealing this with varnish.
I don't like sealing the envelopes with tape. Maybe we could use some old-fashioned sealing wax.

 Now that you know that, you can say--
"This product was recommended for sealing a stained or damaged ceiling."

Note--a "ceiler" puts planks on an overhead wooden framework, usually on a boat--
The ceiler is finishing up the repairs to the ship.
Note # 2--"Seal" also means an official or government stamp--
Without the state seal, those cigarettes may be contraband.
Not to be confused with seal, a marine mammal often seen in harbors--
The seal swam right up to the pier.
Note # 3--a "sealer" may mean someone who hunts seals--
The sealer will sell the seal skins when he catches a seal.
Note # 4--"Sealant" is a product used to give a protective coating to a surface--
He bought some driveway sealant at the hardware store.
Note # 5--"seel" is an unusual word, meaning the temporary blinding of a falcon during training--
He thinks he can train the falcon better if he doesn't seel him.
He has put off seeling the falcon.

you, ewe, yew

You or you means, well, you--to me, the person reading this--grammatically called the "second person"--
Didn't you hear me?
Will you drive me to the store?
I'll introduce you to him.

Ewe or ewe ( rhymes with you ) means a female sheep--
The ewe has a little lamb. It's cute.
They hoped the ewe and the ram would have a lamb.

Yew or yew ( rhymes with you ) is a kind of tree--
He climbed up the yew tree in the back yard.
Let's have a picnic near the yew tree.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Did you see the ewe taking a nap under the yew tree?"

fryer, friar

Fryer or fryer means an appliance used to deep-fry food--
Make sure that the fryer is turned off before you leave.
Be careful near the fryer; it's hot.
Fryer may also mean a chicken suitable for frying--
Did you want a stewing chicken or a fryer?

Friar or friar ( rhymes with fryer ) means a monk, or a male professional religious person--
Romeo and Juliet wanted to be married by Friar Laurence.
A medieval friar might have also been a soldier.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The friar and the nuns took turns at the fryer, making food for the church fair."

loop, loupe

Loop or loop means a cord or string turned around and crossed over itself, leaving a teardrop or circle shape--
Make a loop and tuck one end under the other.
Make one end of the shoelace into a loop, and wrap the other around it.

Loupe or loupe ( rhymes with loop ) means the eyepiece that a jeweler uses to magnify gems and jewelry--
The jeweler used his loupe to find out if the gems were real.
I can't read the marking on this silver. The jeweler will be able to see it with his loupe.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I would need a jeweler's loupe to repair the fine gold loop on the end of this chain."

Note--a "loophole" is a small opening, and is often used in a figurative sense--
He hoped that a lawyer would be able to find a tax loophole for him.

Note # 2--"loopy" is old-fashioned slang for crazy, dotty, or pixilated--
Wally and the Beaver didn't want to play with the loopy kid next door.

skull, scull

Skull or skull means the bone in your head--the one that might be a Halloween decoration--
A skull with a candle in it always makes a nice decoration.
He fractured his skull, and has to stay in the hospital for a few days.

Scull or scull ( rhymes with skull ) means a long narrow boat that is rowed by a team or crew--
The crew was always careful to put the scull back in the boathouse.
They enjoyed racing their scull against the dragon boat.

 Now that you know that, you can say--
"Their dragon boat is so fierce-looking that I think we should decorate our scull with a skull."

Note--"scullery" means the part of the kitchen where the pots and pans are washed--
She started work in the scullery, but soon learned other skills.
Note # 2--"skullduggery" means low or lewd behavior--
What manner of skullduggery is this!
Note # 3--"skulk" means to sneak about or loiter in a hiding place, with criminal intent--
Don't skulk about in the shrubbery. Someone will mistake you for a prowler.
Note # 4--the "skull and crossbones" may be a label for something poisonous--
It's best to lock up poisons, even if they have a skull and crossbones on the label.
The skull and crossbones flag, called the "Jolly Roger", is the symbol for piracy--
When the ship got within range of our guns, it hoisted the skull and crossbones.

beer, bier

Beer or beer means the fermented alcoholic beverage--
Do you want to stop for a beer after work?
Some friends are coming over for pizza and beer.

Bier or bier ( rhymes with beer ) means the stand on which a coffin rests, before burial--
There were flowers of every kind around the bier.
The bier stood in the middle of the church, so that mourners could file past.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"They gave their old pal an odd sendoff by surrounding his bier with cans of beer."

Note--"bier" ( rhymes with beer ) means "beer" in German--
Don't worry if you see an ad for bier--in Germany that means beer.

imminent, immanent, eminent

Imminent or imminent ( pronounced  imm ih nent ) describes something that is about to happen soon--
They spent the weekend preparing for an imminent disaster that never happened.
In old crime novels, the hero often worries about his imminent demise.

Immanent or immanent ( pronounced imm uh nent ) describes something that exists only in the mind--
His great resolve to change remained immanent; his behavior stayed the same.
Some people believe that religion should be an immanent philosophy, with no connection to action.

Eminent or eminent ( pronounced emm ih nent ) describes a  famous, well-respected or noteworthy  person--
The reporter asked an eminent psychiatrist his opinion of the legal proceedings.
They were hopeful when the eminent surgeon agreed to do the operation.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"An eminent preacher was sure that his immanent philosophy of an internalized God would save believers from imminent destruction."

Note--emanant ( related to emanate ) means flowing or issuing forth, literally, or moving from an idea or emotion toward action, figuratively--
The jury decided that the act was one of emanant volition.
They were choking on the emanant smoke, and had trouble calling for help.

reek, wreak

Reek or reek means to stink, or to give off  an odor--
When they got home from a fishing trip, their clothes would reek of fish through several washings.
The fire made his coat reek from the smoke.

Wreak or wreak ( rhymes with reek ) means to act out negative emotion, or to perpetrate, as mischief or mayhem, through emotion--
The old woman was afraid her grandson would wreak havoc among her breakables.
He had sworn to wreak vengeance upon his enemies.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The skunk didn't wreak destruction in the garden after the dog chased him, but the reek left on the dog lasted for days."

bread, bred

Bread or bread means the loaf we slice to make toast or sandwiches--
Would you get a loaf of bread from the store?
Do you want wheat bread or white bread?
We don't have any bread.
Bread is also hippie slang for money--
We don't have any bread, man.

Bred or bred ( rhymes with bread ) is the past ( yesterday, or some time ago ) tense of "breed",  meaning to grow and care for ( animals or plants) or to reproduce ( germs )--
These puppies were bred in our home.
He has bred a new strain of lima beans.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"These germs were bred on  moldy bread."

Note--"bred" is sometimes used to mean the raising or educating of people, as in the expression "well-bred"--
He is a well-bred young man.
Most other uses of "bred" to mean people sound pompous.

raise, rays, raze

Raise or raise means to lift up or make higher--
We will need some help to raise the deck, now that it's assembled.
Raise your hand if you know the answer.
They raise the flag every morning.
He wants a raise in salary, but is afraid to ask his boss.
Raise also means to cultivate ( crops ), to breed  ( farm animals ), and to bring up ( children )--
We could raise some radishes in the back yard.
He wants to raise rabbits for their fur, but she doesn't like the idea.
She read a book about how to raise children, but it wasn't very realistic.

Rays or rays ( rhymes with raise ) is the plural ( more than one ) of "ray", meaning a beam of light or something shaped like it--
They awoke when the rays of the morning sun made a pattern on the wall.
He painted a pattern of rays on one wall, in bright colors.

Raze or raze ( also rhymes with raise ) means to level to rubble, as when wrecking a building--
They are going to raze this building to make a parking lot.
The developer bought this entire block and plans to raze it.

Now that you know that, you can say--
" After they raze that tall building, the rays of the sun may reach our roof, and make it easier to raise vegetables in the garden."

Note--"rase" ( rhymes with raise ) is an old-fashioned spelling of "raze".
Note # 2--"ray" is also a kind of fish, so more than one of these fish would be "rays"--
We saw rays in the aquarium.
Note # 3--"Ray" is man's given name, so "Ray's" ( rhymes with raise ) is the possessive ( belonging to ) form--
Is that Ray's car?