damn, dam

Damn or damn means to condemn or doom--
He was taught that a mortal sin would damn him to hell for eternity.
Damn is often used as an expletive--
"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" is a popular movie quote.

Dam or dam ( rhymes with damn ) means a structure to contain the flow of a river--
The Hoover Dam is a popular tourist attraction.
The dam was built to produce hydroelectric power.
Beavers build a dam across a stream, and then build their lodge inside the dam.
Dam also means the female parent of some farm animals--
His dam and his sire were both champions.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The people who were affected by the flood would like to damn the people who designed the dam."

levy, levee

Levy or levy means to impose a tax, or the tax itself--
The new levy on imported cars made him decide to buy a domestic model.
Another levy will be politically unpopular.

Levee or levee ( rhymes with levy ) means a breakwater on the banks of a river--
The flood began when the levee broke.
The storm did a lot of damage to the levee.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The city had passed a new levy to raise funds to repair the levee."

Note--"levée" ( leh vay, sometimes spelled levee, to rhyme with levy ) means a morning meeting, historically in the king's personal quarters--
Only the king's trusted advisers attended the levée.
Note # 2--the plural ( more than one ) of "levee" is "levees" ( lev eez )--
We hope the levees will hold back the flooding river.
The plural ( more than one ) of "levy" is "levies" ( lev eez )--
If the council approves any more levies, the people will vote for someone else next election.
"Levies" is also the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of the verb ( action word ) "levy"--
If Congress levies imports, they will become more expensive.
Not to be confused with "Levi's" ( lee vize ), a brand of jeans--
These new Levi's are the wrong size.
Levi's is also the possessive ( belonging to ) form of "Levi" ( lee vye ) , a man's given name--
Are these Levi's Levi's, or Tom's Levi's?

wit, whit

Wit or wit means cleverness or humor, or a clever or humorous person--
He has a good sense of humor and a fine wit.
He fancied himself a wit, but his jokes were rarely funny.

Whit or whit ( rhymes with wit ) means an iota or small particle--
This does not look a whit better after all that work.
Do I mind? Not a whit.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His so-called wit had not a whit of cleverness in it."

Note--"wits" may mean more than one clever person--
They considered themselves wits, although they were not amusing.
"Wits" more commonly means intelligence or mental resources--
Having no family, he was forced to live by his wits.
Note # 2--"witan" ( one word ) means the members of the "witenagemot", the parliament or council of Anglo-Saxon England--
The witan was made up of the aldermen, knights, bishops, and the king.
Not to be confused with "wit an" ( two words )--
He considered his wit an asset.

dowdy, doughty

Dowdy or dowdy means frumpy or unfashionable--
I want to go to the store so that I can exchange this dowdy blouse.
Does this dress look dowdy?

Doughty or doughty ( nearly rhymes with dowdy ) means brave or plucky--
She enjoyed reading the adventures of  the doughty girl detective.
The doughty old woman never lost her nerve during a crisis.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He recognized the doughty woman by the dowdy coat she always wore."

Note--"pandowdy" is a kind of fruit cobbler--
We are having apple pandowdy for dessert.

season, seizin

Season or season means one of the four periods into which a year is divided--
Winter is the season for cold and snow.
Last summer they stayed at the beach for the entire season.
Season may also mean the term during which a sport is played--
It's the first day of baseball season.
Season may also mean a period of time marked by a holiday--
The Christmas season starts in December.
Season may also mean to spice or flavor food--
Season the meat with salt and pepper.

Seizin or seizin  ( sometimes spelled seisin, rhymes with season ) means possession of land or property, in a legal document--
He had to win the  lawsuit to establish his seizin.
The covenant of seizin assures the buyer that the seller owns the property.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The seizin question won't be settled until the holiday season is over."

Note--"seizing" is a participle ( used with a helper verb ) of "seize", meaning to grab and hold--
He stopped her from walking into traffic by seizing her arm.
Not to be confused with "seasoning", meaning salt or spices--
There is not enough seasoning in the stew.

shone, shown

Shone or shone is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "shine",  meaning to glow or gleam with light or its reflection--
"...and the glory of the lord shone round about them..."
A bright star shone over the stable.

Shown or shown ( rhymes with shone ) is a participle ( used with a helper verb ) of  "show", meaning to display or demonstrate--
They were shown how to wrap a present, but they forgot. 
When will our favorite holiday movie be shown?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"They were shown the way home by the holiday lights that shone all night."

pixie, pyxie

Pixie or pixie means a kind of elf or sprite--
Her new haircut makes her look like a pixie.
Are you hoping that a helpful pixie will come along to clean up this mess?

Pyxie or pyxie ( rhymes with pixie ) means an American  trailing evergreen plant--
We could plant a pyxie on each side of the walk.
The Christmas lights don't look right on the pyxie. Try them on the pine tree.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We bought a potted pyxie for the little pixie next door to put in her garden."

wreath, writhe, wreathe

Wreath or wreath ( reeth ) means a ring or circle made of plants,  flowers, or other materials, used as a decoration--
They put an evergreen wreath on the door for a holiday decoration.
She wore a wreath of flowers on her head. 
"And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath..."

Writhe or writhe ( rithe or reethe  ) means to twist and turn, as in pain or discomfort--
A visit to the vet made the cat writhe and howl.
The doctor sedated him when he saw him writhe in agony.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When he saw the funeral wreath, he began to writhe in despair."

Note--"wreathe" ( reethe ) means to encircle something, as with a wreath--
We could wreathe the cake with real flowers. 

sack, sac

Sack or sack means a bag--for most purposes a cloth drawstring bag, but in some regions any kind of a bag--
Santa will be packing his sack of toys onto his sleigh any day now.
The empty flour sack made a useful kitchen towel.

Sack also means to pillage, as a defeated city in wartime--
The general would not permit his troops to sack the city.

Sac or sac ( rhymes with sac ) is a biology term, meaning a "bag", as of a bag of fluid in an animal or plant--
Under the flower is a sac full of nectar.
This fish has a special sac that fills with air.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The sac under its wing resembles a sack full of oranges."

Note--"sacque" ( rhymes with sack ) means a sort of dress shaped like a bag--
Her party dress was a sacque of pale blue silk.
Note # 2--"sack" is also an old-fashioned word for sherry or fortified wine--
They enjoyed a glass of sack before dinner.
Note # 3--"Sac" ( always capitalized ) is the name of an American Indian tribe--
The Sac or Sauk Indians still live in Iowa.

guest, guessed

Guest or guest means a visitor--
Grandpa will be our guest for the holiday dinner.
Make sure to be a good guest, and eat everything that's offered to you. 

Guessed or guessed ( rhymes with guest ) is the past tense of "guess", meaning to arrive at an answer or solution using conjecture or a "hunch", usually when lacking information--
He guessed when he didn't know the answer to a test question.
He guessed wrong the first time, but then he got it right.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We guessed that our guest would enjoy fruitcake as much as we do, and we were right!"

lama, llama

Lama or lama means a Buddhist monk or professional religious person--
They went to Tibet to visit a famous lama.
The Dalai Lama is familiar to people around the world.

Llama or llama ( rhymes with lama ) means the South American beast of burden, similar to the alpaca and vicuna--
The llama in the petting zoo is very popular with the children.
Is that a llama or an alpaca? How can you tell?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The one-l lama, he's a priest; the two-l llama, he's a beast..." ( Ogden Nash )

hi, hie, high

Hi or hi is an informal greeting, like "hello"--
Hi! How are you?
He didn't even say "hi". He must be angry.

Hie or hie ( rhymes with hi ) is an old-fashioned word meaning to hurry or to move in haste--
Hie ye to yon tavern for a tankard of ale.
Tell him to hie to the market for a peck of potatoes.

High or high ( rhymes with hi ) means tall or at an elevation,  literally or figuratively--
There is a house high on the top of that hill.
She always had trouble with the high note at the end.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Hi! Shall we hie to yon theater and sit high in the balcony?"

humus, hummus

Humus or humus ( hyoo muss ) means the dark organic matter in dirt or soil, from decayed vegetable or animal matter--
If you add humus to the soil, your garden will be much healthier.
Leave the compost pile until it breaks down into humus.

Hummus or hummus ( hoo muss or humm uss ) means the dip made from chick peas--
Make sure to add some lemon juice to the  hummus.
Did you get the pita bread? I am going to make hummus.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Add the peels of the vegetables we used for the hummus to the compost pile, to make humus."

Note--"posthumous"  ( poss choo muss ) means after death, as a book published after an author has died--
His last novel was unfinished, and published as a posthumous work.
Note # 2--"humus" ( one word ) means the dark organic matter in soil--
Humus will make everything grow faster.
Not to be confused with "hum us"( two words ), meaning to make a tune from a droning, close-lipped sound, or the sound itself from a machine--
We don't know this song. Can you hum us the tune?

ascetic, acetic

Ascetic or ascetic means someone who gives up physical luxuries and comforts for religious reasons--
He studied religious philosophy and became  an ascetic.
Ascetic also describes an austere lifestyle, without comforts or luxuries--
His diet was ascetic. He ate almost nothing but bran and spinach.

Acetic or acetic ( rhymes with ascetic ) means something that can make or be made from vinegar--
The scientific name for household vinegar is acetic acid.
Wine can be used to make acetic acid.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The ascetic sometimes used plain acetic acid as a salad dressing."

Note--not to be confused with "aesthetic" ( ess thet ick ), used to describe what is connected to an idea of beauty--
It's practical, but it doesn't have any aesthetic appeal. 

finally, finely

Finally or finally means at last, in the end, or after a long wait--
And now, finally, we present the main portion of our program.
He couldn't believe that he had finally graduated.
They finally fixed that pothole on Main Street.
Finally also means last in a list or series--
And, finally, the director will make a speech.

Finely or finely means in a fine manner, delicately or elegantly--
She stitched it up so finely that no one could detect the repair.
Finely also means in small particles or pieces--
Add a cup of finely chopped onions.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He finally got a chance to show how finely he could trim a package."

Note --Not to be confused with "finale" ( finn alley ), meaning the big production number at the end of a show, or the last part of a concert or musical composition--
They will all be on stage for the finale.
We can't leave yet. The finale is a favorite of mine.
Note # 2--"finality" means the state of being last or final, or something that is last or final--
He wrote a lot of morose poetry about the finality of death.

bunt, bundt

Bunt or bunt, said of a goat or sheep,  means to push with the horns or butt with the head--
The goat tried to bunt the old dog out of his way.
Bunt, in baseball,  means to hit the baseball so lightly that it doesn't go far--
The catcher watched carefully in case the batter decided to bunt the ball and run.

Bundt or bundt ( rhymes with bunt ) means a fluted ring-shaped cake pan--
We are making a bundt cake for dessert.
This recipe calls for a bundt pan. Do you have one?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"After you fill the bundt pan, tap it  lightly, as if you meant to bunt a baseball."

difference, deference

Difference or difference means the quality of being unlike or dissimilar, literally or figuratively--
Can you tell the difference between this picture and the other one?
They are having a difference of opinion.

Deference or deference means yielding to the opinion or will of someone, out of respect , obligation, or practicality--
He always treated his grandmother with deference.
It is important to show deference to the higher-ups if you want to get ahead.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"There's a real difference between showing deference and being a doormat."

Note--"differential" most commonly means the amount of difference between two rates, quantities, or amounts--
The people who work the second shift get a night-shift differential.
Not to be confused with "deferential", meaning respectful--
He was always deferential with the boss, and  his co-workers disliked him for it.
Note # 2--"diffident" means timid, or lacking social or professional confidence--
She though he was shy or diffident, but he was not interested in meeting anyone.
Not to be confused with "different", meaning unlike or dissimilar--
This tastes different. Did you put something different in it?

calendar, calender

Calendar or calendar means the thing you use to keep track of the date, whether hung on a wall or digital--
We'll have to get a new calender before the first of the year.
If your computer doesn't work right, maybe you need to set the calendar.

Calender or calender ( rhymes with calendar ) means a machine that is used to press paper or cloth smooth--
The calender has large rollers to press the fabric smooth.
They will use a calender to coat the cloth with rubber.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We used a calender to coat this cloth with plastic, to make a kitchen calendar that will wipe clean."

Note--not to be confused with a "colander", meaning a bowl-shaped strainer or sieve--
Put the beans in a colander to rinse them.
Pour the spaghetti into the colander carefully.

spore, spoor

Spore or spore means a germ cell or reproductive cell, as of a fungus--
If you shake a mushroom over a piece of paper you may be able to see the spore.
You will need a seed or spore of the plant to grow another one.

Spoor or spoor ( rhymes with spore ) means the track of a wild or hunted animal--
The dog won't be able to follow the spoor unless it's fresh.
He can smell the spoor of the fox that went through the yard this morning.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We thought our dog was following the spoor of an animal, but since he led us to a mushroom, it must have been the spore of a fungus."

cast, caste

Cast or cast means to make an impression using a mold or form--
We could make a plaster cast and use that to mold a replica.
This statue was cast in a clay mold.
Cast also means the plaster or plastic brace put on a broken bone--
He has a cast on his leg, and won't be able to get around much.
The cast will stay on her arm for six weeks.
Cast also means the actors in a show or movie--
Will you be going to the cast party after the show?
Every member of the cast has to be here for the dress rehearsal.
Cast also means to throw or let fly, literally or figuratively--
He cast his rod like an experienced fisherman.
She cast an angry look in his direction, but no one else noticed it.

Caste or caste ( rhymes with cast ) means a level of social or professional standing, as practiced in India and elsewhere--
Many Hindus are taught that each person is born a member of a particular caste, which doesn't change.
Many modern Hindus would like to see the caste system abolished.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Some of the members of the cast refuse to go to a party with people of a lower caste."

Note--"castoff" ( one word ) means something someone has discarded or thrown away--
She resented having only her sister's castoff to wear to the dance.
Not to be confused with "cast off" ( two words ), meaning to throw off, particularly the lines holding a ship or boat--
We will cast off at dawn, to get to our fishing spot early.
"Cast off" might also be part of a sentence using "cast"--
When do you get the cast off your leg?
Note # 2--"Castaway" means someone who has been shipwrecked on a desert island, like Gilligan or Robinson Crusoe--
He was a castaway for two years before a ship rescued him.
Not to be confused with "cast away" ( two words ), meaning to throw away--
His hopes and dreams were cast away in the storm.
"Cast away" might also be part of a sentence using "cast"--
Is the rest of the cast away?
Did the doctor throw your cast away after he took it off?  I kept mine.

pistol, pistil

Pistol or pistol means a handgun or a short firearm--
It is illegal to walk about with a pistol concealed on your person.
He kept his pistol locked in the safe.

Pistil or pistil means the part of a flower that contains the seeds--
If you remove the pistil from the flower, it won't grow back next year.
The stamen and the pistil are two of the reproductive parts of a flower.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"More than one pistil may be grouped in a circle, arranged like the bullets in a pistol."

Note--"pistole" ( pis tole ) is an antique coin of Spain--
He found a pistole on the beach, and took it to an antique dealer.