abstractly, abstractedly

Abstractly or abstractly means in a theoretical way, apart from concrete realities--
We may have difficulty thinking of justice abstractly, but we are familiar with its personification as the blindfolded woman with the scales.
Burke argued that some concepts can only be thought of abstractly.

Abstractedly or abstractedly means in an absent-minded way, or lost in thought--
I asked if he wanted lunch, but he answered abstractedly, and said something about his new car.
We said hello, but he looked at us abstractedly, and wandered away mumbling to himself.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When we try to discuss emotional concepts abstractly, they just look at us abstractedly and try to change the subject."

Note--"abstract" means theoretical, or considered apart from real situations or things--
People often have strong emotions connected with abstract ideas they may find difficult to define.
"Abstract" also describes a painting or work of art that does not represent reality, or anything physical--
He won't come to the museum; he doesn't like abstract art.
"Abstract" also means a summary, or to write or compose a summary--
Here is the abstract of his latest article.
The intern will abstract all of the pertinent reviews.
Note # 2--"abstracted" may describe someone who is absent-minded--
He seems abstracted; is something wrong?
"Abstracted" may also be the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "abstract", meaning to write a summary or distillation--
We abstracted this from his recent speech.

pause, paws

Pause or pause means a rest or break, or to stop briefly--
A comma ( , ) is used to indicate a brief pause.
Make sure to use the pause button to stop the movie when the pizza gets here.
Let's pause for a few minutes.

Paws or paws ( rhymes with pause ) is the plural ( more than one ) form of "paw", meaning the foot of a dog, cat, or another furry animal with claws--
Don't let the dog in; his paws are muddy.
See how the kitten uses his paws to wash his face.
Paws may also be the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of  "paw", meaning to scratch or rub something  with the paws--
The dog paws at the door when he wants to come in.
The cat paws at the furniture before she lays down.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The cat will sometimes pause in the middle of a game, to wash his paws."

Note--"pauses" may be the third person singular form of "pause", meaning to stop briefly--
He pauses to catch his breath every few minutes.
"Pauses" may also be the plural ( more than one ) of "pause", meaning a brief rest or break--
We have to pay attention to the pauses; please note where they are marked on the script.

liable, libel

Liable or liable means likely or probable, in a general sense of possible consequences--
If he keeps missing work, he's liable to get fired.
If you park there you're liable to get a ticket.

Liable or liable means responsible or accountable, in a legal sense--
The court found him liable for the damages caused by the faulty repair.
If we don't put a fence on the edge of this hill, we may be held liable for any injuries that occur.

Libel or libel ( almost rhymes with liable ) means the crime of false accusation or defamation of character, in print, published or broadcast--
The politician is suing the magazine for libel, because of the cartoon they printed.
We can't print this; we might be sued for libel.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The news anchor said that the star is liable to win his libel suit against the celebrity magazine."

maybe, may be

Maybe or maybe ( one word ) means possibly, or perhaps--
Mom said maybe we can go out for a pizza.
I asked if we could have the day off, and he said maybe.
Maybe we can go to the beach next Saturday.

May be or may be ( two words, rhymes with maybe ) means might happen, or could be correct, probable, or real--
There may be another meeting next week; they will let us know.
This may be the number to the pizza place, but I'm not sure.
This may be the right answer, but we'll have to look it up to find out.
He called to say that he may be late.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He said there may be overtime on Friday, so maybe we will have to stay late."

wreck, reck

Wreck or wreck means to ruin or destroy--
The crowd is waiting to watch the crew wreck that building.
Don't leave that near the heater; you'll wreck it.

Wreck is also a noun ( thing or idea ) , meaning something that has been ruined--
That old car is a wreck; you'll never get it going.
There lies the wreck of an old ship.

Reck or reck ( rhymes with wreck ) is an old-fashioned word, meaning to have concern for, to pay attention to, or to take notice of--
If yon churl wouldst reck my rede...
No reck of the advice given him did he display.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He took no reck of their warning, and caused the wreck by his carelessness."

Note--"reckless" means having no regard or concern for danger or consequences--
He was cited for reckless driving.
Note # 2--a "wrecker" is someone or something that destroys, literally or figuratively--
The wrecker is coming to tear that old building down.
He's a home wrecker; he's always chasing married women.

selfish, shellfish

Selfish or selfish means interested only in one's own wants and needs, and not interested in what others may want or need--
She is too selfish; she never wants to do what the rest of us want to do.
They are both selfish and inconsiderate; they argue a lot.

Shellfish or shellfish ( almost rhymes with selfish ) means a fish commonly eaten, with a shell, such as crab, shrimp, or lobster--
Muslims and Jews do not eat pork or shellfish.
He enjoys all kinds of shellfish, so we are going to a lobster festival.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Don't be selfish; share your shellfish."

Note--"sell fish" ( two words ) means to exchange fish for money--
Does this store sell fish, or just meat?

sty, stye

Sty or sty means a building used to house pigs--
The farmer lectured his employees on the proper way to clean the sty.
We can hear the pigs grunting in the sty, although the farm is on the other side of the hill.
Clean your room! This place looks like a sty!

Stye or stye ( rhymes with sty, sometimes spelled sty ) means a kind of eye infection, accompanied by swelling and redness of the eyelid--
He has a stye on his eye, and doesn't want to come out with us.
The doctor said to come to his office if that stye isn't better in a couple of days.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"No wonder he has a stye on his eye; he keeps his house like a sty."

phase, faze

Phase or phase means a stage of development, growth, or change, physical or mental--
He is trying to take a photo of each different phase of the moon.
Don't worry about him chewing on things; it's just a phase he's going through.

Faze or faze ( rhymes with phase ) is a slang or informal word meaning to daunt, disconcert or confuse--
He studies with the music blasting; it doesn't faze him a bit.
Even the horn didn't faze him; he kept running toward the car.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When he was a toddler he went through a phase like this, even the least noise would faze him."

nay, neigh, née

Nay or nay means a negative response, or a vote against ( a bill or measure )--
Will the congressman vote yea or nay on the bill?
That's 47 aye, and 42 nay. The ayes have it.
Nay is an old-fashioned or colloquial way to say "no"--
Nay, we have quaffed enough ale already.

Neigh or neigh ( rhymes with nay ) is the sound a horse makes--
We can hear the horse neigh from here.
When he talks to his horse, it responds with a "neigh".

Née or née ( rhymes with nay ) is French for "born", and is used to add a woman's maiden name to her married name--
Mary Smith (  née Jones ) will be the new head of advertising.
Mrs. John Smith ( née Mary Jones ) has been nominated as a candidate for city council.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Councilwoman Smith ( née Jones ) voted "nay" on the measure to forbid any horse to neigh within the city limits."

gentle, gentile, genteel

Gentle or gentle ( gen tull ) means having a soft or kind manner, not rough or boisterous--
We will get a puppy when the children are old enough to be gentle with it.
"Do not go gentle into that good night..."
The weather is nice, with a gentle breeze.

Gentile or gentile ( gen tile ), to a Jew,  means someone who is not a Jew--
Many people believe that only Jews are circumcised, but nearly every gentile male is circumcised, too.
His grandmother doesn't want him to marry a gentile; she's afraid her grandchildren won't like her.

Genteel or genteel ( gen teel ) means polite or refined--
They consider themselves very genteel when they have company for tea.
There seems to be a lot of gossip, even in this genteel company.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The old rabbi with the gentle manner thought his host was very genteel, for a gentile."

Note--"gentleman" or "gentlewoman" once meant someone high-born, or with a title--
Only someone born a gentleman may carry a sword.
More recently, "gentleman" or gentlewoman" means someone with good manners--
He always behaves like a gentleman.

better, bettor

Better or better is the comparative ( more than ) form of "good"--
This pizza is better than the one we had last week.
"May the better man win."
He is better at math since he took that course.
It would be better to take the highway.

Bettor or bettor means a person engaged in gambling, or one who has placed a wager--
Each bettor must show a driver's license, state-issued I.D., or passport.
The bettor became nervous as the roulette wheel came to a stop.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Odds of winning are better if the bettor doesn't display emotion."

Note--"better" is used in the expression "had better", meaning "it would be better if you"--
You had better stop that, young man.
We had better go home now.
Not to be confused with "had better", meaning, literally, "had better", as in used or enjoyed a preferable or superior example--
How's the pizza? I've had better. We had better pizza last week.

Note--"abettor" ( one word, derived from "abet" ) means someone who aids in the commission of a crime--
He may be charged as an abettor in the bank robbery.
Not to be confused with "a bettor" ( two words ), meaning one who makes a wager--
Is that man a bettor, or only a spectator?
Not to be confused with "a better", meaning the comparative form of "good"--
We had a better pizza last week.

petty, petit, petite

Petty or petty means small or insignificant, or of no importance, literally or figuratively--
There should be enough money in petty cash to pay for the delivery.
He can be so petty; he always finds something to complain about, no matter how trivial.

Petit or petit ( rhymes with petty ) means a jury other than a grand jury; a regular trial jury--
People summoned to serve on a petit jury need to stay for the entire day.
Were you summoned for a petit jury or a grand jury?

Petite or petite ( peh teet ) means small or dainty, most commonly used to describe a woman--
She's a petite woman, probably only about 5 feet tall.
She wears a size petite or extra small.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The petite woman in the petit jury waiting room made several petty and annoying remarks."

Note--"petit fours" is  French for little cakes, or little baked things--
We are making petit fours for the party.

breach, breech

Breach or breach means a break or rupture, or to break or rupture--

"Once more into the breach..."

From here you may be able to see a whale breach.

Failing to fulfill the terms as agreed may be actionable as a breach of contract.

Breech or breech ( rhymes with breach ) means  the lower part of the body, or the lower or rear end of a person or thing--

The newer musket was loaded in the breech instead of in the muzzle.

A baby born feet or rear-end first is called a breech birth.

Now that you know that, you can say--

"The breech birth made it necessary to breach the terms of the medical agreement."

Note--"breaches" may be the plural ( more than one ) of breach, meaning a break or rupture--

There are two major breaches in our defenses.

"Breaches" may be the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "breach", meaning to break or rupture--

We think we see a whale; we'll know if he breaches

"Breeches" may be used as a plural of  "breech", meaning a hind end--

The breeches of these rifles don't work smoothly.

"Breeches"  ( pronounced britches, may be spelled britches ) means a pair of pants--

You have a hole in your breeches; your jacket may cover it.

You have torn your britches on the fence again.

reave, reeve

Reave or reave ( sometimes spelled reive ) is an old-fashioned word meaning to take away by force; to rob or plunder--
Vikings would stop at medieval English villages and reave them of their valuables.
Reave means strong-arm robbery, in modern English.

Reeve or reeve ( rhymes with reave ) means an administrative officer of a local government, or the supervisor of a group of workers--
The sheriff of an American county would have been the reeve of a shire in England, long ago.
A Canadian town may have a council headed by a reeve.

Reeve also means to fasten by passing  a rope or line through a hole or ring, or by tying a rope around--
Reeve it to the pier by passing the rope through the hole in the block.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"In medieval times, someone caught attempting to reave a person or place  would be turned over to the reeve."

bar, barre

Bar or bar means a rectangle or stripe--
He used a bar of iron as a lever to move the log.
The gold bar on his shoulder is an emblem of rank.

Bar or bar also means a tavern or saloon--
He walked down the street and turned into a bar.
The bar will be closing in ten minutes.

Bar or bar also means the  legal profession, or the actual railing in a law court, separating the spectators from the participants--
He took the bar exam, and is waiting for the results.
He is an attorney, but he has never argued at the bar.

Bar also means to lock, to get in the way of, or to prohibit--
"Get up and bar the door."
He tried to bar their exit by standing in their path.
The court may bar any further use of evidence obtained by hacking.

Bar is also a musical sign, as in sheet music--
Stop when you see the bar.

Barre or barre ( rhymes with bar ) means the rail used for ballet or dance practice--
She practiced at the barre for three hours every day for months.
The mirror on the wall behind the barre enables the dancers to see their movements.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The new rules bar any practice at the barre after ten p.m."

Note--"Barre" ( bar ee, always capitalized )  is a city in Vermont--
They sent us a postcard from Barre.
Note # 2--"barré" ( bar ay ) describes a kind of striped fabric--
The dress is made of a red and white polyester barré.

hay, hey

Hay or hay means dried grass used as fodder or bedding for farm animals--
Farmers once cut their own hay to feed the horses or oxen that pulled their wagons and plows.
Mowing the hay was once the occasion for a party that might last for days.

Hey or hey ( rhymes with hay ) is an expression of greeting, surprise, or emphasis--
Hey, how have you been?
"Hey there, you with the stars in your eyes..."

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Hey, don't leave that hay out to rot in the rain!"

mat, matte

Mat or mat means a small rug or carpet--
Leave your wet boots on the mat.
Where is the mat that was in front of the sink?

Mat also means to be compressed into a mass, instead of having distinct hairs or fibers, as a carpet, fur or hair--
That chair will mat the carpet unless you put casters under the legs.
Brush the dog so that his fur doesn't mat.

Mat also means the piece of cardboard or paper that surrounds a framed print or photo--
This picture would look nice with a bright red mat.

Matte or matte ( rhymes with mat ) describes a dull or non-glossy finish--
Did you want your photos with a glossy finish or a matte finish?
We want a washable paint with a matte finish for the kitchen.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I would like to frame this floor mat with a mat of matte blue, in a silver frame."

Note--"Matt" ( rhymes with mat ) is a male's given name, short for Matthew--
Did you ask Matt if he wants to pick up the pizza?

startup, upstart

Startup or startup ( one word ) means a new company, one that has just begun operating--
Their startup is so successful that they plan to go public in a few months.
He hopes to be able to make a living from his startup after 6 months.

Start up or start up ( two words, sometimes start-up ) means to set something in motion, as when starting a machine or motor, literally or figuratively--
He has to go in early to start up the engines.
Start up may also mean the initial motion or operation of something, as a machine--
The machine always makes that noise at start up.

Start up may also mean to jump up in surprise, or to begin to move very quickly--
The loud noise made him start up from his chair in surprise.

Upstart or upstart means a presumptuous person, one who has risen from nowhere to a position of prominence--
Does anyone know where this little upstart came from?
They all resented the precocious upstart who seemed to have succeeded so easily.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The internet upstart was sure that his startup would be very successful."

tick, tic

Tick or tick means a small bloodsucking insect--
The dog is scratching; I think he has a tick.
Tick is also the sound a clock, watch or similar device makes--
That clock is so loud that we can hear it tick from downstairs.

Tic or tic ( rhymes with tick ) means a kind of involuntary muscle spasm--
He has a facial tic that some people find strange, but he's nice when you get to know him.
He has a tic in his left eye when he gets tired.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The tic in his eye matches the tick of the clock perfectly, as if the two of them were synchronized."

gauge, gage

Gauge or gauge means to measure or to estimate the measure of--
He spent several minutes attempting to gauge the strength of his opponent.
Gauge may mean a particular standard of measurement--
The narrow gauge train could not run on the wide gauge track.
Gauge may also mean an instrument used to measure something--
According to the rain gauge, we have had more than an inch of rain.

Gage or gage ( rhymes with gauge, sometimes used to mean gauge ) means a glove thrown down in token of a challenge, as to a duel--
When the knight threw down his gauntlet as a gage, he meant to challenge his foe to combat.
Gage also means a token of a pledge or pawn--
He left his watch as a gage that he would return to pay the loan.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Leaving his guitar as a gage in the pawn shop was a gauge of the musician's desperation."

Note--gage may also mean a type of plum ( fruit ), more commonly called a "greengage"--
How can you tell when a greengage is ripe?
Note # 2--"Gage" ( always capitalized ) may be a proper name--
General Gage left America soon after the Revolution began.

species, specie

Species or species ( always an "s", both singular or plural ) means a particular type or sort of living creature, one that reproduces after its kind, as animals, or plants from seeds--
A male and female of the same species can produce viable offspring which will have the ability to reproduce.
Most people agree that all human beings belong to the same species.
At first only one species was threatened, but now several species may be at risk.
Species is also used figuratively, to means a distinct sort or kind--
This is a completely different species of argument.

Specie or specie ( never an "s", no matter the quantity, always singular ) means metal money or coins, in the general sense of a type of money--
They insist on being paid in kind or in specie--no paper money.
Specie has an intrinsic value, since it is made of metal.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The new specie will be a set with pictures of the different endangered species."

Note--"specious" means sounding logical, or seeming right,but making little sense, or actually deceptive--
Think about it; the reasoning is specious and the claims unfounded.

purest, purist

Purest or purest is the superlative ( most ) form of "pure", meaning uncontaminated or unadulterated; unmixed with any other substance, literally or figuratively--
The purest gold is called 24 karat gold.
Even the purest drinking water contains some foreign matter or particles.


Purist or purist ( almost rhymes with purest ) means a person who is a stickler for a set of rules or guidelines, or for the standards by which a particular genre or work of art should be judged--
He is a purist in the matter of abstract art; he believes it is a fraud if it represents anything physical.
He is a purist concerning old movies, and becomes annoyed if they are edited or colorized.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Only a purist would insist on the purest reading of the script, with no alterations of any kind."