psychosis, sycosis

Psychosis or psychosis means a serious mental disorder--
The doctor says his psychosis can be treated with  psychotherapy.
He has been hospitalized for drug-induced psychosis.

Sycosis or sycosis ( rhymes with psychosis ) means a skin disease or disorder; an inflammation of the hair follicles--
The doctor prescribed a medicine for his sycosis that seems to be working.
He has sycosis, and wants to stay at home until it looks better.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The doctor thought his ailment was imaginary, and a product of psychosis, but he had a severe case of sycosis, that cleared up with treatment."

crash, clash

Crash or crash means a physical impact or collision--
Broken glass from the crash was all over the road.
He remembers every car crash from the movies and TV.

Clash  means a loud or disagreeable noise--
The clash of the cymbals made him jump.
We heard a clash that sounded like someone knocked over some metal pots and pans.

Clash or clash most commonly means a conflict of personalities or opinions--
We get tired of the way their personalities clash whenever they meet.
The clash of their political opinions nearly spoiled the dinner.

Clash also describes colors or patterns that do not agree, or that don't match--
Does this tie clash with my suit?
Most people agree that blue and orange clash.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We could hear the clash of metal hitting metal a block away from the crash."

collared, collard

Collared or collared is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "collar", meaning, informally, to arrest or to catch--
The police collared him as he tried to climb over the fence.
The principal collared the little truant as he ran down the hall.
Collared may also describe the neckband of a shirt, blouse, dress, coat, jacket, etc.--
He wore stiff-collared shirt, with a bow tie. 
She wore a fur-collared coat, even in warm weather.

Collard or collard ( rhymes with collared ) means the plant eaten as a green, usually cooked--
Cook the collard greens as you would spinach.
Collard greens are a variety of kale.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The grocer collared him  as he was making off with some collard greens."

groan, grown

Groan or groan mean to make a noise, usually brief and loud, as if in pain or despair--
He uttered a loud groan when he heard the news.
The poor dog fell over with a groan after he was hit by the car.
A thing may also groan, meaning make a loud, low, and brief noise--
That branch makes a groan every time there is a gust of wind.

Grown or grown ( rhymes with groan ) is a participle ( used with a helper verb ) of "grow", meaning to increase in size or to develop and mature--
My how you've grown!
The rose bush we planted last year has grown up over the trellis.
He was surprised to see how his bank account had grown.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The poor woman let out a groan when she realized that her children had grown too big for their clothes."

Note--"growan" means decomposed granite, like rock turned to gravel--
Nothing will grow there; it is all growan and rock.
Not to be confused with "grow on", meaning, informally, to become familiar to, or to engage the affections of--
He seems like an old grouch, but he may grow on you.
"Grow in" means to increase in size while planted in something, or over time--
This shrub will grow in sandy soil.
He is waiting for his beard to grow in.

critic, critique

Critic or critic ( crih tick ) means a person who offers his or her opinion of someone else's work--a film, music, an academic paper, etc.--
We always watch our favorite movie critic before deciding what to see.
The restaurant critic always paid in cash, so the staff wouldn't know who she was.

Critique or critique ( crih teek ) means an oral or written analysis or opinion of someone else's work; a review--
We enjoyed listening to his lively critique; it was more interesting than the original paper.
They had a public argument over his critique of the play.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The drama critic offered an insightful critique of last night's performance."

Note--"criticize" is a verb ( action word ), meaning to offer an opinion of a work, most commonly to find fault with--
He always feels a need to criticize what she does.
Note #2--"criticism"is a noun ( thing or idea ), meaning the opinion offered--
He got tired of her constant criticism and  filed for a divorce.
Note #3--"critical" is an adjective ( describes something ), meaning something that describes an opinion, usually meaning a negative opinion--
We liked the new restaurant, but he was critical.
"Critical" is often used to mean very serious, or life-threatening, borrowed from medical or hospital jargon--
We called the hospital; he is in critical condition.
Note #4--"critically" is an adverb ( describes an action ), meaning in an opinionated or fault-finding way--
He always spoke critically of anything new.
"Critically" may also mean in a serious or life-threatening way--
He was critically injured in the crash.

human, humane

Human or human ( hyoo men ) describes a person, as opposed to some other kind of creature, such as a bird or a dog--
"When in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to  dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another..."
Plato defined a human being as a "featherless biped".

Humane or humane ( hyoo main ) means compassionate or sympathetic to people or animals--
The ASPCA is the most well-known humane society.
The Geneva Convention was meant to ensure humane treatment of prisoners of war.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Every human being deserves humane treatment."

vigilant, vigilante

Vigilant or vigilant ( vidge ih lent ) means watchful, or paying close attention--
We hope the new foreman will be vigilant in his search for safety violations.
It is important to be vigilant, especially on the night shift. Check these monitors every 60 seconds.

Vigilante or vigilante ( vidge ih lantee ) means someone not officially a law enforcement official, who fights law breakers; someone who takes the law into his or her own hands--
The mayor worried that a vigilante would take over, if the suspect was not caught.
They liked to watch the old western series about a vigilante who saved people from outlaws.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The police were vigilant in their search for the vigilante who had been towing away illegally parked cars."

Note--"vigilance" means a state of being watchful or on the alert--
His vigilance paid off; he got a picture of the creature that had been making noise in the yard at night.
Note # 2--"vigilantes" ( vidge ih lant teez ) is the plural ( more than one ) of "vigilante", meaning someone who has decided to take the law into his or her own hands--
They styled themselves internet vigilantes, and hacked sites they thought didn't follow the rules.
Note#3--a "vigilance committee" is a group of vigilantes, who have decided to enforce the laws themselves, and to ignore the police and other law enforcement officials.

complaint, compliant

Complaint or complaint ( comm plaint ) means an expression of dissatisfaction or discontent--
He always seems to have a complaint, no matter how good the food is.
She was angry because no one would listen to her complaint.

Compliant or compliant ( comm ply ant ) means in accord with rules, requirements, wishes or demands--
This web site is compliant with all of the regulations.
He is usually compliant, and will go along with what anyone else wants.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We got a complaint that we are not compliant with the latest regulations."

Note--"complaint" is a noun ( thing or idea ). The plural ( more than one ) of "complaint" is "complaints"--
He has several complaints. Which do you want to hear first?
"Complain" is a verb ( action word )--
I complain, you complain, he complains, we complain, everyone is complaining. Yesterday we complained.
Note # 2--"complainant" means a person who voices an objection of dissatisfaction or discontent--who complains--
Will the complainant please step forward?
Note# 3--"comply" is a verb ( action word ), meaning to go along with the rules or requirements, or with someone's wishes or demands----
I comply, you comply, he complies, we all comply. Yesterday we complied. We are complying.
Note # 4--"compliance" means a state of being in accord with requirements or rules, wishes or demands--
Unless the board sees evidence of compliance with the regulations, we will be fined.

world, whirled

World or world means the Earth, the planet, or the universe--
It seemed like everyone in the world was there.
The world is round, or nearly round.

World may also be used figuratively, to mean someone's life or experience--
"My whole world ended the moment you left me..."
"Don't they know, it's the end of the world, it ended when you said good-bye."

Whirled or whirled ( rhymes with world ) is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "whirl", meaning spin or turn about in a circle, quickly--
The ride whirled about so fast that everyone became dizzy.
He whirled a pennant about over his head, and cheered for the home team.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He didn't believe it when the science teacher told him that the world whirled about in space."

turban, turbine

Turban or turban ( turr ben ) means a piece of cloth that is wound around the head--
The man you see wearing a turban may be a Sikh.
She wore a turban when she went out, in the style of the 1940's.

Turbine or turbine ( turr bin ) means a kind of engine or machine--
A turbine may be powered by water, air, or gas.
The turbine has spinning blades; be careful.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She wore a turban to keep her hair from getting caught in the turbine."

sequence, sequins

Sequence or sequence ( see kwenss ) means order or succession; one thing following another--
These films should be watched in the original sequence, or the story won't make sense.
The accidents seemed to happen in a sequence, one after the other.

Sequins or sequins  ( see quinz ) is the plural ( more than one ) of "sequin", meaning the little shiny metallic decoration, often with a  hole in the center--
She wore a dress covered in red sequins.
If we put sequins on these, they will make nice decorations.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Make sure to apply these sequins in the same sequence--red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple."

coward, cowered

Coward or coward means a person who runs away from a task, through fear--
He felt like a coward after he ran away from the bullies.
He was afraid he would prove a coward when the shooting started.

Cowered or cowered ( rhymes, or nearly rhymes, with coward ) is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "cower", meaning to huddle and shiver with fright--
The poor little dog cowered in fright every time he heard a noise.
They cowered in a bunker until everything was quiet.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The coward cowered in a foxhole while the other men went to fight."

Note--"cower" is a verb ( action word )--
I cower, you cower, he cowers, they cower, we all cower.
They were cowering.
"Coward" is a noun ( thing or idea )--
Was that one coward or two cowards?

about, a bout

About or about ( one word ) means near or approximately--
It's about a mile from here.
You have about three feet of space left behind the car.

About may also mean, informally, concerning, or having to do with--
What's the movie about?
He doesn't like to talk about politics.

A bout ( two words ) means one ( a ) "bout", meaning a physical contest, such as a boxing match--
He is scheduled for a bout with the champion.
He lost a bout with that boxer last year.

A bout may also mean a session or spell, as of illness--
He is recovering from a bout of the flu.
He was thin and weak after a bout with cancer.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Here is a sports article about a bout in Madison Square Garden."

memories, memorize

Memories or memories ( mem or eez ) is the plural ( more than one ) of "memory", meaning something kept in mind, or brought to mind from what someone has learned or experienced--
The old people like to sit and share memories of when they were young.
He had a lot of fond memories of his life back home on the farm.
Memories may also be the plural of "memory", meaning the mental faculty, or ability to remember--
Many old people have trouble with their memories.
Our memories get a real workout in this class.

Memorize or memorize ( mem or ize ) means to commit to memory, so as to be able to recall at some future time--for an exam or test, for example--
We have to memorize all of these vocabulary words for a quiz on Friday.
I am trying to memorize all of the important points in this chapter, but I keep forgetting some of them.

Now that you know that you can say--
"The students were sure that their memories were worn out, after all the words they had to memorize."

Note--"memory's" ( rhymes with memories ) may be the possessive ( belonging to ) form of "memory"--
The new medication should improve his memory's function.
"Memory's" may also be a contraction ( short, informal form ) of "memory is"--
His memory's not what it used to be.

grade, grayed

Grade or grade means level or stage--
She is in the 5th grade.
He will be in a higher pay grade next year.

Grade also means a measure of quality, physical or intellectual--
This is a higher grade of diamond, so it's more expansive.
She got a good grade on her last exam.

Grade also means to decide on a level of quality, or to judge the level of quality--
The teacher will grade our papers this week.
He will grade the papers by tomorrow.

Grade also means the level of a road or trail, or to make a road or trail level.--
This trail still has a steep grade.
The road crew will grade this until it is nearly level.

Grayed or grayed ( rhymes with grade ) means turned gray, as of hair or unpainted wood--
By the time he turned 50, his hair had grayed.
The unpainted house grayed with the years.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His mother was sure that worry over his failing grade was the reason her hair had grayed so quickly."

Note--"grey"  is either British, or it was written a long time ago.

prose, pros

Prose or prose means writing that is not in verse, or not poetry--
He is famous for his poetry, but his prose is even better.
There are two kinds of writing--prose and poetry.

Pros or pros ( rhymes with prose ) may be the plural ( more than one ) of "pro", short for professional--
He may play another year as an amateur before he joins the pros.
Pros may also be the plural of "pro", meaning for, or not against--
The pros outnumber the cons by six votes.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The real writing pros can have 500 words of prose ready in less than an hour."

Note--"pro" is also a Latin word, meaning "for"--
The lawyer will take the case pro bono.

led, LED

Led or led ( rhymes with head ) is the past tense of "lead" ( rhymes with bead ), meaning to direct or to go in advance of--
"Seventy-six trombones led the big parade..."
The captain led his troops into battle.

LED ( always capitalized, "ell ee dee" ) stands for "light-emitting diode"--
An LED looks like a miniature light bulb.
Your digital display may be an example of an LED.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The invention of the LED led to the development of a low-energy light bulb for home use."

Note--"lead" may also mean the metal or element ( pronounced to rhyme with head )--
Lead protects Superman from kryptonite.
The dentist puts an apron full of lead pellets on patients before an x-ray.
Note # 2--"LCD" ( ell cee dee ) stands for "liquid crystal display"--
New TV's usually have an LCD screen.

coin, coign, quoin

Coin or coin means a disk of metal of some kind, used as money--
 "May you purse always hold a coin or two..."
This machine doesn't accept bills; we'll have to look for a dollar coin.

Coin also means to make metal into money--
Only the government may coin money.
The U.S. Mint is where you can watch our government coin money.

Coin also means to invent a new word or phrase--
He was sure that he had coined a new phrase, but no one repeated it.
Texting inspired him to coin several new phrases, such as "R U home?"

Quoin or quoin ( rhymes with coin, sometimes spelled Coign or coign ) means the outside corner of a brick or stone building--
At a quoin of the building you will see a cornerstone, with the year of its construction carved on it."
The old man stood by a quoin of the wall, asking alms of passersby.

Quoin also means a wedge or corner-shaped brick or block--
The building is red brick, but each layer has a quoin made of a different material.
Printers still use a quoin to hold type securely in the tray.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"At a quoin of the old stone wall, the old man found a gold coin."

diverse, divers

Diverse or diverse ( dih VERSE or digh VERSE ) means of various or different kinds--
It was a diverse crowd--old, young, male and female.
This restaurant has a dessert cart with a diverse assortment of pastries.

Divers or divers ( DIGH verz )  is an old-fashioned word meaning several, or an assortment--
He chose divers of the employees to work overtime.
He dumped his clothes and divers articles out of his suitcase, looking for the key.

Divers ( DIGH verz )  may also be the plural ( more than one ) of "diver", meaning someone who goes under water, or who jumps into the water--
Tell the divers not to climb the ladder until the board is empty.
Warn the divers that there are rocks below the water on the other side.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The divers performed a diverse selection of stunts, followed by divers of them jumping at the same time."

facts, fax

Facts or facts is the plural ( more than one ) of "fact", meaning a bit of information, or a statement of truth or reality, as opposed to error or fantasy--
Make sure to check your facts before you submit your report.
Trivial rumors are often accepted as facts, if they are repeated often enough.

Fax or fax ( rhymes with facts ) is an abbreviation ( short form ) of "facsimile", meaning a reproduction, as in a scan or photocopy--
Remember the fax machine? Almost no one uses them now.
You can fax the documents to this number.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Please fax the documents, complete with all the necessary facts, by the end of the week."

Note--"factor" ( one word ) means one of the elements of a result or state of affairs--
His abrasive personality was the main factor in his professional difficulties.
"Factor" also means an agent, most commonly a financial agent who does business for someone else--
He will be acting as the company's factor for all shipments of goods overseas.
Factor also means one of the numbers that may be multiplied to make a specific product; a divisor--
Is 7 a factor of 42?
Factor may be used as a verb ( action word ), meaning to find one of the divisors of, or, figuratively, to consider the elements that make up a result or state of affairs--
If you factor in her age, her health is really pretty good.
Not to be confused with "fact or" ( two words ), meaning a bit of information or reality, as an alternative to error or fantasy --
Is this fact or fiction?
Note# 2--the plural ( more than one ) of "factor" is  "factors"--
We have considered all of the relevant factors, and are ready to make a decision.
"Factors" may also be the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of the verb "factor"--
When he factors in all of the pertinent data, the result may be different.
Not to be confused with "facts or", meaning more than one fact or bit of information, considered with an alternative--
Are these facts or rumors?
Not to be confused with "fax or", meaning a facsimile document, considered with an alternative--
Do you want these documents by fax or by mail?