fizz, phiz

Fizz or fizz means the sound of soda bubbles or effervescence; a hissing sound--
He loved to hear the fizz of soda over ice.
"Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh, what a relief it is..."
Fizz is also a verb ( action word ), meaning to bubble or effervesce--
The powder will fizz when you add it to water.
This soda doesn't fizz; it's flat.

Phiz or phiz ( rhymes with fizz ) is an old-fashioned, informal word meaning face--
We haven't seen his phiz in the tavern in a fortnight.
He was always pleased to see the old man's phiz at the door.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"If you put your phiz close to the punch bowl, you'll hear the fizz of champagne."

philippic, philhippic

Philippic or philippic means a speech of denunciation; a bitter tirade--
We heard a similar philippic from a soapbox orator in the park.
His latest philippic denounces not only the politicians, but nearly everyone else, too.

Philhippic or philhippic means fond of horses--
She hopes to retire to a farm, where she can live out the philhippic daydreams of her childhood.
Don't ask her what she's doing; she writes sentimental philhippic poetry in her spare time.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He sent a philippic to the newspaper, denouncing the philhippic fanatics who still ride horses in the park."

continually, continuously

Continually or continually means very often, or at frequent intervals--
He continually mutters to himself; I don't know what's wrong.
He continually makes smart remarks; we just don't know what to do about it.
The foghorn rang continually throughout the night, about once every five minutes.

Continuously or continuously means uninterrupted, without ceasing--
Ths alarm rang continuously for more than four hours.
The bird chirps continuously, unless you cover his cage.
The alarm sounds continuously, until someone shuts it off.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We bicker continually whenever that noise goes on continuously."

breed, brede

Breed or breed means type or kind of animal--
Our new neighbor has an odd-looking dog; I don't know what breed it is.
What breed of cat is that?

Breed is also a verb ( action word ), meaning to raise plants or animals, with the goal of producing a specific type--
He wants to breed angora rabbits in the backyard.
He is trying to breed a winter-hardy geranium.

Breed also means to reproduce, usually only used to refer to animals--
We built them a nesting box, and we're hoping they'll breed.

Breed also describes the growth or replication of germs, disease, or bacteria--
Germs will breed if you don't keep the trash receptacles clean.

Brede or brede ( rhymes with breed ) means embroidery, or a border or braid made of embroidery--
Her mantle was edged in red and gold brede.
She spent weeks making an elaborate brede for the edge of his cloak.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She stitched a design in the brede, of every breed of dog she had ever seen."

underrate, underate, under eight

Underrate or underrate means to underestimate; to fail to regard realistically--
If you underrate your opponent, you are more likely to lose.
Be careful not to underrate the competition.

Underate or underate ( one 'r' ) is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ), of "undereat", meaning to fail to consume adequate food or nourishment--
The baby underate for the first few months, and occasionally lost weight.
He always underate when he worked overtime, and came home feeling miserable.

Under eight, under eight, Under 8, or under 8, means fewer than eight or 8 in number ( something you count ), or less than eight or 8 in quantity ( something you measure or weigh )--
This game is for children under eight years old.
This game is for children under 8 years old.
This dress should fit a baby under eight pounds.
This dress should fit a baby under 8 pounds.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Don't underrate the nurse's advice; our infant son often underate, and was still under eight pounds when he was four months old."

bard, barred

Bard or bard means a poet or a reciter of poems or traditional lore--
Shakespeare is often called the "Bard of Avon".
The bard spent many years learning to recite all of the ancient epics.

Bard also means a piece of armor for a horse--
The horse's polished bard shone in the sun.
Bard also means to secure with a strip of bacon or fat, in cooking--
Then bard the patties by wrapping a strip of bacon around them and securing it with a toothpick.

Barred or barred ( rhymes with bard ) means furnished or equipped with long even pieces of metal or wood ( bars )--
The windows on the first floor are barred for security.
Barred may also be the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "bar", meaning to exclude or except--
After the fight, he was barred from the club.
Barred may also be the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "bar", meaning to secure with a long even piece of metal or wood ( bar )--
We barred the gate before we left; don't worry about the cow.
Barred may also be the past tense of "bar", meaning to obstruct or hinder--
He wanted to leave, but she barred his way.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His way to becoming a famous bard was barred by his poor grammar and worse spelling."

Note--Not to be confused with "bared", the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "bare", meaning to display without covering, literally or figuratively--
He bared his soul to the world when his memoir was published.
He bared his behind, and showed it to the world.
Note #2--The past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "bard", meaning to secure with a strip of fat, is "barded"--
The chef barded the scallops with bacon.

ambivalent, ambiguous

Ambivalent or ambivalent means unable to decide; uncertain--
The new job offer sounded good, but he was ambivalent.
She pressed him for a decision, but he was still ambivalent.

Ambiguous or ambiguous means unclear; having more than one possible meaning or interpretation--
When he asked about his job performance, the answer was ambiguous.
His answer seemed ambiguous; she couldn't decide what he meant by it.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He was still ambivalent about the move, and only offered an ambiguous comment when she asked about it."

Note--People may be described as ambivalent.
Statements or answers may be described as ambiguous.

in case, encase

In case or in case ( two words ) means in the event that, or if it should happen that--
"In case of fire, break glass."
I sent an email, in case she doesn't check her phone messages.
Let's take an umbrella, just in case it rains.

Encase or encase ( one word, sometimes spelled incase ) means to surround or enclose in some material, as in a case--
We will encase it in plastic, to protect it from dust.
This weekend we will encase all of the old paper records in a steel safe for secure storage.
You can preserve that if you just encase it in a plastic sleeve.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We will encase these precious documents in fireproof and waterproof containers, so they'll be protected in case of disaster."

rabbit, rabbet

Rabbit or rabbit means the long-eared furry little creature; a bunny--
I saw a rabbit hopping around on the front lawn.
Our son wants a pet rabbit, but we're not sure it's a good idea.

Rabbet or rabbet ( rhymes with rabbit, or nearly rhymes ) means a groove or recess in the edge of a board, used to join boards together--
He wants it to be sturdy, so he's putting them together with a rabbet joint.
If you cut a rabbet in each side, they'll join together securely.
Rabbet may also mean to join boards together by cutting a groove or recess--
He's going to rabbet and glue the edges, so it will take a little longer.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He wants the rabbit hutch to be escape-proof, so he's going to rabbet and glue every joint."

Note--Not to be confused with "rabid", meaning infected with rabies--
The dog was hysterical; we are afraid  it is rabid.

oriole, aureole

Oriole or oriole means a kind of bird--the one the Baltimore baseball team is named for--
An oriole is building a nest in the back yard.
I saw something bright orange fly by; I think it was an oriole.

Aureole or aureole ( nearly rhymes with oriole ) means a sort of halo--a ring of light or color that surrounds someone or something--
The statue seemed to have a real aureole when the sun shone on its gold crown.
The full moon and its aureole made the whole sky seem bright.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When a sunbeam hit the bright orange oriole, it seemed to have a glowing aureole."

arrival, a rival

Arrival or arrival ( one word ) means getting to a certain point, or reaching a destination--
The arrival of his flight has been delayed by the bad weather.
The local hero's arrival was celebrated by a marching band.

A rival or a rival ( two words ) means one ( a ) opponent in a competition or contest; a competitor--
They both thought the same man was attractive, so she considered her sister a rival.
 If a rival firm manages to launch the product first, we'll be left in the dust.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His friends thought the transfer student was a new pal, but he only saw the arrival of a rival."

inure, in your

Inure or inure means to become hardened or toughened through use or custom, physically or mentally--
The drill sergreant was sure that daily exercise would inure his troops to the physical demands of combat..
Too much violence on TV can inure us to the realities of crime.

In your or in your ( rhymes with inure ) means within [something] belonging to the person being addressed ( your )--
Write this in your notebook.
Is there a bee in your bonnet?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Including a long walk in your daily routine may help to inure you to the hardships of the long hike."

ward, warred

Ward or ward means a minor who has been placed under the care of an adult or the state--
He will be a ward of the state until he is eighteen years old.
If anything happens to her, the child will beome her sister's ward.
Ward may also be one of the political departments of a city--
If you live in the 7th Ward, your councilman is Mr. Smith.
This voters in this ward are nearly all registered Democrats.
Ward may also be one of the divisions of a hospital--
He will be in the psychiatric ward until Monday.
Ward may mean the act of guarding or keeping watch--
The "watch and ward" societies were something like the neighborhood watches of today.

Warred or warred ( rhymes with ward ) is the past tense of the verb ( acion word ) "war", meaning to engage in hostilities; to fight--
This ancient civilization often warred against its neighbors.
He warred against political corruption for more than forty years.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The councilman from the 8th Ward warred with the councilman from the 6th Ward over property tax reassessment."

acclamation, acclimation

Acclamation or acclamation means a demonstration of public praise, goodwill, or applause--
There were loud cheers of acclamation when the favorite appeared on the stage.
He longed for the acclamation of an audience whenever he wasn't performing.

Acclimation or acclimation ( rhymes with acclamation ) means the process of getting used to, or adapting to a new environment--
The process of acclimation may take 6 to 8 months.
Acclimation to the cold weather may be stressful, to those from warmer regions.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His acclimation to the acclamation of the public and the media was swift, but not sure."

Note--"acclamation" is a noun ( thing or idea ), related to the verb ( action word ) "acclaim", meaning to make a loud shout of approval, or to applaud--
The little town eagerly waited to acclaim the famous war hero.
"Acclimation" is also a noun ( thing or idea ), related to the verb ( action word ) "acclimate", meaning to get used to or adapt to a new environment--
He seems to be refusing to acclimate to his new surroundings.
"Acclimation" is also related to "acclimatize", meaning to adapt, or to cause to adapt, to new surroundings--
This training is supposed to acclimatize them to high altitudes.

invade, inveighed

Invade or invade means to enter as an enemy, forcibly and with hostile intent--
His plans to invade Ruritania were deemed ludicrous; no one took them seriously.
He worries a lot about what will happen if terrorists invade out country.

Inveighed or inveighed ( rhymes with invade ) is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "inveigh", meaning to protest strongly, in words, or to argue passionately--
Every April he inveighed against taxation to anyone who would listen.
He made a speech, in which he inveighed against all forms of political corruption.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"In the 1930's, he inveighed against isolationism, and warned that an enemy might invade the United States."

oral, aural

Oral or oral means by mouth, or by speaking--
She's afraid of needles; do you have an oral vaccine?
He'll need oral surgery to have his wisdom teeth removed.
Will the exam be written or oral?

Aural or aural ( rhymes with oral ) describes something related to the ear, or to the sense of hearing--
His hearing loss was caused by the complications of an aural infection.
The doctor thinks that aural surgery might improve his hearing.
An aural exam will determine the extent of hearing loss.
Music students may be asked to take an aural test, to show that they can hear the difference between notes.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He asked for a written test, because his aural damage made the oral exam so difficult."

handmade, handmaid

Handmade or handmade means fashioned or created by an artisan, usually by traditional methods; not made in a factory--
That's an unusual sweater. Is it handmade?
He sells handmade wooden toys at the local outdoor market.

Handmaid or handmaid ( rhymes with handmade ) means a female servant--
"Behold the handmaid of the Lord..."
The woman resented being made to feel like a handmaid in her own home.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The arisocrat's fabulous clothing was handmade by her handmaid."

Note--"homemade" means made at home, instead of purchased in a store--
She made these homemade preserves in July.

residents, residence

Residence or residence means home or dwelling place--
You may vote only at the polling place assigned to your legal residence.
He refers to his home as his residence, even in casual conversation.
Residence may also mean the fact or term of living in a particular place--
He learned to do that during his residence in Florida.
You'll have to provide proof of your residence in the state.
Residence may also mean the term of a particular job, such as an ambassador, that requires living in a particular place--
His residence won't be more than four years.

Residents or residents ( rhymes with residence ) is the plural of "resident", meaning a person who lives in a particular place--
The fire department is evacuating all of the residents of the building. 
The residents of this neighborhood want ot have a meeting about the late night noise problem.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The residents of a large apartment complex refused to sign the new terms of residence."
 

crater, krater

Crater or crater means a large hole in the Earth, the moon, or some other planet, made by a meteor, a volcano, a bomb, or by some other means--
They could see the glowing lava in the crater of the volcano.
The impact of the meteor made an enormous crater.

Krater or krater ( rhymes with crater ) means a kind of ancient Greek bowl with handles, used to mix wine and water--
They found an ancient Greek krater, still intact.
He wrote a sonnet, inspired by the scene on the ancient krater.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The bomb made a crater that unearthed some ancient pottery, including a krater in perfect condition."

cirrhosis, sorosis

Cirrhosis or cirrhosis is a disease of the liver--
He drank for decades, and eventually died of cirrhosis.
The scandal magazone says he has cirrhosis, but he claims he's overtired.

Sorosis or sorosis means a fruit with many flowers and seeds combined--
The garden-variety pineapple is an example of sorosis. 
Sorosis is also an old-fashioned term for a women's society or sorority--
The weekly meetings quickly turned into a sorosis, with no men present.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He was sure that a sorosis--a pineapple or mulberry--would cure his cirrhosis."

information, in formation

Information or information ( one word ) means knowledge, data, or news--
We need some information about renting a truck.
The internet makes finding information easy.

In formation or in formation ( two words ) describes a military unit lined up by rank and file, or in rows, columns, or squares--
They were lined up in formation before the general arrived.
The colonel ordered the troops to remain in formation during the ceremony.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The major is looking for information on the proper way to have the regiment march in formation."

bark, barque

Bark or bark means the noise some animals make, most commonly dogs--
When he hears the bark of a dog, he runs and hides.
His bark is worse than his bite.
Bark, said of a dog, means to make a noise--
Go and tell the dog not to bark; it's late.
Be a good dog; don't bark.

Bark also means the outer covering of a tree--
Some creature has been gnawing the bark off of this tree.
Some canoes were made with the bark of a tree.

Barque or barque, sometimes spelled bark ( rhymes with bark ) means a kind of boat, equipped with sails--
The little barque survived the storm, and seems to be intact.
Only one barque and its crew returned to tell the tale of the voyage.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"They repaired the barque with pieces of bark, stuck in place with pitch."