restless, restive, restful

Restless or restless means fidgety, agitated, or uneasy; unable to concentrate or stand still--
He is restless and full of energy; he needs something to do.
The children get restless when they stay indoors all day.

Restless also means never sleeping, stopping or standing still--
He had a restless night, but he's sleeping now.
He kept to his task with restless devotion.

Restive or restive means impatient with control, restraint, or delay; discontent--
The pupils become restive when kept after school.
The people have been restive since the announcement; they are gathered in the public square.

Restful or restful means peaceful or tranquil; giving or leading to physical ease or peace of mind--
The lake house is restful this time of year; all the vacationers are gone.
A day at home doing nothing seems restful to him; she gets bored.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"This trip was meant to be restful, but we ran into a restive group of protesters, and now we're spending a restless night."

Note--"rest less" ( two words ) means ease or peace ( rest ) in a smaller or diminished quantity ( less )--
If you would rest less, you would get more done.
Note # 2--"rest full " ( two words ) means ease or peace ( rest ) in the greatest possible measure ( full )--
He needs a long rest full of fresh air and exercise.

picturesque, picaresque

Picturesque or picturesque describes something romantic or charming, like a scene in an old painting--
They are staying in a picturesque fishing village; they sent some postcards.
The old mansion makes a picturesque setting for a wedding.

Picaresque or picaresque means like a vagabond or rogue, most commonly used to describe a novel or tale of a rogue's adventures--
His stories of his youth are often picaresque; he went around the country in an old van.
His scrapes with the law seemed picaresque to his friends, but his father was angry.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She wrote a picaresque tale, in which the adeventures only occurred in the most picturesque of places."

discomfort, discomfit

Discomfort or discomfort means mild pain or physical annoyance, as caused by heat, cold, hunger, or thirst--
Sitting up in a chair too long causes him discomfort.
He isn't in pain, but the constant discomfort is beginning to wear on his nerves.
Discomfort may mean mental uneasiness or annoyance--
She doesn't feel discomfort in social situations, now that she's going out more.

Discomfit or discomfit means to confuse or disconcert--
He tries to discomfit the people he interviews, by asking embarassing questions.
Does he mean to discomfit people, or is he just socially inept?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His habit of trying to discomfit everyone he spoke to caused his wife acute discomfort."

indifferent, in different

Indifferent or indifferent ( one word ) means apathetic; having no interest or opinion--
I asked if they wanted pizza or burgers, but they seemed indifferent.
He gets excited about politics, but she is indifferent.

Indifferent may also mean neither good nor bad; unimportant or unremarkable--
That's an indifferent example. Can you think of a better one?

In different or in different ( two words ) means [ in ] several or various, or separate or distinct--
The last time I saw her she was dressed in different clothes.
Try to imagine how this would work in different situations.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He likes to eat in different restaurants, but she is indifferent."

two years old, two year olds

Two years old describes someone or something that has existed for 2 years--
Juinor will be two years old next week.
His phone is two years old; he wants to upgrade.

Two year olds  or two-year-olds is the plural ( more than one ) of  "two year old", meaning a child, a horse, or some other creature that has lived or existed for 2 years--
The Kentucky Derby is for two-year-olds.
This toy is recommended for two-year-olds.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When the baby is two years old, we will be taking him to a special daycare for two-year-olds."

Note--any number might be substituted for two--
This race is for three-year-olds.
Their little girl is four years old.
Note # 2--"two year old" may describe a person or thing--
They have a two year old daughter.
Thye have a two-year-old child.
He has a two-year-old phone.
He has a two-year-old car.
Note # 3--many people prefer the dashes because the meaning is clearer. A sentence might be describing two things or persons that are a year old each--
"He has two year-old dogs." is awkward.
We would probably write--
"He has two one-year-old dogs." instead.

happily, haply

Happily or happily describes an action done in a cheerful or happy manner--
The dog wags his tail happily when he sees us coming home.
"We're having ice cream after dinner!" he shouted happily.

Happily may also describe a fortunate or lucky occurrence or turn of events--
Happily, the concert we couldn't attend was cancelled. We'll be there when it's rescheduled.
Happily, no one noticed the error, and he had time to correct it.

Haply or haply is an old-fashioned word meaning perhaps or by chance--
"Haply I may remember, And haply may forget."
If you're visiting New York, haply you'll meet some of our long-lost relations.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Haply we'll meet again, and happily, instead of at a funeral."

traitor, trader

Traitor or traitor means a person who commits treason, or, more generally, a person who betrays a cause, or a person--
He was acquitted of the charge of treason, but to the public he remained a traitor.
He considers anyone who drives a car a traitor to the environmentalist cause.

Trader or trader means a merchant, or someone who buys and sells stock--
He has been a trader in antiques for thirty years.
He retired from his career as a trader on Wall Street, and plans to travel.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Agents caught the arms trader; we are still at war, so he will be prosecuted as a traitor."

concert, consort

Concert or concert means a musical program or performance--
We have tickets for a concert, but we can't go.
He hasn't appeared in concert in years.

Concert may describe something related to a musical program or performance--
He is studying to be a concert pianist.
Thye have renovated the old concert hall.

Concert may also mean to plan or act together, especially in the phrase "in concert"--
She suspected that they had acted in concert, but she couldn't prove it.

Consort or consort means a companion or partner--
The queen and the prince consort will visit next week.

Consort may also mean to join or associate with--
She was tempted to consort with the enemy, so she left the party and went home.

Consort may mean a group of musicians, especially those playing antique instruments--
He plays the rebec in an early modern consort.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"A medieval consort is giving a concert this evening, and we hope you'll join us."
"They worked in concert to find anyone who might consort with the underworld."

language, languish

Language or language means the body of words and their grammatical rules, common to a set of people--
Travel is easier if you can speak the language of the country you're visiting.
He wants to study a foreign language, but he's not sure which one.

Language may also mean a style or type of communication or verbal expression--
His use of language is distinctive; I'd recognize it without a signature.
Some scientists believe that the bees have a language of their own.
Watch your language!

Languish or languish means to become weak or to droop, particularly from neglect, literally or figuratively--
She's afraid the garden will languish if she doesn't take care of it herself.
Don't let them languish for want of attention; go and talk to them.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He was unable to speak the language, and so he began to languish, socially, for want of someone to talk to."

memorize, mesmerize

Memorize or memorize means to learn by heart; to commit to memory--
He won't come out; he has to stay in and memorize his lines for the play.
He is trying to memorize his favorite poem.

Mesmerize or mesmerize means to hypnotize; to fascinate--
He uses the sound of a ticking clock to mesmerize his subjects.
If you stare at that design for a while, it may begin to mesmerize you.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His friend, a psychology student, offered to mesmerize him, to help him memorize his science text."

meteor, meatier

Meteor or meteor means a small body traveling through space, one that has entered Earth's atmosphere and become luminous--
They sat out on the lawn until late at night, hoping to see a meteor--a shooting star.
His success came as suddenly as a meteor, but so did his fall.

Meatier or meatier is the comparative ( more than ) form of "meaty", meaning rich in meat or substance, literally or figuratively--
This stew is much meatier than the one you made last week.
He should be reading something meatier than comic books.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His interest in the meteor inspired him to read some meatier books--science texts instead of science fiction."

Note--the phrase "mete or", means measure or allot ( mete) as one of two or more alternatives (or )--
When will they mete or distribute the food that has been collected?

aversion, a version

Aversion or aversion  (one word ) means a feeling of dislike or repugnance--
He has an aversion to water, so we always vacation in the city.
She has an aversion to dogs, and won't let the children near one.

A version or a version ( two words ) means one ( a ) form or variant of something ( version )--
He does a version of that new hit song that's even better than the record.
They are doing a version of the old play, rewritten using modern language.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I generally have an aversion to backstage musicals, but this is a version that I enjoyed."

farther, further

Farther or farther means at a greater distance, or to a greater distance or extent, literally or figuratively--
His house is farther away than ours.
There is a rest stop a bit farther down the road.
We can't drive farther than a hundred miles unless we stop for gas first.
Look no farther! Here is a wonderful bargain!
He was right to speak his mind, but he went farther than he should have.

Further or further means additional or more--
No further remarks will be necessary.
Take no further notice of him.
No further nonsense will be tolerated.
Look no further! We found it.

Further also means to advance, or to help the progress of a project or a cause--
He spent his energy attempting to further the cause of compulsory public education.
He claims this treaty will help to further cement our friendship, but we have doubts.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"In an attempt to further his education, he went farther than necessary--he read a set of encyclopedias."

comments, commence

Comments or comments is the plural ( more than one ) of "comment", meaning a short remark or observation--
There will be time for comments after the lecture.
The critic's comments were more interesting than the film.

Comments or comments is also the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "comment", meaning to offer a short remark or observation--
He comments on every photo she posts.
The party hasn't begun until she comments on every outfit.

Commence or commence means to begin or start--
We're here for a meeting. Let's commence.
The baby's pout means he may soon commence to cry.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We've heard enough comments, let's commence voting."

Note--"commencement" means a start or beginning--
At the commencement of the exercise, everyone should be lined up, single file.
"Commencement" also means the graduation ceremony at which diplomas are awarded--
Make sure you wear your cap and gown to the commencement ceremony.
Not to be confused with "comments meant", meaning what the short remarks or observations ( comments ) intended to express or indicate ( meant )--
He tends to be obscure; I still don't know what his comments meant.

potpourri, popery

Potpourri or potpourri means a mix of dried flowers, herbs, or spices, used to give a pleasant scent--
She is saving the rose petals to make a potpourri.
Pine needles make a nice addition to potpourri.
Potpourri may mean a pleasant mixture, especially of literary or musical pieces--
We offer a musical potpourri for your listening pleasure.

Popery or popery is an old-fashioned term for the Roman Catholic Church, or its doctrines or ceremonies, most commonly used in a disparaging way--
He disapproves of images and statues, as they are popery, and heretical.
All this talk of saints and miracles smacks of popery, and should be forbidden!

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He dislikes potpourri; he says it seems like incense, and so it's a form of popery."

apprise, a prize

Apprise or apprise ( one word ) means to give notice or inform--
I'm sure that when you apprise him of the situation, he'll take steps to correct it.
Make sure to apprise the management of any malfunctions.

A prize or a prize ( two words ) means something won in a contest or lottery; a reward--
Great news! You won a prize!
He won a prize for an essay he wrote for a school competition.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"This message is to apprise you that you have won a prize in our sweepstakes."

Note--"uprise" means to swell or grow, or to rise in revolt--
Frost may cause the ground to uprise and heave out the saplings.
The peasants plan to uprise as soon as the soldiers march out of the city.

ruinous, ruin us

Ruinous or ruinous ( one word ) describes something that brings about destruction or disaster, most commonly used figuratively--
The new procedure seemed like a good idea, but the effect was ruinous.
His irresponsibility was financially ruinous; the firm went bankrupt a year after he took over.

Ruin us or ruin us ( two words ) means cause destruction or disaster ( ruin ) to the speaker and one other person ( us ), most commonly used to refer to financial, political, or professional disaster--
We had a bad year, and these new regulations may ruin us.
How could you give the press such a story? It will ruin us!

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His latest political blunder was ruinous; one more like that will ruin us completely."

resister, resistor

Resister or resister means someone who opposes or resists something, such as the draft ( military conscription )--
He was a draft resister in the 1960's, but now he's very conservative.
He was a war resister and a subversive when he was in college, so he can't get a security clearance.

Resistor or resistor means a device designed to introduce resistance into an electrical circuit--
A resistor reduces current flow and lowers voltage levels.
The dimmer switch in a lamp is made with a variable resistor.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The resistor that operates the volume control is broken; we may not be able to hear the draft resister speak."

impede, impend

Impede or impede means to get in the way of the progress of; to obstruct or hinder--
Failure to follow the doctor's advice will impede the patient's recovery.
Bickering only serves to impede any progress toward an agreement.

Impend or impend means to be waiting or near at hand; to threaten or menace--
What lurked in the hall? Did danger impend?
Did sorrow impend? He didn't know.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"If you don't take the medicine, a relapse might impend, and that would impede your recuperation."

Note--the most commonly used form of "impend" is "impending", to describe something that threatens or menaces--
Over his head hung the shadow of impending doom.

locket, lock it

Locket or locket means a necklace or pendant that opens to hold a photograph or a memento of some kind, such as a lock of hair--
She still wears a locket with his picture in it, although he's been dead for years.
We bought our mother a locket for her birthday, with all of our pictures in it.

Lock it or lock it means to secure or fasten something with a device, one that opens with a key or a combination--
The door is open; make sure to lock it when you go out.
When you park the car, make sure to roll the windows up and lock it.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"This guest has a gold locket; she wants us to lock it in the safe while she's out."

Note--"locked" is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago) of "lock", meaning to secure or fasten with a device that opens with a key or a combination--
I loccked the door, but I think I forgot the keys.

grieve, greave

Grieve or grieve means to feel or express sorrow or loss, as at the death of a loved one--
We should leave now, in case the family wants to grieve in private.

Grieves or grieves is the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "grieve", meaning to feel sorrow, often used with "it" to describe something that causes sorrow--
It grieves me to know that you don't want to finish school.

Greave or greave ( rhymes with grieve ) means a part of a suit of armor, used to protect the lower part of the leg, below the knee--
The blow was aimed at his shin, but his greave protected him.

Greaves or greaves ( rhymes with grieves ) is the plural ( more than one ) of "greave", meaning a piece of a suit of armor used to protect the lower leg--
This seems to be a pair of greaves from a very old suit of armor.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The knight's widow began to grieve again when the returning soldiers brought back only her husband's greave and his helmet."
"She grieves whenever she sees that old pair of greaves. We should get rid of them."

around, a round

Around or around ( one word ) is an informal word for approximately, or in the neighborhood or area of--
I'll be back around 8 o' clock.
Don't hang around the house all day; go out and play.
He lives somewhere around 84th Street.

Around may mean to do something that has been on a list or waiting for your attention--
I'll do that when I get around to it.

Around or around also means in a circle or surrounding a center point, or to move in a circle--
We all gathered around the fire to tell stories.
A crowd gathered around, but the police stopped them before they could get close.
He turned around, and what a surprise!

Around may mean to make a detour so as to avoid; to get past a difficulty--
We got stuck in traffic, waiting get around a stalled car.
We can get around the new regulations by changing the name of our product.

Around may also mean in circumference, when measured--
The tree is about three feet around, at the base.
Use a piece of string to measure around the pole.

A round or a round ( two words ) describes something that is circular or spherical in shape--
She wants a round mirror, to use as a tray on the dresser.
Can you cut a round piece of glass to fix a window?

A round may also mean a part of a boxing match, a game of golf, or a part of some other game--
How about a round of golf?
We are going next door to play a round of bridge.
A round may mean a set of drinks, one for each person--
The man at the end of the bar wants to buy a round of drinks.

A round may mean a song sung by different persons or groups, as a sort of relay--
We could sing this as a round, to make it more interesting.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I told them to meet us around seven, for a round of drinks and then dinner."