crowd, crowed

Crowd or crowd means a large group of people; a throng--
There is a large crowd assembled, waiting for the ball to drop.
It's nice to be out in a well-dressed crowd on a special occasion.

Crowed or crowed is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "crow", meaning to gloat or exult, or to utter a loud cry of joy--
He crowed with delight when he got the good news.
When he crowed, she knew that the news was good.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"As soon as he crowed "Happy New Year!", the crowd began to shout."

prediction, predilection

Prediction or prediction means a forecast or prognostication; an idea of future events or trends--
We are each going to contribute one prediction for the new year.
His Superbowl prediction was correct last year, for the first time ever.

Predilection or predilection means a preference;  a predisposition or leaning ( in favor of )--
He has always had a predilection for little red sports cars.
I see we share a predilection for costume dramas.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Our prediction for next year is that the consumer's predilection for new sharing platforms will continue."

packed, pact

Packed or packed is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "pack", meaning to load or fill, as a suitcase or goods for shipping--
He packed his suitcase last night; I don't know what's taking him so long.
We packed the glasses in small cartons, and the dishes in cardboard barrels.

Packed may also mean filled or crowded, as a public place full of people--
The train was packed; no one else could get in the door.
They played to a packed house; there were people standing in the back, and in the aisles.

Pact or pact ( rhymes with packed ) means a treaty or agreement--
Here's an article about the arms pact that's been in the news.
Thye made a pact to meet every year on the same day, no matter what.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We made a pact; whoever packed the bags has to unpack them."

hurts, hertz

Hurts or hurts is the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "hurt", meaning to injure or cause pain, physically or mentally--
Let go of my foot; that hurts!
Don't yell; that hurts his feelings.
Her attitude hurts business, but she doesn't seem to want to change.

Hurts may also be the plural of "hurt", meaning an injury or pain--
He remembered years later, the special bandages she put on his little hurts.
His hurts and scrapes were forgotten, as soon as he saw the ice cream truck.

Hertz or hertz ( rhymes with hurts ) is a unit of frequency, equal to one cycle per second--
Radio waves are measured in hertz.
A blue whale will vocalize at 15-20 hertz.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He learned that radio waves are called hertz, and now he's sure that it hurts him to listen."

nativity, naivete, naiveté

Nativity or nativity means birth; most commonly used to refer to the birth of Christ--
On December the 25th, Christians celebrate the nativity of Christ.
He often dreamed of returning to the place of his nativity.

Naivete or naivete ( also spelled naiveté or naivety ) means innocence, or the quality of being artlesss or simple--
Her naivete made a sort of shield; she didn't understand the meaning of their vulgar quips.
In his naivete, he believed them to be misguided, when, in fact, they were evil.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"In her naivete, she misunderstood the naughty joke--she thought it was a reference to the nativity."

flocks, phlox

Flocks or flocks is the plural ( more than one ) of "flock", meaning a group or herd; a number of animals of one kind kept together--
"There were shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night..."
After the snow stopped falling, there were flocks of birds, all clamoring for food.

Phlox or phlox ( rhymes with flocks ) means a flowering plant, common in gardens--
We will put phlox of different colors in front of the house.
I like to see the phlox blooming in Summer.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The white phlox reminded him of flocks of sheep he had seen, wandering in the fields."

Note--"flox" ( rhymes with flocks ) is a scientific or technical term, concerning the manipulation of DNA--
If we could flox this gene, we might be able to stop the spread of the disease.

again, a gain

Again or again  ( one word ) means once more, or another time--
Would you say that again, please?
I would like to eat here again, when it isn't so crowded.

A gain or a gain ( two words ) means one ( a ) increase, winnings, or improvement ( gain ) --
All that work only brought us a gain of a few thousand dollars.
The trip was expensive, but the contacts he made were a gain.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"If I show a gain of even a few pounds again, the doctor said I'll have to go on a diet."

firs, furs, furze

Firs or firs is the plural ( more than one ) of "fir", meaning an evergreen or conifer--
They cut down all of the young firs to sell for Christmas trees.
We've planted some firs along the fence; they'll cover it as they grow.

Furs or furs ( rhymes with firs ) is the plural ( more than one ) of "fur", meaning the hairy skin or pelt of an animal, or a garment made from it--
The trapper traded his furs for food and tools.
The old woman wore furs, even in Summer.

Furze or furze ( rhymes with firs ) means a European plant with yellow flowers; gorse--
He gathered a large bunch of furze and wild daisies.
The meadow is bright yellow with furze this time of year.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"They stood wrapped in furs, admiring the snow on the firs, in the same field that had bloomed with furze."

faucet, fossette

Faucet or faucet means the tap on a sink; a device for controlling the flow of water from a pipe or tap--
The faucet is leaking; we should call the plumber.
The tub needs a new faucet; the old one won't turn off all the way.

Fossette or fossette means a small depression or hollow; a dimple--
This type of shell has a fossette where it was attached, easily identifiable.
A small particle of a harsh chemical may cause a fossette; it may interfere with your vision.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"A faucet left dripping for a long time may eventually wear a fossette in a stone basin."

glacier, glazier

Glacier or glacier means a mass of  ice, moving very slowly--
It would take a long period of very warm weather to melt a glacier.
At the end of the last ice age, this glacier reached to the end of the valley.

Glazier or glazier means someone who fits windows with panes of glass--
When the joiner is done making the window frames, the glazier will put the glass in them.
He tried to fix the window himself, but then he called a glazier.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We have asked a glazier to turn this into a picture window, so that we can look at the glacier and the mountains beyond."

Note--not to be confused with "glazer", meaning someone who puts the finish on pottery, leather, doughnuts, or something else--
The glazer will paint a distinctive design on each pot, and sign it on the bottom.

found, founded

Found or found is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "find", meaning to recover something that was lost,  to come upon by chance, or to attain something sought--
He lost his keys, but he found them after a few minutes.
We found a great place to get a pizza.
He found a sense of belonging when he changed jobs.

Founded or founded is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "found", meaning to establish, or to build a base or a ground for something--
This country was founded in 1776.
They founded a new charity, one that will help the homeless.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He founded a tech startup, then found his new partners on an employment web site."

variance, variants

Variance or variance means difference or deviance--
I have marked each variance with a sticky note.
If you find a variance in the score, please correct it with a pencil.
Variance, especially when used with "at", may mean a difference of opinion--
Their opinions are always at variance; they never agree on an issue.
They were at variance, if not at loggerheads, on the issue; everyone was tired of discussing it.

Variance also means a permit to build or alter something in a manner or in a place forbidden by a local zoning ordinance; an offical exception to a zoning rule--
He asked the town council for a variance to expand the parking lot.
The zoning board refused to grant a variance for a taller fence.

Variants or variants ( rhymes with variance ) is the plural ( more than one ) of "variant", meaning a different version, spelling or interpretation--
There are several variants of this old song; which one do you want us to play?
There are dozens of variants of this old story, each with a different ending.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We will note each variance in the script, and attempt to make one play out of the many variants."

weave, we've

Weave or weave means to make cloth on a loom; or by interlacing thread or yarn--
She learned to weave, and she's making an afghan for the living room.
He built a loom, and he's going to weave a rug out of plastic bags.

Weave also means to move from side to side--
He had to weave through the crowd, so it took longer than usual.
The police pulled him over when they saw his car weave.

We've or we've ( rhymes with weave ) is a contraction ( short, informal form ) of "we have", meaning the speaker and one other person ( we ), used with a verb to indicate an action completed or finished in the past ( have )--
We've spent our vacation there every year; we want to go somewhere else.
We've hardly had time to unpack, and now we're going to move again.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He plans to weave a memory wall hanging, with a photo of each of the places we've visited."

four feet, forefeet

Four feet or four feet ( two words ) means the four legs of a quadruped animal, or possibly of a table, a piece of furniture, or an appliance--
People have injured cats, trying to find out if they really land on all four feet.
The microwave had four feet on the bottom, but two of them are missing.
Four feet or four feet may also be a measure of distance equal to 48 inches, or a yard and a foot--
The window is about three feet wide and four feet long.

Forefeet or forefeet ( one word, rhymes with four feet ) means the front two legs of a quadruped animal--
He had his forefeet up on the table, and he was wagging his tail.
Both of his forefeet have little spots on them; so we named him Freckles.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He jumped about four feet in the air, and landed on his forefeet, but he wasn't hurt."

Note--"four legs" means the four legs of a quadruped animal, or of a table or chair--
The dog was running as fast as his four legs would carry him.
This table used to have four legs, but it still stands up with only three.
Not to be confused with "forelegs", meaning the two front legs of a quadruped animal--
He has injured both forelegs, so he hobbles around until the casts come off.
Note # 2--"forepaws" means the two front paws of a quadruped animal, or the paws of the two front legs or feet--
He scratches at things with his forepaws, so we gave him a cardboard box to use for that.
Not to be confused with "four paws", meaning all four of the paws of a quadruped animal, or the paws of all of its legs or feet--
He has one gray spot on each of his four paws, so we named him Spotty.

chivalry, chivari

Chivalry or chivalry means the medieval code of knighthood, including courtesy, bravery, and fidelity--
The knights of the round table were expected to live up to the code of chivalry.
He prided himself on his chivalry; he was always courteous to ladies.

Chivari or chivari ( also spelled chivaree, shivaree, charivari; nearly rhymes with chivalry ) means a celebration of noise; a serenade with noise, horns and banging pots--
We are planning to wake the newlyweds at midnight with a chivari.
We have a chivari for anyone who moves into the neighborhood.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"It offends his sense of chivalry to have a chivari for the new parents; he thinks we should leave them alone."

Note--"shivery" ( rhymes with chivari ) describes someone shaking or trembling from the cold--
They came in from playing in the snow all shivery and red in the face.

racial, racist

Racial or racial describes something having to do with blood or ancestry, or with the differences between ancestral or ethnic groups--
This company believes that racial diversity is a worthwhile goal, and hires accordingly.
There are no racial considerations in that company's hiring policies.

Racist or racist describes behavior or speech based on the idea that some ancestral or ethnic groups are superior to others--
He lost his government job when they found out that he belonged to a racist organization.
Any threats, name-calling, hate speech or racist comments will be deleted.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The old policy was racist in effect, if not in intent; the new policy will help us to promote racial diversity."

Note--"racy" is an informal term describing something suggestive, as alluding to sex behavior or sexual mores--
Please don't tell that racy story in front of the children.

gleam, glean

Gleam or gleam means a subdued light; a low flash or beam, literally or figuratively--
I saw a faint gleam in that direction; we must be near the coast.
The new treatment offers a gleam of hope for a full recovery.

Glean or glean means to gather the bits of grain left in the field after the harvest; to gather something bit by bit--
They went into the fields after the reapers, to glean what was left of the grain.
Just read through it quickly, and try to glean any relevant facts.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We could see the faint gleam from a campfire, probably lit by workers waiting to glean the fields."

immunity, impunity

Immunity or immunity means freedom from the danger of contracting a disease, by being rendered unsusceptible--
This vaccine provides immunity for life.
He has immunity because he has already had this disease, and you can only get it once.

Immunity or immunity also means exemption from liability or obligation--
The district attorney offered him immunity from prosecution if he agreed to testify against his partner.

Impunity or impunity means freedom from any threat of punishment or censure--
The legal system was in the gangster's pocket; he committed crimes with impunity.
He attended a private school where they misbehaved with impunity.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He was offered immunity from prosecution for past crimes, not permission to commit new crimes with impunity."

party, parti, parti--

Party or party means a gala or fete; a social gathering or an occasion for celebration--
We are having a party on Saturday. Will you come?
They are giving a party in honor of their parents' anniversary.

Party or party may also mean to take part in a celebration--
Last day of classes! Let's party until dawn!
All he wanted to do was party, so he flunked out of school.

Party or party also means a group with political opinions in common; a  faction--
He was a member of the conservative party, so he didn't vote for the tax reform bill.
His party has a majority of the house, so the measure is sure to pass.

Party may also mean one of the sides in a legal dispute--
"The party of the first part, also known as the plaintiff..."

Party may also mean a small group of persons assembled for a particular purpose--
They have been missing for hours; let's send out a scouting party.

Parti or parti means the basic scheme in an architectural design--
We'll show the client the parti, to see if they approve the design.

Parti-- or parti-- is an old-fashioned prefix ( added to the beginning of a word ), meaning varied or multi--
His parti-colored suit made him look something like a jester.
Everyone wore bright shirts and parti-colored hats, in honor of the holiday.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Everyone wore parti-colored gowns, to make the party more festive."

march, marsh

March or march means to walk in military formation, with a measured step, or in a deliberate manner-
Forward, march!
We will all march in unison, down to the end of the parade ground.
March or march may also mean a demonstration, as for a political cause--
There will be a march on Saturday, to protest the new tax law.

Marsh or marsh means a swamp or wetland--
We saw a heron and some ducks at the marsh.
Part of the marsh has been made into a wildlife sanctuary.

Now that you know that,  you can say--
"We are going to march to the city hall, to ask for a new law to preserve the marsh as a park."

Note--"March" ( always capitalized ) means the third month of the year--
The weather begins to get warm in March.
There will be a holiday on March 1st.

wanton, want on

Wanton or wanton ( one word ) means careless, reckless, or lawless; unrestrained--
The accused has shown a wanton disregard for the safety of the consumers of this product.
The act was not only a crime, but a display of wanton cruelty. We ask for the maximum penalty.

Want on or want on ( two words ) means desire or wish [ something ] on top or as a covering; in use or functioning--
What do you want on your burger?
Is this the quilt you want on your bed?
Is this the record you want on?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Bacon is all I want on my sandwich; I have a wanton disregard for cholesterol warnings."

 Note--"wanton" is also an old-fashioned term for a sexually loose person; particularly a woman--
Do not go about so; people will deem you a wanton!
Wanton may also mean to frolic or "party"--
It's a fine day; we should wanton in the glade.
Note # 2--"wonton" means the noodle dumpling served in soup at Chinese restaurants--
We'd like some egg rolls and some wonton soup.

act in, actin

Actin or actin ( one word ) means a globulin that plays a part in muscle contraction; a part of the human body--
A body deficient in actin will have difficulty moving in a normal way.
The disease seems to be linked to a decrease in actin.

Act in or act in ( two words ) means to behave or to perform ( in )--
I wish he wouldn't act in such an affected way.
He is going to act in the school play; he has a small part.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Could a lack of actin cause a muscle to act in such a strange way?"

Note--"actin--" is a prefix ( added to the beginning of a word ), used to describe the physics of chemical effects produced by radiation--
He is studying the effects of actinic rays.
Note # 2--"acting" is a participle ( used with a helper verb, or as a noun ) of "act", meaning to behave or to perform in a play, TV show, or movie--
His acting may win him an Oscar.
Note # 3--Some authors will omit the "g" at the end of "acting", to imitate actual speech, particularly informal or uneducated speech--
I don't like the way he's actin'.

act on, acton

Act on or act on ( two words ) means to do something; to exert force or energy [ act ], with respect or regard for, or with the thought of [ on ]--
He felt a surging resentment, but he refused to act on it.
He was quick to make a resolution, but slow to act on it.
Act on or act on ( two words ) might also mean to take part in a show or play [ act ], atop or supported by [ on ]--
He liked to read the plays aloud, but he refused to act on the stage.

Acton or acton ( one word ) means a quilted or padded garment worn under mail or armor, in medieval times--
They removed his mail and his acton, to have a look at his wound.
The arrow penetrated his mail, but stuck in his acton; it only scratched his side.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"All was lost. He lay with his acton soaked in blood; his subordinates refused to act on his command."