germane, German

Germane or germane means pertinent; relevant--
His financial state is germane to the case; it establishes a motive.
Try not to ask questions that are not germane to the discussion.

German ( always capitalized ) describes someone or something from Germany, including the language--
We don't speak German; is there someone here who speaks English?
They will have German food and a polka band; do you want to go?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His German ancestry may be germane to the topic if it has influenced his political opinions."

Note --"germen" is an old-fashioned word meaning "germ", a disease cauing organism or microbe --
This elixir may kill the germen, and aid in her recovery.

adult, a dolt

Adult or adult means grown up or mature; of the age of majority, usually 18 or 21--
They need adult supervision.
You'll be an adult next year, you should be thinking about your future.

A dolt or a dolt ( two words, almost rhymes with adult ) means one ( a ) blockhead or simpleton ( dolt )--
Use your head; don't be a dolt.
He's a dolt; he says the silliest things.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"As an adult, he looked back and remembered what a dolt he had been as a teenager."

occult, a cult

Occult or occult means having something to do with magic or astrology, or other secret or arcane lore--
He reads all kinds of occult literature, and believes every word.
Perhaps as many people believe in magic and the occult today, as believed five hundred years ago.

Occult also means, in science, hidden, as a a star or planet by another star or planet--
We should be able to watch Mars occult the star we're looking at, a few hours from now.

A cult or a cult ( two words ) means one ( a ) group bound together by veneration of a person or idea, excluding all outsiders ( cult )--
He belongs to a cult; the members believe they will one day live in cyberspace.
Their son joined a cult of born-again Christians, and they want to resuce him.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We call them a cult and not a sect because their beliefs are secret, as in the days of occult practices."

lonesome, loan some

Lonesome or lonesome ( one word ) means lonely; feeling the lack of company--
The dog gets lonesome and howls if we're away too long.
"I'm a lonesome polecat..."
"It's a lonesome town all right..."

Loan some or loan some ( two words, rhymes with lonesome ) means lend, or permit to use temporarily ( loan ) a certain quantity ( some )--
He wants to know if you'll loan some tools to his friend.
Can we loan some chairs to the neighbors? Sure.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The lonesome old man next door wants to know if we'll loan some money to his son."

Note--"alone some" means solitary or by one's self ( alone ), unspecified ( some )--
He'll be alone some day, and he'll have to fend for himself.

arraign, a rain, a reign

Arraign or arraign ( one word ) means to summon before a court to answer an indictment, literally or figuratively--
They will arraign the suspect on Monday.
If they arraign him before the court of public opinion, he will be found guilty.

A rain or a rain ( two words, rhymes with arraign ) means a steady fall of water from the clouds, literally, or something else, figuratively--
News reports claim they had a rain of spiders in Australia.
He fell beneath a rain of blows, and lost consciousness.

A reign or a reign ( two words, rhymes with arraign ) means a span of time during which a monarch occupies a throne, or rules a country--
She will be remembered for a reign marked by conflict and economic depression.
The old queen has had a reign of more than fifty years; she may retire soon.

A rein or a rein ( two words, rhymes with arraign ) means a leather strap used to control an animal, literally, or, figuratively, a means of control restraint--
He held a rein in each hand, and checked the runaway horse.
The new rules are intended as a rein on some of the irresponsible behavior we've had lately.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The queen, celebrating a reign of 60 years, was showered by a rain of confetti. The press refused to arraign her political conservatism, which often served as a rein on modernization."

simple, simplistic

Simple or simple means uncomplicated; easy to understand--
Our students would benefit from regular practice with simple math problems.
The directions are plain and simple; anyone can follow them.

Simple may also mean plain or unadorned--
She wore a simple dress of pale blue linen.
We'd like a simple sign; one with just the house numbers on it.

Simplistic or simplistic describes reducing something to nonsense, as a philosophical outlook, or in an effort to make it easier to understand--
His reasoning is simplistic; there's more to the problem than can be understood at a glance.
His argument is simplistic; he sees things in terms of black and white, with no shades of gray.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We asked for a text with simple explanations, but these are simplistic; the students won't learn anything but how to repeat them."

valance, valence

Valance or valance means a short curtain or drapery--
I think we should just put a valance at the top, without the long drapes.
Long sheer drapes with a dark blue valance would look nice.

Valence or valence means, in chemistry, the capacity of an atom to combine with other atoms, to form molecules or chemical compounds--
In water, oxygen has a valence of 2; the number is determined by the hydrogen atoms with which it can combine.
The valence of an element is a measure of its ability to combine with other atoms.

Valence is also a linguistic term, meaning the number of grammatical elements with which a word, particularly a verb, can combine--
What is the valence of the verb in the sentence "He went home" ?

Valence is also used by some psychologists to describe the negative or positive emotions associated with something--
Anger has a negative valence; joy has a positive valence.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The scientist thought the curtains and the valance should combine as if by a valence bond."

foe, faux

Foe or foe means enemy or opponent--
The soldiers were trained to face the foe without flinching.
His old friend became a determined foe when he sat down to play checkers.

Faux or faux ( rhymes woth foe ) describes a fake or imitation substance--
The countertops are made of faux granite.
She wore a tiara of faux pearls.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"They sat on either side of a chessboard of faux marble, each a bitter foe of the other until the game was over."

Note--"faux pas" is French for "false step", most commonly used in English to mean a social blunder--
He called his boss by the wrong name; what an awful faux pas.

she, shea, shay

She or she is the third person singular pronoun, used as a substitute for the name of  a particular female, or to refer to a particular female--
Mary called; she won't be home until later.
This is our little girl; she is five years old.

Shea or shea ( pronounced to rhyme with she, or with hay ) is an African tree; the seeds are used to make personal care products and candles--
Shea butter is a commonly used as an ingredient in lotions and shampoos.
Try something with shea butter in it; that might help.

Shay or shay is a type of one-horse carriage, meant to carry two people--
"Have you heard of the wonderful one-hoss shay..."
They drove through town in a shay decorated with flowers.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She put shea butter on her face before they went out in the restored old shay."

colic, cowlick

Colic or colic means spasms of pain in the bowels--
She says the baby cries all night because he has colic, but we aren't sure about it.
You should call the vet at the first sign of colic.

Cowlick or cowlick means a tuft of hair that sticks out, usually in the front or at the top of the head--
He had a cowlick right in front, that gave him a silly look.
He is trying to plaster down his cowlick with some hair gel.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He doubled over with the colic, and you could see his cowlick sticking out, from above."

peruse, per use

Peruse or peruse ( one word ) means to read through carefully--
The author waited nervously, until his editor had time to peruse the manuscript.
He meant to peruse the chapter, but only had time to scan it quickly.

Per use or per use ( two words ) means for each ( per ) occasion of employing ( use )--
This detergent is cheaper; it will cost about 45 cents per use.
The large jar costs less per use than the small one.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He took time to peruse the entire catalog, figuring out which products cost less per use."

tropical, topical

Tropical or tropical descibes something that exists or thrives in a mild or warm climate, in the area bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn--
He wants to vacation someplace tropical, with palm trees and a beach.
This plant only thrives in a tropical  climate; you'll have to keep it indoors here.

Topical or topical describes something of current or local interest, as a news item--
The weather item is topical; they had a bad storm in Chicago today.
This story is no longer topical; no one will read it unless you come up with a fresh angle.

Topical also means related to the subject being discussed or written about--
Try to keep your comments topical; be ready to explain what they have to do with this discussion.
A comment about Henry the 8th might be topical, if the subject is religion and government.

Topical or topical also describes something that is applied to the skin or body, for medicinal purposes--
The doctor prescribed a topical pain reliever for Grandpa's arthritis.
This is a topical antibiotic; you put it on the infected area twice a day.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"If you're staying in a tropical location, pack some topical antibiotic, in case of an insect sting."

unintended, unattended

Unintended or unintended describes something not planned or expected--
The unintended consequences of the decision made the company look bad.
The unintended benefit of the construction work will be a day off for everyone.

Unattended or unattended means not cared for; not watched over--
Children must not be left unattended.
Never leave the grill unattended; the children might get hurt.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He left the car unattended; the citation was the unintended result."

Note--"untended" means not looked after, as a fire, or kept up, as a garden--
He left his trees untended for two years; they will need to be pruned and fertilized.

lured, lord

Lured or lured is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "lure", meaning to attract or entice--
In Greek mythology, the sirens lured men to their deaths.
He meant to go home with his winnings, but he was lured by the voice of the croupier.

Lord or lord ( rhymes with lured ) means a chief or ruler; an aristocrat--
In the United Kingdom, every patch of land still has a lord ruling over it.
He was as drunk as a lord.

Lord may also mean God or a deity--
They pray to their lord, in the belief that it controls the weather, and the fate of men.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The great crash lured the peasants to the cliff, from which they watched their lord sink with his ship."

Note--"allured" is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "allure", an action word more commonly used as a noun ( thing or idea ), meaning, as an action, to charm or fascinate--
He allured potential investors with a mixture of charm and reudition.
Not to be confused with "a lord " ( rhymes with allured ), meaning one ( a ) chief or ruler  ( lord )--
He was eventually knighted by the queen, and became a lord.

pouf, poof

Pouf or pouf means an arrangement of hair or fabric in a full round  shape--
She made an old-fashioned gown, and wore her hair in a powdered pouf.
The dress has a pouf of pink satin on each shoulder; it looks like a costume.

Pouf may also mean a small hassock, or a cushion used as a seat--
We bought some fabric to make a pouf for the living room.

Poof or poof ( rhymes with pouf ) means the sound made by something disappearing, as if in a puff of smoke--
He was standing on the stage, when suddenly "poof!" he vanished.
All that work went "poof!" up in smoke.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He touched the pouf of silk on her dress, and "poof!" she disappeared."

Note--"puff" means a short burst of wind or breath--
"Or I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in..."

"Puff" may also mean to swell or inflate, literally or figuratively--
Watch the cat puff up every time he hears a dog go by outside.
His parents will puff with pride when they hear the news.

"Puff" may also mean a soft or feathery pad or ball, used to apply powder to the skin--
We bought her a box of powder with a fancy pink puff; she's sure to like it.

tuft, toughed

Tuft or tuft means a small clump or cluster of grass, hair, or something else that is attached at the base and loose at the top--
The cat came home with a tuft of feathers in his mouth.
There's nothing left of the lawn but an occasional tuft of grass.

Toughed or toughed ( rhymes with tuft ) is a familar or slang term, most commonly used with "out", meaning lasted, or endured through difficulty--
He wanted to quit, but he toughed it out until the end of the year.
He lost his job, and toughed out a period of unemployment.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He toughed it out for 6 months, living in the woods, unitl a tuft of hair grew on his chin."

Note--"toughened" is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "toughen", meaning to make stronger or more durable; more resistant to discomfort--
His camping expeience toughened him; he could sleep on the ground comfortably.
Note # 2--"tufted" is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "tuft", meaning to arrange in a clump or cluster, as when making pillows or upholstering furniture--
She wants red velvet tufted pillows for the sofa.
Note # 3--"tough end" ( two words ) would mean the side or part ( end ) that is more difficult or stronger ( tough )--
The test had an easy beginning but a tough end.
Make sure to put the nail through the tough end of theboard.

stable, stabile

Stable or stable means firm or steady, literally or figuratively--
Use bolts at all four corners if you want it to be stable.
With a stable government the economy is sure to improve.

Stable or stable also means a building where livestock are kept--
The horses are in the stable.

Stabile or stabile ( rhymes or nearly rhymes with stable ) is a medical term, meaning resistant chemical change, most commonly used to mean when exposed to moderate heat--
These proteins are stabile at 110 degrees.

Stabile also means a type of abstract sculpture that is fixed to a support--
He posted a photo of Calder's famous stabile.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We'll need to add some lead weights to make the base of the stabile stable."

attract, a tract

Attract or attract ( one word ) means to draw toward itself, as by gravity or magnetic force--
Gravitational pull from a large planet can attract a smaller planet or moon.
The magnet will attract the iron, but the plastic will stay where you put it.

Attract may also be used figuratively, meaning to allure or invite--
She used every feminine wile to attract his attention, but to no avail.
This will attract her attention.

A tract or a tract ( two words ) means one ( a ) pamphlet or leaflet ( tract ) --
Someone knocked, and left a tract in the door.
This essay was first published as a tract; it was very controversial at the time.

A tract also means one ( a ) parcel of land ( tract ) --
We bought a tract of land near the lake, and plan to build a cottage on it.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He published the satire as a tract, hoping to attract the attention of the media."

attack, a tack

Attack or attack ( one word ) means to set upon violently, literally or figuratively--
Colonel, we will attack the enemy at dawn.
Do not use this site as a forum to attack other posters.

Attack may also mean an assault, physical or verbal--
He was injured in the attack, and is still in the hospital.
An attack on a man's character isn't a political argument.

A tack or a tack ( two words ) means one ( a ) small nail ( tack )--
Do you have a tack? I want to hang this on the bulletin board.
He put a tack in each corner, so it wouldn't fall down.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Your son left a tack on the principal's chair, an attack on his person and his office."

eke, eek

Eke or eke is most commonly used in the phrase "eke out", meaning to acquire through struggle--
They managed to eke out a living through long hours of work, even on weekends.
The old man hoped to eke out a living selling hats and umbrellas to the tourists.

Eek or eek ( rhymes with eke ) means a cry of fright or alarm--
Eek! A mouse!
Eek! What was that?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Eek! How will they eke out a living until his leg gets better?"

Note--"eke" is also an archaic ( no longer used ) word meaning "also"--
"The bird, the beast, the fish eke of the sea..."

append, upend

Append or append means to add or attach; as a supplement or signature--
Make sure to leave a space to append the signatures.
We can append a list of suggestions for further study, at the back of the book.

Upend or upend means to set on end, as a crate or piece of furniture; literally or figuratively--
The furniture may fit in the truck if we upend the dresser.
To conform with the new regulations, we'll need to upend our entire security system.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We don't need to upend our accounting system; just tell everyone to append their receipts."

sad, sadly

Sad or sad describes an unhappy or sorrowful person, thing, state or condition--
Do you feel sad?
This is a sad song.
Sad may also mean deplorably bad; pitiful--
This is a sad state of affairs.

Sadly or sadly describes an unhappy or sorrowful action--
"It's raining", she said sadly.
The mourners moved sadly and slowly, in single file.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I didn't realize how sad this poem was, unitl I heard him recite it so sadly."