a right, aright

A right or a right ( two words ) describes something in the direction of the east when facing north--
Make a right turn at the light.

A right may describe one ( a ) correct ( right ) thing or idea--
Is there a right answer, or was that a rhetorical question?

A right may mean one ( a ) just claim or title, either legal, moral, or financial ( right )--
Let him speak; he has a right to be heard.

A right may also describe a perpendicular line, or an angle of 90 degrees--
If you cut the paper on the diagonal, you'll have a right triangle.
The two lines make a right angle, like the corner of a square.

Aright or aright ( one word, rhymes with a right ) is an old-fashioned word meaning correctly, or the way it should be--
He set the vase aright, but the flowers were all broken.
Set that picture aright; it's crooked.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Make a right when you get to the crossroads, and you'll come out aright."

Note--"all right" ( two words ) is an expression of assent or agreement--
Oh, all right, I'll go with you.
"All right" may also mean okay, good, or satisfactory--
Are you all right?
Does this look all right?

contingent, contingency

Contingent or contingent describes something possible or uncertain; depending on a condition--
The building plans are contingent upon the approval of the zoning board.
Our plans are contingent upon the weather, so let's have a backup plan ready.

Contingent is also a noun ( thing or idea ), meaning a quota of troops, or a  group making part of a greater assembly, as by lot or portion--
The duke sent a contingent of infantry to aid his brother.
We'll be part of the California contingent at the national convention.

Contingency or contingency is a noun ( thing or idea ), meaning dependence on chance or on a certain condition; uncertainty--
We have prepared for every contingency, including earthquake and flood.
It's best to be prepared for any contingency.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We have to be ready for any contingency, and this trip is contingent on our finances, on our legal status, and on the goodwill of any people we encounter."

adopt, adapt

Adopt or adopt means to make one's own by selection or agreement--
The house voted to adopt the new resolution.
They have no children, so they decided to adopt one.

Adapt or adapt means to adjust or modify, so as to fit or suit--
We can adapt this to suit our needs.
It may take him a few days to adapt to his new surroundings.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"If you adopt a child, it may take him some time to adapt to his new home."

Note--"adept" means highly skilled or expert--
He has wonderful social skills; he's adept at getting people to talk.

credible, creditable

Credible or credible means believable, as a story that seems to be true--
At first she doubted his story, but later it seemed credible.
If you're going to be late, make sure your excuse is credible.

Creditable or creditable describes an action that brings honor or esteem--
His quick thinking and prompt action were creditable; he'll be rewarded by the management.
His creditable dedication and hard work earned him a position of trust.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His bravery under fire was creditable; we think he'll make a credible witness."

omnivorous, omniferous

Omnivorous or omnivorous means eating everything, or eating food of all kinds, literally or figuratively--
Most people are omnivorous; they eat meat, vegetables, and grain.
He's an omnivorous reader; he reads all kinds of books and magazines.

Omniferous or omniferous means producing or bearing all kinds--
He painted a picture of one great omniferous tree of life.
He believes that the world and everything in it came from the omniferous mind of God.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"In the kitchen she's omniferous, producing all kinds of dishes, and her omnivorous family eats them with relish."

Note--"omnifarious" means of all kinds or varieties--
Ask several people to comment, so that we can show their omnifarious opinions.

eternal, internal

Eternal or eternal means lasting or enduring forever, without a beginning or end--
Some religions teach a doctrine of eternal life.
Even the stars are not eternal, just very ancient.

Internal or internal means on the inside of something; contained within; physically or mentally--
The biology students are learning about internal organs.
You'll want to contact the internal affairs department.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Talk of eternal life gives him an acute feeling of internal discomfort."

Note--"external" means on the outside of something--
"This product is for external use only; not to be taken internally."

oscillate, osculate

Oscillate or oscillate means to swing back and forth, like a pendulum, literally or figuratively--
The value may oscillate from two to negative two, along an axis of zero.
His opinions seem to oscillate between liberal and conservative, but he's really independent.

Osulate or osculate means to come into close contact; to kiss or touch, as two circles or geometric forms, or facetiously, people--
The two curves are said to osculate when they come into contact at one point.
Their wedding photo is funny; they seem to osculate, in profile, like a pair of kissing fish.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His feelings seemed to oscillate between an ardent desire to osculate with the woman, and stone cold indifference."

unsalable, unassailable

Unsalable or unsalable describes something that cannot be sold, because of poor condition, legal restrictions, or lack of any buyer--
The flood rendered all of his goods unsalable, and he's not sure that insurance will cover the loss.
The house remains unsalable until the lien is paid.

Unassailable or unassailable describes something that is not open to attack or assault, physically or intellectually--
The fortress was virtually unassailable; they had to think of another way to win the battle.
His position is unassailable; there's no point in trying to argue with him.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His defense seemed unassailable, but the goods remain unsalable unitl he can prove that he owns the legal rights."

a sail, assail

A sail or a sail ( two words ) means one ( a ) pice of canvas mounted to a part of a boat or ship, used to catch the wind and propel the craft--
Do you know how to mend a sail?
We can use this for a sail, and attach it to our toy boat.

A sail may also mean an excursion in a boat propelled by canvas catching the wind--
They went for a sail around the bay.

Assail or assail ( one word, rhymes with a sail ) means to attack or assault, physically or verbally--
He used the umbrella to assail people passing by, but the police caught him.
You won't win if you assail your opponent with nasty rumors.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When idle worries assail your mind, just think about going for a sail around the island."

incredible, incredulous

Incredible or incredible describes something unbelievable, as in difficult to believe; impossible--
He told a long-winded and incredible tale of his youthful adventures.
That's an incredible story; no one will believe it.

Incredulous or incredulous describes a person unable to believe, or refusing to believe, something--
He declaimed his innocence, but the judge was incredulous.
She remained incredulous, even though he added convincing details to the story.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The story was incredible, and we were incredulous."

annul, a null

Annul or annul ( one word ) means to invalidate; to make legally void, as a law or contract--
They asked the judge to annul their marriage.
A court decision may annul the law, but it can't alter or rewrite it.

A null or a null ( two words, rhymes with annul ) describes something ( a ) without effect or consequence; something void or empty ( null )--
Without a signature, it's a null contract.
The set of people who have never used the internet may be a null set.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"This is a null statute for any practical purpose; it won't matter if the legislature decides to annul it."

till, til

Till or till means to cultivate the soil; to farm or to plow--
His only hope was to till the same piece of ground he'd worked on all his life.
He's sure that the land west of New York is full of simple folk who till the soil.

Till also means a drawer for keeping cash or valuables--
Did you count the money in the till?
There are no coins in the till; where are they?

Til or til, sometimes spelled 'til, is short form of "until", meaning up to the time; before--
We have to behave until our parents get home.
He didn't show up until we were nearly done.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The cash in the till can stay there til tomorrow."

Note--til may also mean the sesame plant--
They grow til for its oil, used in cooking.

teeter, titer

Teeter or teeter means to wobble or to move unsteadily--
The cart will teeter with a flat tire, but it should still do the job.
Their little girl likes to teeter around the house in an old pair of high heels.

Titer or titer ( most commonly pronounced to rhyme with teeter ) means a measure of the strength of a chemical in a solution, most commonly used as a test of the quantity of an antibody, to determine if a person is immune to a particular disease--
A titer can show us that he's already had the disease, or that he's been vaccintated for it.
We'll need a titer to find out if he's immune to the measles.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The doctor wants a titer for polio, to find out if that's what makes him teeter when he walks."

Note--"titer" , meaning a measure of antibodies, is sometimes pronounced to rhyme with "tighter", meaning more tense, taut, or firmly fixed--
Tie the laces tighter, so they won't come undone.
Note# 2--"titter" means to laugh in a silly or affected way--
If I have to listen to that mindless titter of his one more time, I may lose my temper.

bode, bowed

Bode or bode means to portend or to foretell--
This does not bode well for any future business relationship.

Bowed or bowed ( rhymes with bode ) means curved or bent--
The chair has bowed front legs and straight back legs.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The bowed drawer front doesn't bode well for restoring the dresser."

Note--"abode" ( one word ) means dwelling or residence; home--
Welcome to our humble abode.

Not to be confused with "a bowed" ( two words, rhymes with abode ), used to describe one ( a ) curved or arched ( bowed ) thing--
The shelf has a bowed front, with an ornate edge.

a firm, affirm

A firm or a firm ( two words ) means one ( a ) partnership or business association ( firm )--
He is a partner in a firm that manufactures widgets.
We are thinking about organizing a firm to promote our new technology.

A firm may also describe something solid, steady, or unwavering--
Look him in the eye and greet him with a firm handshake.
Our business will have a firm foundation; we have very few debts.

Affirm or affirm ( one word, rhymes with a firm ) means to state positively; to declare in a formal way, as before a court; to hold as true or valid, as one court concerning the judgment of another court--
"I do solemnly swear ( or affirm)..."
We hope the judge will affirm the decision of the lower court.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When asked if the evidence would affirm his client's innocence, the attorney replied with a firm 'yes'."

a float, afloat

A float or a float ( two words ) means one ( a ) vehicle carrying a display or tableau in a parade ( float )--
We are making a float for the parade on Saturday.
She will be riding on a float, waving at the crowds.

A float may also mean a life preserver; something to keep a person buoyant in the water--
Man overboard! Throw him a float!

A float may also mean a buoyant ball used in pumbing--
There should be a float attached to the end of this rod.

Afloat or afloat ( one word, rhymes with a float ) means on top of the water; borne on the water--
How long can the ship stay afloat with that hole in her hull?

Afloat may also mean kept in business, financially, or kept from sinking--
A new marketing strategy may help to keep our busines afloat.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He remained afloat for hours, clinging to a float that he found near the ship."

a foul, afoul

A foul or a foul ( two words ) describes something dirty, smelly, or muddy, literally or figuratively--
There is a foul smell in the garage; we'll have to clean it out.
He has a foul mouth, and it gets him into trouble.

A foul may also mean a baseball that has been hit to the outside of the base line, or some other sporting error--
The umpire called it a foul, but he was sure the ball was inside the line.
He had to sit on the bench because he committed a foul.

Afoul or afoul ( one word, rhymes with a foul ) means to be entangled, or to come into conflict with--
He first ran afoul of the law when he was still in his teens.
The ship couldn't move with its lines afoul.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He has a foul temper, and he's run afoul of the referee several times."

Note--not to be confused with "a fowl" ( rhymes with a foul ), meaning one ( a ) chicken or other domesticated bird commonly raised for food, such as a turkey, goose, or duck--
We might roast a fowl for Sunday dinner.

a foot, afoot

A foot or a foot ( two words ) means one ( a ) part of the leg below the ankle, that goes in a shoe--
That opening should be too small for a foot to get stuck in.
These shoes won't do; a foot is either left or right.

A foot may mean the lower part of a table, or a machine part--
It's a foot from an old table, with a ball and claw.
It looks like a foot from an old sewing machine.

A foot or a foot also means one ( a ) measure of twelve inches ( foot )--
You'll need a board about a foot wide, and six feet long.
We'd like a foot long hot dog and a side of fries.

Afoot or afoot ( one word, rhymes with a foot ) means in progress or going on--
"The game is afoot."
There's mischief afoot.

Afoot may also mean walking, as a means of travel--
He came afoot, and needs a rest.
We can make twenty miles each day if we travel afoot.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We have come ten miles afoot, and I couldn't go a foot farther."

plotting, plodding

Plotting or plotting means planning or scheming--
They were accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
Plotting this information on a graph might make it easier to understand.

Plodding or plodding ( almost rhymes with plotting ) means walking or moving heavily and slowly--
If he keeps plodding along like that, it will take all day to get there.
After what seemed like years of diligent plodding, he rose to the top of his profession.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The patrolman was plodding down the path when he came upon a gang plotting to rob the bank."

aloft, a loft

Aloft or aloft ( one word ) means into the air or high above the ground--
The balloon can remain aloft for several hours.
The captain sent him aloft, to see if land was anywhere near.

A loft or a loft ( two words ) means one ( a ) upper story of a warehouse or barn, or an upper gallery used for some purpose, such as a choir ( loft )--
They converted a loft into an apartment; it's very stylish.
The church has a loft in the rear, for a choir or musicians.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"It's easy to climb aloft on a ship, like climbing the ladder to a loft in a barn."

adjudge, a judge

A judge or a judge ( two words ) means one ( a ) public official who hears cases in a court, and administers the law ( judge )--
The retired lawyer will soon become a judge.
The case will be heard by a judge, but the jury will decide the outcome.

A judge may also be someone who decides the winner of a contest, or who offers an informed opinion--
He will be a judge at the next gymnastics competition.
As a judge of horses, he's an expert.

Adjudge or adjudge ( one word, rhymes with a judge ) means to decree or to pronounce formally, as from a court or some official position--
We hope the court will adjudge the most recent will to be valid.
The court may adjudge court costs to him, as well as an award.

Adjudge may also mean to consider or decide, in a more general sense--
A prudent person would adjudge it wise to avoid the situation.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Only a judge may adjudge the legal merits of a request for a search warrant."

Note--"judge" also means to try a case, or to determine the relative merits of contestants in a competition--
She will judge the contestants at the next event.