covered, covert

Covered or covered is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "cover", meaning to provide with a lid or blanket, or figuratively, with an excuse or alibi--
She covered the pot so the stew would stay warm.
He looked cold, so she covered him with a blanket.
I covered for him the last time he was late, but I won't do it again.

Covered is also the past tense of "cover", meaning to coat with something--
One can of paint covered the whole wall.
Look at the dog! He's covered in mud!

Covered is also the past tense of "cover", meaning to protect or shelter--
The tree covered the side of the house, and protected it from the wind.
The umbrella was so big that it covered both of them.

Covered is also the past tense of "cover", meaning to have withing scope or range--
Our new reporter covered the story.

Covert or covert means clandestine or secret--
This is a covert operation; you'll need a security clearance.

Covert also means a shelter or hiding place, such as a thicket where game animals might hide--
They watched from a covert, hoping a deer would pass by.
The rabbit ran into a covert, where even the dog can't get at him.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His article covered the story of a some covert arms deals."

dark room, darkroom

Dark room or dark room ( two words ) means an indoor space with no light, or with no lights on at night--
The treatment for measles used to include keeping the patient in a dark room.
How can you read in a dark room? Turn on a light.

Darkroom or darkroom ( one word ) means the room a photographer uses to develop film negatives, which would be spoiled by light--
A darkroom may be lit by one dim red or green light bulb.
Don't open the darkroom door, or you may ruin the film.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"An ordinary dimly lit or dark room is okay for loading a film camera, but you'll need a darkroom to develop the film."

tray, trey

Tray or tray means a large platter; a flat or shallow container--
Here comes the waiter with a tray of drinks.
Does this desk have a keyboard tray?

Trey or trey ( rhymes with tray ) is an old-fashioned word for "three", in a deck of cards or a set of dice--
Ace, deuce, trey--I win.
Don't play a trey; we'll lose the trick.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The missing trey was stuck to the bottom of the sandwich tray."

encode, in code

Encode or encode ( one word ) means to convert or translate into code; to convert into symbols meant to convey meaning secretly, to another person, or to a computer--
He learned to encode messages in the army during the war; he still works for the government.
You'll need a computer engineer to encode that for the web page.

In code or in code ( two words ) describes something written in a cypher or code, something that has to be deciphered by another person who knows the code; or something written using computer code--
This looks like nonsense; I think it's in code.
I can't understand this email; some of the words are in code.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"This doesn't look like it's in code; but a clever spy may have used this ad to encode a secret message."

Note--"decode" means to convert something that is written in code into an understandable message--
The security agency spent weeks trying to decode the message.

dowager, dowitcher

Dowager or dowager means the widow of a titled person, or a widow who still has great influence or  status--
The dowager duchess still has great influence with the people.
Be careful not to offend the old dowager; you'll live to regret it.

Dowitcher or dowitcher is a kind of shore bird, with a long bill--
We were watching a dowitcher wade along the shore, but it flew away.
I think that's a dowitcher; let's look in the bird book.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The dowager was tall and thin, and resembled a dowitcher wading when she walked."

droop, drupe

Droop or droop means to bend, sag, or hang down, from weakness or exhaustion--
The flowers will droop if you don't put them in water soon.
He begins to droop every afternoon about this time.

Drupe or drupe ( rhymes with droop ) means a stone fruit, such as a peach, plum, or cherry, with soft pulp covering one hard shell or seed covering--
A newly planted drupe will take a few years to bear fruit.
They make a concoction of drupe pits, said to cure a lot of diseases.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Use some drupe branches in your arrangement; they won't droop, even when the other flowers are dead."

fluorescent, florescent

Fluorescent or fluorescent describes the production of light by passing electricity through gas in a tube, or the radiation of light when exposed to radiation, such as the sun or x-rays--
Fluorescent light may make it easier to work in here; it's too dark.
Some people think that fluorescent light makes them nervous.
Will this be fluorescent under an ultra-violet light?

Florescent or florescent ( rhymes with fluorescent ) describes a state of flowering or blooming--
This shrub is florescent only when a companion shrub is nearby.
This plant, when florescent, attracts bees.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His poem compares the bright fluorescent clouds to the florescent apple trees ."

black male, blackmail

Black male or black male ( two words ) most commonly, means an American man or boy of African heritage--
We think a black male teacher would have a positive effect.
A young black male is missing; there's a poster in the store window.

Blackmail or blackmail ( one word, rhymes with black male ) is a slang or old-fashioned word for "extortion", meaning threatening to reveal a secret, and demanding payment or some other consideration to keep quiet--
He is trying to blackmail his boss; he found something irregular in the accounts.
She's wants a dirty secret on each member of the jury, something she can use to blackmail them.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"An unidentified black male was injured in the accident, and the driver is trying to blackmail the witnesses."

avoid, a void

Avoid or avoid ( one word ) means to keep away from; to shun or evade--
You should avoid this place on weekends; it's a madhouse.
He sat very still, to avoid drawing attention to himself.

A void or a void ( two words, rhymes with avoid ) means one ( a ) vacuum or vacancy ( void ), literally or figuratively--
Space seems like a void to many people, but to the astronomer it is an interesting place.
Her absence left a void in his life.

A void may also describe something null or ineffectual, or no longer legally binding--
This is a void contract; some of its provisions are unenforceable.
He is citing a void statute; it was repealed years ago.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Try to avoid the notion that there is a void in your life; think about what you can do, instead."

nice, niece

Nice or nice, said of a person, means pleasant or agreeable; decent or respectable--
The new neighbors seem like nice people. 
Be nice when you go to the party--no tantrums.

Nice may also mean showing or requiring tact, delicacy, or accuracy--
Perfect timing; that was a nice save.
That's a nice distinction, but it may not matter in the end.

Niece or niece means the daughter of your brother or sister--
Our niece is the same age as our daughter.
My sister is expecting; I'll have a niece or a nephew soon.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Our niece is nice; we're sure you'll like her."

Note--"Nice" ( rhymes with niece, a proper name, always capitalized ) is a city in France--
We are thinking of spending our vacation in Nice.

remain, rename

Remain or remain means to stay behind or to continue in the same place, state or condition--
The children will remain at home until they start school.
Please remain seated until your name is called.

Remain also means to be left over; to be left to be done--
Pack up the sandwiches that remain; we'll have them for lunch tomorrow.
A few little jobs remain; we can do them tomorrow.

Rename or rename means to give a new title or designation to--
Council plans to rename the highway.
We got this dog from the pound; we plan to rename him.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"If you rename the dog, he may remain confused for a while."

exert, excerpt

Exert or exert means to make a strenuous effort; to wield force or power--
"...who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself."
The mayor has promised to exert his influence on behalf of our client.

Excerpt or excerpt means a short passage or piece taken from a longer work--
Here's a review of his latest book, with an excerpt you might enjoy reading.
If you liked the excerpt, you'll want to read the book.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Can you exert your influence with the author to obtain his permission to print the excerpt?"

clack, claque

Clack or clack means to make a sharp noise of striking or cracking--
I could hear his packages clack on his way up the stairs.
Clack may also mean a sharp striking or cracking noise--
I heard a clack, like something fell, but I don't see anything on the floor.

Claque or claque ( rhymes with clack ) means a group of persons hired to applaud or laugh at a show or at a comedian, or a group that would trade praise for a gain of some kind--
You can hear the claque in these old TV sitcoms.
He's afraid no one will laugh at his jokes, so he hired a claque.
This is a claque; the members write good reviews in exchange for free products.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When the claque gets tired of clapping, it can clack these pieces of wood together."

acquaint, a quaint

Acquaint or acquaint ( one word )  means to introduce; to provide an intoduction--
We will have a meeting to acquaint the team members with the new plan.
Ask him to acquaint our new worker with our methods.
This course should be an easy way to acquaint even a novice with the subject.

A quaint or a quaint ( two words, rhymes with acquaint ) describes something ( a ) old-fashioned and charming ( quaint )--
We rented a quaint little cottage near the lake.
What a quaint little village!
That spinning wheel would make a quaint conversation piece.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"There is a quaint little inn, just the place to acquaint yourselves with the area."

approbation, a probation

Approbation or approbation ( one word ) means approval or commendation--
Our boss usually displays approbation in the form of a bonus.
He's earned our approbation for his hard work.

A probation or a probation  ( two words ) describes one ( a ) period of supervised testing or trial ( probation ), most commonly used to mean supervision of a convicted criminal in lieu of a jail term--
He's a probation officer, and he has several people to supervise.
He broke a probation agreement the last time he got in trouble; he'll go to jail this time.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The board has offered its approbation for a probation period of six months."

bobbin, bobbing

Bobbin or bobbin means a reel or spool for thread, yarn, or wire--
The sewing machine has a spool of thread on top, and a bobbin underneath.
The machine is working fine, but the bobbin is empty.

Bobbing or bobbing is a form of "bob", meaning to move up and down; to walk or move with an up-and-down motion--
He walked to the music, bobbing his head as he went.
The children want to try bobbing for apples.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"If you wind the bobbin too fast, you'll see it bobbing up and down."

Note--"bobbin' ", with an apostrophe at the end, is a way of trying to write colloquial speech, meaning "bobbing"--
"When the red, red, robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along..."

attire, a tire

Attire or attire ( one word ) means clothing or apparel--
His attire was always impeccable, and in the latest fashion.
He looks older in business attire.

Attire may also mean to dress or adorn, particularly for a special occasion--
We want to attire the children as elves for the pageant.

A tire or a tire ( two words, rhymes with attire ) means one ( a ) round rubber band or ring that covers the rim of a wheel ( tire )--
Where can we get a tire fixed?
Can we buy a tire here? We had a flat.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Don't try to change a tire in your formal attire; call a tow truck."

ruin, rune

Ruin or ruin means to destroy or spoil; to render unfit for use, literally or figuratively--
You will ruin your new suede shoes if you wear them in the rain.
If he is indicted, it could mean financial ruin.

Ruin may also mean the remains of something destroyed, such as an ancient building--
There is a Roman ruin we want to see, just outside of the town.
The castle makes a charming ruin.

Rune or rune means one of the characters of an ancient alphabet, or something written in these characters--
It looks like a rune, from an Old Norse saga.
She thinks that each rune has a mystical meaning, and she uses them to tell fortunes.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"This ancient rune tells the story of the ruin of a Norse chieftan and his followers."

flesh, fleche

Flesh or flesh means the muscle, and fat of a body, either human or animal--
He doesn't have much flesh; he's much too thin.
They eat no flesh, only eggs, cheese, vegetables and grains.

Flesh may also mean the outer part of a body; the skin and some of the tissue beneath--
The dog tore his flesh, but he seems all right.
Thye were quite excited to see their hero in the flesh, at a public appearance.

Flèche or flèche ( rhymes with flesh ) means a spire, or a dart or arrow--
There is a flèche topped by a cross on each end of the building.
He threw a flèche, and missed the target completely.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He shot the flèche into the air, but it stuck in the flesh of a bystander."

Note--"fletch" means to equip an arrow with feathers--
He is looking for feathers to fletch his new arrows.
Note # 2--"fledge", of a bird, means to grow the feathers needed to fly--
This baby bird will fledge in another week or so, then we cna let him go.

meditate, mediate

Meditate or meditate means to contemplate or reflect--
He would sit in the corner for hours, and meditate revenge.
Let's take a few minutes each day to meditate on ways to improve.

Meditate may also mean extended thought or contemplation used as a religious or philosophical exercise--
She goes to yoga classes, and she's learning to meditate.
To some practitioners, to meditate means to contemplate nothing, silently.

Mediate or mediate means to settle a dispute or bring about an agreement--
They are trying to agree on a neutral third party to mediate the dispute.
He tried to mediate their quarrel, but they both became angry at him.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"In an effort to mediate their dispute, she sent them each to a separate room to meditate on the problem."

distant, distend

Distant or distant means far away, literally or figuratively--
He dreams of travelling to distant countries.
It's a distant memory now.

Distant may also mean remote in time, in relation to something or someone, or emotionally--
We can visit the distant past by going to the museum.
He finished the race a distant third.
He's a distant relation; we've only met a few times.
He seems distant, but he says nothing's wrong.

Distend or distend means to expand or swell--
If the puppy has worms, its stomach will distend; you'll notice it.
The stomach may distend from overeating, but it will return to normal.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When he's angry his eyes flash and his nostrils distend, though he may seem distant."

Note--"distance" is the noun ( thing or idea ) form of "distant". "Distance" means the extent of space between two things, literally or figuratively--
We should be able to cover the distance in two hours.
"Distance" may also mean to set far away, literally or figuratively--
You have to learn to distance yourself; don't get emotionally involved.

Note # 2--"distends" is the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "distend", meaning to expand or swell--
His stomach distends when he overeats.

correspondence, correspondents

Correspondence or correspondence means an exchange of letters or emails, or the letters themselves--
His firm plans to publish the correspondence of the famous author.
Their correspondence doesn't mention the sale of any property.

Correspondence also means agreement; similarity--
There seems to be little correspondence between what he says and what he does.
The correspondence between the two sets of data is obvious.

Correspondents or correspondents ( rhymes with correspondence ) is the plural ( more than one ) of "correspondent", meaning one party to an exchange of letters or mail, including a business partner or reporter--
The correspondents wrote to each other for decades, but they never met in person.
They are both foreign correspondents for a New York newspaper.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The correspondents threatened to sue if the publisher printed their correspondence."