a list, alist, A list

A list or a list ( two words ) means one ( a ) series of names or items grouped together, to form a record--
Make a list of everything we plan to buy today, so we won't forget anything.
Here is a list of the names of all of the students enrolled in this class.

Alist or alist ( one word ) describes something leaning to one side, particularly a ship--
The ship was alist, and seemed in danger of capsizing.
The boat was alist, and they started to bail it out.

A list or A list ( two words, always capitalized, as the letter 'A' ) means a record of the most important or influential people; the people invited to the most exclusive gatherings--
The two stars were always on the A list, and went to all of the best Hollywood parties.
They aren't on the A list anymore, and are rarely mentioned in the newspapers.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"That yacht alist and drifting is full of A list people out shooting a film; here is a list of their names."

attribute, a tribute

Attribute or attribute ( one word )  means to regard as belonging to or produced by--
We hope an expert will attribute this painting to a famous artist. 
If you don't sign your work, we may accidentally attribute it to someone else.

Attribute or attribute may also mean the quality or aspect regarded as belonging to someone--
His most outstanding attribute is his ability to keep up employee morale.
Keeping quiet while someone is talking is the main attribute of a good listener.

A tribute or a tribute ( two words ) means one ( a ) compliment or testimonial ( tribute )--
They had a special plaque made, as a tribute to his years with the company.
His popularity is a tribute to his kindness and generosity.

A tribute may also mean a payment levied or exacted by a king or state as a promise of peace or protection--
The general demanded a tribute paid in gold, as the price of leaving the city in peace.
The king offered the raiders a tribute of a dozen horses, to be paid if they agreed to leave.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The board plans to attribute the firm's success to the CEO, as a tribute to his dedicated service."

meringue, merengue

Meringue or meringue means a topping ot batter made with egg whites and sugar--
Ooh, look, lemon meringue pie!
You'll need to beat the egg whites for several minutes to make a meringue.

Merengue or merengue means a ballroom dance from Haiti or the Dominican Republic--
They won the merengue competition, but not the mambo.
He is trying to learn the merengue; he hopes to find a dance partner.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We were tired from dancing the merengue, but the coffee and meringue cookies perked us up."

fineness, finesse

Fineness or fineness means the state or quality of something that is of the best, free from imperfections, or made of minute particles; thin or slender--
"You're ageless, timeless, lace and fineness..."
I'm not sure we can find a match for the fineness of the thread; this is an antique.

Finesse or finesse means a great degree of skill, delicacy, or subtlety--
He'll need a lot of finesse to pull this off.
He has years of experience, and now he fixes dents with finesse.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"You'll need to find someone with skill and finesse to match the fineness of this work."

doze, does

Doze or doze means to sleep or nap, in a light or fitful way--
He begins to doze whenever he sits still; it's embarrassing.
Don't doze in class; pay attention!

Does or does ( rhymes with doze ) is the plural ( more than one ) of "doe", a female deer--
Look, two does with their fauns.
You may see three or four does at the back of the field.

Doe's or doe's ( rhymes with doze ) is the possessive form of "doe", used to describe something that belongs to a doe--
I can still see the white of the doe's tail, even in the woods.
We could hear the doe's ears flapping as she ran past.

Doe's might also be a contraction ( a short, informal form ) of "doe is"--
The doe's eating the bread we left for her.

Dough's or dough's  is a possessive form of "dough", the batter used to make bread or some baked goods--
The dough's temperature is important.
I can't seem to get the dough's consistency right.

Dough's might also be a contraction of "dough is", meaning bread batter, or money--
The dough's ready when it is twice the size it was before.
This cookie dough's tasty even when it's raw.
People say the dough's not the issue, but I think it is.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He began to doze, and woke to find that two does had nibbled at the dough's edge."

Note--"does" ( rhymes with "buzz" ) is the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "do", meaning  to perform, execute, practice, or make--
She does yoga every morning.

politic, politick

Politic or politic means shrewd, wise, artful, tactful, or a combination of these--
That comment he made to the boss was hardly politic.
He is politic even when annoyed; I'm sure he can help with this.

Politic may describe something related to voting, most commonly in the phrase "body politic"--
He's just the candidate to appeal to the body politic.

Politick or politick means to engage in campaign or election activities, such as campaigning, making speeches, or asking for support--
He plans to politick across the county this week, wherever there are undecided voters.
Old-time ward heelers used to politick by buying drinks in every saloon.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Don't let him politick without an aide, one who can remind him to keep his remarks politic."

mule, mewl

Mule or mule means the offspring of a horse and a donkey, known to be strong and stubborn--
After the Civil War, many freedmen received 40 acres of land and a mule.
The mule is a sterile hybrid; you need another horse and another donkey to produce another mule.

Mewl or mewl ( rhymes with mule ) means to fuss or whimper like a baby--
This is drivel, he might as well "mewl and puke in his mother's arms" as write such stuff.
He thought he heard the mewl of a baby, but he didn't find anything.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He can be stubborn as a mule; he will mewl like a baby until he gets his way."

rational, rationale

Rational or rational means logical or sensible--
When he hit his head he was ranting, but he seems rational now.
Make sure the decision is rational, and not based on emotion.

Rationale or rationale means the set of reasons that account for a decision or for behavior--
His rationale for leaving was that the company would be better off without him, and he owns some of the stock, so he would profit by quitting his own job.
He has promised to explain the rationale that led to his decision.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She claims it was a rational choice, but her rationale seems to be a sequence of revenge and gloating."

Note--"rationally" describes something done in a logical or sensible way--
He behaved rationally, so it was easy to predict his movements.

luminary, luminaria

Luminary or luminary means a famous or distinguished person, a leading light--
If we could get even one luminary to speak at our event, we would attract a larger crowd.
He's quite well-known, something of a luminary to the tech workers.

Luminary also means a celestial body that gives light, such as the sun or the moon--
Venus is the brightest luminary in the night sky, other than the moon.

Luminaria or luminaria means lights or candles set into sand in a bag, and placed outside in honor of a holiday--
There will be luminaria all over the neighborhood tonight, as a Christmas display.
Make sure to save the paper bags for luminaria.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Each luminaria is dedicated to a different philosophical luminary."

Note--"luminaries" is the plural ( more than one ) of "luminary", meaning a famous or distinguished person--
Among the luminaries were a famous artist and the mayor of the city.

skein, skene

Skein or skein means a length of yarn or thread, wound around a spool or reel, or something that is wound around in circles in this way--
I thought I had another skein of yarn; I'll have to make this a vest instead of a sweater.
The kitten got a skein of yarn out of the basket, and made a mess of it.

Skene or skene means the structure that forms the backdrop for players on a stage--
The skene should be painted with a temple and some trees.
We left the skene a blank wall; the audience will have to imagine the setting.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When the witch unravels the skein of yarn, the skene should be moved forward a bit, making the stage smaller as the yarn runs out."

Note--"skean" means a knife or dagger once used in Scotland or Ireland--
He wore a kilt, with a skean tucked in his sock.

pâté, pate

Pâté or pâté ( pronounced pah tay ) is a French word that means food made into a paste--
We started with pâté, then we had soup, then a roast.
Many people refuse to eat pâté made from goose liver.

Pate or pate ( rhymes with "ate" ) is an old-fashioned word for "head" or "brain"--
He took a nasty knock on his pate, but he seems okay.
His old pate seemed too rusty to figure out what was going on.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He slipped, and his pate hit the tray of  pâté the waiter was holding."

Note--"pâte" ( rhymes with "pat" ) is a French word, meaning paste or dough--
We will fill the cream puffs with pâte, and top them with chocolate shavings.

Note# 2--"patty", in American cooking, means something made into a flat, usually round shape--
If you put a beef patty on the grill, it will cook in about five minutes. 

memento, momento

Memento or memento means a souvenir; something used to remember someone or something--
He kept that all these years as a memento of their first meeting.
This pressed flower must be a memento of a special occasion.

Momento or momento is Spanish ot Italian for "moment", meaning "in a moment" or "just a minute"--
The operator said "momento"; I think I'm on hold.
The waiter said "momento", and went to find a translator.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We can keep the bilingual dictionary as a memento of when had to say "momento" while we looked up a word."

Note--"momentum" means the force or speed of motion--
The stone gathered momentum as it rolled downhill.

moonlight, moon light

Moonlight or moonlight ( one word ) means the light that comes from the satellite of the Earth ( the Moon )--
The moonlight is so bright you can read by it.
They will find their way home by moonlight.

Moonlight ( one word ) also means to work a second job, in addition to a regular job--
He plans to moonlight as a store clerk until after the holidays.
If you want to moonlight, you need the permission of the department head.

Moon light or moon light ( two words ) means the satellite of the Earth ( moon )  illuminate ( light )--
Will the moon light their way, so they can find the house?
Does the moon light the path all of the time, or only when it's full?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Will the moon light the woods, so we can see who's coming by moonlight?"

motion, emotion

Motion or motion means movement--
"A body in motion tends to remain in motion..."
Be careful if you see that the machinery is still in motion.

Motion may also mean a gesture or signal, or to make a gesture or signal--
This motion means "stop".
Wait for the police officer to motion you to go.

Motion also means a suggestion or proposal, or an application to a court for a ruling or an order--
He made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
The defense lawyer made a motion for a postponement.

Emotion or emotion means feeling, as in an affective state of consciousness--
Think; don't get carried away by emotion.
Well-adjusted people rarely show emotion in public.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The lawyer made a motion that the defendant's display of emotion should be stricken from the record."

abound, a bound

Abound or abound ( one word ) means to be plenty or more than enough; to be full--
"...and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy..."
"A faithful man shall abound with blessings..."

A bound or a bound ( two words ) means one ( a ) jump or leap ( bound )--
"Down the chimney Saint Nicholas came with a bound..."
Superman is able to leap tall buildings in a bound--a single bound, that is.

A bound or abound ( two words ) may also mean one ( a ) person or thing that is tied or fastened ( bound ), literally or figuratively--
This tiny shoe was made for a bound foot.
They led a bound prisoner past the silent crowd.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"A bound serf escaped with a bound; he'll survive if the forests abound with wild game."

respectful, respective

Respectful or respectful means showing politeness or deference--
We are visiting a house of worship; make sure your behavior is respectful.
Make sure to use a respectful form of address; you are writing to a stranger.

Respective or respective means corresponding to or pertaining to--
Send them back to their respective classrooms; the room number is on each file.
Now let's discuss the respective merits of the different plans.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Speak to each person in a respectful tone, regardless of their respective positions."

affluent, effluent

Affluent or affluent means wealthy or prosperous--
Some of our more affluent citizens have donated generously.
Would you believe that those poor people were once affluent and influential?

Effluent or effluent describes something that flows out--
The effluent waste should be contained, and kept out of the river.

Effluent may also mean something that flows out, such as a small stream from a larger one--
This is only an effluent, but we can follow it to the stream.
The town wants the effluent from the factory tested for poisons

Now that you know that, you can say--
"This was an affluent community, until toxic effluent polluted the water."

influence, influenza

Influence or influence means the power to persuade other people, or to affect their behavior or decisions--
We hope he'll use his influence to get an appointment for our son.
He was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, or DUI.

Influenza or influenza ( often shortened to "flu" ) means a contagious disease caused by a virus--
The influenza epidemic that followed the war killed millions of people.
She caught influenza, and it took weeks for her to recover.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He is using his influence to persuade the government to fund a new influenza vaccine."

sachet, sashay

Sachet or sachet means a small bag or case filled with something pleasantly scented--
She wants to save the rose petals to fill a sachet.
She made a sachet for each of us, with an embroidered flower on it.

Sashay or sashay ( rhymes with sachet ) means to glide or move easily, as in some dances--
Now sashay over to meet your partner.
Watch her sashay into the room, not a care in the world!

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We watched her sashay over to the dresser, and remove a sachet form the drawer."

tuition, intuition

Tuition or tuition means a fee that is paid to attend school or college, or for instruction of some kind--
He borrowed the money for his tuition, so he has to graduate to pay it back.
He's dropping out because he can't afford the tuition.

Tuition also means instruction or teaching--
He might do better with private tuition, one-on-one.
They are offering tuition for the math finals after class.

Intuition or intuition means a sort of hunch or insight; a belief arrived at without going through a process of reason and evidence--
Intuition can be useful, if we use it to decide where to look for evidence.
Websites like this are meant to be navigated by intuition, whatever that may mean.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"My intuition is that he is so worried about tuition fees that he can't concentrate."

appetite, apatite

Appetite or appetite means a desire for food; often used figuratively--
Let's play one more game, to work up an appetite for lunch.
He seems listless and has no appetite.
He has an appetite for the bizarre and surreal.

Apatite or apatite means a mineral used to make fertilzer and  jewelry, among other things--
This is a phosphate fertilizer, made with apatite.
She wrapped silver wire around a piece of apatite to make a pendant.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She lost her appetite for dinner when she found out that she lost her apatite ring."