sooth, soothe

Sooth or sooth is an archaic ( no longer in use ) word, meaning truth or reality--
In sooth, no one has ever seen the dragon.
He was asked to say, in sooth, exactly what he saw.

Soothe or soothe means to calm or comfort, physically or emotionally--
This ad for this lotion says it will soothe aching muscles.
Maybe a light in the hall would soothe his anxiety.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He captured the unicorn, in sooth, by using music to soothe its fears."

Note--"soothsayer" is an archaic word, meaning someone who can predict the future--
He went to see the old soothsayer, hoping he could tell him about the fabulous dragon.

bubble, bauble, bobble

Bubble or bubble means a sphere or globe of gas or air, contained in a shell or envelope of liquid--
He got a good picture of the dog chasing a bubble.
Tell the children to put their bubble gum in the trash when they are done with it.

Bubble may also mean to boil or effervesce, so as to make bubbles--
When it begins to bubble, turn down the heat.
When you drop in the tablet, the mixture will bubble, so use a large glass.

Bubble may also mean a delusion, or a form of wild speculation in stocks or securities--
I hate to burst your bubble, but you're not likely to win the lottery.
He lost most of his savings in the dotcom bubble.

Bauble or bauble means a trinket or ornament, particularly a cheap one--
He buys one cheap bauble after another; he has them all on a shelf.
Just get her a little bauble for her birthday, something she can wear.

Bobble or bobble means a repeated jerking movement, or to make such a movement--
I can see his bobble from here; he must have headphones on.
The dog figurine will bobble its head if you move it.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We bought her a little bauble, a duck that will bobble its head and blow a bubble when you press the switch."

Note--"Bob'll" ( rhymes with bobble ) is a contraction ( short, informal form ) of "Bob will", meaning a person named Bob ( always capitalized ), at sometime in the future ( will )--
Wait a few more minutes; Bob'll be here soon.
"Bob'll or bob'll may also be a contraction of "bob will", meaning a small, dangling object ( bob ) at some time in the future ( will )--
This bob'll keep the line where I can see it.

deviants, deviance

Deviance or deviance means a departure from the norm or standard--
They send him to a religious school, one which will accept no deviance from its theology.
Any belief system can become a form of deviance, when carried to the extreme of obsession.

Deviants or deviants ( rhymes with deviance ) is the plural of "deviant", meaning someone who departs from the norm, or from generally accepted behavior--
They do nothing but play video games; their father thinks they are deviants and outcasts.
They belong to a club made up of fascists and other intellectual deviants.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The family's deviance from the local standard made them deviants in the opinion of their neighbors."

Note--"deviate" means to diverge or depart from standard ideology or behavior--
He refuses to deviate from his written instructions; he doesn't want to be responsible for any changes.

Note # 2--"deviation" means a departure form a norm or standard, most commonly used in statistics--
If we consider the standard deviation, there's still a noticeable difference in the two sets of figures.

heed, he'd

Heed or heed means to pay attention to; to notice--
Heed my advice, young man, and you'll go far.
He fell because he didn't heed the caution sign.

He'd or he'd ( rhymes with heed ) is a contraction ( short, informal form ) of "he would" or, less commonly, "he had"--
He said he'd be here by 6 o'clock.
He slammed the door, and then realized that he'd forgotten his keys.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He'd already passed the gate, and had failed to heed the warning."

oh, owe

Oh or oh is an expression of surprise, also used to attract attention when speaking to someone--
Oh! I forgot to check the time.
Oh, John, would you mail this letter when you go out?

Owe or owe ( rhymes with oh ) means to be in debt or indebted to--
 How much do we still owe on the car?
"You owe me three farthings, say the bells of Saint Martin's."

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Oh, we still owe the lawn service company."

Note--"ow" ( rhymes with cow ) is an expression of pain--
Ow! I stubbed my toe!

Note # 2--"O" ( rhymes with oh ) is often used in poetry or music to add weight or sincerity to an appeal--
"O, come let us adore him..."

coif, quaff

Coif or coif, short for "coiffure" means a hairdo--
She decided to get her hair cut, and try a short coif for a while.
She wore an unusual but stylish coif; many people commented on it.

Coif also means a sort of cap or head covering--
The nun wore a coif under her veil.
This is an old coif from a suit of mail.

Quaff or quaff ( rhymes with coif, meaning a hairdo ) is an old-fashioned word, meaning to drink heartily, especially alcohol--
Let us repair to yon tavern and quaff some ale.
He missed his comrades, and the beer they would quaff together.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She made a mess of her coif, trying to quaff ale with the young soldiers."

muse, mews

Muse or muse means a patron goddess or spirit of artistic inspiration, after the Muses of Greek mythology--
He has painted her several times; he considers her his muse.
His poetry isn't the same; he must have lost his muse.

Muse or muse also means to reflect silently; to meditate--
He likes to look out the window and muse.
She will sit by the pond and muse for hours on a warm day.

Mews or mews ( rhymes with muse ) is the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "mew", meaning to make the sound of a kitten, or, said of a kitten, to cry--
The kitten climbs up on my shoulder and mews when she feels lonely.
The kitten mews when it gets lost in the house.

Mews is also the plural ( more than one ) of "mew", meaning the sound a kitten makes--
I can't find the kitten, but I hear tiny little mews.
I hear the kitten's mews; it's making quite a fuss.

Mews is also the plural of "mew", meaning a cage for a hawk--
He built two mews in the back, one for each hawk.
The hawks will get used to the mews, though it may take a few weeks.

Mews is also the plural of "mew", meaning a European sea gull--
You can hear the cry of the mews before you can see the ocean.
Can you get a shot of the mews circling over the rocks?

Mews is also the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "mew", meaning, of a bird,  to shed feathers or to molt--
The hawk will be vulnerable while it mews.
We'll feed the bird while it mews, then it will hunt for itself.

Mews is also a British term for a central court surrounded by buildings--
The children are playing in the mews.
They have a house at one end of the mews.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She can muse on the past while she sits on a chair in the mews, listening to the mews calling overhead."

Note--"meows" is the plural of "meow", the sound an adult cat makes--
The cat's meows are very loud; would you see if her bowl is empty?

Meows may also be the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "meow", meaning, of a cat, to make a sound--
The cat meows at us when we get home, in a very conversational tone.

Note # 2-- "amuse" ( one word ) means to entertain or divert--
Thnk of a game to amuse the children until it stops raining.

Not to be confused with "a muse" ( two words ), meaning ( a ) spirit of artisitic inspiration ( muse )--
He is searching for a muse, someone to inspire his musical composition.

chard, charred

Chard or chard is a leafy green, the top of a type of beet, often called Swiss chard--
You can add some chopped chard to a smoothie, for a wonderful green color.
He likes Swiss chard, but dislikes spinach.

Charred or charred ( rhymes with chard ) is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "char", meaning to burn on the edges or outside, as to reduce to charcoal--
Take the steaks off the grill as soon as they are charred.
The paper was charred, but still legible.

Charred, in England, may also be the past tense of "char", meaning to clean house, paid by the hour or day--
The old woman charred for several people in the neighborhood, usually one day a week.
She charred until she was well past retirement age.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He charred the burgers while she made a salad of chard and tomatoes."

resort, re-sort

Resort or resort ( one word ) means to make use of or to engage in as something less than ideal ; to stoop--
During the depression, they had to resort to sticking carboard in their shoes, to stop the holes.
There's no need to resort to violence!

Resort ( most commonly used with "last" ) also means a less than ideal or reserve solution or idea--
As a last resort, we could call off the meeting.
We could reschedule, but only as a last resort.

Resort also means a vacation spot--
They plan to spend a week at a ski resort.
This was once a stylish resort, but it's fallen on hard times.

Re-sort or re-sort ( hyphenated word ) means to arrange papers, files, or other things, again--
These files are a mess; we'll need to re-sort them.
Can you stay late to re-sort these boxes?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"As a last resort, we could dump out all of the drawers and re-sort all of the contents."

frustrate, fluster

Frustrate or frustrate means to baffle something planned; to make something planned or worked for come to nothing--
Don't let one mistake frustrate our plans for this project; we can fix it.
We'll be there at 2:00, if the teacher doesn't catch us and frustrate our plans.

Fluster or fluster means to put in a state of nervous confusion--
All this noise may fluster her, and she won't remember her lines.
Make sure to rehearse your speech; standing in front of an audience might fluster you.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Don't let a slip fluster you; only quitting can frustrate your plans."

wolf, woof

Wolf or wolf means the large wild creature that resembles a dog--
"Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?"
He's a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Wolf is also an old-fashioned slang term for a lecherous man--
He's a wolf; no nice woman would be seen with him.

Woof or woof means the thread or yarn that goes across a piece of woven fabric--
The warp goes up and down, the weft or woof goes across the weave.
The loom is strung with the warp; the shuttle is used to add the woof.

Woof or woof may also be an imitation of a dog's bark--
The dog says "woof" when we ask him his name.
Our dog makes one low "woof" when he hears the doorbell.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She is weaving a picture of a wolf; the details will all be added with the woof."

music, mucic

Music or music means tones or sounds used to express emotions or ideas, or to evoke memories--
Could you turn the music down, please?
He wants to learn to read music.

Mucic or mucic means derived from an acid usually made from milk sugar, or galactose--
Mucic acid is used in many baked goods.
The tablets used to make soda at home may be made with mucic acid.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He is writing the music for an ad for a fizzy drink tablet made with mucic acid."

Note--"muzhik" means a Russian peasant--
We found an old photograph of a muzhik standing in front of his farm; we think he's our great-grandfather.

Note # 2--"Muzak" is the name of the company famous for making "elevator" music--instrumental, easy-listening versions of pop songs, played in public places--
They play Muzak where we work, and we can all hum every tune.

to do, todo

To do or to do ( two words ) means ( to ) perform an action, to accomplish some task or work--
We still have so much to do!
It's your turn to do the dishes.
He's sure to do well.

Todo or todo ( one word, rhymes with to do ) means a fuss, or a display of activity and attention--
Don't make a big todo when he gets home; he hates a fuss.
Someone lost the keys, and there was the usual todo.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We have to finish all we have left to do, or there will be quite a todo when the boss gets back."

enthrall, in thrall

Enthrall or enthrall ( one word ) means to charm or captivate--
Any new idea tends to enthrall him, but he drops it just as quickly as he took it up.
She was dressed to kill, intending to enthrall the object of her affections.

Enthrall also means to subjugate, as in the ancient pratice of a kind of serfdom or slavery--
In ancient times the victors would enthrall the peasants and serfs of the losers.

In thrall or in thrall ( two words ) means ( in ) a state of subjugation or slavery, now most commonly used figuratively--
"... she hath my heart in thrall..."
He will remain in thrall for ten years, then he will become a peasant.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"She tried to enthrall him with her charm, so that she could hold him in thrall, and find out his secrets."

unaffected, disaffected

Unaffected or unaffected means unchanged or unaltered; not influenced or swayed--
We returned to find our campsite unaffected by the storm.
He went on talking, unaffected by her angry glare.

Unaffected may also mean free from pretention, sincere, or genuine--
He has charming and unaffected manners; he should be in public relations.
Try to read the part in a natural and unaffected tone.

Disaffected or disaffected means discontented, estranged, or no longer satisfied with--
He was interested in party politics for a while, but the last elcection left him disaffected.
He's collecting movies about disaffected youth and juvenile delinquency.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His enthusiasm for gambling was unaffected by his losses; he only became disaffected by the cheating scandals."

Note--not to be confused with "disinfected", meaning treated to kill germs or disease--
She disinfected the bathroom with bleach and a good scrubbing.
Note # 2--"disinfectant" means a substance used to clean, meant to kill germs or disease--
Ordinary household vinegar is a pretty good disinfectant.

coven, covin

Coven or coven means a group of witches who meet regularly--
She has been reading up on wicca, and wants to join a coven.
He claims that he is under the influence of a coven of witches.

Covin or covin ( rhymes or nearly rhymes with coven ) is a legal term, meaning a secret agreement between two or more persons, to the harm of another--
A covin between two other firms may be putting him out of business.
We suspect a peice-fixing covin, but the investigation isn't finished.

Covin is also an archaic ( not used anymore ) term for fraud or deception--
They have been accused of covin and dealing in counterfeit goods.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"With the help of members of their coven, they entered into a covin designed to cheat him of his inheritance."

sirrah, sirah, syrah

Sirrah or sirrah is an archaic ( not used anymore ) form of address to a man, meant to be contemptuous or to address an inferior--
"Sirrah, your father's dead. And what will you do now?"
I would never joust with a varlet, sirrah.

Syrah or syrah ( also sirah ) is a variety of red wine--
The syrah grapes are used to make shiraz and other wines.
He recommended the petite sirah, but I don't know.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Sirrah, I asked for a bottle of syrah, and you brought me malmsey."

raveling, ravelin

Raveling or raveling means a thread or bit of yarn that has come loose form a garment--
There's a raveling hanging from the bottom of your sweater.
Mend that raveling before it gets any worse.

Ravelin or ravelin means a military fortification shaped like a "V"--
We will be able to see them from the bastion, and we can fire on them from the ravelin.
Dig the raveling deep enopugh to provide cover for our men.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He came back from the ravelin with a raveling hanging from his uniform, and got written up for it."

gin, jinn

Gin or gin means, most commonly, a distilled alcoholic beverage--
The distinctive flavor of gin comes from juniper berries.
I'd like a gin and tonic, pelase.

Gin also means a machine that turns in a circle, used to separate seeds from cotton or some other plant--
Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin.
They bought a gin, and now they don't need workers to clean the cotton.

Gin may also mean a snare or trap for an animal--
He's hoping to catch a rabbit in the gin.

Jinn or jinn ( also spelled djinn, jin, djin;  rhymes with gin ) means a supernatural being capable of assuming human or animal form--
He claims that a jinn visited him in a dream, and warned him to stay home today.
Belief in jinn or spirits is older than Islam.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"After drinking a large quantity of gin, he claimed to have seen a jinn, who warned him of the dangers of drunkenness."

fabulous, fabulist

Fabulous or fabulous means incredible or unbelievable, or, more informally, exceptionally good--
He told a fabulous story that involved abduction by space aliens and amnesia.
The new restaurant is fabulous; you should try it.

Fabulist or fabulist means someone who relates short stories with a moral ( fables ), or, figuratively, a liar--
Aesop is still the most famous fabulist in our literature.
Don't believe everything he says; he's something of a fabulist.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He tells the children fabulous stories about his army days; he's quite a fabulist."

undo, undue

Undo or undo means to reverse a job or action--
Now we'll have to undo all of the work we've already done, and start over.
In this game, you can undo the last move.

Undo may also mean to untie a string, open a package, or open a fastener of some kind--
Can you undo this bow?
He couldn't wait to undo the wrapping paper, to see what was in the box.

Undo may also mean to bring to ruin or disaster--
A story like this could undo him; we must keep it quiet.
The extortionist threatened to undo him if he doesn't pay.

Undue or undue ( rhymes with undo ) means excessive or unwarranted--
These changes could cause undue hardship to anyone who lives near the construction site.
Was he moving with undue haste when he ran into the plaintiff?

Undue may also mean inappropriate or improper--
He tends to indulge in undue familiarity; she dislikes him.
The district attorney has suggested that undue influence may have been used to suborn the jury.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We can't undo the harm that's been done, but perhaps we can prevent any undue hardship caused by his injuries."