coalition, collation

Coalition or coalition means a combination of people or groups, usually formed for some specific purpose --
Several charities have formed a coalition to help the victims of the disaster.
A coalition of moderates from both parties may prevail over extremists from either side.

Collation or collation means a combination made of more than one set of printed or written material, arranged in order, with duplicates removed and discrepancies noted or corrected --
We want him to help with this collation, adding notes to each discrepancy.

Collation, to a printer or publisher, means a set of pages or printed sheets arranged in proper order --
Use the collation function of your printer to arrange the sheets in order.
There was an error in the collation; some of the pages are in the wrong order.

Collation is also a term used by religious orders, meaning a light meal permitted during fast times; reading and discussing religious works together; or officially presenting a new clergyman to his church --
We will share a collation later in the afternoon.
Everyone should be present at this evening's collation.
We are preparing the church for the collation of our new minister.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"We'll need a collation of the suggestions submitted by the different members of the coalition."

distress, de-stress

Distress or distress means physical danger or mental anxiety --
The ship is in distress; we got a message a few minutes ago.
She likes to play the damsel in distress, waiting for a knight to rescue her.
The mere thought of flying causes distress; he wants to take the train.

Distress also means to cause strain, worry, or pressure, mentally --
Don't distress them with the financial details; we'll take care of it.

De-stress or de-stress means to eliminate physical or mental strain, tension, or anxiety --
He says he does yoga to de-stress after a hard day at work.
He tried meditation to de-stress, but it didn't help much.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"Workplace arguments cause distress; we should all de-stress with a company social event."

rot, wrought

Rot or rot means to decay or decompose --
That fruit will rot soon; we should put it in the freezer.
The wood will rot in a few years if you don't paint it.

Rot may also mean decay or decompostion, literally or figuratively --
There is some dry rot downstairs; it may be expensive to repair.
What a lot of rot! I don't believe a word of it!

Wrought or wrought means made by beating with a hammer, as some metal objects, or made or fashioned in general --
Each wrought iron railing is different; these houses are very old.
"What hath God wrought?"

Now that you know that, you can say --
"The old wooden railings are beginning to rot; we want to replace them with wrought iron."

antimony, antinomy

Antimony or antimony means a shiny white or gray metal, usually combined with other metals as an alloy --
Antimony is used to make clothing fire-resistant.
That battery may contain antimony.

Antinomy or antinomy means a contradiction or paradox in philosophy or logic, most commonly one arrived at by what seems to be logic --
A well-known example of antinomy is the idea of free will and belief in predestination.
"Everything I say is a lie" may demonstrate antinomy.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"Some antimony is used to make things flame-resistant, but other forms can be explosive; it's a sort of scientific antinomy."

trade, tirade

Trade or trade means a barter or exchange of some kind --
The team hopes to make a trade for a new pitcher.
He has offered a trade, but I'll have to think about it.

Trade may also mean to barter or exchange --
Do you want to trade baseball cards?
I'll trade you my sandwich for your apple.

Trade also means the national or international buying and selling of goods, stocks, commodities, etc.  --
Trade in oil stocks has soared since the news of the impending price increase.
They are working on new regulations for foreign trade.

Trade also means an occupation or means of livelihood --
What is his trade?
He went to trade school and became a plumber.

Trade may also mean a set of customers, or a set of people involved in a particular business --
We hope to increase trade with this new ad campaign.
This is a magazine read by people in the decorating trade.

Tirade or tirade means an angry speech or rant --
His tirade against the proposed bill was recorded without comment.
Once she begins a tirade, there's no stopping her.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"His last tirade was a two-hour speech against all forms of foreign trade."

ford, fjord

Ford or ford means a shallow place in a river or stream where people can cross --
There's a ford about a mile upstream from here.
The ford may be too deep to cross at this time of year.

Ford also means to cross a river or stream at a shallow place --
"Climb ev'ry mountain, ford ev'ry stream... "
He's looking for a place to ford his cattle.

Fjord or fjord ( also spelled fiord ) means a long narrow bay, especially one with rocky cliffs on both sides --
There's a fjord near here, with a town where we can stay for the night.
We should get a beautiful view of the fjord from the top of the cliff.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"If we ford the river here, we can make it back to the fjord before dark."

Note--"Ford" always capitalized is also a common surname, or a car manufacturer --
He won't drive anything but a Ford.

chestnut, chess nut

Chestnut or chestnut ( one word ) means a large edible dark brown nut,  the tree it grows on, or its dark reddish brown color, often used to describe a horse--
We are saving these to make a chestnut cream filling for a cake.
"Under a spreading chestnut-tree The village smithy stands..."
She rode by on a chestnut mare.

Chestnut is also an old-fashioned term for an old or often-repeated joke or anecdote --
It's an old chestnut, but people still laugh at it.
That was an old chestnut when my grandfather first heard it.

Chess nut or chess nut ( two words, rhymes or nearly rhymes with chestnut ) means someone who is an enthusiast ( nut ) of the ancient game played on a board with 64 squares, by two people, with pieces of different rank ( chess ) --
He is a real chess nut; he hopes to be a Grandmaster some day.
He watches chess on TV; only a chess nut would do that.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"The old chess nut kept a chestnut in his pocket while he played; he thought it brought him luck."

agent, a gent

Agent or agent means someone authorized to act on behalf of another person, or in an official capacity --
The real estate agent called; she left a message.
He is studying to be an FBI agent.

Agent may also mean a force or cause, one that produces a specific result, literally or figuratively --
Agent orange was used to defoliate large tracts of land during the Vietnam war.
Gin was the agent of his downfall.

A gent or a gent means one ( a ) well-mannered, civilized male person ( gent, short for gentleman ) --
He is a gent; he's always polite.
He'd never insult anyone; he's a gent, a real gent.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"The agent is a gent and a scholar; he's been very helpful."

backslide, backside, back side

Backslide or backslide means to return to a former bad habit, to relapse into a vice one had given up --
He's afraid that he'll backslide if he misses a meeting.
The temptation to backslide is too great; he won't come to the party.

Backside or backside ( one word ) means behind or rear end, the one you sit on --
He fell right on his backside, but he wasn't hurt.
Your backside is peeking out of the bottom of your suit.

Back side or back side ( two words ) means the rear or reverse side of a thing --
There is graffiti on the back side of the billboard.
The back side of the fence is covered with vines.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"On the back side of the page, explain what makes you want to backslide."
"Someone has painted a bare backside on the back side of the wall."

corporate, cooperate

Corporate or corporate describes something related to an association, one regarded as a single entity for legal purposes --
Our corporate charter requires us to have an annual meeting.
He hopes to climb the corporate ladder, to be an executive.

Corporate may describe the main governing body of a business, its head office --
We have some new regulations, sent from corporate headquarters.
He's the only corporate executive who doesn't want to see this branch office closed.

Cooperate or cooperate ( also spelled coöperate or co-operate ) means to work or act together, or to be willing to work or act with others; to go along with the program --
If we all cooperate, the work will be done in an hour or two.
He won't cooperate, even when all of the others are getting along.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"We will improve our corporate culture if we all cooperate with the new director."

courier, currier

Courier or courier means someone who travels to deliver papers, a package, or news --
A courier will deliver the documents; you'll have to sign for them.
He sent a letter by special courier; it will be there this afternoon.

Currier or currier ( rhymes or nearly rhymes with courier ) means someone who dresses ( soaks, scrapes, dyes ) leather, or someone who combs and rubs down a horse --
He's a currier; he buys tanned leather and dresses it for making bags and jackets.
The currier said the horse seemed very nervous today.

Currier may also mean someone who flatters to gain favor with a boss or person in authority --
He is a sycophant; a currier-of-favor.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"The currier will take care of the horse while the courier delivers his message to the general."

cocaine, Cockaigne

Cocaine or cocaine means a drug made from coca leaves, once used as a local anesthetic, now an illegal drug in the United States --
The police charged him with possession of cocaine.
He has a cocaine habit; I don't know how he can afford it.

Cockaigne ( always capitalized, sometimes spelled Cockayne ) means a make-believe land of plenty with no work --
He has no plans for the future; he thinks he's going to live in the land of Cockaigne.
This new job seems like the land of Cockaigne to him.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"Under the influence of cocaine, he writes nonsensical stories about life in Cockaigne."

virtuous, virtuoso

Virtuous or virtuous means morally good or upright --
He endeavored to remain virtuous; he threw himself into his work when he was tempted to backslide.
His sermons about virtuous conduct were often ignored.

Virtuoso or virtuoso means an excellent or extraordinary musician, able to play the most difficult compositions --
He was considered a virtuoso at a young age, before he was thirty.
This is a virtuoso piece, of interest mainly to other musicians.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"The young piano virtuoso was virtuous, even though he found the violinist alluring."

commander, commandeer

Commander or commander means a person in authority, most commonly meaning military authority; a naval officer below the rank of captain --
The President of the United States is also the Commander in Chief of the armed forces.
He was a commander when he retired from the navy.

Commandeer or commandeer means to take private property for military use --
We'll have no way to get back to our unit unless we can commandeer a truck.
Explain to them that we'll need to commandeer their house for our headquarters.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"The commander wants us to commandeer any small boats in the area."

uncharted, unchartered

Uncharted or uncharted means not shown on a map or chart; new and unexplored territory, literally or figuratively --
This area is still uncharted, so we'll need to use a compass to find our way.
No one has tried this before; it will be uncharted territory.

Unchartered or unchartered means without a set of rules or laws; without official or legal authorization --
This city is unchartered; the legislature hasn't recognized it.
It's an uncharted corporation;  the board will meet soon to discuss a set of regulations.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"This startup is unchartered; setting up its board will be uncharted territory."

fatuous, fastuous

Fatuous or fatuous describes words that are foolish, airy or thoughtless --
He counts himself a scholar, but his arguments are usually fatuous.
If she opens her mouth and makes one more fatuous remark, I'll weep.

Fastuous or fastuous means arrogant or ostentatious --
She had a regal bearing, and greeted people with a fastuous nod.
She was always overdressed, fastuous if not fashionable.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"The wedding dinner was unstylishly fastuous; he felt a need to excuse it with fatuous explanations."

hell, he'll

Hell or hell means the place where the dead abide, or where those who were wicked while they lived go when they die --
He's making a film full of visions of hell and the afterlife.
Many people still believe in a hell inhabited by demons and the evil dead.

He'll or he'll is a contraction ( short, informal form ) of "he will", meaning a male ( he ) is going to ( will ) --
He'll be there tomorrow at noon.
Do you think he'll agree to the plan?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He's afraid that if he enjoys life on Earth, he'll go to hell when he dies."

abort, a bort

Abort or abort ( one word ) means to fail or stop at an early or premature stage, or to miscarry or terminate a pregnancy --
NASA had to abort the mission because of engine failure.
The accident caused her to abort the fetus.

A bort or a bort ( two words ) means a quantity of low-grade diamonds or fragments, useful when crushed or powdered --
They worked the mine for months, for nothing but a bort.
He still has a bort he hopes to sell; we'll need the money for expenses.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"If we abort the project now, we won't even have a bort to show for our trouble."

carries, caries

Carries or carries is the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "carry", meaning to contain or hold; to transport --
He carries his books in an old knapsack.
She carries the groceries in reusable bags.
This drain carries water away from the house.

Carries may also be the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "carry", meaning to conduct or to bear --
This violation carries a heavy fine.
She carries tales; her teacher wants to talk to us about it.
He carries himself like a prince of the blood.

Caries or caries means tooth decay, or bone or plant tissue decay --
Poor diet is one of the causes of dental caries.
The dentist will fix the teeth that have been damaged by caries.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"Ignoring caries carries a risk; you could lose your teeth."

dental, dentil

Dental or dental describes something having to do with the teeth --
Good dental hygiene is very important.
Poor diet is a major cause of dental caries.

Dentil or dentil means a small rectangular block used to make part of the design near the top of a classical column on a building, or a rectangular piece making a design on molding--
This block was once a dentil on the column of a very old building.
He wants dentil crown molding in the living room.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"He tried to make dentil molding, but it looks like it needs dental work."

Note --"dentelle" ( French for lace )  means a lacy design, most commonly one tooled into a book cover, as a border --
He wants the cover in red leather, with old-fashioned dentelle decoration.

enforce, in force

Enforce or enforce ( one word ) means to compel obedience or cooperation, as to rules or laws --
His job is to enforce the law, whether he agrees with it or not.
We have a code of conduct, and every staff member must help to enforce it.

Enforce may also mean to support, as a claim or an argument --
He is hoping that the court will enforce his claim.
He used evidence and experience to enforce his argument.

In force or in force ( two words ) means in operation or valid --
This new rule will be in force starting after the holiday.
That regulation is no longer in force.

In force also means in great numbers or with full strength --
The police are out in force; they must be expecting a crowd.
The unit attacked in force; no one was left behind.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"New parking regulations are now in force; the city will enforce them starting today."

a bridge, abridge

A bridge or a bridge ( two words ) means one ( a ) something built to cross over a river or highway, or something that spans or connects two things ( bridge )--
They are building a bridge over the new highway.
There is a bridge across the river about a mile south of here.
The dentist says he will need a bridge; it will take several visits.
We hope this event will serve as a bridge between our cultures.

Abridge or abridge ( one word, rhymes with a bridge ) means, to shorten or condense by deleting some parts --
The publisher wants to abridge the novel, to under 500 pages.
We would like the author to help us abridge this; it is much too long.

Abridge may also mean, figuratively, to cut short, to make less of --
The new bill is unconstitutional because it would serve to abridge the voting rights of some citizens, based solely on race.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"The speaker has planned a long talk about a bridge and road building plan, but we'd like him to abridge his talk to fit in a ten minute time slot."