wet, whet

Wet or wet means coated or soaked in water or some other liquid--
She was so afraid of getting wet that she took an umbrella everywhere.
The laundry is still wet. Turn the dryer on again.
Wet may also be a verb ( action word )--
Don't wet the lawn with that sprinkler.

Whet or whet ( rhymes with wet ) means to sharpen or hone, literally or figuratively--
He whet the blade of his axe on a stone before using it to chop wood.
He always had a drink before dinner to whet his appetite.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Have a drink to wet your whistle and a snack to whet your appetite."
"If you get the grindstone wet, it won't whet the knives as well."

Note--the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) form of "wet" is "wet"--
We wet the deck with the hose this morning, and it's dry already.
The past tense of "whet" is "whetted"--
He whetted the knife until it was so sharp that it could split a hair.

Note # 2--the comparative ( more or less than ) form of "wet" is "wetter"--
Don't use that towel; it's wetter than this one.
Someone or something that sharpens a blade is a "whetter"--
The repairman is also a whetter of knives and tools.