ghoulish, goulash

Ghoulish or ghoulish describes someone or something resembling an evil demon, particularly one who preys on the dead or who robs graves --
His sense of humor isn't just sick, it's ghoulish.
The movie was ghoulish; we nearly left in the middle.

Goulash or goulash is the Hungarian stew, usually made with beef, paprika, and other ingredients --
A nice hot plate of goulash will warm you up.
I want to make some goulash, but we're out of paprika.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"While we the goulash was cooking, he told them a ghoulish, spine-tingling tale."

lame, lamé

Lame or lame means disabled, impaired, or weak, especially in the foot or leg --
He was left lame from an injury he suffered during the war.
The horse will be lame if his hoof isn't treated.

Lamé or lamé means a shiny fabric made with metal threads --
This piece of gold lamé is just the thing for your costume.
We could get some silver lamé, and put stars and a moon on your cape.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"In his blanket trimmed with gold lamé, no one will notice that the horse is lame."

Note--"lame" also means a thin overlapping plate that makes up a piece of armor --
This little trinket may be an old piece of lame from a suit of armor.

hopeless, hope less

Hopeless or hopeless ( one word ) describes an impossible task or situation, one without a cure or remedy --
We've tried everything; it's hopeless.
His condition is hopeless; there is no chance that he will survive.

Hope less or hope less ( two words ) means the belief or feeling that something will turn out as desired, or for the best ( hope ) in a smaller amount ( less ) --
Conditions will improve when we hope less and do more.
If we hope less and think more, we may come up with a solution.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"Political problems seem hopeless until we hope less and participate more."

octane, octan

Octane or octane means a chemical, made from petroleum, and used to make a type of gasoline that makes a car run more smoothly, without engine knocking, or without running noisily and irregularly --
The car may run better if you use a high-octane gasoline.
Check the octane rating at the gas pump.

Octan or octan describes a fever that returns every eight days --
He has an octan fever, and today he's feeling ill.
If she has an octan fever, she'll be sick again in eight days.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"The car seems to knock only sometimes, as if it had a mechanical version of an octan fever; a gasoline with a high octane level may help."

Note--"high-octane" is also a slang term meaning supercharged or powerful --
The star gave a high-octane performance, and the fans went wild.

boos, booze

Boos or boos is the he, she, it form of "boo", meaning to make a noise or shout of disapproval, as at a public speech or performance --
He boos whenever our team is losing, but he doesn't cheer when we win.
She boos at the TV when she doesn't like something; just ignore it.

Boos or boos may also be the plural ( more than one ) of "boo", meaning a shout of disapproval --
You can hear the boos outside on the street; what's going on?
He was shouted down with a chorus of boos.

Booze or booze ( rhymes with boos ) is an old-fashioned slang term for alcoholic beverages, particularly distilled beverages--
He says he can remember when booze was illegal, but I don't believe him.
Don't forget to bring a bottle of booze, in case of snakebite or some other emergency.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"When he has had too much booze he boos at nearly every play."

curate, curette

Curette or curette means a surgical instrument used for scraping --
Hand the doctor a curette when he asks for it.
We will use a curette to remove most of the tumor.

Curate or curate ( nearly rhymes with curette ) means an assistant clergyman, or a clergyman who cares for or counsels parishioners or churchgoers --
The young man is the minister's curate.
The curate is out calling on our sick parsishioners; he'll be back later.

Curate ( pronounced the same as "cure eight" ) means to manage a collection of art or objects of some kind, or property held in trust for a minor --
He plans to curate a collection of old photographs; you can see them on his blog.
We need to hire someone to curate our content.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"The curate will have to stand in for the nurse; show him a scalpel and a curette."

flurry, fleury

Flurry or flurry means a commotion; a sudden or brief agitation --
There was a flurry of excitement when the crowd heard the news.
The flurry of activity only lasted a few minutes, until everyone calmed down.

Fleury or fleury ( rhymes with flurry ), in heraldry, describes something decorated with fleurs-de-lis --
His shield had a cross fleury in the center, and nothing else.
The banner had a fess fleury running across it.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The sight of the cross fleury generated a flurry of excitement, as the people tried to get a closer look."

affluent, a fluent

Affluent or affluent ( one word ) means prosperous or wealthy --
His parents were affluent, but he doesn't seem to care about money.
His only career goal is to become affluent.

Affluent may also mean a stream that  flows into a river or lake --
An affluent joins the river about a mile downstream.

A fluent or a fluent describes one ( a ) thing that moves or flows easily, or someone who speaks, usually a foreign language, smoothly and competently ( fluent ) --
With a little more practice he will be a fluent speaker.
He moves with fluent grace; he's a fine gymnast.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"His affluent family sent him to school in Europe; he's a fluent speaker of both French and German."

belittle, be little

Belittle or belittle ( one word ) means to disparage; to regard something as lower or less than it is commonly perceived to be --
He has a tendency to belittle all of the best qualities of his friends.
He is quite pleased with his new job; don't belittle it in front of him.

Be little or be little ( two words ) means [ be ] small or tiny --
This puppy won't be little for very long; he'll soon be quite a large dog.
The tree will be little for a few years, but someday it will grow to a great size.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"Don't belittle him; he won't be little for long, and he'll remember how you treated him."

babble on, Babylon

 Babble on or babble on ( two words ) means to make meaningless sounds, as a baby does, or to speak foolishly or thoughtlessly ( babble ) for a long period of time ( on ) --
The baby will babble on for a half an hour or more.
He tends to babble on if he's not interrupted; pay no attention.

Babylon ( one word, always capitalized, nearly  rhymes with babble on ) is the name of an Ancient city in Mesopotamia, in present-day Iraq --
They want to build something to rival the famous city of Babylon.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"He will babble of about Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon for as long as anyone will listen."

impertinent, pertinent

Impertinent or impertinent means rude and presumptious; showing a lack of respect or civility --
Don't be impertinent; your grandmother knows best.
He will lose his job if he is impertinent to the boss one more time.

Pertinent or pertinent describes something related to the business going on; relevant --
Make sure to ask a pertinent question, so he'll know that you are paying attention.
Stick to the pertinent facts of the case, otherwise no one will be able to understand it.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"She asked him to keep his comments pertinent, and then he called her an impertinent woman."

pica, pika

Pica or pica means a craving for something that isn't food; an appetite for chalk, clay, dirt or some other substance --
Pica is a response to anemia or malnutrition.
The clay-eating, or pica, is a symptom, not a disease.

Pica may also mean, to a printer, a kind of type, or the measure of its depth, one-sixth of an inch --
As a unit of measure, pica may still be used to check the size of a font.

Pica may also mean the type used in some typewriters--
Typewriter pica means 10 characters to the inch.
 
Pika or pika ( rhymes with pica ) means a small wild animal related to a rabbit --
If it looks like a small, round-eared bunny, it may be a pika.
The pika is taking grass back to its home in the rocks; he's storing it up for the cold weather.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"She was in the yard, scooping up some dirt to feed her pica, when she disturbed a pika in its burrow."

vellum, velum

Vellum or vellum means the skin of an animal, most commonly a calf , a sheep or a goat, treated and used to write on --
Modern diplomas are printed on artificial vellum.
Many ancient books were written on vellum.

Velum or velum means the soft palate, or another sheer membrane making a partition, such as a cloud --
He burned his velum with hot food; he should recover in a few weeks.
Look at the velum; it seems to be draped between the large round clouds behind it.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"We found some old illustrations done in ink on vellum, including a drawing of the velum, tongue, and teeth."

thyroid, theroid

Thyroid or thyroid means the gland in the human neck that regulates growth and metabolism --
Lack of iodine in the diet can cause the thyroid to malfunction.
He has a goiter, an enlarged thyroid.

Theroid or theroid describes someone who behaves like an animal; brutish or uncivilized --
When he goes off his medication, he becomes theroid, sniffing and grunting.
She described his behavior as theroid, but it was really just overly emotional.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"We know he was malnourished by looking at his thyroid, and his theroid characteristics are evidence of neglect and abuse."

anagram, engram

Anagram or anagram means a word or sentence formed by mixing up the letters of another word or sentence --
She likes to tell people that "evil" is an anagram of "live".
Can you think of an anagram for "shore"? You have to use all of the letters.

Engram or engram means a trace, psychologically, as of an event in the past, or a mark left on protoplasm, biologically --
When he hears that old song, he sees an image, an engram, of the funeral.
He believes that each memory is an engram, a physical mark left on a part of the brain.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He doesn't like word games. He says that each anagram becomes an engram, and that he becomes confused later while reading."

artisan, artesian

Artisan or artisan means a craftsman; someone skilled in making things --
He's a well known local artisan; he makes furniture and cabinets.
He became an artisan, a highly skilled baker.

Artesian or artesian, in English, describes a kind of well named for a region in France --
The water in an artesian well rises because it is under pressure.
The county agent was here; he thinks that we have a good spot for an artesian well.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"They dug an artesian well, and hired an artisan to do the stonework."

precocity, preciosity

Precocity or precocity describes something or someone that has matured or developed early or prematurely --
That child's precocity is unusual; he should spend more time with other children.
Early warm weather can cause precocity; but the fruit may rot before it ripens.

Preciosity or preciosity means an affectation of extreme refinement or delicacy, in speech, writing, or style --
He loathes preciosity; if she asks for the little girl's room he may make a smart remark.
Her home is filled with chintz pillows, doilies, and other bits of preciosity.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"It's not really precocity; the child merely repeats the preciosity he has learned from his mother."

person, parson

Person or person means a human being, an individual --
Will each person please answer as I call your names?
The last person to leave should make sure that the lights are turned off.

Person is also a grammar term, used to label the subject of a sentence, and the matching verb form, as belonging to the speaker, those spoken to, or those spoken about --
I am the first person; you are the second person; he is the third person.
He sometimes puts on airs, and refers to himself in the third person, as "Mr. Jones".

Parson or parson means a preacher or minister --
The parson will be joining us for dinner, so behave yourselves.
You wouldn't have guessed it, but his father was an old-fashioned country parson.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"The parson stood at the door of the church, and greeted each person who entered."

anybody, any body

Anybody or anybody ( one word ) means an unspecified person; one person, no matter who --
Did you see anybody from school while you were at the mall?
Does anybody know what time it is?
Anybody can do that; it just takes patience.

Any body or any body ( two words ) means an unspecified quantity; some ( any ) of consistency or substance ( body ) --
The fabric won't have any body unless you starch it.
My hair doesn't have any body after I wash it.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"This wine doesn't have any body; don't tell anybody, but I think it has water in it."

anytime, any time

Anytime or anytime ( one word ) means whenever, no matter the hour or date--
He said to drop by anytime.
"Anytime you're feeling lonely, anytime you're feeling blue..."

Any time or any time ( two words ) means some, an unspecified quantity ( any ) of days, minutes, or hours ( time ) --
We don't have any time to spare; hurry up!
Do we have any time for questions from the audience?

Now that you know that, you can say--
"We can stop there anytime; we don't have any time for a side trip now."

anyone, any one

Anyone or anyone ( one word ) means an unspecified person; a person chosen at random; one of a group or crowd, not named or specified --
The label claims that anyone can assemble this.
Did anyone notice which way he went?
If anyone calls, I'm not in.

Any one or any one ( two words ) describes an unspecified or randomly chosen ( any ) thing, idea, or person ( one ) --
The children want you to read them a story; any one you like.
Ask an employee for help; any one will do.

Now that you know that, you can say --
"Can anyone tell me if any one of these will work with my phone?"

incongruous, in congress, in Congress

Incongruous or incongruous means not fitting or suitable, out of place or out of character --
That old settee looks incongruous in a modern room.
A non-smoking casino bar seems incongruous.

In congress or in congress means [ in ] a meeting or discussion ( congress ) --
They leaned toward one another, and seemed to be in congress.
They remained in congress until they concluded the deal.

In Congress ( always capitalized ) means during a meeting of ( in ) the national legislature of the United States ( the Senate, the House of Representatives, or both ) , or the national legislature of some other country ( Congress ) --
Discussion of the new measure stalled in Congress.
Can you find a news item about our representative's votes in Congress?

Now that you know that, you can say --
"An anarchist serving in Congress is incongruous."