sell, cell, cel

Sell or sell means to trade for cash or money; to vend--
He decided to sell his old things at a flea market.
She learned to sell real estate and got a new job.

Cell or cell ( rhymes with sell ) means one of the units of a living organism--
Under the microscope, they could see each individual cell.
The hospital did some tests, but they didn't find one cancer cell.
Cell also means one of the locked rooms in a jail or monastery--
He had to share his cell with another convict.

Cel or cel means a transparent image used to make one of the frames of an animated film--
He bought a framed cel from a Disney movie to hang on the wall.
This old cel may be worth some money to a collector.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He placed an ad to sell an old cel of the dogs in a jail cell from Lady and the Tramp.

Note--the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) form of "sell" is "sold"--
He sold his old things at a flea market last week.
Note # 2--an organism made up of only one cell,  biologically, is called a "single-celled organism"--
We saw a single-celled organism under the microscope.

populous, populace

Populous or populous describes an area having a large population, meaning a lot of people living in it--
The town was not as populous after the factory closed.
Toxic waste should be treated far from any populous area.

Populace or populace ( rhymes with populous ) means the inhabitants or citizens of a particular place--
The outlaws of the old west often terrorized the populace.
The health department worried about the disease spreading among the populace.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The dictator knew that the entire populace of such a populous area would never go along with the scheme."

Note--"population" may mean the inhabitants of an area or region. In this way it is a synonym for populace, but "population" is usually used in a more abstract way, as in the census--
The health department worried about the disease spreading among the population.
"Population" may also refer to animals or other living things, as in the population of butterflies in a meadow.

 Note # 2--"populate" means to provide with inhabitants, as in a colony or new territory--
It took many years for the Americans to populate the west.
"Population" may be a noun ( thing or idea ) form of "populate"--
The population of the west took many years.

Note # 3--"populist" is a political term for someone who believes in appealing to the common people--
His parents believed  the elite should make decisions. They despised his populist sympathies.

tore, tour

Tore or tore is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of tear, meaning to rip or rend--
He tore his shirt, and went home to change.
We tore up bits of paper to make confetti.

Tour or tour ( rhymes with tore ) means a visit to examine or have a look at some new place--
They took a tour of Paris while on vacation.
They went on a guided tour of the museum.
Tour may also be used as a verb ( action word )--
We will tour the islands next spring.
We like to tour new places.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He tore his shirt while on a tour of the new factory."

Note--"tor" ( rhymes with tore ) means a rocky pinnacle or mountain peak--
He took several photographs of the tor with the sun setting behind it.
Note # 2--"torn" is a modifying ( describing something ) form of "tore"--
His shirt is torn.
He tore his shirt.
"Torn" is also a participle ( used with a helper verb ) to show that the action is over or complete--
He went home after he had torn all of the papers to bits.
The dog has torn up all of the grass.
Your shirt is torn.

stare, stares, stair, stairs

Stare or stare means to look at someone or something intensely, with a fixed gaze--
His mother told him that it was rude to stare.
Don't stare! It makes me nervous.
Stares is the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of stare--
He stares when he is thinking about something.
I don't like the way she stares at me.
Stare may also be a noun ( thing or idea )--
She mocked him with an insolent stare.
His stare got everyone's attention.

Stair or stair ( rhymes with stare ) is an old-fashioned word for stairs, meaning the steps from one floor of a building to another, or any one step of the set--
"Yesterday upon the stair, I met a man who wasn't there..."
We should get some stair treads for the steps.
Stairs means a set of steps that go from one floor or level to another--
Be careful on the stairs.
He fell down the stairs and broke his leg.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He always stares when she comes down the stairs."
"What is making you stare? Is there something on the stair?"

Note--"upstairs" means on the floor above--
Don't play ball upstairs. It's too noisy.
Where is he? He's upstairs.
"Up the stairs" means walking up the steps to the second floor, or the floor above--
Don't run up the stairs. You'll fall.
"Downstairs" means on the floor below--
I wish the people downstairs would be quiet.
Mom went downstairs a minute ago.
"Down the stairs" means walking down the steps to a lower floor or level--
Walk down the stairs slowly, or you might fall.

Note # 2-- to "stare down" means to stare at someone until he sees your point of view--
They made fun of him, but he was determined to stare them down.

Note # 3--a "staircase" is a set of steps --
Don't leave your toys on the staircase.

seller, cellar

Seller or seller means the person or party who has offered something for sale--
If you have any questions about the item, contact the seller directly.
The seller says he can wait until Friday for payment.

Cellar or cellar ( rhymes with seller ) means a basement or underground room--
We left the windows open to air out the cellar.
Don't put the books in the cellar. They'll get musty.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He has a cellar full of old stuff. He ought to become a flea market seller.

Note--"cellar" is also an old-fashioned word for a type of dish or compartment, as in the expression "salt cellar" , meaning a dish for holding salt, instead of the more modern salt shaker.
A person who sells salt might be called a "salt seller", but that would be unusual.

metal, medal, meddle, mettle

Metal or metal means one of the substances mined to use in making goods and machines--
Steel, iron, aluminum, lead, tin, brass, copper, gold, silver and platinum are all types of metal.
Some things made of metal can rust. That's why they are painted.

Medal or medal means an emblem or medallion  ( looks like a coin )  made as  an award or to commemorate a special event--
He won a gold medal in the swimming competition.
He was awarded a medal for bravery.

Meddle or meddle means to interfere where one is not wanted--
I wish she wouldn't meddle in my affairs!
They seem to like each other, but let's not meddle.

 Mettle or mettle means temperament  or  spirit--
"When a man's an empty kettle, he should be on his mettle..."
The battle was a test of the mettle of those involved.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"A witness decided to meddle, and after reporting the display of mettle, the hero was awarded a medal made of  shiny silver metal."

Note--a "medalist" is someone who has won a medal.
A "metallurgist" is someone who studies metal.

Note # 2--"meddlesome" describes a person who often interferes or meddles--
What a meddlesome old woman!
"Mettlesome" means brave or spirited--
Their leader, a mettlesome fellow,  inspired confidence in his troops.

salary, celery

Salary or salary ( sal ah ree ) means income earned from work, paid weekly or monthly, but not by the hour--
He looked for a new job with a higher salary.
She took the job, even thought the salary was low.

Celery or celery ( sell er ee ) is the light green vegetable that looks like the stems of a large plant--
The recipe calls for chopped celery.
He liked to snack on celery and peanut butter.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"His salary was so low that he couldn't afford celery."

Note--someone who earns a salary is a "salaried" employee--
Is he an hourly employee or a salaried employee?