- Invitation Status
- Looking for partners
- Posting Speed
- One post per day
- Multiple posts per week
- 1-3 posts per week
- One post per week
- Online Availability
- varies
- Writing Levels
- Adept
- Advanced
- Prestige
- Adaptable
- Preferred Character Gender
- No Preferences
- Genres
- low/high fantasy, medieval fantasy, historical fantasy, sci-fi, cyberpunk, solarpunk, grimdark, gothic-horror, supernatural themes, limited fandoms, adventure
Welcome to yet another installation of my grammar and punctuation guides! This time around I'm delving into the wonderful world of words!
It's no secret that many people struggle with forms of words or, to be more technical, homophones, homographs, and capitonyms. (Heterographs seem to be the most confusing, and the following list consists mostly of such words.)
What are these strange things you speak of?!
Before you worry, I bet many of you recall these terms from primary or secondary school. You may just need to refresh your memory.
If you are unconcerned with technical terms, feel free to skip straight to the list.
except - with exclusion
affect - to influence or impact
effect - result or outcome
aisle - space between rows
isle - an island
air - invisible, gaseous substance; quality of; unconfined space above the surface of the earth; tune or melody; to expose
heir - a person inheriting and/or continuing a legacy (often familial)
allowed - permitted
aloud - out loud
allude - to make indirect reference
elude - to evade
altar - sacred platform or table
alter - to change
a lot - large quantity
allot - to divvy out
are - plural present of "be"
our - belonging to the speaker and one or more other people
bare - naked or unadorned; to expose
bear - animal; to carry; to tolerate
boar - wild pig
bore - to hollow out; an uninteresting person or task; to make weary by being dull or uninteresting
boor - unrefined or ill-mannered person
board - a piece of wood
bored - uninterested; hollowed out
brake - to stop; an interlude
break - to destroy or damage; to wound
buy - purchase
by - beside; through agency of
bye - short for "goodbye"; advancement in a competition through absence of opponent
cease - to bring to or come to an end
seize - to take forcible possession of; to become stuck or jammed; to have bodily convulsions (seizures)
cite - to quote or mention
site - an area or location of; (web)site; to build in a particular place
sight - ability to see; something seen or glimpsed; someone's view or consideration; to take aim down a gun
compliment - expression of praise or congratulations; to present as a mark of courtesy
complement - to complete or improve
definitely - without doubt
defiantly - boldly resistant or challenging
elicit - to draw out
illicit - illegal
everyday - routine, commonplace
every day - each day, successive order
fair - just, honest; lightly pigmented or complected; festival
fare - fee for travel; food
hear - to perceive sound
here - in this place
hole - an opening
whole - entire or complete
hollow - empty; without significance or meaning
hallow - to make holy; revered as something holy; greatly revered or respected
lose - to be deprived of; cease to retain; to misplace; opposite of win
loose - neither firmly nor tightly fixed or fitted; to free or release
manner - decorum or behaviour
manor - a large estate
metal - a hard, natural ore
medal - an award
mettle - spirit, energy
passed - past tense of "pass"
past - previously in time
peace - freedom from disturbance
piece - a part of; selection of music
peak - point, pinnacle, or maximum
peek - to peer or look; to protrude slightly
pique - to excite; to affect with irritation
pedal - foot lever of bicycle or car
petal - part of a flower
peddle - to sell
plain - simple, bland; open, treeless expanse
plane - aircraft; level of existence or thought; flat or level surface
queue - a line or sequence awaiting in turn
cue - a signal for action; hint or indication; a prompt; stick used for billiards or pool
rain - weather condition; to fall like rain
reign - to rule
rein - to guide or control; part of a bridal to control an animal
raise - to lift up
raze - to destroy
right - correct; opposite of left
rite - ritual or ceremony
write - to compose
scene - location of an incident; a place or position; a division of an act in a play or opera
seen - past participle of "see"
see - to view
sea - large body of salt water; a vast expanse
than - in comparison
then - at that time; next
their - possessive form of "they"
there - in that place
they're - they are
through - into and out of; finished
threw - past tense of "throw"
thorough - performed with care and detail
to - used to indicate; toward
too - as well, also; used to show emphasis
two - the number following one
waist - midsection of the body
waste - rubbish; to squander
weak - opposite of strong
week - seven consecutive days
weather - climatic condition
whether - if
wear - to put on; to become damaged over time; to withstand; to pass time slowly or tediously
where - at what location
ware - something offered for sale
were (prefix) - e.g. werewolf, werebear
were - second person singular past, plural past, and past subjunctive of "be"
we're - we are
whir - low, continuous sound
which - one of
witch - practitioner of witchcraft
your - possessive of "you"
you're - you are
yore - time long past
It's no secret that many people struggle with forms of words or, to be more technical, homophones, homographs, and capitonyms. (Heterographs seem to be the most confusing, and the following list consists mostly of such words.)
What are these strange things you speak of?!
Before you worry, I bet many of you recall these terms from primary or secondary school. You may just need to refresh your memory.
If you are unconcerned with technical terms, feel free to skip straight to the list.
Homophones are words that are pronounced the same as other words but have different and unrelated meanings.
There are two specific types of homophones:
There is one specific type of homograph:
Capitonyms are words that have different meanings when the word begins with a capital letter.
An example of this would be Polish (from Poland) and polish (to shine something).
There are two specific types of homophones:
- Homonyms: spelled and pronounced the same way (e.g. duck)
- Heterographs: spelled differently but pronounced the same way (e.g. you, ewe)
There is one specific type of homograph:
- Heteronym: spelled the same way but pronounced differently (e.g. lead/lead)
Capitonyms are words that have different meanings when the word begins with a capital letter.
An example of this would be Polish (from Poland) and polish (to shine something).
Commonly Confused Words:
accept - to receive something
except - with exclusion
affect - to influence or impact
effect - result or outcome
aisle - space between rows
isle - an island
air - invisible, gaseous substance; quality of; unconfined space above the surface of the earth; tune or melody; to expose
heir - a person inheriting and/or continuing a legacy (often familial)
allowed - permitted
aloud - out loud
allude - to make indirect reference
elude - to evade
altar - sacred platform or table
alter - to change
a lot - large quantity
allot - to divvy out
are - plural present of "be"
our - belonging to the speaker and one or more other people
bare - naked or unadorned; to expose
bear - animal; to carry; to tolerate
boar - wild pig
bore - to hollow out; an uninteresting person or task; to make weary by being dull or uninteresting
boor - unrefined or ill-mannered person
board - a piece of wood
bored - uninterested; hollowed out
brake - to stop; an interlude
break - to destroy or damage; to wound
buy - purchase
by - beside; through agency of
bye - short for "goodbye"; advancement in a competition through absence of opponent
cease - to bring to or come to an end
seize - to take forcible possession of; to become stuck or jammed; to have bodily convulsions (seizures)
cite - to quote or mention
site - an area or location of; (web)site; to build in a particular place
sight - ability to see; something seen or glimpsed; someone's view or consideration; to take aim down a gun
compliment - expression of praise or congratulations; to present as a mark of courtesy
complement - to complete or improve
definitely - without doubt
defiantly - boldly resistant or challenging
elicit - to draw out
illicit - illegal
everyday - routine, commonplace
every day - each day, successive order
fair - just, honest; lightly pigmented or complected; festival
fare - fee for travel; food
hear - to perceive sound
here - in this place
hole - an opening
whole - entire or complete
hollow - empty; without significance or meaning
hallow - to make holy; revered as something holy; greatly revered or respected
lose - to be deprived of; cease to retain; to misplace; opposite of win
loose - neither firmly nor tightly fixed or fitted; to free or release
manner - decorum or behaviour
manor - a large estate
metal - a hard, natural ore
medal - an award
mettle - spirit, energy
passed - past tense of "pass"
past - previously in time
peace - freedom from disturbance
piece - a part of; selection of music
peak - point, pinnacle, or maximum
peek - to peer or look; to protrude slightly
pique - to excite; to affect with irritation
pedal - foot lever of bicycle or car
petal - part of a flower
peddle - to sell
plain - simple, bland; open, treeless expanse
plane - aircraft; level of existence or thought; flat or level surface
queue - a line or sequence awaiting in turn
cue - a signal for action; hint or indication; a prompt; stick used for billiards or pool
rain - weather condition; to fall like rain
reign - to rule
rein - to guide or control; part of a bridal to control an animal
raise - to lift up
raze - to destroy
right - correct; opposite of left
rite - ritual or ceremony
write - to compose
scene - location of an incident; a place or position; a division of an act in a play or opera
seen - past participle of "see"
see - to view
sea - large body of salt water; a vast expanse
than - in comparison
then - at that time; next
their - possessive form of "they"
there - in that place
they're - they are
through - into and out of; finished
threw - past tense of "throw"
thorough - performed with care and detail
to - used to indicate; toward
too - as well, also; used to show emphasis
two - the number following one
waist - midsection of the body
waste - rubbish; to squander
weak - opposite of strong
week - seven consecutive days
weather - climatic condition
whether - if
wear - to put on; to become damaged over time; to withstand; to pass time slowly or tediously
where - at what location
ware - something offered for sale
were (prefix) - e.g. werewolf, werebear
were - second person singular past, plural past, and past subjunctive of "be"
we're - we are
whir - low, continuous sound
which - one of
witch - practitioner of witchcraft
your - possessive of "you"
you're - you are
yore - time long past
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or think are are other commonly confused words you think I should add, please let me know!
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