Jul 18, 2016
- a vs. an
- Rule
Use a when the first letter of the word following has the sound of a consonant. Keep in mind that some vowels sound like consonants when they’re sounded out as individual letters. Examples: • a finger • a hotel • a U-turn (pronounced Yoo-turn) • a HUD program • a NASA study - Rule
Use an when the first letter of the word following has the sound of a vowel. Remember that some consonants sound like vowels when they’re spoken as individual letters. Examples: • an FBI case (F is pronounced ef here) • an honor (H is silent here) • an unusual idea • an HMO plan (H is pronounced aych here) • an NAACP convention (N is pronounced en here) Deciding whether to use a or an before abbreviations can be tricky. The abbreviation for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) causes confusion because it can be pronounced as a word (fak), or one letter at a time (F-A-Q). Using the guidelines above, one would say a FAQ when it is pronounced as one word, and an FAQ when it is pronounced one letter at a time. accept to agree except but, with the exception that ad advertisement add to perform addition ades fruit drinks aides people who help; assistants AIDS acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome aids helps, assists adverse unfortunate; strongly opposed (refers to things, not people) Examples: an adverse reaction to the medication adverse weather conditions averse having repugnance (refers to people) Example: He is averse to a military draft. - advice vs. advise
advice (noun) recommendation advise (verb) the act of giving a recommendation - affect vs. effect
- Rule 1
Use effect when you mean bring about or brought about, cause or caused. Example: He effected a commotion in the crowd. Meaning: He caused a commotion in the crowd. - Rule 2
Use effect when you mean result. Example: What effect did that speech have? - Rule 3
Also, use effect whenever any of these words precede it: a, an, the, any, take, into, no. These words may be separated from effect by an adjective. Examples: That book had a long-lasting effect on my thinking. Has the medicine produced any noticeable effects? - Rule 4
Use the verb affect when you mean to influence rather than to cause. Example: How do the budget cuts affect your staffing? - Rule 5
Affect is used as a noun to mean emotional expression. Example: She showed little affect when told she had won the lottery. ail to be ill; to cause pain or distress ale malt beverage more bitter than beer air what we breathe err make a mistake heir one who inherits something aisle passageway I’ll contraction for I will isle a small island all entire, everything awl a tool allot to parcel out a lot always two words meaning many allowed gave permission to aloud said out loud; spoken all ready means all are ready Example: We are all ready to go. already refers to time Example: Is it summer already? all together refers to a group; all of us or all of them together Example: It is wonderful to be all together to celebrate your birthday. altogether entirely Example: It is not altogether his fault. altar pedestal, usually religious Example: They exchanged wedding vows at the altar of the church. alter to modify Example: Please don’t alter your plans until we have the final schedule approved. allude to refer indirectly Example: He alluded to his past as a spy. elude avoid capture Example: The fugitive eluded the police for a month. illude mislead Example: He illuded her about his age. allusion an indirect mention of something illusion false perception ambiguous to have more than one meaning Example: The law was ambiguous. ambivalent to have mixed feelings Example: She is ambivalent about her wedding dress. amicable friendly (refers to things, not people) amiable friendly (refers to people) Example: The amiable couple had an amicable divorce. among involves three or more Example: Who among us has not lied? between involves just two Example: She couldn’t decide between Chinese and Thai food. amount used for things not countable Example: We couldn’t handle that amount of ill will. number used for things that can be counted Example: The number of accidents increased by ten percent. ant a bug aunt the sister of a parent ante a bet placed before playing auntie affectionate term for a parent’s sister anxious to have anxiety or worry Example: She is anxious about taking the test. eager excited Example: She is eager to get a puppy. any more something additional or further Example: It didn’t rain any more this year than last year. anymore any longer, nowadays Example: Harry doesn’t travel anymore. appraise to put a value on something apprise to notify arc arch, crescent, half moon ark a vessel or a refuge ascent (noun) movement upward assent (noun or verb) enthusiastic agreement; to agree consent agreement assistance (noun) help assistants (noun) people who help assumption an idea not based on evidence presumption an idea based on evidence assure to promise or say with confidence ensure to make sure something will/won’t happen insure to issue an insurance policy ate past tense of eat eight the number after seven aural having to do with hearing oral having to do with the mouth averse (see adverse) awed in a state of amazement odd unusual; opposite of even when referring to numbers aye yes eye organ one sees with I pronoun bald having no hair bawled cried ball a sphere bawl to cry or wail loudly band a group, sometimes a group of musicians banned forbidden bare naked, unconcealed, plain bear the animal base the bottom; vulgar; headquarters (singular) bass low vocal or instrumental range (pronounced like lace); a type of fish (pronounced like lass) based be dependent or supported baste to moisten; to criticize or lash out at bases (noun, verb) headquarters (plural of base); builds on basis (noun) foundation; belief be to exist or live bee insect beach sandy area with water beech type of tree with smooth, gray bark beat to strike violently; to flutter or flap; to pound as with a drum; to defeat; to stir vigorously beet a plant with a fleshy red or white root beau boyfriend (pronounced like owe) bough branch of a tree (pronounced like cow) bow (noun) part of a set with arrows (pronounced like owe) bow (noun, verb) boat front; a male’s form of curtsy, bending at the waist; comply (pronounced like cow) - because vs. since
- Rule
Because and since can be used almost interchangeably although because always indicates cause and effect and since is used for a relationship or time. Example: Since I have some extra money, I will buy shoes. (not cause and effect) Example: I will go to the game because my daughter is on the team. (cause and effect) Example: I have wanted to talk to you since yesterday. (time) been form of be used with has or have bin container bell chime or alarm; a signal belle beautiful or charming woman berth a boat dock; bedroom or bed birth being born; beginning better of higher quality bettor someone who places bets between (see among) biannual twice a year biennial every two years semiannual twice a year (same as biannual) bite to use one’s teeth to tear food byte computer term for eight bits of information billed charged a fee build construct blew past tense of blow blue the color bloc a group united for a particular purpose block city street; a cube-shaped object boar male pig bore someone or something not interesting board piece of wood; a group of people bored uninterested boarder someone who pays for room and food border perimeter; boundary bode predict bowed bent (pronounced like owed) bold daring bowled to have gone bowling; knocked over bolder more daring boulder a large rock boos sounds made by disapproving audience booze alcohol bough (see beau) bow (see beau) boy male child buoy a naval beacon or marker brake stop break separate into pieces bread a food; slang for money bred past tense of breed; raised brewed fermented brood (verb, noun) mull over; a cluster or family brews ferments bruise a black-and-blue mark, contusion bridal relating to brides bridle a harness, usually for a horse bring you bring something towards take you take something away broach to raise a topic brooch a bauble; a piece of jewelry brows the hairs in the arch above the eyes browse search for, peruse but except butt (noun/verb) bottom; joke object; to ram buy purchase, acquire by near, next to bye short for goodbye cache hidden stash cash money calendar chart of days and months colander sieve to drain off liquids can able to may permission to cannon large, mounted gun canon rule, commandment canvas awning cloth, tarp canvass to poll; a poll capital assets; essential; main city capitol statehouse carat unit of weight in gemstones caret a proofreading mark to show insertion (?) carrot edible root karat a unit for measuring the fineness of gold cast (noun, verb) group of actors; to throw caste a social class, a rigid system of social distinctions cay a small, low island (also spelled key) key a small, low island; instrument for opening locks quay (pronounced key) wharf, dock, pier cede to surrender seed reproductive germ cell prison room; basic structural unit of an organism sell to exchange for money censor (verb, noun) disallow; person who disallows Example: The soldier’s letters were censored before mailing. censure to disapprove of; criticize strongly Example: The children were censured by the principal. sensor a device that measures heat, light, etc. and transmits a signal to a control or measuring instrument cent a penny scent a smell, aroma sent transmitted cereal breakfast food serial a series or array chance accident(al) chants chorus, melody chased went after chaste pure, virginal chews how one eats food with teeth choose to pick childish immature childlike innocent Chile a country in South America chili a type of pepper; a dish with peppers in it chilly cold, brisk choral a cappella, singing without instruments coral material that makes up reefs; orange color chorale a hymn, a choir corral horse pen chord three or more musical tones sounded simultaneously; line segment joining two points on a curve cord a rope or strand of flexible material cored removed the center of something chute an inclined shaft shoot (verb, noun) to discharge from a weapon; a stem cite to assert; to quote from; to subpoena sight vision, the power to see site a location or position classic important; fundamental classical having to do with Greek or Roman antiquity; pertaining to eighteenth- to nineteenth-century music clause in grammar, a group of words containing a subject and verb; part of a contract claws an animal’s nails click a sound clique a group climactic having to do with the climax climatic having to do with the climate close (verb, adjective) to shut (pronounced like rose); nearby (pronounced like dose) clothes apparel coarse rough, lacking in fineness of texture; crude course a class; a path colander (see calendar) colonel an officer in the military kernel a seed complement completing part of an order compliment praise confidant someone confided in confident certain, sure connote to suggest, infer Example: a roaring fire in the fireplace connotes a cozy winter night. denote to be a sign of Example: certain clouds denote rain on the way. consent (see assent) continual repeated but with breaks in between; chronic Example: The continual problem of our car not starting forced us to sell it. continuous without interruption in an unbroken stream of time or space Example: The continuous dripping of the faucet drove me crazy. core center or crucial part corps trained group corpse dead body cosign to sign along with cosine a trigonometry term council a group of people meeting for a purpose counsel (verb, noun) advise; advice, an attorney creak a sound creek a stream crews many groups cruise a trip or vacation by sea criteria plural of criterion criterion a standard for evaluating or testing something cue a hint; a stimulus queue a line of people waiting currant type of small berry current up to date curser someone who swears or wishes misfortune on another cursor a blinking symbol indicating position on a computer screen dam a barrier obstructing the flow of liquid damn a swear word or curse dammed blocked from flowing damned doomed daze to stun or overwhelm dear affectionate term deer the animal denote (see connote) desert (noun, verb) a desolate area; to abandon dessert extra s for sugary treat desperate lost all hope, in despair disparate entirely dissimilar device (noun) an invention devise (verb) to invent dew condensation in the morning do to take action due owed by a certain date die to cease to live; the singular of dice dye to stain or color using an agent - different from vs. differently than
- Rule
Use different from, not different than. Example: The weather was different from what we expected. You may use differently than when a clause precedes and follows the expression. Example: He works differently than she does. discreet careful, confidential discrete individual, distinct discussed talked over disgust repulsion does female deer (plural) (pronounced like hose) does a form of to do (pronounced like fuzz) doughs unbaked loaves of bread doze to sleep dual two-fold duel fight eager (see anxious) effect (see affect) e.g. for example Example: My living expenses have increased, e.g., rent, food, and utilities. i.e. that is, in other words Example: My living expenses have drained my finances; i.e., I have less money in the bank at the end of every month. eight (see ate) elicit evoke, extract, draw out illicit illegal elude (see allude) elusive difficult to describe, evasive Example: The point of the novel is elusive to me. illusive plausible or possible; deceptive Example: She had the illusive dream of finding happiness by traveling. (plausible, possible) Example: She had an illusive idea that she was qualified for the job. (deceptive, delusional) emigrate to exit one country in order to live in another country immigrate to enter a new country to live empathy to understand another’s feelings sympathy to feel compassion or sadness for another ensure (see assure) epic saga epoch a period of time, an age err (see air) every day each day Example: I learn something new every day. everyday ordinary Example: These are my everyday clothes. except (see accept) eye (see aye) facts objective data fax short for facsimile; technology that sends images by phone faint to go unconscious feint pretense fair (adjective, noun) impartial; an exhibition fare payment or expense for travel fairy imaginary being possessing magical powers ferry type of boat farther refers to physical distance Example: We had to walk farther than the map indicated. further refers to nonphysical distance Examples: We need to discuss this further. Nothing could be further from the truth. faux fake, imitation foe enemy, opponent faze to perturb or fluster phase a period or situation feat an extraordinary act or accomplishment feet twelve-inch increments; appendages at end of legs feted celebrated, honored fetid noxious, gross fewer refers to a number that can be counted Example: Fewer days off less refers to an uncountable amount Examples: Less rain, less fear, less than $100 under used for direction Examples: Under the mattress, not under $100 find discover fined penalized fir type of tree fur hairy coat of an animal flair style flare erupt flea insect flee to run away flew past tense of fly, to have moved through the air with wings flu a virus flue part of a chimney floe sheet of floating ice flow pour, proceed, spew flour grain flower the bloom of a plant for preposition fore ahead four the number after three forego to go in front of, precede forgo to do without foreword introduction to a book written by someone other than the author forward opposite of backward fort a military fortification forte someone’s strong point, talent forth forward fourth number after third foul offensive, disgusting fowl certain birds frees releases freeze to make cold frieze a decorative band on a wall further (see farther) gait a manner of walking or stepping, stride Examples: trotting, galloping, limping gate barrier gilt gold-covered guilt blame gone used with has or have Examples: Ella has gone to the store. Barry and Ella have gone to the beach. went past tense of go Examples: Ella went to the store. Barry and Ella went to the beach. gored stabbed with a horn or tusk gourd hard-shelled fruit gorilla largest of the apes guerrilla soldier using surprise raids; irregular tactics graft attach; acquisition of money dishonestly graphed diagrammed grate a cover or partition of parallel or crossed bars great excellent grill method of cooking; barbecuing grille an openwork barrier for a gate groan a low, mournful sound of pain or grief grown to have increased in size guessed conjectured, offered an opinion guest company, honoree guise appearance or assumed appearance guys men hair what grows on one’s head and body hare rabbit hall passageway or large room haul to pull, drag, or lower halve divide into two have to possess hangar shed or shelter for housing airplanes hanger something to hang a garment on in the closet haut/haute high-class, fancy as in haute couture (pronounced oh or oht) hoe flat-bladed gardening tool have vs. of should’ve, could’ve, and would’ve are contractions for should have, could have, and would have. No such wording as should of, could of, would of hay dried grass hey interjection used to call attention heal to alleviate or cure heel the back part of the foot; scoundrel healthful something that promotes health Example: Organic food is thought to be healthful. healthy to have good health hear to listen; to give an official hearing here in this spot heard listened herd a flock of animals heir (see air) heroin a narcotic derived from morphine heroine female admired for courage or ability hi a greeting; informal for hello high elevated higher more elevated hire to pay for services him pronoun referring to male person or animal hymn song in praise of religious deity hoard stockpile, amass horde a large group, crowd hoarse cracked voice horse animal hoes flat-bladed gardening tools hose a flexible tube for conveying liquid hole an opening whole entire, complete holy religious wholly entirely, completely hostel boarding house or inexpensive lodging hostile antagonistic hour sixty minutes our possessive pronoun I (see aye) idle not active; unemployed idol someone admired idyll interlude, breathing space; romance, fairy tale i.e. (see e.g.) I’ll (see aisle) illicit (see elicit) illude (see allude) illusion (see allusion) illusive (see elusive) immigrate (see emigrate) imply to indicate without being explicit infer to conclude from evidence in preposition; inside inn small hotel Inc. abbreviation for incorporated ink fluid in pens incite to prompt to action insight understanding, comprehension incredible astonishing Example: Her gymnastic moves were incredible. incredulous skeptical Example: Citizens are incredulous about the reason for the increase in the price of gas. ingenious clever ingenuous naïve or simple innocence to be without guilt innocents people who are without guilt insure (see assure) irregardless no such word exists regardless in spite of, without regard isle (see aisle) it’s contraction for it is or it has Example: It’s for a good cause. its possessive pronoun Example: The cat hurt its paw. jewel gem joule in physics, a unit of work or energy karat (see carat) kernel (see colonel) key (see cay) knead work with bread dough kneed hit with one’s knee need to require knew past tense of know, to have understood new opposite of old night period between sunset and sunrise knot interlacing of cord or rope not used to express negation know understand, comprehend no a negative to express dissent knows understands nose part of the body one smells with lacks is deficient in lax slack, easy-going ladder the thing with rungs that you climb latter the second of two Example: If given a choice between vanilla and chocolate ice cream, I’ll take the latter. lain past participle of lie as in lie down lane narrow road or passage - lay vs. lie chart
Participle Present Past (A Form of Have) To recline lie, lying lay has/have/had lain To put or place (verb followed by an object) lay, laying laid has/have/had laid To tell a falsehood lie, lying lied has/have/had lied Examples in the Present Tense: I like to lie down for a nap at 2:00 P.M. I am lying down for a nap today. The hens lay eggs. The hen is laying eggs. I am tempted to lie about my age. I am not lying about my age. Examples in the Past Tense: I lay down for a nap yesterday at 2:00 P.M. The hen laid two eggs yesterday. He lied on the witness stand. Examples with a Participle (has, have): I have lain down for a nap every day this week. The hen has laid two eggs every day this week. He has lied each day on the witness stand. lead a metal element (pronounced like red); present tense of led (pronounced like seed) led guided, past tense of to lead leak unintended discharge of liquid or gas leek type of onion lean (adjective, verb) not fatty; to incline lien a claim on property to secure debt payment leased rented least smallest in size or amount less (see fewer) lessen to make less lesson a unit to be learned or studied lie a falsehood; present tense of lie down (see lay vs. lie chart above) lye a caustic substance lightening to make lighter lightning a brilliant electric spark in the sky loan something lent for temporary use lone only, solitary loose opposite of tight lose opposite of win; misplace Mach ratio with the speed of sound: Mach 1 = the speed of sound Mach 2 = twice the speed of sound mock (adjective, verb) artificial; ridicule made created maid cleaning lady mail correspondence male masculine; opposite of female main primary, chief, leading mane long hair on the back of a horse or lion maize corn maze labyrinth mall plaza, focal point maul abuse, claw manner behavior manor palatial residence marquee canopy, shelter; projection over a theater entrance marquis aristocrat, nobleman marry to wed merry cheerful marshal (verb, noun) assemble; a judge martial militant, aggressive may (see can) meat animal flesh used for food meet (verb, noun) to connect, touch; an event mete administer, allot medal decoration, badge meddle to interfere unwantedly metal earth element mettle boldness mind (noun, verb) intelligence; obey mined excavated to extract ores miner one who excavates to extract ores minor (noun, adjective) someone under legal age; small missed failed to hit mist fog, fine spray moan lament; sound of suffering mown cut grass mode method, manner mowed to have cut grass mood an emotional state mooed the sound a cow made moose an animal mousse type of dessert morning start of the day, between night and afternoon mourning sorrow over someone’s death muscle fibrous tissue mussel edible marine bivalve mustard yellow condiment mustered assembled, gathered naval pertaining to ships navel belly button, umbilicus need (see knead) new (see knew) night (see knight) no (see know) none not one, not any nun female member of a religious order nose (see knows) not (see knot) number (see amount) oar a blade for rowing or conjunction ore metal-bearing mineral or rock odd (see awed) of (see have) - on to vs. onto Use onto if you can add up before on.
- Examples:
He climbed (up) onto the roof.
She held on to her child in the crowd. - one single unit
won past tense of win - oral (see aural)
- ordinance a law
ordnance military weapons and ammunition - our (see hour)
- overdo to do to excess
overdue past due - packed past tense of pack
pact an agreement or treaty - pail bucket
pale lacking color - pain physical or emotional suffering
pane a plate of glass or panel - pair two of something
pare to remove or peel
pear type of fruit - palate roof of the mouth; taste
pallet a low, portable platform
palette a range of colors; a board to hold and mix colors - passed past tense of pass
past the time before the present - patience willingness to wait
patients people under medical care - pause a temporary stop
paws animal feet - peace calm
piece a portion of something - peak top of a mountain
peek glance furtively
pique to wound someone’s pride or to excite interest
peeled removed a layer - pedal foot-operated lever
peddle to sell, hawk, or dispense - peer person who is an equal
pier a structure extending out over water - perpetrate to commit, as in a crime
perpetuate to prolong or sustain - Example:
The myth that the sun revolved around the earth was perpetuated for centuries. - phase (see faze)
- pi 3.1416, the ratio of the circumference of a circle
to its diameter
pie baked food filled with fruit or meat - pistil female organ of a flower
pistol type of gun - plain (adjective, noun) not fancy; evident; simple; treeless area of land
plane a flat or level surface; short for airplane - pleas cries for help; appeals
please a polite word; to satisfy - plum a type of fruit
plumb perpendicular - pole a long, cylindrical piece of wood or metal
poll a collection of opinions; survey - pore small hole
pour to send liquid flowing - praise express approval
prays makes requests to God
preys hunts for food; victimizes - precedence priority
precedents examples, criteria
presidents chief executives - presence appearance, being present
presents (noun, verb) gifts; offers - presumption (see assumption)
- pries looks closely; wedges open
prize award or reward - principal (noun, adjective) head of school; chief; of first importance
principle fundamental belief - profit gain
prophet predictor, seer - pros professionals, experts
prose literature - quarts units of liquid measure (four quarts to a gallon)
quartz a mineral - quay (see cay)
- queue (see cue)
- rain water that falls in drops from the sky
reign rule, administration
rein bit, harness - raise lift up
raze flatten, tear down completely - rap (noun, verb) a type of music; to strike sharply
wrap to enclose in a covering - rapped struck sharply
rapt fascinated
wrapped enclosed in a covering - read to comprehend writing (pronounced like need)
read comprehended writing (pronounced like red)
red a color - real actual, authentic
reel stumble, falter
reseed to seed again - reek to smell bad
wreak to cause trouble as in wreak havoc - regardless (see irregardless)
- rest relax
wrest take from - retch vomit
wretch lowly being, scoundrel - review survey
revue a satirical show - right correct; opposite of left
rite ritual, ceremony
write to compose letters or words - ring sound of a bell; jewelry worn around a finger
wring to twist - road street, path, highway
rode past tense of ride
rowed past tense of row - roe fish eggs
row aisle (pronounced like oh); propel with an oar (pronounced like oh); fight (pronounced like wow) - role part in a play or film
roll (noun, verb) a bun; to rotate - roomer one who rents a room
rumor innuendo, gossip - root base of a plant
rout defeat (pronounced rowt)
route path (pronounced like root or rowt) - rot decay, decompose
wrought accomplished
wrote past tense of write - rude impolite, unmannerly
rued regretted, repented - rye seed from a grain
wry mocking, ironic, droll - sacks large bags
sax saxophone - saver one who saves
savor to appreciate a taste - scene a view, a setting
seen to have viewed with eyes - scent (see cent)
- sea a body of salt water
see to view with eyes - seam line formed by pieces of fabric sewn together
seem appear - sear scorch, burn, or char
seer one who sees (as in the future)
sere withered, dry - seas bodies of salt water
sees views with eyes
seize to grab hold of - seed (see cede)
- sell (see cell)
- semiannual (see biannual)
- sensor (see censor)
- sent (see cent)
- serf slave
surf (noun, verb) breaking waves; to ride a surfboard - serial (see cereal)
- set one sets a thing
- Example:
Please set the table.
sit one sits oneself - Example:
Please sit down at the table. - sew to stitch
so in the manner indicated
sow (verb) to scatter or plant seed - sewer a conduit for carrying off waste
suer one who sues - shear to cut
sheer transparent - shoe foot attire
shoo interjection used to scare away an animal - shoot (see chute)
- sic a Latin term used to indicate that something
written is intentionally left in the original form, which may be incorrect. - Example:
She wrote, “They made there [sic] beds.” - sick ill
- sics attacks
six a number - sight (see cite)
- sign an indication
sine a trigonometry term - since (see because)
- sink to submerge; to descend to a lower level; where you wash dirty dishes
synch (or sync) to synchronize, to coincide or match up - site (see cite)
- slay kill
sleigh snow vehicle, sled
slight slender, of little substance - slew past tense of slay
slough swamp (pronounced slew or slau) - soar to fly at great height
sore in pain - soared flew at great height
sword a bladed weapon - sole bottom of foot; alone
soul the spiritual part of humans - some a certain unspecified number
sum the total from adding numbers - son male offspring
sun star that is the central body of the solar system - sonny diminutive of son
sunny lit or warmed by the sun; cheerful - spade digging tool
spayed to have removed the ovaries of an animal - staid solemn, serious
stayed remained, waited - stair step
stare to look without blinking - stake a pole
steak cut of meat - stationary in one place
stationery writing paper - steal rob
steel (noun, adjective) iron alloy; determined - step (verb, noun) moving by lifting the foot; degree
steppe vast grasslands - stile turnstile, passageway
style fashion - straight not curved or bent
strait narrow passage of water connecting two bodies of water - succor relief, assistance
sucker fool - suede leather finished with a soft, napped surface
swayed past tense of sway; persuaded - suite a connected series of rooms
sweet opposite of sour - summary an abstract or brief account
summery of the summer - sundae ice cream with syrup
Sunday day of the week - sympathy (see empathy)
- tacks short nails
tax percent of earnings paid to the government - tail hindmost animal appendage
tale story - take (see bring)
- tare allowance for the weight of packaging
tear (verb) rip, pull apart - taught past tense of teach
taut tightly stretched - tea a beverage
tee a peg from which a golf ball is hit - team group playing on the same side in a game
teem swarm - tear (noun) salt water coming from eyes when sad (pronounced like ear)
tier a row or layer - tense nervous strain
tents portable shelters used for camping
then indicates time, answers when - their possessive pronoun
there location
they’re contraction for they are - threw past tense of throw
through in one end and out the other - throes agonizing struggles
throws tosses, hurls - throne royal seat or office
thrown was tossed - thyme herb of the mint family
time past, present, future sequences of events - ticks parasites; sounds of a clock
tics facial twitches - tide ebb and flow of the ocean
tied past tense of tie - to in the direction of, toward
too also, to an extensive degree - Example:
It is too hot to jog.
two the number after one - toad similar to a frog
toed having a toe
towed pulled, hauled - told said
tolled sounded a bell - tort a breach of contract
torte a rich cake made with little or no flour - tracked followed
tract an extended area of land; a political or religious pamphlet - troop a body of soldiers
troupe a group of traveling performers - under (see fewer)
- vain excessively concerned about one’s appearance
vane a blade moved by wind as in weather vane
vein blood vessel - vary to change or alter
very extremely - verses lines of poetry
versus as compared to another choice; against - vial small container for holding liquids
vile repulsive, depraved - vice bad habit; immoral practice
vise device used to hold an object firmly - wade to walk through water
weighed to have put on a scale - wail mournful cry
whale marine mammal - waist narrowest part of the human torso (usually)
waste to squander or spend uselessly - wait to be available or ready
weight quantity of heaviness or mass - waiver a relinquishment of some right
waver to feel indecisive; vary - warn to notify
worn carried on the body; deteriorated - warrantee person who is given a written guarantee
warranty written guarantee - way direction
weigh to measure mass - weak lacking strength
week seven days starting with Sunday - wear to carry on the body
where in what place?
whether if - weave to interlace thread or yarn to make a fabric
we’ve contraction for we have - went (see gone)
- were past tense of are
we’re contraction for we are - wheeled moved on wheels
wield to exercise power; to handle a weapon effectively - which what one?
witch sorceress - while during or in the time that
wile a trick to fool, trap, or entice - whine complaining cry
wine fermented grape juice that becomes an alcoholic beverage - whined past tense of whine, complained
wind what one does to keep a watch ticking on time (pronounced like kind); air current (pronounced like sinned)
wined to supply with wine - whirled spun rapidly
world planet Earth
whorled shaped like a coil - whole (see hole)
- wholly (see holy)
- who’s contraction for who is
- Example:
Who’s at the door?
whose possessive case of who - Example:
Whose coat is this? - won (see one)
- won’t contraction for will not
wont (adjective, noun) accustomed; habit - wood tree trunk material
would expressing an intention - Example:
I would if I could. - wrap (see rap)
- wrapped (see rapt)
- wreak (see reek)
- wrest (see rest)
- wretch (see retch)
- wring (see ring)
- write (see right)
- wrote (see rote)
- wrought (see rot)
- wry (see rye)
- yoke harness for oxen
yolk yellow center of an egg - yore long past
you’re contraction for you are
your possessive pronoun
- Examples:
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