Born in Miami, Florida, Mateo is a bilingual educator with a Master's in Spanish Education. He has spent the last decade developing Spanish curricula. Mateo is passionate about helping students master conversational Spanish and everyday vocabulary.
A throne is a royal seat. Thrown is the past participle of throw. She sat on the throne. The rider was thrown. The test that settles it Look for has, have, had, was or were in front of it. Those auxiliaries signal a participle, so the answer is thrown. If the word follows a or…
Straight means without a bend. Strait means narrow — a narrow channel of water, or a tight spot. A straight road. The Strait of Gibraltar. The test that settles it Try the word narrow. If it fits, you want strait. If you mean direct, level, honest or undiluted, you want straight. Try it “in dire…
Suit rhymes with boot and means clothing, a legal action, or to be right for something. Suite rhymes with sweet and means a matching set. He wore a grey suit. They booked a suite. The test that settles it Say the sentence aloud. If the word sounds like sweet, it is suite. That is the…
A tenant is a person who rents. A tenet is a principle someone believes. The tenant paid on time. A central tenet of the theory. The test that settles it Ask whether you could shake its hand. A tenant is a person; a tenet is an idea. If the sentence is about belief, doctrine or…
Sole means only, or the underside of a foot. Soul is the spiritual part of a person. The sole survivor. A generous soul. The test that settles it Try replacing the word with only. If that works, it is sole. If you could replace it with spirit or person, it is soul. Try it “the…
A stalactite hangs from the ceiling. A stalagmite rises from the ground. Water drips off a stalactite and builds a stalagmite underneath it. The test that settles it Look at the third letter. Stalactite has a c for ceiling. Stalagmite has a g for ground. That one letter settles every case. Try it “icicles of…
Steal is to take what is not yours. Steel is the metal. Do not steal it. The frame is steel. The test that settles it If the word is doing something — taking, creeping, bracing — it is almost always steal. If it names a material, it is steel. The one overlap is steel yourself,…
Sensual is about bodily appetite, usually sexual. Sensuous is about the senses in general, usually aesthetic. A sensual embrace. A sensuous piece of music. The test that settles it Ask whether you could use the word about a cello or a length of silk without anyone reading a second meaning into it. If you could,…
Set takes an object — you set something down. Sit does not — you sit down yourself. Set the tray on the table, then sit beside me. The test that settles it Put a noun straight after the verb. If the sentence still works, you want set. If the subject is the one doing the…
In modern English, will is the default for the future. Shall survives mainly in questions with I or we, and in legal drafting. Shall I open a window? I will be there at six. The test that settles it If you are offering, suggesting or asking for instructions with I or we, use shall. Everywhere…
A review is an assessment. A revue is a variety show. A book review. A satirical revue. The test that settles it The French spelling is the theatrical one. If it is not on a stage, it is review. Try it “a five-star ___” → an assessment, so review. “a musical ___” → a stage…
Right means correct or a direction. A rite is a ceremony. To write is to put words down. The right answer. A funeral rite. Write it down. The test that settles it Write starts with wr, like wrote and written. A rite is a ritual. Try it “last ___” → a ceremony, so rites. “___…
A role is a part played. To roll is to turn over, and a roll is a list or a small loaf. A leading role. Roll the dice. The test that settles it One l for the part in a play. Two l for everything else, including things that actually roll. Try it “a key…
Tortuous means twisting or overly complicated. Torturous means causing suffering. A tortuous mountain road. A torturous ordeal. The test that settles it Look for the extra r. Tor-tur-ous contains torture; tor-tu-ous does not. Try it “a ___ negotiation” → long and winding, so tortuous. “a ___ headache” → painful, so torturous. Tortuous: twisting, or convoluted…
Venal means corrupt and open to bribery. Venial means minor and forgivable. A venal official. A venial mistake. The test that settles it The longer word is the lighter offence. Venial has an extra i, and it means insignificant. Try it “a ___ judge” → taking bribes, so venal. “a ___ error” → a small…