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 hangar houses aircraft. A hanger holds clothes. The plane taxied into the hangar. A wooden coat hanger. The test that settles it The building has an a, like aircraft. The clothes one comes from hang plus -er, like any other tool name. Try it “a coat ___” → for clothes, so hanger. “the aircraft…
To heal is to make better. A heel is the back of the foot. The wound will heal. A blister on her heel. The test that settles it Heal shares its a with health. The body part has two es, like feet. Try it “time will ___ it” → make it better, so heal. “a…
To hear is to receive sound. Here is this place. Can you hear me? Come over here. The test that settles it Hear contains ear, and that is what you do it with. Try it “I cannot ___ you” → sound, so hear. “put it ___” → a place, so here. Hear: to perceive sound…
To flaunt is to show off. To flout is to break a rule openly. He flaunted his wealth. They flouted the ban. The test that settles it Ask what the object is. Something you own or possess gets flaunted. A rule, a law or a convention gets flouted. Try it “___ the regulations” → a…
To flounder is to struggle clumsily. To founder is to fail completely or sink. She floundered through the answer. The plan foundered. The test that settles it Ask whether it is still going. Struggling but afloat is flounder; finished is founder. Try it “the talks ___ over money” → they collapsed, so foundered. “he ___…
Forward means ahead. A foreword is the short piece at the front of a book. Step forward. The foreword is by the editor. The test that settles it Look for the word word. A foreword is made of words, and it comes before them. Try it “the ___ to the second edition” → part of…
A gorilla is the animal. A guerrilla is an irregular fighter. A mountain gorilla. Guerrilla warfare. The test that settles it The fighter comes from Spanish guerra, war — hence the ue. The animal has none. Try it “___ marketing” → unconventional tactics, so guerrilla. “a silverback ___” → the animal, so gorilla. Gorilla: the…
You emigrate from a country and immigrate to one. Same journey, different end of it. They emigrated from Poland. They immigrated to Canada. The test that settles it Follow the prefix. E- means out, as in exit. Im- means in, as in import. Try it “___ from Ireland in 1890” → leaving, so emigrated. “___…
Eminent means distinguished. Imminent means about to happen. An eminent historian. An imminent announcement. The test that settles it Ask whether you are describing a person’s standing or an event’s timing. Reputation is eminent; timing is imminent. Try it “an ___ surgeon” → distinguished, so eminent. “___ collapse” → about to happen, so imminent. Eminent:…
Empathy is feeling with someone. Sympathy is feeling for them. She showed real empathy. He sent his sympathy. The test that settles it Ask where the feeler is standing. Inside the other person’s experience is empathy; alongside it, looking on, is sympathy. Try it “she knew exactly how it felt” → shared experience, so empathy….
To envelop is to wrap around. An envelope is the paper thing. Fog enveloped the town. A stamped envelope. The test that settles it The silent e makes the noun, and it changes the stress: en-VEL-op is the verb, EN-vel-ope the thing. Try it “seal the ___” → a thing, so envelope. “darkness ___ the…
Especially means above all. Specially means for one particular purpose. Cold, especially at night. A suit made specially for him. The test that settles it Try above all. If it fits, use especially. If you mean for that purpose, use specially. Try it “I love autumn, ___ October” → above all, so especially. “a tool…
One word is an adjective meaning ordinary. Two words mean each day. Everyday clothes. She walks every day. The test that settles it Try putting single in the middle. If every single day works, use two words. Try it “I check it ___” → every single day works, so two words. “___ language” → every…
Farther is for physical distance. Further covers everything else — and distance too. Two miles farther. No further questions. The test that settles it If you could measure it in metres, either word works. If you could not, only further does. Try it “walk a little ___” → measurable, so either, though farther is traditional….
To die is to stop living. To dye is to colour something. The plant will die. She dyed her hair. The test that settles it The y stands for the colour. If there is pigment involved, it is dye. Try it “___ the fabric blue” → colour, so dye. “the batteries will ___” → stop…