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.
Discreet means careful not to attract attention. Discrete means separate. A discreet enquiry. Three discrete stages. The test that settles it Look at where the es sit. In discrete the two es are separated by a t — and that is what the word means. Try it “kept it ___” → quiet and tactful, so…
Disinterested means impartial. Uninterested means bored. A disinterested referee. An uninterested audience. The test that settles it Ask whether the person has something to gain. No stake in the outcome is disinterested; no attention paid is uninterested. Try it “a ___ observer” → no stake, so disinterested. “___ in football” → bored by it, so…
Dual means two of something. A duel is a fight between two people. Dual nationality. A duel at dawn. The test that settles it Only duel is a thing that happens. Dual never stands on its own — it always describes a noun. Try it “a ___ carriageway” → two of something, so dual. “fought…
To elicit is to draw something out. Illicit means illegal. The question elicited a smile. An illicit trade. The test that settles it Only elicit is a verb. If the word describes something, it is illicit. Try it “___ a response” → an action, so elicit. “an ___ affair” → describing it, so illicit. Il-…
Dessert is the sweet course. Desert is dry land — or, as a verb, to abandon. Pudding for dessert. The Sahara desert. The test that settles it The sweet one has two s, because you always want a second helping. Try it “what is for ___?” → the sweet course, so dessert. “crossing the ___”…
Device is the noun — a thing. Devise is the verb — to invent. A clever device. They devised a plan. The test that settles it Same pattern as advice / advise. The c word is a thing; the s word is an action, and it ends in a Z sound. Try it “a mobile…
Conscience is your sense of right and wrong — a noun. Conscious means awake or aware — an adjective. A guilty conscience. She was conscious throughout. The test that settles it Only one is a thing you can have. If you can put a or my in front, it is conscience. Try it “my ___…
Continual means repeated with breaks. Continuous means unbroken. Continual interruptions. A continuous line. The test that settles it Ask whether it ever stops. If there are gaps, it is continual. If there are none, it is continuous. Try it “___ complaints from neighbours” → they come and go, so continual. “a ___ supply of water”…
A council is a group of people. Counsel is advice, or the lawyer giving it. The city council met. She sought legal counsel. The test that settles it Ask whether you mean a body of people or the giving of advice. Only counsel can be a verb. Try it “the parish ___ voted” → a…
Credible describes something worth believing. Credulous describes a person who believes too easily. A credible account. A credulous audience. The test that settles it Ask which side of the belief you are describing. The thing believed is credible; the believer is credulous. Try it “a ___ explanation” → the explanation is believable, so credible. “a…
Criterion is one standard. Criteria is more than one. A single criterion. Three criteria. The test that settles it Count them. One takes criterion; two or more take criteria. The verb has to agree. Try it “the only ___ that matters” → one, so criterion. “the ___ are set out below” → several, so criteria….
Decent means acceptable. Descent is going down, or ancestry. Dissent is disagreement. A decent meal. The descent from the summit. A note of dissent. The test that settles it Only decent is an adjective. Of the two nouns, one is about going down and the other about disagreeing. Try it “a ___ proposal” → describing…
To defuse is to remove danger. To diffuse is to spread out. He defused the argument. Light diffused through the glass. The test that settles it Look for the fuse. Defuse takes the fuse out of a bomb, or out of a situation. Try it “___ the tension” → make it safe, so defuse. “heat…
Canvas is heavy cloth, or a surface to paint on. To canvass is to ask people for their views or votes. A blank canvas. They canvassed the whole street. The test that settles it The double s belongs to the verb. If you are doing something to people, it is canvass. Try it “an oil…
Capital covers cities, money and big letters. Capitol is one specific building. Dhaka is the capital. The Capitol in Washington. The test that settles it The o in capitol matches the o in the dome of the building. Everything else takes -al. Try it “the ___ of France” → a city, so capital. “marched on…