Word pairs that sound alike or look alike and get swapped by mistake. Each page gives the answer first, then the test that tells them apart.
English · 116 guides
Word pairs that sound alike or look alike and get swapped by mistake. Each page gives the answer first, then the test that tells them apart.
Peak is a summit. Peek is a quick look. Pique is to arouse — or a fit of irritation. The peak of the mountain. A quick peek. It piqued my interest. The test that settles it Two es look like two eyes, and that is the one about looking. Try it “___ at the answers”…
A hoard is a stash of things. A horde is a crowd of people. A hoard of Roman coins. Hordes of tourists. The test that settles it Count what is in it. Objects make a hoard; people make a horde. Try it “a ___ of silver” → objects, so hoard. “___ of shoppers” → people,…
The speaker implies. The listener infers. He implied she was late. She inferred he was annoyed. The test that settles it Ask who is doing it. The one sending the message implies; the one receiving it infers. Try it “his tone ___ criticism” → the tone is sending it, so implied. “I ___ from her…
To incite is to stir people into action. An insight is a piece of understanding. Accused of inciting violence. A sharp insight into the problem. The test that settles it Only incite is a verb. If the word is a thing you can have, it is insight. Try it “a useful ___” → a thing,…
Ingenious means clever. Ingenuous means innocent and open. An ingenious solution. An ingenuous smile. The test that settles it Look for the i before the ending. Ingenious is the clever one, and it shares that i with genius. Try it “an ___ design” → clever, so ingenious. “an ___ young man” → guileless, so ingenuous….
Led is the past tense of the verb. Lead is the present — or the metal, which rhymes with led and causes the whole problem. She led the team last year. She will lead it again. The test that settles it Say the sentence aloud. If the word rhymes with red and describes something that…
Lightning is the flash in the sky. Lightening means making lighter. Struck by lightning. Lightening the load. The test that settles it The weather word has no e in the middle. Everything else does, because it is built on the verb lighten. Try it “thunder and ___” → the weather, so lightning. “___ her workload”…
Historic means important enough to be remembered. Historical means belonging to the past. A historic victory. Historical records. The test that settles it Ask whether you are praising it or dating it. Significance is historic; simply being old is historical. Try it “a ___ moment” → one that will be remembered, so historic. “___ evidence…
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…
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…