Susan 馃悵 Rooks, The Grammar Goddess

7 years ago 路 2 min. reading time 路 0 路

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Tuesday Tricksters, July 26

Tuesday Tricksters, July 26

SEW / 50 7 SOW die dye worst / wurst = a

their / there / they’r 2 : - =

air / err / heir quince / quints 2 2

flew / flu / flue breath / breathe / breadth 3
sound alike

homophones

ferent spel oar [ore / or
have di different ee chute / shoot

_, counsel / council
cents / sense 00% its / it's :
ot! Gn genes / jeans
team / teem 914 7 gilled / gui soled / sold
assistance / assistants your / youre clause / claws

sent / scent

Here is the latest installment of a series I started a year ago to help remind all my connections of the dangers of believing in spellcheck. Don't get me wrong -- I LOVE spellcheck! It has saved me many times from embarrassing errors (spelling is not one of my strengths).聽

But spellcheck does only one thing well: it spells. It knows if a word is spelled correctly. It does NOT know if a word is used correctly. That's what we writers have to be alert for: those pesky words known as homophones (words that sound alike -- or nearly so -- but mean something different and are spelled differently). If we want to be seen as thoroughly professional, we need to be "on our toes" with this!

Now I don't expect anyone to memorize all the possible problem words; I often look words up myself online (isn't that a wonderful thing we can do?). I use the YourDictionary.com site because it shows many different definitions from several dictionaries, not just one. You can get a really good lesson just looking through those definitions!

So here are the words for today, and you can find all the previous editions on my website under "blog."

Tuesday Tricksters
July 26, 2016

Impatience (n ) not having much patience, restless

Impatiens (n) small flowering annual garden plants

In (prep) inside an area, (ad) ) most powerful (the “in crowd”), (adv ) to move
from outside to inside, (prefix) not (in + adequate = inadequate/not enough). (n). a posi-
tion of power (John has an in with the boss) Inn (n ): a comfortable lodging place

Incite (v ) to cause high emotions in others. to rile; to provoke
Insight (n ) understanding. the ability to see clearly

Incompetence (n ) inability to perform
Incompetents (n ) those who are unable to perform

Independence (n ) freedom from control Independents (n ) those who are free

Grammar Goddess Communication

Look Smart. Sound Smart.
www GrammarGoddess comYou might notice that one of the pairs -- incompentence and incompetents -- is also an example of using "in" to mean "not."聽

Are any of these words new to you? Have you ever mixed one of them up? What other English words do you find difficult to remember?

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If this post has helped you in any way, please:聽聽Like聽the post (if you really do).聽Share it if you learned something, so your connections can learn, too.聽(No fair keeping all the good stuff just for yourself.)聽Comment so you can be seen by my connections. You never know who would be interested in YOU.聽

All of these things will help YOU build YOUR network!
*********
My previous posts can be seen here on my website,聽and they're easy to find because they're categorized. Just type in a word on the topic you're looking for and see what I wrote on it.

*********

Do the associates in your company look and sound as smart as they are? They would if they could take one of my聽Brush Up on Your Skills聽workshops right where they work. If your company hires outside experts to teach any topic to its associates, please share my posts and聽website with your Human Resources or Training Manager.

I offer free generic聽Brush Up on Your Skills workbooks聽in a pdf format聽in American grammar, business writing, and interpersonal skills. They show what I teach in my three-hour corporate classes.

聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Want one? Let me know which one, and please send me your email address.

""
Comments

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #10

#8
I agree with you about Grammarly Susan Rooks and I really appreciate your offer! I may take you up on it :))
#10
Sarah, I almost included them but they are very tricky to explain. I will do them next week on Wednesday.

Sarah Elkins

7 years ago #8

And... incidents vs. incidence. Please? Good selection today, Susan Rooks!
#4
Well, as most of us have learned, Shana Hare, spellcheck only spells. Usage is beyond its scope. We just have to be vigilent with our own writing!
#6
Lisa Gallagher, I never know what to make of Grammarly. Sometimes it's right on. Sometimes it's just NOT. That site often shows fun cartoons that make a point, but sometimes there's a grammar goof in them (usually missing punctuation) that wasn't the point of the cartoon. For the life of me, I don't know how that happens. I can't even use a cute cartoon on my Friday Fundays if there's a goof I can't fix (yes, I've been known to add a period, comma, or apostrophe). If you're ever wondering if your punctuation is right, just drop me a line. I don't know everything, but I'm pretty sure I have all the basics covered. Happy to help.
#5
Ah, the merry Mrs. Malaprop rears her ugly head, Phil Friedman! Homophonobic? Great word, and spellcheck isn't flagging it. Dang! It's a real word, one that I never ran into before. And I just found a fun page using it: http://sfwriting.com/published-works/being-homophonobic-is-a-healthy-thing/ Thanks for the fun start to my morning, Phil!

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #4

Thanks Susan Rooks, it can be very easy to confuse the spelling of certain words. I'm glad you wrote about homophones. I use Grammarly and many times it's not correct. I am the queen of punctuation errors and I'm sure Grammarly has steered me wrong in that area as well!

Phil Friedman

7 years ago #3

Susan Rooks, if you use the wrong homophone is that a malapropism? Is it enough to make you homophonobic?
#2
-- Hi, Jim Saelzler! So good to see you here, and I would be bereft if you hadn't weighed in on the words as you always do! I so look forward to seeing what your take will be on the words I show, and you always come through. Thanks!

Graham馃悵 Edwards

7 years ago #1

Thank you for this Susan Rooks. I used to be the worst speller in the world... now with all my blogging, I am just a bad speller. This is helpful for sure.

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