Tuesday Tricksters, July 26
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."
You 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!
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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.
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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.
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Comments
Lisa Gallagher
7 years ago #10
I agree with you about Grammarly Susan Rooks and I really appreciate your offer! I may take you up on it :))
Susan 馃悵 Rooks, The Grammar Goddess
7 years ago #9
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
Susan 馃悵 Rooks, The Grammar Goddess
7 years ago #7
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!
Susan 馃悵 Rooks, The Grammar Goddess
7 years ago #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.
Susan 馃悵 Rooks, The Grammar Goddess
7 years ago #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
Phil Friedman
7 years ago #3
Susan 馃悵 Rooks, The Grammar Goddess
7 years ago #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