dam
damn |
a barrier obstructing the flow of liquid
a swear word or curse |
dammed
damned |
blocked from flowing
doomed |
days
daze |
twenty-four-hour periods of time
to stun or overwhelm |
dear
deer |
affectionate term
the animal |
| denote |
(see connote) |
desert (noun, verb)
dessert |
a desolate area; to abandon
extra s for sugary treat |
desperate
disparate |
lost all hope, in despair
entirely dissimilar |
device (noun)
devise (verb) |
an invention
to invent |
dew
do
due |
condensation in the morning
to take action
owed by a certain date |
die
dye |
to cease to live; the singular of dice
to stain or color using an agent |
different from vs. different than vs.
differently than |
Rule. Use different from not different than.
Example: The weather was different from what we expected.
You may use differently than when a clause precedes and follows the expression.
Example: He works differently than she does. |
discreet
discrete |
careful, confidential
individual, distinct |
discussed
disgust |
talked over
repulsion |
does
does |
female deer (plural) (pronounced like hose)
a form of to do (pronounced like fuzz) |
doughs
doze |
unbaked loaves of bread
to sleep |
dual
duel |
two-fold
fight |
| eager |
(see anxious) |
| effect |
(see affect) |
e.g.
i.e. |
for example
Example: My living expenses have increased, e.g., rent, food, and utilities.
that is, in other words
Example: My living expenses have drained my finances, i.e., I have less money in the bank at the end of every month. |
| eight |
(see ate) |
elicit
illicit |
evoke, extract, draw out
illegal |
| elude |
(see allude) |
elusive
illusive |
difficult to describe, evasive
Example: The point of the novel is elusive to me.
plausible or possible; deceptive
Example: She had the illusive dream of finding happiness by traveling. (plausible, possible)
Example: She had an illusive idea that she was qualified for the job. (deceptive, delusional) |
emigrate
immigrate |
to exit one country in order to live in another country
to enter a new country to live |
empathy
sympathy |
to understand another's feelings
to feel compassion or sadness for another |
| ensure |
(see assure) |
epic
epoch |
saga
a period of time, an age |
| err |
(see air) |
every day
everyday |
each day
Example: I learn something new every day.
ordinary
Example: These are my everyday clothes. |
| except |
(see accept) |
| eye |
(see aye) |
facts
fax |
objective data
short for facsimile; technology that sends images by phone |
faint
feint |
to go unconscious
pretense |
fair (adjective, noun)
fare |
impartial; an exhibition
payment or expense for travel |
fairy
ferry |
imaginary being possessing magical powers
type of boat |
farther |
refers to physical distance only
Example: We had to walk farther than the map indicated. |
| further (adverb, adj.) |
refers to physical distance like farther; moreover; in addition; to a greater extent
Examples: We need to discuss this further.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
We had to walk further. |
| further (verb) |
To help forward, advance, or promote a work, undertaking, cause, etc.
Example: Elisa had more desire to further her own interests than to further the mission of the organization. |
faux
foe |
fake, imitation
enemy, opponent |
faze
phase |
to perturb or fluster
a period or situation |
feat
feet |
an extraordinary act or accomplishment
twelve-inch increments; appendages at end of legs |
feted
fetid |
celebrated, honored
noxious, gross |
fewer
less
under |
refers to a number that can be counted
Example: Fewer days off.
refers to an uncountable amount
Example: Less rain, less fear.
used for direction
Example: Under the mattress, not under $100. |
find
fined |
discover
penalized |
fir
fur |
type of tree
hairy coat of an animal |
flair
flare |
style
erupt |
flea
flee |
insect
to run away |
flew
flu
flue |
past tense of fly, to have moved through the air with wings
a virus
part of a chimney |
floe
flow |
sheet of floating ice
pour, proceed, spew |
flour
flower |
grain
the bloom of a plant |
for
fore
four |
preposition
ahead
the number after three |
forego
forgo |
to go in front of, precede
to do without |
foreword
forward |
introduction to a book written by someone other than the author
opposite of backward |
fort
forte |
a military fortification
someone’s strong point, talent |
forth
fourth |
forward
number after third |
foul
fowl |
offensive, disgusting
certain birds |
frees
freeze
frieze |
releases
to make cold
a decorative band on the wall |
| further |
(see farther) |
gait
gate |
a manner of walking or stepping, stride
Examples: trotting, galloping, limping
barrier |
gilt
guilt |
gold-covered
blame |
gone
went |
used with has or have
Examples: Ella has gone to the store.
Barry and Ella have gone to the beach.
past tense of go
Examples: Ella went to the store.
Barry and Ella went to the beach. |
gored
gourd |
stabbed with a horn or tusk
hard-shelled fruit |
gorilla
guerrilla |
largest of the apes
soldier using surprise raids; irregular tactics |
graft
graphed |
attach; acquisition of money dishonestly
diagrammed |
grate
great |
a cover or partition of parallel or crossed bars
excellent |
grill
grille |
method of cooking; barbecuing
an openwork barrier for a gate |
groan
grown |
a low, mournful sound of pain or grief
to have increased in size |
guessed
guest |
conjectured, offered an opinion
company, honoree |
guise
guys |
appearance or assumed appearance
men |
hair
hare |
what grows on one’s head and body
rabbit |
hall
haul |
passageway or large room
to pull, drag, or lower |
halve
have |
divide into two
to possess |
hangar
hanger |
shed or shelter for housing airplanes
something to hang a garment on in the closet |
haut/haute
hoe
|
high-class, fancy as in haute couture (pronounced oh or oht)
flat-bladed gardening tool |
| have vs. of |
should’ve, could’ve, and would’ve are contractions for should have, could have, and would have. No such wording as should of, could of, would of |
hay
hey |
dried grass
interjection used to call attention |
heal
heel |
to alleviate or cure
back part of the foot; scoundrel |
healthful
healthy |
something that promotes health
Example: Organic food is thought to be healthful.
to have good health |
hear
here |
to listen; to give an official hearing
in this spot |
heard
herd |
listened
a flock of animals |
| heir |
(see air) |
heroin
heroine |
a narcotic derived from morphine
female admired for courage or ability |
hi
high |
a greeting, informal for hello
elevated |
higher
hire |
more elevated
to pay for services |
him
hymn |
pronoun referring to male person or animal
song in praise of religious deity |
hoard
horde |
stockpile, amass
a large group, crowd |
hoarse
horse |
cracked voice
animal |
hoes
hose |
flat-bladed gardening tools
a flexible tube for conveying liquid |
hole
whole |
an opening
entire, complete |
holy
wholly |
religious
entirely, completely |
hostel
hostile |
boarding house or inexpensive lodging
antagonistic |
hour
our |
sixty minutes
possessive pronoun |
| I |
(see aye) |
idle
idol
idyll or idyl |
not active; unemployed
someone admired
interlude, breathing space; romance, fairy tale |
| i.e. |
(see e.g.) |
| I'll |
(see aisle) |
| illicit |
(see elicit) |
| illude |
(see allude) |
| illusion |
(see allusion) |
| illusive |
(see elusive) |
| immigrate |
(see emigrate) |
imply
infer |
to indicate without being explicit
to conclude from evidence |
in
inn |
preposition; inside
small hotel |
inc.
ink |
abbreviation for incorporated
fluid in pens |
incite
insight |
to prompt to action
understanding, comprehension |
incredible
incredulous |
astonishing
Example: Her gymnastic moves were incredible.
skeptical
Example: Citizens are incredulous about the reason for the increase in the price of gas. |
ingenious
ingenuous |
clever
naive or simple |
innocence
innocents |
to be without guilt
people who are without guilt |
| insure |
(see assure) |
irregardless
regardless |
no such word exists
in spite of, without regard |
| isle |
(see aisle) |
it's
its |
contraction for it is or it has
Example: It’s for a good cause.
possessive pronoun
Example: The cat hurt its paw. |
jewel
joule |
gem
in physics, a unit of work or energy |
| karat |
(see carat) |
| kernel |
(see colonel) |
| key |
(see cay) |
knead
kneed
need |
work with bread dough
hit with one’s knee
to require |
knew
new |
past tense of know, to have understood
opposite of old |
knight
night |
a soldier in the Middle Ages
period between sunset and sunrise |
knot
not |
interlacing of cord or rope
used to express negation |
know
no |
understand, comprehend
a negative to express dissent |
knows
nose |
understands
part of the body one smells with |
