UNC usage and grammar

fair/fare

Fair: agreeing with what is thought to be right or acceptable, a state fair, fair skin, etc... fare: the money a passenger on public transportation has to pay; a range of food, especially of a particular type.

faze/phase

Faze means to embarrass or disturb ("The snub did not faze her") Phase denotes an aspect or stage ("They will phase in a new system")

flair/flare

Flair is conspicuous talent or style Flare is a verb meaning to blaze with sudden, bright light or to burst out in anger. It is also a noun meaning a flame.

grisly/grizzly

Grisly: causing horror or disgust ("the town was shaken by a series of grisly crimes") Grizzly: grayish or type of bear

heroin/heroine

Heroin is a drug Heroine is a woman admired or idealized for her courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

Its/it's

Its: possessive of "it" It's: means "it is"

miner/minor

Miner: person who works in a mine Minor: lesser in importance, seriousness, or significance; used in music (minor key/scale); a person under the age of full legal responsibility

moral/morale

Moral: a lesson, especially one concerning what is right or prudent, that can be derived from a story, a piece of information, or an experience.; (adjective) concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character morale: the confidence, enthusiasm, and discipline of a person or group at a particular time (there morale was high)

mute/moot

Mute: not speaking moot: subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty, and typically not admitting of a final decision

naval/navel

Naval: having to do with the Navy Navel: Belly button

spade/spayed

Spade: a tool primarily for digging or removing earth and fixing soil; visual element on a card Spayed: removal of female dog anatomy

stationary/stationery

Stationary: not moving, at rest Stationery: paper, cards, etc..

there/their/they're

There is an adverb indicating direction; it is also used with the force of a pronoun for impersonal constructions in which the real subject follows the verb (There is no food on the table) their is a possessive pronoun they're = they are

gibe/jibe

To gibe means to taunt or sneer; (They gibed him about his mistakes) Jibe means to shift direction or colloquially, to agree. (They joked their ship across the wind. Their stories didn't jibe)

insure/ensure

Use ensure to mean guarantee (Steps were taken to ensure accuracy) Use insure for references to insurances. (The policy insures his life.)

oral/verbal

Use oral to refer to spoken words: "He gave an oral promise" Use verbal to compare words with some other form of communication: "His tears revealed the sentiments that his poor verbal skills could not express"

vane/vein/vain

Vane: a broad blade attached to a rotating axis or wheel that pushes or is pushed by wind or water and forms part of a machine or device such as a windmill, propeller, or turbine. Vein: any of the tubes forming part of the blood circulation system of the body; a fracture in rock containing a deposit of minerals or ore and typically having an extensive course underground. Vain: having or showing an excessively high opinion of one's appearance, abilities, or worth

then/than

When comparing one thing with another you may find that one is more appealing "than" another. "Than" is the word you want when doing comparisons. But if you are talking about time, choose "then": "First you separate the eggs; then you beat the whites." Alexis is smarter than I, not "then I."

conscience/conscious

conscience: your inner voice conscious: to be awake, aware

cord/chord

cord: a rope or something of the story chord: a group of (typically three or more) notes sounded together, as a basis of harmony.

forward/foreword

forward: at or to or toward the front foreward: a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

further/farther

further: use when not directly related to distance. Refers to an extension of time or degree. (She will look further into the mystery) farther: refers to physical distance (He walked farther into the woods

gorilla/guerilla

gorilla: an animal guerilla: a member of a small independent group taking part in irregular fighting, typically against larger regular forces; referring to actions or activities performed in an impromptu way, often without authorization.

hang/hung

hang: to hang, to be hanged hung: the past participle of hang

loathe/loath

loathe: to hate (he loathes mushrooms) loath: adjective (she is loath to leave)

lose/loose

lose: to be deprived of (I'm losing my appetite) or to become unable to find (I lost my keys) loose: not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached; not fitting tightly

ordinance/ordnance

ordinance: a piece of legislation enacted by a municipal authority; an authoritative order; a decree. ("a city ordinance banned smoking in nearly all types of restaurants") ordnance: mounted guns; artillery; a branch of the armed forces dealing with the supply and storage of weapons, ammunition, and related equipment.

overdo/overdue

overdo: to "over do it"; do, use, or carry to excess; exaggerate overdue: past the due date

reticent/reluctant

reticent: not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily ("she was extremely reticent about her personal affairs") reluctant: unwilling and hesitant; disinclined. ("she seemed reluctant to discuss the matter")

role/roll

role: a part in a play; he function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation roll: to move or cause to move in a particular direction by turning over and over on an axis; a cylinder formed by winding flexible material around a tube or by turning it over and over on itself without folding

sewage/sewerage

sewage: A system of sewer pipes (sewers) collects sewage and takes it for treatment or disposal. sewerage: the system of sewers is called sewerage or sewerage system

shear/sheer

shear: cut the wool off; break off or cause to break off; a strain in the structure of a substance produced by pressure, when its layers are laterally shifted in relation to each other. sheer: nothing other than; unmitigated (She giggles with sheer delight) ; (especially of a cliff or wall) perpendicular or nearly so

sole/soul

sole: the undersurface of a person's foot soul: your inner spirit; religious; music genre

suit/suite

suit: men's/ women's suit suite: a nice hotel suite

wet/whet

wet: damp, soaked with a liquid whet: sharpen the blade of (a tool or weapon)

who/whom

who: the pronoun used for references to human beings and to animals with a name. whom: is used when someone is the object of a verb or preposition (The woman to whom the room was rented left the window open; whom do you wish to see?)

wither/whither

wither: become dry and shriveled.; cause harm or damage to whither: to what place or state ("whither are we bound?"); to which (with reference to a place).

yoke/yolk

yoke: a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull yolk: yolk of an egg

to/too/two

you know this...

weather/whether

you know this...

your/you're

your is possessive you're = you are

capitol/capital

Capitol: building in the state capital capital: the city where a seat of government is located; describes money, equipment, or property used in a business by a person or corporation

council/counsel

Council: an advisory, deliberative, or legislative body of people formally constituted and meeting regularly To counsel is to advise. A counselor is one who advises

bloc/block

A bloc is a coalition of people, groups, or nations with the same purpose or goal block has more than a dozen of definitions, but a political alliance is not one of them

censer/censor/censure

A censer is a container in which incense is burned To censor is to prohibit or restrict the use of something To censure is to condemn; ("a judge was censured in 1983 for a variety of types of injudicious conduct")

historic/historical

A historic event is an important occurrence, one that stands out in history. Any occurrence in the past is a historical event

shoe-in/shoo-in

Don't use shoe-in, only "shoo-in"

accept/except

accept: to receive except: to exclude

adverse/averse

adverse: means unfavorable (He predicted adverse weather averse: means reluctant, opposed (She is averse to change)

affect/effect

affect: A VERB!...to have an effect on; make a difference to ("the dampness began to affect my health") effect: NOUN...a change that is a result or consequence of an action or other cause ("the lethal effects of hard drugs"); the lighting, sound, or scenery used in a play, movie, or broadcast

aid/aide

aid: to help aide: someone who helps; an assistant to an important person, especially to a political leader

allude/elude

allude: to allude to something is to speak of it without specifically mentioning it elude: evade or escape from (a danger, enemy, or pursuer), typically in a skillful or cunning way ("he managed to elude his pursuers by escaping into an alley"); (of an achievement, or something desired or pursued) fail to be attained by (someone) ("sleep still eluded her")

allusion/illusion

allusion: to make reference to illusion: an unreal or false impression

alter/altar

alter: to change, alter clothing altar: podium/table in a church

adopt/adapt

amendments, ordinances, resolutions, and rules are adopted or approved. Bills are passed. Laws are enacted. Adapt: make (something) suitable for a new use or purpose; modify; become adjusted to new conditions; an adaptation of (film)

anxious/eager

anxious: experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome eager: (of a person) wanting to do or have something very much; characterized by keen expectancy or interest ("the man was eager to please")

bail/bale

bail: a cash, a bond, or property that an arrested person gives to a court to ensure that he or she will appear in court when ordered to do so bale: a bundle of paper, hay, cotton, etc., tightly wrapped and bound with cords or hoops

baited/bated

baited: deliberately annoy or taunt (someone) bated: in great suspense; very anxiously or excitedly ("he waited for a reply to his offer with bated breath")

bare/bear

bare: naked, raw, uncovered bear: an animal, Bear is to put up with or carry something, like a burden or a baby, if you can't bear to be naked, you can't stand it. (grin and bear it)

biannual/biennial

biannual: twice a year biennial: every other year

breach/breech/broach

breech: the part of a cannon behind the bore breach: an act of breaking or failing to observe a law, agreement, or code of conduct; make a gap in and break through (a wall, barrier, or defense). broach: raise (a sensitive or difficult subject) for discussion; ("he broached the subject he had been avoiding all evening")

bridal/bridle

bridal: having to do with a bride bridle: the headgear used to control a horse, consisting of buckled straps to which a bit and reins are attached

cannon/canon

cannon: thing you shoot stuff out of canon: a general law, rule, principle, or criterion by which something is judged; a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine

canvas/canvass

canvas: material to paint on; heavy cloth canvass: solicit votes from (electors in a constituency); discuss thoroughly

cereal/serial

cereal: breakfast serial: consisting of, forming part of, or taking place in a series; repeatedly committing the same offense and typically following a characteristic, predictable behavior pattern

cite/sight/site

cite: refers to the action of citation sight: vision site: a place, location, web space

click/clique

click: to press clique: group of people

climactic/climatic

climactic: climatic: deals with weather

complement/compliment

complement: to go well together (Those colors complement each other) Also, it is a noun and a verb that denoting completeness or the process of supplementing something. Compliment: to make a remark of praise

comprise/compose

comprise: means to contain, to include all or embrace. It is best used in only active voice (The US comprises 50 states; The jury comprises five men and seven women; the zoo comprises many animals) compose: means to create or put together. Can be used in both active and passive voices (She composed a song; The United States is composed of 50 states; The zoo is composed of many animals )

damage/damages

damage: to harm, destroy damages: money claimed by, or ordered to be paid to, a person as compensation for loss or injury

desert/dessert

desert: dry place dessert: sweet stuff

discreet/discrete

discreet: means prudent, circumspect ("I'm afraid I was not very discreet) careful and circumspect in one's speech or actions, especially in order to avoid causing offense or to gain an advantage. discrete: means detached, separate; (There are four discrete sounds from a quadraphonic system)

eminent/imminent

eminent: famous and respected within a particular sphere or profession; used to emphasize the presence of a positive quality imminent: about to happen; immediate

everyday/every day

everyday is an adjective, example: making oatmeal in the morning is a part of my everyday routine... every day is an adverb, example: I get up at 7 a.m. every day.

flout/flaunt

flout: is to show contempt for flaunt: is to make an ostentatious or defiant display

flu/flue

flu: sickness flue: a duct for smoke and waste gases produced by a fire, a gas heater, a power station, or other fuel-burning installation.

hanger/hangar

hanger: a device that hangs clothing hangar: a large building with extensive floor area, typically for housing aircraft

home/hone

home: your house, place of personal space hone: sharpen (a blade); refine or perfect (something) over a period of time ("she has taken numerous workshops to hone her skills over the years")

hostile/hostel

hostile: unfriendly; antagonistic; opposed to; of or belonging to a military enemy hostel: hotel; affordable place to stay

imply/infer

imply: writers or speakers imply in the words they use A listener or reader infers something from the words

incite/insight

incite: encourage or stir up (violent or unlawful behavior). insight: an instance of apprehending the true nature of a thing, especially through intuitive understanding: an insight into 18th-century life

lay/lie

lay: to place something down; and action word; "laid" is the form for it's past tense (I laid the plate on the table, I will lay the book on the table) lie: indicates a state of reclining along a horizontal plane; its past tense is lay, and past participle is lain (He lies on the beach all day, I will lie down) In past tense: (He lay on the beach all day; he has lain on the beach all day)

led/lead

led: past and past participle of lead lead: cause (a person or animal) to go with one by holding them by the hand, a halter, a rope, etc., while moving forward; to be in command or in charge of; chemical element; a position of advantage in a contest; first place (being in the "lead')

lightening/lightning

lightening: to lighten (compared to darken) lightning: electrical discharge

past/passed

past: gone by in time and no longer existing. (memories of time passed); the time or a period of time before a specific moment (In the past...); on the further side of ("he rode on past the crossroads"); so as to pass from one side of something to the other (they hurried past) passed: move or cause to move in a specified direction.("he passed through towns and villages"); go past or across; leave behind or on one side in proceeding ("she passed a rest area with a pay phone")

pedal/peddle

pedal: a foot-operated lever or control for a vehicle, musical instrument, or other mechanism, in particular; "to pedal" is to move by working the pedals of something peddle: to sell something or trade

peek/peak

peek: to look at someone or something secretly especially from a hidden place peak: the pinnacle, highest point

piece/peace

piece: a portion of something peace: state of ease and harmony

pole/poll

pole: a rod of some sort poll: a survey

pored/poured

pored: be absorbed in the reading or study of (to "pore over" something) poured: especially of a liquid) flow rapidly in a steady stream; prepare and serve a drink

portentous/pretentious

portentous: done in a pompously or overly solemn manner so as to impress pretentious: attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed

principle/principal

principle is a noun that means fundamental truth, law, doctrine, or motivating force; (They fought for the principle of self-determination) principal is a noun and adjective meaning someone or something first in rank, authority, importance or degree

prostrate/prostate

prostrate: lying face down prostate: gland in the body

quash/squash

quash: reject or void, especially by legal procedure;put an end to; suppress squash: crush or squeeze (something) with force so that it becomes flat, soft, or out of shape.

ravish/ravage

ravish: to abduct, rape or carry away with emotion (soldiers ravished the women) ravage: to wreak great destruction or devastation (the troops ravaged Atlanta)

rebut/refute

rebut means to argue to the contrary (He rebutted his opponent's statement refute connotes success in argument and almost always implies an editorial judgment

regime/regimen/regiment

regime: primarily refers to a form of government or a period of time that a person or governing body is in power regimen: primarily refers to a systematic plan, in particular a regulated system of diet and exercise or a prescribed course of medical treatment regiment: primarily refers to a military unit or any large group of people

rein/reign

rein: horse reins; check or guide (a horse) by pulling on its reins reign: to be in power/rule; the period one is in power