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Which Word to Use?

258 Commonly Misused Words


and Their Meanings in the English Language
Dianna Booher
Copyright Booher Consultants, Inc. All rights reserved.

Dianna Booher, MA, CSP, CPAE, works with organizations to increase their
productivity and effectiveness through better oral, written, interpersonal, and
organizational communication.
Founder and CEO of Booher Consultants, Inc., she is also a prolific author of 46 books,
published in 23 languages. She has published with Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books,
Warner, Random House, McGraw-Hill, Thomas Nelson, and Berrett-Koehler. Her most
popular titles include:
Creating Personal Presence: Look, Talk, Think, and Act Like a Leader
Communicate with Confidence: How to Say it Right the First Time and Every Time
(Revised and Expanded Edition 2011)
The Voice of Authority: 10 Communication Strategies Every Leader Needs to Know
Boohers Rules of Business Grammar: 101 Fast and Easy Ways to Correct the Most
Common Errors
Speak with Confidence: Powerful Presentations That Inform, Inspire, and Persuade
E-Writing: 21st-Century Tools for Effective Communication

From Contact to Contract: 496 Proven Sales Tips to Generate More Leads, Close More
Deals, Exceed Your Goals, and Make More Money
Your Signature Work: Creating Excellence and Influencing Others at Work
Good Morning America, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily,
Forbes.com, CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, New York Newsday,
the Los Angeles Times, Success, Entrepreneur, NPR, CNBC, Fox Family Network, and
Bloomberg have interviewed Dianna for her opinions on critical workplace
communication. Successful Meetingsmagazine has named her to its list of 21 Top
Speakers for the 21st Century, and she has been inducted into the Speaker Hall of
Fame. Executive Excellence has named her to its list of 100 Top Thought Leaders in
America.
Booher Consultants, Inc.
2319 Hall Johnson Road
Colleyville, TX 76034 1-800-342-6621
www.Booher.com
www.DiannaBooher.com
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www.GetYourBookPublishedCoachingProgram.com

Which Word to Use?


258 Commonly Misused Words and Their Meanings in the English Language
Copyright Booher Consultants, Inc. All rights reserved.
Excerpted from E-Writing: 21st-Century Tools for Effective Communication (Simon
& Schuster/Pocket Books) and Good Grief, Good Grammar (Random House) Both
books are available at www.BooherDirect.com.
Several years ago during a business writing workshop, an auditor doing feasibility
studies for his oil company had been an enthusiastic participant during the first day
while we discussed analyzing an audience, structuring a document, and drafting. But as
we started into the editing phase and the link between clarity and proper grammar, I
summed up about the importance of presenting a proper image.
He leaned back in his chair with a most skeptical glance, Do you mean to tell me that if
I write a 10-page audit report and say affect instead of effect anybodys going to notice
or care?
Before I could respond, the rest of the class jumped on his case as if hed just
detonated a bomb in Times Square.
Are you crazy? Of course theyd notice!
What do you mean, would they care? Do you think our executives dont read your
reports? Then why are you writing them?
Do you think they themselves dont know the difference?
He slumped back in his seat after the onslaught of disbelief and decided that maybe he
needed to tune in to the editing segment of the writing process after all.
The fact is this: You cant depend on your spellchecker to make final decisions when it
highlights suspicious words. For example, which of the following two sentences is
correct?
This law before Congress will effect a widespread change in small business operations.
This law before Congress will affect a widespread change in small business operations.
If you said both, you are correct. But they have very different meanings. The first
sentence means the law will cause a widespread change. The second sentence says
the law will involve a widespread change. The choice between the two can be
enormous. Like most of the pairs of misused words listed in this ebook, these words are
not simply misspellings (a minor issue in the mind of the auditor).
For most of the confused pairs, the words are as different as apples and oranges. They
may both be fruits, but thats where the similarities end. Awareness is the key. Becoming
aware of commonly misused words will be your opportunity to correct them. Review the
following list of commonly confused words and check those that you may have been
misusing all your life.

On some, youre going to be thinking, No way! Who gets THAT wrong? On others,
youre going to feel your face flush with recall of all the times someone has probably
played gotcha with your grammar. So bookmark the definition in your memory for next
use.
Yes, I could have made the list much longer. I myself periodically review this list first
published in Good Grief, Good Grammar, 1988, then revised and published in EWriting, 2001, and then revised again here. My attempt is to keep it to a manageable
size of the most troublesome words for the most people for the most
common situations.
Now, to the list
accept
(verbto receive) I will accept your decision calmly.
except
(prepositionnot including) He took everything except a coat.

adapt
(verbto adjust) Try to adapt this training to your audience.
adept
(adjectiveproficient) He is adept at web design.
adopt
(verbto choose) They will adopt the children in March.

addition
(nounsomething added) Spike is a great addition to our staff.
edition
(nounparticular version of a publication) The July 6 edition had an error in the
headline.
adverse
(adjectiveunfavorable) He hates to fly his plane under adverse conditions.
averse
(adjectiveto be opposed to) The committee is averse to that change in policy.

advice
(nouncounsel) The managers advice was to litigate.
advise

(verbto give counsel) The manager advised him to litigate.

affect
(verbto influence or to involve) That policy affects my paycheck.
effect
(verbto cause; or: nouna result) His resignation will effect change. (to cause) The
effect is devastating on my paycheck. (a result)

affluent
(prosperous) Spike is an affluent rancher.
effluent
(flowing outward) An effluent stream flowed from the north end of the factory.

aggravate
(verbto add to, to make a bad situation worse) His sour disposition aggravated the
morale problem we already had with the supplier.
irritate
(verbto vex or annoy) The unexpected absence irritated her boss.
allowed
(permitted) No expenses of more than $500 will be allowed.
aloud
(audibly) The president will read all the award winners aloud.

altar
(nouna structure) Many places of worship have altars.
alter
(verbto change) The client altered the contract.

alternate
(nounsubstitute; verbto switch between two things; adjectivea choice between
two things) Noun: We voted on an alternate to attend the meeting in case of an
emergency.Verb: Lets alternate from year to year on which of us gets to attend the
meeting. Adjective: Pudge is an alternate member of the committee, with no real voting
rights.

alternative
(incorrect as an adjective such as an alternative approach; always a nouna choice
that implies more than two options) Whats your alternative in this job situation?
among
(more than two compared or involved) Daffy is the most talented among the six of them.
between
(only two compared or involved; or when more than two things are compared, but each
item or group of items is compared to one other individually) This decision should
be justbetween the two of us. File this dried flower between the pages of the book.
There were many previous contracts between the six companies involved in the merger.

amicable
(describes circumstances or arrangements agreed to peacefully) We came to an
amicable decision on the Brazilian shipment.
amiable
(describes people who are friendly, kind, easygoing) Perry seems to be an amiable
employee.

amount
(applies to mass or bulk quantities) He borrowed a rather large amount of money last
week from the credit union.
number
(refers to separate units) He ordered a number of phones on Friday.

anxious
(with anxiety, dread, worry) He seemed anxious about the layoff rumor.
eager
(with excitement, positively looking forward to something) She was eager to hear about
details of our trip.
apt
(suited, pertinent; inclined to; prompt to learn) He is apt to accept the promotion.
liable
(responsible for consequences) She is liable for the damages.
likely
(probable or probably) The company will likely fold.


ascent
(movement upward) Her ascent to vice president has been rapid.
assent
(agreement) Can you gain her assent to move ahead with the project?

average
(verbto determine by adding a series of numbers and dividing by the quantity of
numbers; noun the amount representing this total)
mean
(nounhalfway between two points)
median
(nounmiddle number in a series; when the series has an even number of quantities,
add the middle two numbers and divide by two)
mode
(nounthe quantity that appears most frequently)
assure
(to pledge or give confidence to peopleuse in the same way as reassure) He assured
us that he would attend.
ensure
(to guarantee or make certainuse in cases other than when referring to people) This
new packaging will ensure that the product arrives safely.
insure
(to make certain or protect against lossuse when referring to monetary
payments) This bond will insure payment up to $2,000.

bare
(without covering) The president bared his soul to the employees.
bear
(nounan animal; verbto carry or to hold) verb: These are weight-bearing shelves.

board
(nounflat piece of wood) We need to repair these boards before clients enter our
lobby.

bored
(adjectiveweary from dullness) Our engineers were bored with such projects.

can
(ability to) He says he can design a new website in two days.
may
(permission or possibility) May I review your contract? I may be able to get the utility
company to lower your rates.
capital
(nouncity, letter, column, money, accumulated possessions; adjectiveprimary, most
serious) Noun: We need to raise more capital to fund our projects. Adjective: Murder is
a capital offense.
capitol
(building) The governor has an office in the capitol.

choose
(present tense of to choose) I always choose the line with the longest wait.
chose
(past tense of to choose) I chose that option yesterday.

cite
(to give a source) He cited the old contract as the source of the clause he now wants to
insert in the new agreement.
sight
(eyesight) His sight is growing weak.
site
(nouna location) Were opening a new retail site in Tampa.

coarse
(rough texture) The rug is coarse.
course
(manner, class, route, part of a meal) During the course of traveling together to various
client locations, I observed his dishonesty firsthand.
compare to

(focusing on similarities) Our pricing structure compares to yours quite favorably on


most product lines.
compare with
(comparing similarities and differences, but focusing on differences) How do you think
our selling strategies compare with those of our competitors?

complement
(verbto make complete; nounsomething that completes) This color will complement
the colors you already have in your dcor.
compliment
(verbto congratulate; nounpraise) Verb: I compliment you on your wisdom in hiring
Idaloo. Noun: Thank you for the nice compliment on our outstanding customer service.

confidant(e)
(a comrade, adviser, friend) My spouse is also my confidante on business deals.
confident
(sure) She seems confident of our ability to close the deal.

continual
(adjectiveregular, but interrupted) His temper is a continual problem.
continuous
(adjectiveconstant and uninterrupted) There is a continuous hum in the background
that will not stop.
convince
(to appeal to logic, most often in changing beliefs, values, or convictions) He is not
convinced that global warming is a serious issue.
persuade
(to appeal to logic and emotion; to cause someone to act) I cannot persuade him to pay
his back taxes on the property.

collaborate
(to work together, particularly in intellectual pursuits) The two teams will collaborate on
the design of the product.
corroborate

(to strengthen; to add evidence) The eyewitness corroborated the victims account of
the robbery.

council
(nounan assembly of people) Daffy is a member of the council.
counsel
(nounadvice; verbto advise) Bruno pays his accountant, Peter, for counsel; but
when Peter advises him to write a will, Bruno ignores him.

credible
(adjectivecan be reasonably believed) Jake appears to be a credible eyewitness.
creditable
(adjectivedeserves praise) Fritz gave a creditable performance as team leader.
credulous
(adjectivebelieves without reasons, gullible) Fritz is a credulous TV viewer, believing
any ad that pops on the screen.
device
(nouna plan, procedure, technique, object) The sharpening device was broken.
devise
(verbto plan or to design) They tried to devise a plan to reduce their taxes next year.

differ from
(unlike; refers to items, ideas, or situations, not people) The pay scale for engineers in
our industry differs from that in your industry.
differ with
(to disagree; refers to people) The boss differed with Orilla about the appropriateness of
the pay scale.

differentiate
(to point out differences) We can differentiate the best applicants by their dress.
distinguish
(to see differences) We could not distinguish opinion from fact.

disburse
(to pay out; such as money) We disburse funds daily.
disperse
(to scatter, such as seeds) The machine disperses seeds automatically.
discreet
(tactful, modest, trustworthy, prudent) Be discreet when you ask questions to investigate
who is most deserving of star performance awards.
discrete
(individually distinct or separate) Each of these expenses are discrete and not part of
the total marketing budget.

desperate
(having lost hope, in need) Victims of the war seemed desperate for government
policies to restore economic stability.
disparate
(different, distinct) Employees from disparate cultures expect training in their own
languages.

disinterested
(impartial) Choose a disinterested supplier to tally the results of our employee survey.
uninterested
(without interest in) This supplier was uninterested in bidding on the project.

e.g.
(stands for a Latin phrase meaning for example) He takes far too many supplements,
e.g., vitamins, iron, calcium, beta-carotene, sleep-aid tablets, diuretics.
i.e.
(stands for a Latin phrase meaning that is) He believes in reincarnation, i.e., a second
life as a tree.
elicit
(verbto draw out) The consultant tried to elicit hidden agendas among the senior
management team.
illicit
(adjectiveforbidden, illegal) He resigned when his organization discovered the illicit
affair.


eligible
(qualified, entitled) All employees are eligible for this award.
illegible
(undecipherable) This sign is illegible.

emigrant
(person exiting a country) These emigrants left the U.S. without notifying their
employers.
immigrant
(person entering a country) These immigrants entered the country, hoping for a better
life than what they had experienced in their country of birth.

eminent
(adjectiveoutstanding, prominent) Franz is an eminent leader in the community
because of his charitable work.
imminent
(adjectiveimpending; about to happen) The earthquake is imminent.
exercise
(to move physically; to train; to practice) He exercised his rights in the contract.
exorcise
(to drive out) The cult leader exorcised the demons.

farther
(physical distance) The warehouse is located two miles farther down the highway.
further
(degree that can't be precisely measured) We need to study the two ideas further.

fever
(a high temperature when someone is sick) The company doctor sent the man home
because he had a fever.
temperature
(normal state of the body) Her temperature was normal; she had no fever.


fewer
(use when items can be counted) She sends fewer emails than I do.
less
(use with quantities that cannot be counted) Less nitrogen is leaking today than
yesterday.
flaunt
(to show off) He flaunted his sales awards in front of his peers.
flout
(to ignore or defy, to show scorn) She flouts company policy regarding smoking in her
cubicle.

formally
(in a formal manner) Formally dressed in a suit and tie, he left for the meeting.
formerly
(previously) Formerly, he worked for an oil company.

forth
(adverbout; onward) You should go forth and spread the word.
fourth
(adjective or nounordinal number for four) The fourth advantage is safety.

fortunate
(lucky) He felt fortunate to get the job because there are so few openings and so many
qualified candidates.
fortuitous
(happening by chance) Travis met his best client on the golf course, when a group of
three strangers asked him to join them for 18 holes; it was a completely fortuitous
meeting.
guessed
(verbsurmised) I guessed their willingness to participate had to do with money.
guest
(nounvisitor) I am a guest in the building.

hanged
(refers to people) In pioneer days, officials hanged people.
hung
(refers to things, not people) The painting hung in the lobby for years.

hear
(verbrefers to sound) The teleseminar audience cannot hear you if you do not use a
headset.
here
(adverbrefers to location) Mail your package here to our location.

heard
(verbpast tense of to hear) They heard the speaker yesterday.
herd
(nouna group) Employees responded to the news with a herd mentality, refusing to
think for themselves.
hoard
(to store away) Some people hoard food in times of scarcity.
horde
(a swarm; a wandering tribe or group) A horde of insects have made it impossible for
inspectors to read the meter on that property.

hole
(a cavity) That hole in the pavement is a safety hazard.
whole
(complete; intact) Please consider our bid as a whole.

idle
(adjectivedoing nothing) The machines stood idle for more than 48 hours.
idol
(nounimage of a god, or object of devotion) His mentor is somewhat of an idol to him.

in

(within) The report is in the files.


into
(shows motion) He stepped into the path of the truck.
incredible
(so extraordinary as to be hard to believe; implausible) He did an incredible job of
leading the organization, taking it from a mom-and-pop shop to a Fortune 500 company
in a decade.
incredulous
(skeptical) Employees were incredulous when the CEO told them he earned a salary of
only $42,000.

Infer
(listener or reader infers) I infer from her email that she plans to leave immediately.
imply
(speaker or writer implies) When he talks to each client, he implies that he is
customizing his service.

ingenious
(clever, skillful) Dillon can be an ingenious copywriter, selling high-ticket items over the
Internet to prospects who have no connection to our company.
ingenuous
(frank, open, nave) As a manager, Gertrude seems very ingenuous about announcing
bad news.
disingenuous
(insincere, calculating, conniving) Horatio has a disingenuous manner that has
negatively affected our culture.

instance
(an example) Do you know of an instance where harassment has happened?
instants
(periods of time) Filing correctly just takes a couple of instants.
inter
(prefix meaning between) She plays on an intercity league; next week, her Dallas team
plays Houston.
intra

(prefix meaning within): He plays on an intramural soccer team.

its
(possessive pronoun showing ownership) Its sales force is growing.
it's
(contraction of it is) Its a growing problem in our company.

lead
(verbto be out in front of; nounposition in front; slang for a clue or a tip; marking
substance in a pencil; a chemical element) Verb: He leads his team with his charismatic
personality. Noun: Paint containers now carry warnings about dangerous levels of lead
poisoning.
led
(verbpast tense of to lead) He led me to the source yesterday.

leased
(verbto pay money for rights) They leased mineral rights on our land.
least
(adjectivethe smallest) Kilpatrick shares the least information of all the accountants.
let
(to permit) The company has agreed to let us leave early today.
leave
(to go away) He will leave the company at the end of the month.

lie
(verbto tell a falsehood [lie, lied, lied] I never lie; I always tell the truth.
(verbto recline [lie, lay, lay, lain] I lie down by 10 pm but rarely go to sleep that early.
(nouna falsehood [lie, lied, lied]) He told a lie when he said he was the author of that
report.
lay
(verbpast tense of to lie meaning to recline) I lay down yesterday.
(verbpresent tense of to lay meaning to place [lay, laid, laid]) I lay my badge on my
desk every morning when I arrive at work so I wont forget it when I go out for lunch.

liable
(adjectiveresponsible for consequences) She is liable for the damages.
likely
(adverbprobable or probably) The company will likely declare bankruptcy.

loan
(nounsomething lent or borrowed) He asked the bank for a loan.
lone
(adjectivesolitary) He is the lone engineer on the project.
lose
(verbto fail to win, gain, or obtain) I hate to lose a contract.
loose
(adjectiveunattached) The wheel came loose from the car.
loss
(nounthat which is ruined, destroyed, or diminished) They suffered an $80 million loss
last year after they lost Stemline as a client.

mantel
(shelf over fireplace) Hang the painting over the mantel.
mantle
(a sleeveless coat) He flung his mantle off and began to run.

marshal
(nounan official) My boss served as grand marshal of the parade.
martial
(adjectivemilitary) Karate is a martial art.

may
(shows possibility) Bill may accept the job if he receives an offer.
might
(shows stronger uncertainty than may) Bill might accept the job if he could persuade
them to double the salary.
maze

(labyrinth) This long corridor to the cafeteria seems like a maze.


maize
(type of corn) They feed maize to their livestock.

one
(adjective or pronounthe number) adjective: He prefers dealing with only one supplier
on the contract. pronoun: The couple has been looking at houses, and they hope to find
one they can afford.
won
(past tense of to win) Bilton won the contract.

only
(alone in its class) They are our only wholesaler in the state.
one of the only
(illogical; use one of the few that/who) Correct: Sal is one of the few sales managers
who has had no prior sales experience.

over
(prepositionlocation or physical condition) The roof over the lobby is leaking.
more than
(adjectiveapplies to a number) He has more than thirty credits toward an advanced
degree.
pail
(nounbucket) The janitorial staff placed a pail in the hallway to catch the leak.
pale
(adjectivelacking color) The patient looked pale for weeks after her illness.

pain
(nounsuffering) Spike appears to be in pain.
pane
(nounsection of window, door, or cabinet) Clean these panes.

pare

(verbto reduce) Pare these gift ideas to no more than three per child.
pair
(nouncouple; verbto group in twos) noun: We need a couple of people to volunteer
for the assignment. verb: Pair your staff members so that a more experienced manager
can mentor a new manager in each region.
pear
(nounfruit) He has a pear tree in his yard.

patience
(willingness to bear annoyance, irritation, or provocation without complaint) I appreciate
the patience of those who work in our Technical Support Center when I call with difficult
questions.
patients
(people undergoing medical treatment) The doctors patients waited impatiently for him
to finish his unexpected surgery.
passed
(verbpast tense of to pass) We passed the accident site.
past
(nounperiod of time before the present [never a verb]) In the past, we have been
unsuccessful with that sales approach.

peace
(without turmoil) The country has been at peace for a decade.
piece
(a portion of) The couple wanted a piece of land to call their own.

peal
(nounringing of bells, loud sounds such as thunder, claps, applause; verbto sound
loudly) Verb: The citizens heard the bells peal throughout the land. Noun: Peals of
laughter came from upstairs.
peel
(nounoutside covering; verbto cut away the covering) noun: Feel free to eat the
orange peel. verb: They should peel away the faade to discover the cold, calculating
liar.

peer
(nounan equal; verbto look) Noun: Hes nervous in front of peers. Verb: Peer into
his eyes, and youll likely see his sincerity.
pier
(noundock for ships or fishing) Lets walk around the pier at daylight.
penultimate
(next to last) Margie has a tiny part in the penultimate scene of the play.
ultimate
(last, connoting superiority) The donation of his life savings was the ultimate sacrifice.

personal
(adjectiverelating to private matters) He never discusses personal issues like his
marriage or family finances at work.
personnel
(nounemployees working at an organization) All personnel must be out of the building
during weekend hours.

perspective
(viewpoint) What is your perspective on the upcoming election?
prospective
(likely to become; expected) Bernadette is the prospective CEO.

persecute
(to oppress) During his administration, he persecuted those who did not agree with him.
prosecute
(to bring legal charges against) The district attorney plans to prosecute her for the
fraudulent loan.

peruse
(to study carefully or read leisurely with great attention to detail) I will peruse the training
manual over the weekend when I have more time.
read
(to understand, to utter, to have knowledge of) I read his email quickly before I left the
office.

plain
(adjectivesimple, ordinary; nounlevel, treeless countryside) adjective: The wedding
couple wants a plain inexpensive ceremony. noun: The Panhandle of Oklahoma is
nothing but rolling plains.
plane
(nounan airplane, a tool; verbto level) noun: Trisha owns her own plane. verb: He
tried to plane the cornice board to hang the drapes.

pore
(nountiny skin opening) Be careful about clogging your pores with oils and lotions.
pour
(verbto flow in a stream) Dont pour hot coffee into that plastic cup.

practical
(useful or workable as opposed to theoretical) As a speaker, she always provides very
practical ideas for attendees.
practicable
(possible or feasible) Of all the hare-brained solutions proposed around here, your
solution could actually be practicable.

precede
(to go before) Chapter 2 precedes Chapter 3.
proceed
(to move ahead) Let's proceed with the plan immediately.
presently
(adverbhas two meanings: in a short while and currently; be precise when the
context makes this word ambiguous) The company name is presently Universal Temco,
but it will be changed soon.

principal
(adjectivechief, primary; nounone who has control) Adjective: Our principal product
is running shoes. Noun: Trudy Trott is a principal in our accounting firm.
principle
(nouna rule or guideline) Our organization operates by this general principle:
Customers are reasonable.


quiet
(adjectivewithout noise or disturbance) The engine is quiet.
quite
(adverbcompletely, positively, rather) Im quite confident that Ill retire next year.
quit
(verbto stop) He quit his job last week.

rapped
(verbto knock on) The neighbor rapped on the door at midnight.
rapt
(adjectiveenthralled, enraptured) The audience sat in rapt attention.
wrapped
(verbcovered) The awards were wrapped and left on the platform.
real
(adjectivegenuine) He showed real interest in the issue.
reel
(verbto stagger; nounring to hold tape, rope, ribbon) verb: He reeled from the
weight of the box on his shoulder. noun: The twine came off the reel when my assistant
tugged on it.

red
(adjectivecolor) Sylvester wears red shirts often.
read
(verbboth present and past tense of to read.) I read email every day. In fact, I read
more than 300 emails yesterday.

regardless
(prepositionwithout regard for or attention to) Regardless of what the invitation says
about attire, Dilbert always shows up at these events in jeans.
irregardless
(incorrect usage, not a word)

set
(verbto place) He set the A-V equipment up the day before our meeting.
sit
(verbto rest your weight on a chair or stool) Pat likes to sit at the end of the
conference table.

speak to
(to tell; to greet) The boss rarely speaks to workers when he walks through the plant.
speak with
(to discuss) The boss asked to speak with you later today about the shipping
schedules.
stationary
(adjectiveimmobile) The break room has several stationary bikes for employee use.
stationery
(nounwriting material) Personalize your stationery to send thank-you notes.

steal
(verbto take dishonestly) He has been arrested for stealing credit cards.
steel
(nouniron alloyed with carbon) The cabinet is made of steel.

straight
(adjectivedirect, not curved) The chairperson would not give me a straight answer.
strait
(nounnarrow waterway) The cruise ship traveled through the strait in record time.

take
(carrying an item away from the speaker) Please take my deposits with you when you
leave to go to the bank today.
bring
(carrying an item toward the speaker) Would you bring me an extra handout from the
session you attend today?

teach
(to instruct) All managers are required to spend two days each year in the classroom to
teach their respective areas of expertise.
learn
(to gain knowledge or understanding) I learn something new each day.
tenant
(one who rents property) He is a tenant in this apartment building.
tenet
(a rule or principle) His tenet of leadership is this: You arent a leader if you dont have
followers.

than
(conjunction that comparesused to link words, phrases, or clauses) He knows more
than I do.)
then
(adverbtells when) He bought a new Mercedes on Monday, and then wrecked it the
next day.

their
(pronounshows ownership) Their house burned in the California fires.
there
(adverbtells where; an expletiveno literal meaning) Adverb: Idalou works there in
that tall building. Expletive: There was a problem in calculating paychecks in our office.
they're
(pronouncontraction of they are) Theyre preparing for the upcoming merger.

threw
(verbpast tense of to throw) He threw the case out of court.
through
(prepositionby, because of, from beginning to end) Please read through the report.
thru
(nonstandard spelling, meaning through)
thorough
(adjectivecomplete, comprehensive) Please give this report your thorough attention.

two
(adjectivea number) She has two administrative assistants.
too
(adverbalso, in addition) He enjoys sports, and he loves travel, too.
to
(preposition) She walked to the bridge.

unless
(preposition or conjunction connecting two clauses) He can't resign unless I say so.
(Note: Without would be incorrect in this sentence.)
without
(prepositioncannot connect clauses) He left without permission.

waver
(nounrelinquishment of a right or privilege; a formal document that relinquishes a right
or claim) He signed a waiver, giving up all rights to the inheritance his father left him in
his will.
waiver
(verbto falter or be indecisive; to quiver, tremble, flicker) Even though the company
stopped the discriminatory practice, he did not waver in his determination to find
another job.

wares
(nounthings for sale) City ordinances prohibit people from selling their wares on the
street.
wears
(verbto be clothed in) She wears outlandish clothes to the office.
weather
(nounatmospheric condition; verbto discolor, to disintegrate, to change or bear up
under danger or change) Noun: The weather forecast includes snow for
today. Verb: She weathered several setbacks at her last job: a merger, a layoff, and a
product recall.
whether
(conjunctionif) He didnt know whether the project would last six months.

who's
(contraction of who is) Whos bidding on the project?
whose
(shows ownership) Whose report was turned in Friday?

your
(pronounshows ownership) Do you have your portfolio with you?
you're
(pronouncontraction of you are) Youre in the throes of an important decision.
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