Addition
and Edition – Addition can refer to maths e.g. the
addition of 4 and 3 equals 7. It can also refer to an extension of something
e.g. an addition onto your house. Edition refers to a volume of a
magazine series or it can refer to a particular edition of a book. Take a look
inside the front cover of any printed book or even on the outside cover of a
reference book e.g. a dictionary. Although there is a variation in
pronunciation between the two words, they can sometimes sound fairly similar, hence
the confusion. A common incorrect example from work is in a birth notice - ‘a
new edition to the family’. Unless you've given birth to a new magazine, the
correct word here of course is addition, as we have added to the family.
Advice and Advise – While these two words stem from the same word, they are definitely not interchangeable. Simply put, advice is a noun and refers to a recommendation of an appropriate course of action to a problem or situation. Advise is a verb and refers to the giving of advice. Notice the change in pronunciation of these two words also. Let’s look at a few examples. Advice: ‘You should have taken my advice’, ‘The doctor’s advice was to stay in bed’ and ‘He came to me for advice’. Advise: ‘I advise caution with this equipment’, ‘The doctor advised him to stay in bed’ and ‘If this data is correct please advise’.
Allowed and Aloud – The only thing here that’s the same is the way both words sound. Again, the meanings of both are nowhere alike. Allowed is the past tense of the verb ‘to allow’ which means ‘to permit/give permission’ e.g. ‘No girls allowed’ and ‘No alcohol allowed beyond this point’. Aloud is an adverb meaning ‘out loud’ and usually refers to speech. You most likely would have read aloud to your teacher when you were growing up. When choosing the right word, ask yourself if you’re referring to permission or speaking out loud. If you still get stuck, replace allowed with permitted. If it works, then allowed is the right word. If not, then it must be aloud. ‘Simba was not permitted to go to the dark, shadowy place.’ In other words, Simba was not allowed. ‘The choir was singing permitted.’ That just doesn't make sense. This means that the choir was singing aloud.
Angels and Angles – For this one, all you need to remember is that one has EL in the spelling and the other has LE. An Angel refers to a being from Heaven with wings. You might put one on the top of your Christmas tree. You could also call someone an angel if they've done something nice for you or done you a favour. An Angle is a mathematical term and
refers to a space in between two lines which meet up e.g. a triangle has three
angles. In addition, an angle could also refer to a different point of view
e.g. looking at something from a different angle.
Here’s a funny picture:
Here’s a funny picture:
A long and Along – Simply put, long is an adjective (a word in front of a noun used to describe it) so we use a long when referring to something being long e.g. ‘The dog was carrying a long stick’ and ‘There was a long queue for the checkouts’. Along is a preposition which has a few uses but are all fairly similar. Examples include ‘Don’t get lost along the way’, ‘Move along’ and ‘She took him along with her’. A long would not make sense in any of these examples as there is no noun after long which means we cannot be referring to anything which is long. "Come along, Bort" |
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A part and Apart – The funny thing with these two is that they’re almost opposites, although, if used incorrectly, your sentence probably won’t make sense. A part is a noun and means a piece/portion of something which makes up a whole. It is usually followed by the word ‘of’. Some examples: ‘A part of the family’, ‘A part of the problem’, ‘I won’t have a part in this’ and ‘A part of me died that day’. Apart usually acts as an adverb and means ‘separated’. Often it is followed by the word ‘from’ to make ‘apart from’ which means ‘aside from’ or ‘with the exception of’. Some examples: ‘Apart from the weather, we had a great time’, ‘I can’t tell them apart’, He fell apart at the news of his mother’s death’ and ‘I feel lonely when we’re apart’. So I guess if you get confused, are you referring to a piece of something or something that is separate? Some incorrect examples: ‘Apart of him disliked her’, ‘He formed apart of the project’ and ‘ A part from maths class, school went well’.
Apologies and Apologise – I find that the confusion here stems from not knowing the pronunciation of each word, as both words look similar and stem from the same word – apology. Apologies is a noun and the last three letters are pronounced -ease as in tease or -ees as in bees. It’s basically like a general sense of apologising e.g. ‘My apologies for giving you the wrong information’ and ‘John sends his apologies for not being able to attend the meeting’. Apologise is a verb and the last three letters are pronounced -eyes as in eyes or -ise as in vandalise and disguise. We use this form when using it as a verb e.g. ‘I sincerely apologise for giving you the wrong information’, ‘Apologise to your brother at once!’ and ‘John deeply apologises for not being able to attend the meeting’. Incorrect examples: ‘My apologise for not replying to your email’ and ‘I apologies for letting you down’. Quite often, you will see a sign at a hotel, club, etc. which simply says at the end of it ‘Apologies, Management’. If you are writing the word by itself, the word must be apologies.
Assistants and Assistance – Although both these words are nouns and stem from the same word – assist, these words do mean different things. Assistants is the plural of Assistant – someone who assists e.g. a dentist’s assistant or a teacher’s assistant. Assistance on the other hand is something that you give to assist e.g. a young man assisting a lady across the street is providing assistance. In terms of pronunciation, there is a slight difference at the end of each word (one being -ts and the other being -ce), but it can be difficult to hear. If ever you get confused, just think that assistance cannot be plural because it doesn't end in s.
See also Patients and Patience and Residents and Residence.
See also Patients and Patience and Residents and Residence.
Asterisk and Asterix – Pretty easy. An asterisk is the symbol on your keyboard that most resembles a star - * It’s commonly used in place of passwords when you’re typing it in somewhere or maybe you made a typo in a group chat and you want to correct yourself.
Asterix on the other hand is a comic book, or the character from this comic book.
Asterix on the other hand is a comic book, or the character from this comic book.
Bare and Bear – This is another commonly confused word. Bare only carries one meaning whereas Bear carries several. Simply put, bare is an adjective and means uncovered, naked or exposed e.g. ‘the cupboards were bare’, ‘don’t go out with bare feet’ and ‘the streaker was completely bare’. Bear is usually used as a verb and means to carry e.g. ‘the tree bears fruit’, ‘we come bearing gifts’, ‘to bear a burden’ or to endure or tolerate e.g. ‘the immense heat was difficult to bear’ and ‘he couldn't bear the noise any longer’. It can also be used when referring to direction e.g. ‘bear right after the intersection’. The past tense of bear is bore e.g. ‘she bore his child’. Lastly, it can also be used as a noun. See picture.
Barista and Barrister – Both these words are nouns but certainly not the same thing. The pronunciation differs also. With Barista, the emphasis lies more on the -is whereas with Barrister, the emphasis is placed more on the double r. The difference is easy: A barista is someone who serves you coffee e.g. lattes, cappuccinos, etc, and a barrister is a type of lawyer who acts in court.
Board and Bored – Board has several meanings. It could refer to a piece of wood, a group of people who hold power in a club (e.g. chairman of the board), or an amount of money paid for food and lodgings. Used as a verb, it means to come aboard a vehicle or some sort e.g. a plane or boat. ‘Get on board’, ‘the plane is now boarding’. Bored, however, refers to a lack of interest or if you have nothing to do.
You may have seen the following funny image. Don’t forget that it may well be a photoshop that someone has made.
You may have seen the following funny image. Don’t forget that it may well be a photoshop that someone has made.
Boarder and Border – Similar to the above, a boarder is someone who pays board for food and accommodation either at someone’s house or at a boarding school. In contrast, a border is a line which indicates a boundary between countries, states, provinces, etc. e.g. Wodonga is on this side of the border between Victoria and New South Wales but Albury is on the other. A border can also be a frame around something e.g. the border of a rug, an advertisement or a picture frame.
In this example, it is fairly obvious that we are not selling a boarder for $50, we are selling a border.
In this example, it is fairly obvious that we are not selling a boarder for $50, we are selling a border.
Bowl and Bowel – Firstly, please do not mix these up. A bowl as you would probably know is a utensil used to eat out of. You might use one for breakfast and you might even use one if eating soup. Bowl can also be used as a verb and refers to the act of bowling (e.g. 10 pin bowling). A bowel on the other hand is part of the human body where you would probably not want to eat out of. In terms of pronunciation, bowl is pronounced like bow (as in a bow on a present) but with an L at the end and bowel is pronounced like towel.
Here’s a funny picture as well as an excerpt of a Simpsons episode which you probably remember. Unfortunately the clip is not on YouTube.
Here’s a funny picture as well as an excerpt of a Simpsons episode which you probably remember. Unfortunately the clip is not on YouTube.
Stop everything! I don't remember writing a cheque for bowling. Sir, that's a cheque for your boweling. Oh, yes. That's very important. Yes, sir. Remember that month you didn't do it? Yes, that was unpleasant for all concerned. Anyway, back to the cheques. Stop everything! I don't remember writing a cheque for bowling. Hmm. |
Brake and Break –
The only thing you
need to know about these two is that brake only refers to slowing down a vehicle. For all other types
of breakages (pun intended), we use the word break. Other forms of brake are braking and braked. ‘He braked really hard to avoid
hitting the pedestrian.’ The same two forms of break are breaking and
broke. ‘I broke my arm by going rock
climbing.’
Bread and Bred – Bread refers to the bare necessities of a sandwich. Bred on the other hand, is the past tense of breed, which refers to the practice of breeding animals. You may have heard of a purebred dog. This is sometimes incorrectly written as purebread, pure bred and even pure bread.
Breath and Breathe – These two stem from the same word but one is a noun and one is a verb. Breath is the noun so could therefore be preceded by ‘a’ or ‘the’ e.g. ‘a breath of fresh air’ and ‘after swimming underwater he rose to the surface and took a deep breath’. Breathe is the verb – ‘don’t breathe in the dust’ and ‘she breathed the air around her. Notice the difference in pronunciation too. Breath rhymes with death while breathe rhymes with teethe. Once you know the difference in pronunciation you probably won’t confuse the two. Incorrect examples: ‘Fish can breath underwater’ and ‘I wrote my name in the breathe on the mirror’.
By, Bye and Buy – It’s funny how often these are confused, all because the pronunciation is the same. While bye and buy only have one meaning each, by has many. Let’s go through some of them: Near to or next to e.g ‘I live by the river’; as a means of transportation e.g ‘I came by plane/boat’; going to somewhere or passing by e.g. ‘I went by your house yesterday’; in multiplication e.g. 18 multiplied by 4; when you are referring to the works of somebody e.g. ‘who’s this song by?’ or ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl’. There are many other uses also so please check your dictionary for a full list or online (I usually use dictionary.com). ‘Side by side’ and ‘by the way’ are two common phrases which use by.
Bye is an informal, short form of goodbye so you would obviously only use this in this fashion e.g. ‘Bye, Tom’.
Buy is only used when referring to purchasing something e.g. ‘I am going to buy this car today’. The past tense of buy is bought, as seen above.
Bye is an informal, short form of goodbye so you would obviously only use this in this fashion e.g. ‘Bye, Tom’.
Buy is only used when referring to purchasing something e.g. ‘I am going to buy this car today’. The past tense of buy is bought, as seen above.
Chord and Cord – Again, pronunciation is the same, but the meaning is not. A chord is a musical term - commonly seen in piano or guitar - where three or more notes are played together to form a chord. Examples are C major, G major, D minor, etc. A cord on the other hand refers to a rope of some sort e.g. an electrical cable, a curtain cord, or even an umbilical cord.
Now that we know the difference, consider the difference between a power cord and a power chord (one for the guitarists).
Now that we know the difference, consider the difference between a power cord and a power chord (one for the guitarists).
Colleague and College – I think the confusion here is that both words look similar. A colleague is someone you work with, usually a work colleague. A college on the other hand is a place you go to for higher education. An incorrect example of each: ‘Dianne’s work colleges think highly of her’ and ‘Martin did a three year music course at colleague’.
We should probably also mention the word collage as it looks very similar to college. You most likely would have made one of these at school. If not, a collage is a work of art made up of lots of different things of different materials (e.g. newspaper clippings, stickers, felt material, parts of photos, wording on various bits of paper, etc) stuck on a big piece of card or poster paper. It has a French pronunciation and the -age is pronounced like Taj as in the Taj Mahal.
We should probably also mention the word collage as it looks very similar to college. You most likely would have made one of these at school. If not, a collage is a work of art made up of lots of different things of different materials (e.g. newspaper clippings, stickers, felt material, parts of photos, wording on various bits of paper, etc) stuck on a big piece of card or poster paper. It has a French pronunciation and the -age is pronounced like Taj as in the Taj Mahal.
Complement and Compliment – Once again, one letter can make all the difference. Complement is a verb and means ‘to go well with’. When dining at a restaurant, you could ask your waiter which wine would complement your meal. Complement can also be used as a noun and refers to something being complete. This usage is not very common though. When used as an adjective, the word becomes complementary which uses either the verb form or the noun e.g. ‘to complement (go well with) each other’ or ‘complete’. ‘Those shoes with that dress are complementary.’ A compliment is an expression of praise. You could make a nice comment to your work colleague about something they've achieved and that would be a compliment. Or you could compliment the chef after you've finished your meal. When something is complimentary, this means it is free e.g. when you’re leaving the restaurant, there may well be complimentary mints at the counter. Very often you will see complementary on restaurant or bar menus instead of the word they wanted to use, complimentary.
Confident and Confidant/Confidante – You would most likely know the meaning of confident, but what about confidant? It’s not really a common word used in everyday language so it’s not as widely known. Anyway, confidant is a noun and refers to someone in whom you confide and/or share private matters and secrets with. Perhaps this person could be your best friend, or maybe your mother? If this person is a male, he is your confidant, however if this person is a female, she is your confidante. Both words are pronounced the same: confid-aunt as opposed to confident which is confid-ent.
Council and Counsel – Again, you probably know what a council is, but what about counsel? In case you don’t know what a council is, it’s a group of people who govern a community e.g. your local council, a church council or even a school council. Counsel is usually used as a verb but it can also be used as a noun. As a verb, it refers to the act of giving advice e.g. ‘he counselled me when I was growing up’ and as a noun it simply means advice e.g. ‘thanks for your wise counsel’. It is unlikely that someone would give you a council.
Definitely and Defiantly – These words get confused fairly often and all I can think of is that both words look slightly similar (although not that similar!) Definitely is used when something is definite or certain e.g. ‘Are you going to Kate’s party?’ ‘Yes, definitely!’ and ‘I definitely agree with you on that point’. Defiantly on the other hand is an adverb and is used when talking about something being done in a defiant manner e.g. ‘He shook his fist, defiantly’ and ‘“No I didn't steal your pen!” the boy said, defiantly’.
Desert and Dessert – This one confuses even me at the best of times and it’s to do with the pronunciation. Firstly we will look at the regular use of both words. A desert is a place which is very dry and hot and is mainly made up of sand e.g. The Sahara. A dessert is the sweet course of a meal e.g. ice cream, cake, pie, etc. Now, used in this fashion, both words differ in pronunciation. Desert is like Dez-ert, whereas dessert is more like deserve but with a T instead of V at the end. Desert can also be used as a verb and it means to abandon someone e.g. ‘don’t desert me’. Now, when used in this fashion, desert is pronounced exactly the same as dessert! Can you see the confusion?? The past tense of this usage is deserted and this is also pronounced in the same fashion. Let’s use an interesting example: ‘I was deserted in the desert’. Luckily there is no such word as desserted!
A fan sent me this photo. I guess you could call it a desert plate.
Draw and Drawer – The pronunciation of both of these words is exactly the same and this is where the confusion stems from. Draw is a verb and refers to the act of drawing something whether it be a picture or even an architectural plan. Draw can have other uses though for example drawing a bath, drawing out your sword, drawing water from a well, or drawing something away from something else. What about a lottery draw? A drawer is something you put your things away in. Your underwear and socks go in drawers, not draws.
While we’re on the topic, the phrase is ‘Chest of drawers’, not ‘Chester draws’.
While we’re on the topic, the phrase is ‘Chest of drawers’, not ‘Chester draws’.
Dual and Duel – Once again, both these words are pronounced exactly the same. Dual refers to something having two parts e.g. ‘dual citizenship’. Duel is a noun and refers to a combat between two parties. ‘I challenge you to a duel!’ A common phrase which is often misspelt is Dual fuel. I would think because one word has an A in it and the other, an E.
Ensure and Insure – Another commonly confused word due to its very similar pronunciation. Usually you see Insure being used in place of Ensure. Ensure basically means ‘make sure’ e.g. ‘please ensure you arrive on time’ and ‘I kept glancing behind me to ensure David was following’. Insure is only used when talking about insurance e.g. ‘make sure you insure your house against flood damage’ and ‘his house is insured for a million dollars’. To ensure you are using the correct form, replace the word with 'make sure'. If it fits, ensure is the word you want. If not, then you must be referring to insurance and want insure.
Take a look at this poorly-written sign. As you can see, ensure/insure is not the only thing wrong here...
Take a look at this poorly-written sign. As you can see, ensure/insure is not the only thing wrong here...
Enquiry and Inquiry – We mentioned above that Inquiry is the Americanized version of Enquiry, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a word in Australian English. Of the two words, you will see enquiry more frequently. An enquiry is a general question or query about something. There might be a separate phone number listed for enquiries for a newspaper or a web link for enquiries if on a website. An inquiry is a more formal type of enquiry and refers to a formal inquest e.g. the investigation of an accident, a coroner’s inquest, a police inquiry into bribery charges, etc. Both these words can be used as nouns e.g. ‘I have an enquiry to make’ / ‘The police inquiry was very thorough’ as well as verbs e.g. ‘I would like to enquire about your cakes’ / ‘May I inquire about your whereabouts last Sunday?’ Note the different in pronunciation also. Enquiry is like En and the qui part is like that of squire. With Inquiry, you have In and then the qui part is like that of quibble.
Again, Inquiry is used for both terms in the US.
Relating to this, beware of enquires and enquiries. As you can see, both of these words look very similar. Enquires of course being a verb form of enquire e.g. ‘he/she enquires’; enquiries being the plural of enquiry e.g. ‘I have several enquiries’. Again, one letter can make a lot of difference.
Again, Inquiry is used for both terms in the US.
Relating to this, beware of enquires and enquiries. As you can see, both of these words look very similar. Enquires of course being a verb form of enquire e.g. ‘he/she enquires’; enquiries being the plural of enquiry e.g. ‘I have several enquiries’. Again, one letter can make a lot of difference.
Fair and Fare – Fair can mean a few things. It can relate to a matter of being just e.g. a fair decision, a fair call, a fair trial. It could mean reasonably large e.g. ‘Steve earns a fair income’ and ‘Susie had a fair share of toys’. However, it could also mean neither excellent nor poor e.g. ‘She did a fair job’. It could also mean light in colour, relating to complexion or hair colour - fair skin and fair hair. As a noun, it refers to a place where kids love where there are rides to go on, fun games to play, lots of music and entertainers, and candy floss/fairy floss is sold! In the UK, this is sometimes called a ‘funfair’. Fair could also refer to an exhibition of some sort e.g. a crafts fair, science fair, etc. Two common phrases which include this word are ‘fair
enough’ and of course ‘It’s not fair!’ A fare is something that you pay in order to use something, usually transport e.g. buses, trains, taxis, planes, etc. As you can see, the meaning of these two words can differ immensely.
Fiancé and Fiancée – Exactly the same as confidant and confidante as we saw above, Fiancé and Fiancée are also the same word with the same meaning and pronunciation but fiancé is the masculine version and fiancée, the feminine. Fiancé/Fiancée being the
person you are engaged to marry.
Formally and Formerly – Considering both these words sound the same, this one used to confuse me as well until I knew the difference. Simply put, formally comes from the word formal (e.g. suit and tie) whereas formerly comes from the word former (e.g. previously). Once you've got your head around that, you will never get confused again! An example of each word: ‘The funeral director was dressed very formally’ and ‘My father was formerly a stonemason, before the accident’.
Gentleman and Gentlemen – No one confuses man and men, so why the confusion here? It’s because the pronunciation of man and men is different, whereas for gentleman and gentlemen, it is exactly the same. If ever you’re not sure which word to write, ask yourself if you’re referring to one man or several men? It’s that simple! The only time where the pronunciation would be different is if you were writing it as two words e.g. ‘he was a gentle man’ and ‘they were gentle men’. This usage wouldn't be as common though... A common phrase which is often incorrect is ‘One of nature’s true gentleman’. While the person you’re referring to is only one man, you are saying he is one man of many, therefore gentlemen is correct here.
Grateful and Greatful – If you’re grateful for something, it means you’re thankful. Very often, this word is typed as greatful, which is an easy mistake to make considering the word great is a widely used word. However, greatful is not even a word. The root of grateful doesn't come from the word great, it comes from the word gratitude.
Heal and Heel – Again, both words are pronounced the same. Heal is a verb which means something is cured/made better. I'm sure you've once had a bruise, cut or scrape that in time healed. Heel, however, is the back part of your foot. Heels is an informal word for high heeled shoes. This is sometimes incorrectly seen as heals. Just remember: Jesus heals, girls wear heels.
Heroin and Heroine – While heroine is not as commonly seen as heroin, it is still important to note the difference. Heroin as we all know is an illegal drug, often seen in movies. A heroine though is a female equivalent of a hero, but it could also mean the main female character in a story, play or film, etc. The pronunciation of these two words is the same.
Hole and Whole – You'll be surprised at how many times these two get confused, all because they both sound the same! A hole is an opening of some sort. Perhaps you have a hole in your socks? Maybe your dog might make holes in your garden when no one’s around to give him attention. Bit of trivia: in the UK, they refer to an ATM as a ‘hole in the wall’. When something is whole, it means it’s complete or all the parts are together as one, forming a whole. Maybe your greedy friend ate a whole pizza! Or you might have a whole set of Rolling Stones CDs. Whales are so big that they often swallow other fish whole (i.e. in one piece). To conclude, a hole is an opening of some sort and whole means ‘complete’. You don’t have a whole in your heart now that your boyfriend’s left you; you have a hole in your heart.
Holy and Holly – I think these two are confused because they look similar. Once you know the difference in pronunciation though, you will never get confused. Holy is pronounced hoe-ley and it has a variety of meanings, all with reference to religion. Examples include the Holy Bible, a holy man, holy ground, and a holy relic. Holly on the other hand is pronounced ho (as in the ho from hot)-ley and is something you might associate with Christmas.
Here and Hear – This one’s very easy. We saw here above when we said it was the opposite of there. We are referring to a location. ‘Where are you?’ ‘I'm over here’. ‘Where’s John?’ ‘He was here a minute ago...’ Hear refers to an audible sound that you use your ears for: ‘Didn't you hear me calling you?’ It could also refer to learning something by being told: ‘Did you hear the news that Kirsty is leaving?’ Lastly, it could refer to an official hearing e.g. in a courtroom: ‘The jury heard the defendant’s case’.
Illegible and Eligible – This is a common mix up and I don’t think I need to explain why. If the wrong word is used, you may well end up with some funny sentences. When something is legible, it means it is able to be read. The opposite of this, then, is illegible which means something cannot be read. This could be due to the text being too faint, too small, faded, or just plain old poor handwriting! Eligible has nothing to do with the word legible and means ‘able to be chosen/selected’. Someone with a disability would be eligible to use a handicapped parking space. Or now that you've completed units 1 and 2 at uni, you would be eligible to be accepted for units 3 and 4. Now, with these two words, there is a difference in pronunciation and where the emphasis is placed. Illegible is like ill-ledge-ible and eligible is like ellidge-ible. Can you hear the difference?
Knew and New – Knew is the past tense of know as in ‘I knew that was the right answer!’ New means something that is recent or something that is unused and not second hand e.g. ‘Have you seen the new Bond movie yet?’ and ‘Brand new iPhone for sale’.
Lets and Let’s – We touched on this a little earlier. Basically, lets is a verb form of to let – he/she lets. For example ‘He lets his dog free in the park’ and ‘Her dad lets me take her out at night now’. Let’s is a contraction of ‘let us’ e.g. ‘Let’s go for a walk’ and ‘Let’s fly to the moon and back’. As we saw with the above example in the picture, ‘Lets fly’ is not correct. If ever you get confused, replace the word with ‘let us’. ‘He let us his dog free in the park.’ This doesn't make sense so therefore let’s is not correct and it should be lets. ‘Let us go for a walk.’ Yes, that makes perfect sense, therefore let’s is quite correct!
Let’s (pardon the pun!) take a look at an incorrect example taken from a work email:
Let’s (pardon the pun!) take a look at an incorrect example taken from a work email:
Licence and License – We touched a little on this earlier if you remember in the American spellings section. Basically, licence is a noun and license is a verb. A licence is a certificate or document from an official body which gives you permission to do something. You might hold a driver’s licence. Bars and nightclubs need to have a licence to sell alcohol. You need to have a licence to own certain pets. You get the gist. Just like we saw above with affect, license on its own is not something you would see very often. It usually has endings associated to it e.g. licensed and licensing. If you wanted to use license in a sentence you could say ‘I will license the rights to you’. The more common word is licensed which refers to having a licence for something. When you see the words ‘fully licensed’ for a restaurant, bar or nightclub, this refers to the establishment having a licence to sell and serve alcohol. LMCT stands for Licensed Motor Car Trader which means that the car yard has a licence to sell new/used cars. Licensing refers to the act of granting a licence. You might need to go to the Licensing Division when applying for a licence for something.
To summarise, if you can put the word ‘a’ in front of it, then licence is the word you are looking for. If not, then it must be a verb and you want license, most likely with an ending on the end like -ed or -ing. Remember that on its own the word is usually licence, not license, and also remember that licenced and licencing are both incorrect.
Again, in American spelling, there is no distinction between the two and the -se form is used for both words. This is why this can be confusing.
See also Practice and Practise.
To summarise, if you can put the word ‘a’ in front of it, then licence is the word you are looking for. If not, then it must be a verb and you want license, most likely with an ending on the end like -ed or -ing. Remember that on its own the word is usually licence, not license, and also remember that licenced and licencing are both incorrect.
Again, in American spelling, there is no distinction between the two and the -se form is used for both words. This is why this can be confusing.
See also Practice and Practise.
Loose and Lose – Again, once you know the pronunciation, you can’t go wrong. Loose is pronounced like noose but with an L. Lose is pronounce like loos. Loose means unrestrained or not bound together e.g. ‘Without their leads the dogs ran loose’. Or perhaps you've bought loose tomatoes from Coles as opposed to a bag of them. Lose has 2 meanings - to fail to win and to not know where something is. An example of each: ‘Did Brisbane lose the game yesterday?’ and ‘Don’t lose your spare key!’ The past tense of lose is lost, as in ‘Brisbane lost the game yesterday’ and ‘I've lost my spare key’. Exactly the same goes for looser and loser. Looser as in loose – looser – loosest. Loser as in ‘the loser has to do a dare’ and ‘That guy’s a loser!’ If you call someone a looser, this does not make sense.
Manner and Manor – While the pronunciation may be the same, the meanings are not. A manner is a way of doing something. You might have a certain way of driving, or maybe a particular way of walking. A phrase which contains this word is ‘in a manner of speaking’ which basically means ‘in a way’ or ‘so to speak’. A manor is kind of an old word and has a few meanings but they all involve a building. It could mean a main house on an estate, a place of residence for a Lord (Medieval times), or a mansion.
Meter and Metre – Similar to enquiry and inquiry, meter is the Americanized version of metre, however, this does not mean that it’s not a word in Australian English. Metre of course being a unit of measurement. 1 metre = 100 centimetres and 1000 metres is 1 kilometre. A meter is something that measures and automatically records the quantity of something e.g. a gas meter, water meter at your home or a parking meter if you’re out in the city. Again, meter is used for both of these in American English.
Misses and Missus – Misses – a verb form of the verb to miss. He/she misses e.g. ‘He never misses a meal’ and ‘She misses spending time with her boyfriend’. Missus – a term used to refer to your wife e.g ‘I promised the missus I’d be home before midnight’.
Mouse, Mousse and Moose – Mouse and mousse look the same, and mousse and moose sound the same. Once you know what each one is, all you need to remember is the spelling and remember that using the wrong word may look embarrassing. For example, I once went to a restaurant that had Chocolate Mouse as a dessert. I guess it would be better than Chocolate Moose.
n.b. The plural of mouse (animal) is mice, not mouses. The plural of a computer mouse, however, can be either mice, or mouses.
n.b. The plural of mouse (animal) is mice, not mouses. The plural of a computer mouse, however, can be either mice, or mouses.
Orchard and Orchid – These words look similar but their meanings are different and so is their pronunciation. The ch in orchard has a ch sound as in cheese, but the ch in orchid is a k sound like kids. An orchard is a big block of land with fruit trees, for example an apple orchard. An orchid is a type of flower.
Patience and Patients – The confusion here is that both words stem from the same word which is patient. Knowing the difference, however, is very simple. Patience is a noun and is something that you have. In other words, if you’re being patient, you have patience. It is important for a teacher to have patience, for example. Perhaps you have patience when trying to teach your colleagues new skills. You would surely have patience when dealing with a difficult customer. Patients is also a noun but is the plural of patient, as in a patient in a hospital or someone who is having treatment of some sort. If someone is ill you might ask “how’s the patient?” If ever you get confused, just think patients ends in an s and therefore is a plural word, whereas patience does not end in an s and therefore cannot be plural.
See also Assistants and Assistance and Residents and Residence.
See also Assistants and Assistance and Residents and Residence.
Peace and Piece – Another word which is incorrectly used interchangeably. Peace is the opposite of war. Maybe two countries were at war but have now made peace. Perhaps you've once had a fight with your brother or a friend and you were asked to make peace with them. A piece is a part of something that makes a whole when put together e.g. a piece of land, a piece of wood; or a portion e.g. to cut a pizza into 8 pieces. The phrase ‘peace of mind’ means the same thing as when your mind is at peace. You might get an RACV check on a car you're intending to purchase, just for peace of mind. It’s not ‘piece of mind’. This being said however, if you're annoyed at someone and want to confront them about it, you might say something like “I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!” Think of this scenario as not being peaceful at all!
Peak and Peek – Peak has two meanings. The first being a pointed top of a mountain e.g. the peak of Mount Everest. Secondly, it refers to the highest or most important level of something e.g. a peak in sales results, a peak in someone’s career, or a peak in petrol prices. To peek is to take a look at something, perhaps a secretive look from somewhere where no one can see you. An extremely common error is the phrase sneak peek which is often written as sneak peak which is similar to the duel fuel example I gave earlier. Peek is the right word in this instance because it refers to giving the audience a secret preview of an upcoming event. Now, if something is approaching a peak (e.g. sales results), you could say it is peaking (not peeking). Peeking is when you’re taking a peek. For example, when you played hide and seek in your young days and it was your turn to count, you more than likely would have heard “no peeking!” Then of course there’s Peking e.g. Peking Duck, which is sometimes incorrectly spelt as either peaking or peeking.
Let The Oatmeal explain this further for you...
Personal and Personnel – This is another case where because both words look similar, sometimes the wrong one is used. If you know the pronunciation though, you should be fine. Personal refers to anything which relates to you. Perhaps you’d rather not discuss something for personal reasons. Perhaps you've taken something personally. Or maybe someone’s made some personal remarks about you. You might have been asked to keep your personal belongings with you. Lastly, you might ask someone to do a personal favour for you. In all these examples, personal refers to yourself. Personnel is a group of people who work in an organisation or department. e.g. security personnel, emergency personnel, etc. It’s kind of a bigger word for
staff. Staff is more general whereas personnel is more specific. You might see a sign on a door saying ‘Authorised personnel only’. In funeral notices, if the deceased was a soldier of some sort, you may see something written like ‘military personnel respectfully invited to attend’. As you can imagine, if this said ‘military personal’, this wouldn't make much sense...
Plain and Plane – Although plain has a few meanings, they are all used in much the same manner. It basically refers to something being clear or easily understood and straightforward and free from ambiguity. It is important that documents intended for use by the general public are written in plain English. More examples: ‘It’s plain to see that you lied to me’ and ‘Well that’s just plain silly’. It can also mean ordinary with no frills. If you wanted plain ice cream, you would probably want vanilla ice cream with no sprinkles or flavoured toppings. Lastly, a plain is a large area of flat land without any trees. A plane is a short word for aeroplane. As a verb, it means to make smooth or level. In woodwork, there is a tool called a plane that does this.
Pour and Pore – Both these words have the same pronunciation. Pour as in ‘Pour water in glass’. Pore has two meanings. As a verb, it relates to reading or studying something with great detail; usually a book. ‘I'm going to pore over these practice questions before the exam tomorrow.’ As a noun, it relates to a tiny opening in the skin or a leaf for perspiration. We use face cleanser e.g. Clearasil to cleanse our pores. Other forms of these words are poured/pored e.g. ‘the kids poured through the hallway doors’ and ‘the students pored over their study notes’; and pouring/poring e.g. ‘the rain was absolutely pouring’ and ‘the year 7 boys were poring over the Playboy magazine’. Can you see the difference with these two words? Another two words that sound the same are poor and paw, but you would be less likely to confuse these words.
Practice and Practise – Remember licence and license, above? Well, this is exactly like that! Practice is the noun and practise is the verb. Just like we saw with licence and license, practise is used for both forms in American spelling. Basically, every time you are using the word as a doing word, use the s. If not, c is used. For example, practise: ‘I need to practise my tennis skills’ and ‘She is practising her speech for tomorrow’; and practice: ‘I have dance practice tonight’ and ‘You need more practice’. Practice is always on its own and doesn't have an ending associated with it e.g. it cannot be practiced, it must be practised as this is the verb. Practice can also refer to specialised professions e.g. a doctor’s practice, dental practice, and lawyer’s practice. These refer to the practice of medicine, dentistry, and law.
Pray and Prey – Pray is a verb and is something you might do at Church e.g. I pray, you pray, he/she prays, the priest was praying, the nuns prayed, etc, etc. Prey on the other hand is usually a noun but it can also function as a verb. As a noun, it refers to an animal that is being hunted, or the victim of a hunter e.g. a gazelle might well be a tiger’s prey. As a verb, it refers to the act of hunting prey e.g. lions prey on deer, foxes prey on rabbits. Used in this fashion, it could also refer to victimising others e.g. ‘the con men preyed on the older generation’ and ‘the bullies were preying on the new kids’. The pronunciation is exactly the same with these two words, hence the confusion.
Presence and Presents – These two words aren't confused very often but nonetheless, it has been known to happen. The reason being that presence is a form of present but it has a different meaning. Let’s explain. Presence refers to something being present. Present as in ‘here’ or ‘in the company of’ For example, wedding invitations would usually request your presence, or you may have had to sign a form in the presence of a witness. Ghost hunters may well talk about feeling a ghostly presence in a particular place. To conclude, presence refers to something being present. Presents is the plural of present, as in a gift. You more than likely exchange presents at Christmas time and/or receive presents for your birthday. Note the pronunciation of present as in ‘here/in attendance’ and present as in a gift is exactly the same. Now, for presents, this can also be pronounced differently where the -ents is like that of tents. Used in this fashion, it refers to something being presented, as in handed over or submitted. You might see this at the start of a movie e.g. MGM presents.... and then the name of the film.
Here’s a joke:
Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader are fighting with their lightsabers.
Darth Vader: Luke, I know what you're getting for Christmas this year.
Luke: How do you know?
Darth: Because, I have felt your presents (presence).
I didn't say it was a good joke.
Here’s a joke:
Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader are fighting with their lightsabers.
Darth Vader: Luke, I know what you're getting for Christmas this year.
Luke: How do you know?
Darth: Because, I have felt your presents (presence).
I didn't say it was a good joke.
Princes and Princess – It’s funny how one extra letter can make all the difference. Princes is the plural of Prince e.g. one prince, two princes. A Princess is a female who is usually side by side with a prince e.g. Prince William and Princess Kate. The pronunciation is different for both words also. Princes is simply the plural of Prince but the -ess in Princess is pronounced like that of chess. The famous Princes Highway is sometimes misspelled as Princess Highway. I've even seen a company’s ute that had it spelt this way also which is slightly embarrassing.
Principal and Principle – These two are very commonly confused and it’s because they are both pronounced exactly the same way. Principal relates to the first or the head of something e.g a principal rule of a club and a principal objective of a meeting. Usually though, principal refers to a principal of a school e.g. ‘The principal held the staff meeting’. A principle is a rule, view or belief e.g. the principles of economics or the principles of equality. You may have seen the phrase The fundamental principles of..... This refers to the key values and/or beliefs of something. Lastly, if you say you have principles, it means you have strong morals.
Here’s a quote from Pulp Fiction:
Vincent: Jules, if you give that f****n' nimrod fifteen hundred dollars, I'm gonna shoot him on general principles.
See also Assistants and Assistance and Patients and Patience.
Here’s a quote from Pulp Fiction:
Vincent: Jules, if you give that f****n' nimrod fifteen hundred dollars, I'm gonna shoot him on general principles.
See also Assistants and Assistance and Patients and Patience.
Quiet and Quite – These two are sometimes confused because they look similar. I'm sure everyone knows the meaning of each when they’re said aloud though. Quiet as in the opposite of loud. “Be quiet!” Quite as in ‘The man was quite tall’.
Residents and Residence – This is similar to Assistants and Assistance and Patients and Patience. Residents is the plural of Resident e.g. a resident in an aged care facility or a resident of an apartment building. Residence is usually a place belonging to a resident e.g. an apartment building or house, or it can also refer to the act of residing e.g. ‘during my residence at 5 Morley Close...’ Residence cannot be plural because it doesn't end in s.
Role and Roll – Another commonly confusing word. Both words are pronounced exactly the same. A role is a function, position or part in which someone plays. For example a role in a play, your role in your workplace. Your brakes of your car have a role. Perhaps you know someone who is a good role model. Roll has several uses. You might have a bread roll served to you with soup. Skaters might roll past you at the bus stop. Your teacher would have checked the roll to see who was present. If you've scored the first two goals in a soccer game, you could say that you’re on a roll. These are just a few uses. Incorrect usage includes ‘roll model’ and ‘NBN roleout’.
Shining and Shinning – Shine has one N and shining also has one N. The word shinning isn't really used very often, however, if you were shinning, it would mean that you were kicking someone in the shins and that’s just not very nice! Simpsons fans will remember their version of the movie The Shining which they called The Shinning.
Sole and Soul – The word sole refers to the underside of your foot or shoe. It is also a type of flatfish. It can also mean only e.g. ‘His income was the sole source of income for his family’. Soul refers to a person’s spirit. If you've done a good deed for someone, they may have called you a good soul. Soul can also refer to a genre of music. James Brown, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Al Green are just a few artists to get you going. Soulmate is very often written as Solemate. If you had a friend who was a fish, maybe then you would have a solemate.
Sort and Sought – I'm sure we all know what sort means but don’t confuse this word with sought. Admittedly it is a fairly uncommon word. Sought is the past tense of ‘seek’. You might have sought help from a guidance counsellor. Often you will see the phrase sought after which means that it is in demand. A real estate ad might describe a highly sought after property; a job advertisement might describe a sought after candidate. Now, consider the difference between sought out and sort out.
Stationary and Stationery – This is definitely one of the most commonly confused words... Again, one letter can make all the difference. Simply put, stationary with an A means ‘not moving’ or ‘still’ e.g. a stationary vehicle. Your driving instructor may want you to make a turn from a stationary position. Stationery refers to writing and office supplies e.g. pens, pencils, paper, erasers, markers, post-it notes, staplers, rulers, etc. If ever you get confused, just think of E for envelope. Stationery with an E = envelopes. If you don’t want envelopes, well then stationary with an A is the word you want!
Steal and Steel – If you steal something, it means you’re taking it without permission. Thieves steal from cars. Steel is a type of metal, mainly used in construction because it is very hard and tough. Let’s look at a couple of incorrect examples: ‘Yesterday I watched Man of Steal’' and ‘The robber was going to steel a police car’.
Storey and Story – A story is usually contained in a book. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a famous children’s story. Or maybe your mate Dave told you a cracker of a story at the pub the other night. Either way, this is story. A storey on the other hand is a level of a building. Perhaps you work on the second storey in your office. Commonly, a storey is called a floor. So, you might work on the second floor of your building. The plural of these two words are ‘stories’ and ‘storeys’, respectively. Let’s look at some incorrect examples: ‘The man jumped off the top story of that building!’ and ‘My local shopping centre has three stories’.
An important thing to note though is that in American English, ‘story’ is used for both words, hence the confusion!
An important thing to note though is that in American English, ‘story’ is used for both words, hence the confusion!
Suit and Suite – Another example where an E can make all the difference. Suit has many uses. As a noun, it refers to a set of men’s formal clothing, usually for business attire. James Bond is typically seen wearing a suit. You would usually wear a suit to a wedding or maybe to the races. A suit is usually made up of a jacket and pants but can also include a vest. Fans of How I Met Your Mother may well be familiar with the phrase ‘Suit up!’ Suit can also refer to something that is suitable for something e.g. ‘the new work hours suit me’, ‘suit first time buyer’ and ‘that new shirt really suits you, Will.’ Maybe ‘suit’ is an abbreviation for ‘suitable’ in this instance. Lastly, suit can also refer to the four classes in playing cards – Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs. Suite has a few uses also. It could relate to a set of furniture which all go together e.g a bedroom suite or a dining suite. A set of connected rooms is also referred to as a suite. If you’re lucky enough you may have stayed in a hotel suite. People on their honeymoon may have been put up in the honeymoon suite.
Now that you know the difference, consider the difference between a three piece suit and a three piece suite.
Now that you know the difference, consider the difference between a three piece suit and a three piece suite.
Suppose and Supposed – Do not confuse these two. Suppose is a verb and generally means ‘to think’. Examples: ‘What do you suppose will happen in the next episode?’ and ‘I suppose I’ll answer the door then’. In these two examples, you can replace ‘suppose’ with ‘think’. Conversely, supposed is an adjective which means ‘required’. Examples: ‘I was supposed to go to the shops yesterday but I forgot’ and ‘You’re not supposed to forge someone’s signature’. Try replacing ‘supposed’ with ‘required’ or ‘meant’. You will notice that the word ‘to’ always follows ‘supposed’ so this is one thing to remember when unsure of which word is correct.
Let’s look at some incorrect examples: ‘This machine does not do what it’s suppose to do’, ‘I’m suppose to be researching for my assignment’ and ‘It was suppose to be a grand affair but only 3 people showed up.’ With all of these, we see the word ‘to’ directly after ‘suppose’ so we know the correct word must be ‘supposed’.
While we’re on the topic, remember not to confuse ‘supposably’ with ‘supposedly’.
Let’s look at some incorrect examples: ‘This machine does not do what it’s suppose to do’, ‘I’m suppose to be researching for my assignment’ and ‘It was suppose to be a grand affair but only 3 people showed up.’ With all of these, we see the word ‘to’ directly after ‘suppose’ so we know the correct word must be ‘supposed’.
While we’re on the topic, remember not to confuse ‘supposably’ with ‘supposedly’.
Here's yet another Friends clip to demonstrate this:
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See also Use and Used
Tail and Tale – This one’s easy! A tail is something you might find at the end of your dog, your cat, your mouse? It can also be used when referring to something which is at the end e.g. ‘the tail end of the 1990s’. Lastly, tail is the opposite of head when referring to the two sides of a coin (usually called heads or tails). A tale is another word for a story, however it could also be used when referring to events as being untrue/lies or majorly exaggerated. You might have a work colleague who likes to tell tales.
Threw and Through – Threw is the past tense of ‘to throw’ e.g. ‘Martin threw the ball’. Through on the other hand has several uses. Let’s take a look at some through the use of examples. See what I did there? ‘The ghost passed through the wall’, ‘The truck drove right through the stop sign’, ‘The workers worked right through the night’, ‘We passed through Dubai on our flight to Melbourne’ and ‘I'm through with this company!’ As you can see, through has several meanings, whereas threw only has one.
Use and Used – This is identical to Suppose and Supposed, as we saw above. The only difference is that use can have two pronunciations, depending on your use (again, see what I did there?) Use is generally used as a verb and it refers to the purpose of something e.g. ‘How do I use this computer?’ ‘They used the money to buy drinks’ and ‘What is this type of screw used for?’. In terms of pronunciation, it is pronounced like ‘ooze’ but with a Y at the start. Or ‘ewes’. The other way use is used (pardon the pun) is as a noun. Don’t forget that a noun means something that you can generally put the word ‘the’ in front of it. Used this way, use is referring to the act of using or employing something e.g. ‘What’s the use of sending in this form?’, ‘He’s lost the use of his right hand’ and ‘I have little use for this service’. With pronunciation, this type of use is pronounced a little like ‘truce’ and ‘juice’.
Used has a few uses as well. It can be used as the past tense of use e.g. ‘Michael used the glue gun’; it can also refer to something which is second-hand or worn. You might have purchased a used car as opposed to a new one. Op shops sell used clothing. Pronunciation-wise, this is pronounced just like the verb form of use but with a D at the end – Yoozed. The phrase ‘used to’ either refers to a regular activity/event which repeated in the past but is not happening anymore e.g. ‘I used to go to that gym but now I attend this one’, or it can refer to an activity or custom which has become habitual e.g. ‘It’s long hours but she’s used to it by now’. Pronunciation-wise, this is pronounced just like the noun form of use but with a T at the end – Yoost.
‘We use to make this type of model but now it’s been discontinued.’ - ×
‘I used to eat meat but now I'm a vegetarian.’ - ✔
Now you can say that you used to get confused between use and used.
Used has a few uses as well. It can be used as the past tense of use e.g. ‘Michael used the glue gun’; it can also refer to something which is second-hand or worn. You might have purchased a used car as opposed to a new one. Op shops sell used clothing. Pronunciation-wise, this is pronounced just like the verb form of use but with a D at the end – Yoozed. The phrase ‘used to’ either refers to a regular activity/event which repeated in the past but is not happening anymore e.g. ‘I used to go to that gym but now I attend this one’, or it can refer to an activity or custom which has become habitual e.g. ‘It’s long hours but she’s used to it by now’. Pronunciation-wise, this is pronounced just like the noun form of use but with a T at the end – Yoost.
‘We use to make this type of model but now it’s been discontinued.’ - ×
‘I used to eat meat but now I'm a vegetarian.’ - ✔
Now you can say that you used to get confused between use and used.
Upmost and Utmost – In a nutshell, the word you are most likely looking for is utmost. While upmost is a word, it certainly is not a common one! It refers to something that is at the highest order, rank or position. Gosh, even trying to search Google for example sentences is a challenge! So more than likely, you mean utmost which refers to something at the highest degree e.g. ‘This letter is of the utmost importance’.
Waist and Waste – You’d probably be less likely to confuse these two words but they are both pronounced exactly the same way so just in case, let’s go through it. Your waist is the part of your body above your hips and below your ribs. Waste on the other hand, typically refers to rubbish e.g you put household waste in your rubbish bin. It can also refer to excrement e.g. human waste, animal waste, etc (see my below excerpt from The Simpsons.) It can also be used as a verb though. Instead of finishing your assignment, perhaps you wasted some time looking at cat videos on YouTube. Or maybe you wasted some money by buying something that was really cheap and it stopped working after only a few days.
Gloria [to Mr. Burns]: Yeah, like, what's fun for a 104 year old?
Mr. Burns: Oh, I enjoy all the popular youth trends. Like, uh, [sees some bumper cars] piloting motor coaches and, uh, [sees someone using a pooper-scooper] collecting dog waste.
Gloria [to Mr. Burns]: Yeah, like, what's fun for a 104 year old?
Mr. Burns: Oh, I enjoy all the popular youth trends. Like, uh, [sees some bumper cars] piloting motor coaches and, uh, [sees someone using a pooper-scooper] collecting dog waste.
Wave and Waive – Again, both these words have no difference in pronunciation but the meaning is different. Wave has a few meanings. You might wave hello to your co-worker or friend; you might experience waves at the beach or at the local pool; the wind might cause flags to wave. Waive generally means to give away or to put aside. The most common time you’ll see this is when a company waives a fee for you e.g. your bank may waive a fee for you as a goodwill gesture, or your mobile phone company, etc.
Weather and Whether – Again, pronunciation-wise, these two are the same but are not to be confused. Weather is a noun and refers to the outside conditions e.g. sunny, windy, raining, snowing, the temperature outside, etc. I'm sure everyone’s heard of the ‘Melbourne weather’ expression – which refers to our weather being so unpredictable! Weather can also be used as a verb. Wooden fences after a while weather – which means they become old and fragile, and need to be replaced. Whether is only used when you’re comparing two things e.g. ‘Whether you choose to believe or not, mutants exist’ and ‘I'm staying with you whether you like it or not!’
Woman and Women – Remember gentleman and gentlemen? This is exactly the same, the only difference being the pronunciation. One lady is a woman, two or more ladies are women. Woman is pronounced wo as in wood and man as in human. Women is pronounced wo as in witness and men as in mints. It’s that simple! Are you referring to only one woman or several women?
Let’s look at some incorrect examples: ‘How many woman came to the party last night?’ and ‘That women over there looked at me funny’.
In short, treat it as man and men and just add wo in front of it.
Let’s look at some incorrect examples: ‘How many woman came to the party last night?’ and ‘That women over there looked at me funny’.
In short, treat it as man and men and just add wo in front of it.
Wander and Wonder – You can see the confusion here can’t you? Again, I think the main cause of confusion here is not knowing the pronunciation of each. Wander, pronounced like yonder, refers to moving around with no particular purpose or destination. You might have wandered around the city late at night after a few drinks. Wonder, pronounced like thunder, refers to thinking about something curiously e.g. ‘I wonder what will happen to Alex now that he failed his exam’.
Wrapped and Rapt – Although I believe rapt is mainly an Australian, colloquial word, it definitely should not be confused with wrapped. Rapt means engrossed in something or excited: ‘He was rapt with wonder at the King’s speech’ and ‘I was so rapt to be going to Luna Park!’ Just to confuse you: ‘I'm rapt with how you wrapped this.’