{"id":127,"date":"2022-10-01T18:25:03","date_gmt":"2022-10-01T18:25:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/?p=127"},"modified":"2022-12-30T18:14:48","modified_gmt":"2022-12-30T18:14:48","slug":"can-you-use-these-homophones-correctly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/01\/can-you-use-these-homophones-correctly\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Use These Homophones Correctly?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/homophone-word-cloud.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-128\" width=\"494\" height=\"493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/homophone-word-cloud.png 525w, https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/homophone-word-cloud-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/homophone-word-cloud-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/homophone-word-cloud-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 494px) 100vw, 494px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>How many homophones can you spot in this beauty of a sentence (inspired by a perusal of a long <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/homonyms-homophones-and-homographs-a-b-1692660\">list is homophones<\/a>): <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8220;<em>Its a shame they can&#8217;t bye more knew close four there sun, butt their pour.<\/em>&#8220;<\/strong> (Ten.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most writers keep their eyes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.collinsdictionary.com\/dictionary\/english\/to-keep-your-eyes-peeled\"><strong>peeled <\/strong><\/a>for them, and <a href=\"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/2022\/09\/05\/editors-and-proofreaders\/\" title=\"copyeditors and proofreaders\">copy editors and proofreaders<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/pored\" title=\"pore \"><em><strong>pore <\/strong><\/em><\/a>over texts to find a swapped <em>its <\/em>or <em>it&#8217;s<\/em>; or a mistaken <em>they&#8217;re<\/em>, <em>their<\/em>, or <em>their<\/em>. Even the most experienced editor occasionally lets one slip when reading something especially engaging (thus the job of the proofreader for the final check).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In<strong> <\/strong>the <em>Chicago Manual of Style<\/em>&#8216;s word usage section, I found a hundred words that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/piqued\" title=\"piqued \"><strong>piqued <\/strong><\/a>my interest. Here&#8217;s a <strong>peek <\/strong>at my favorite twelve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/affect\" title=\"Affect \">Affect <\/a>versus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/effect\" title=\"effect\">effect<\/a> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Note: <em>affect<\/em> (v.) and <em>effect <\/em>(n.) are nearly pronounced the same, so I&#8217;ve included them in the list. Most commonly, the verb <em>affect<\/em> broadly means &#8220;to have an effect on.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Smoking two packs a day for years has <strong>affected <\/strong>his health.<\/li><li>Why should I care? It doesn&#8217;t <strong>affect <\/strong>me.<\/li><li>The economic <strong>effects <\/strong>of the embargo on Russian oil have been reduced by purchases from other authoritarian governments.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/awhile\" title=\"Awhile \">Awhile <\/a>versus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/while\" title=\"a while\">a while<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Note: <em>awhile <\/em>(adv.) means &#8220;<strong>for <\/strong>a period of time.&#8221; <em>A while<\/em> (n.) means &#8220;a period of time.&#8221; Merriam-Webster notes that following a preposition with <em>awhile <\/em>is considered by many an error, but that it is increasingly common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Let&#8217;s stop <strong>awhile<\/strong>. OR: Let&#8217;s stop for <strong>a while<\/strong>.<\/li><li>They rested <strong>awhile <\/strong>in the shade of an oak tree. OR: They rested for <strong>a while <\/strong>in the shade of an oak tree<\/li><li>Kathy! It&#8217;s been a <strong>while<\/strong>! What have you been up to?<\/li><li>Once in <strong>a while<\/strong>, I like to have a meal at a gourmet restaurant.<\/li><li>It took <strong>awhile<\/strong>, but he finished his novel.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/breach\" title=\"Breach \">Breach <\/a>versus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/breech\" title=\"breech\">breech<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>He sued his employer for <strong>breach <\/strong>of contract.<\/li><li>The enemy <strong>breached<\/strong><em> <\/em>the outer defenses.<\/li><li>Her baby was born <strong>breech<\/strong>. <\/li><li>Make sure you hold the <strong>breech <\/strong>of the shotgun to your shoulder firmly.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/forgo\" title=\"Forgo \">Forgo <\/a>versus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/forego\" title=\"forego\">forego<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>We&#8217;re short of money, so we&#8217;ll have to <strong>forgo <\/strong>dinner and drinks out this weekend.<\/li><li>It&#8217;s a <strong>foregone <\/strong>conclusion that public support for the measure will erode when it hits their pocketbook.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/gibe\" title=\"Gibe \">Gibe <\/a>versus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/jibe\" title=\"jibe\">jibe<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Richard made a series of cruel <strong>gibes <\/strong>at Mike to goad him into a fight.  <\/li><li>In each of the conservative YouTuber&#8217;s episodes, he hurled <strong>gibes <\/strong>at liberal politicians.<\/li><li>The rumor circulating on social media doesn&#8217;t <strong>jibe <\/strong>with my knowledge of fiscal policy.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/hail\" title=\"Hail \">Hail <\/a>versus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/hale\" title=\"hale\">hale<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Before the tornado touched down, the sky went black, and it <strong>hailed <\/strong>the size of golf balls.<\/li><li>&#8220;<strong>Hail <\/strong>to the Chief&#8221; has been the presidential anthem since 1954. <\/li><li><strong>Hail<\/strong>, Caesar!<\/li><li>We <strong>hailed <\/strong>a taxi.<\/li><li>Do you want me to try to <strong>hail<\/strong><em> <\/em>that ship by radio?<\/li><li>My grandfather&#8217;s a <strong>hale <\/strong>and hearty old man.<\/li><li>At a <strong>hale <\/strong>71, the bar owner still does Mick Jagger impersonations on stage.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/hoard\" title=\"Hoard \">Hoard <\/a>versus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/horde\" title=\"horde\">horde<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Many people <strong>hoarded <\/strong>toilet paper during the pandemic.<\/li><li>The dragon Smaug guarded a <strong>hoard <\/strong>of gold under the Lonely Mountain for 171 years.<\/li><li><strong>Hordes <\/strong>of Mongol horsemen led by the grandsons of Ghengis Khan invaded Europe in the 1220s.<\/li><li>Venice is overcrowded with <strong>hordes <\/strong>of tourists every summer.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/metal\" title=\"Metal \">Metal <\/a>versus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/mettle\" title=\"mettle\">mettle<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Metal <\/strong>tools and weapons were first used in the Bronze Age (3300 BC\u20141200 BC).<\/li><li>I admire his <strong>mettle<\/strong>. He got up at 4 a.m. every day to study for his board exams, despite a grueling work schedule. <\/li><li>&#8220;You are gentlemen of brave <strong>mettle<\/strong>.&#8221; (Shakespeare&#8217;s &#8220;The Tempest&#8221;)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/mete\" title=\"Mete \">Mete <\/a>versus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/meet\" title=\"meet\">meet<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The IRS <strong>metes <\/strong>out huge fines to Americans with undeclared accounts or businesses abroad.<\/li><li>The remaining K rations were <strong>meted out<\/strong> to the weary paratroopers.<\/li><li>Why don&#8217;t we <strong>meet <\/strong>for drinks?<\/li><li>I <strong>met <\/strong>my wife on the Amalfi Coast a few summers ago.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/principal\" title=\"Principal \">Principal <\/a>versus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/principle\" title=\"principle\">principle<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The couple decided to pay down the <strong>principal <\/strong>on their loan.<\/li><li>The school <strong>principal <\/strong>called a staff meeting.<\/li><li>The <strong>principal<\/strong><em> <\/em>ingredient in <em>gazpacho <\/em>is tomato.<\/li><li>The <strong>principal <\/strong>reason for me to move abroad was to find a better quality of life.<\/li><li>His <strong>principles <\/strong>prevented him from cutting corners.<\/li><li>Fighting against the new CEO&#8217;s push to increase profits, the teacher took a <strong>principled <\/strong>stand in the staff meeting.<\/li><li>In 1910, Bertrand Russel wrote a book about mathematical <strong>principles <\/strong>called <em>Principia Mathematica<\/em>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/strait\" title=\"Strait \">Strait <\/a>versus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/straight\" title=\"straight\">straight<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>You can find yourself in <strong>dire straits<\/strong> if you try to swim the <strong>Strait <\/strong>of Gibraltar without proper training and an escort boat.<\/li><li>Go <strong>straight<\/strong>, then turn right.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It takes <em>mettle <\/em>to study word usage <em>awhile <\/em>every day and keep these terms <em>straight<\/em>, but if you do, you&#8217;ll find enjoyment in knowing the tough ones. If you have any favorites\u2014or can come up with entertaining sentences with these &#8220;confusables&#8221;\u2014leave a comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bonus homonyms<\/strong> (see introduction): <em>pique\/peak\/peek, pore\/pour\/poor, peel\/peal<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How many homophones can you spot in this beauty of a sentence (inspired by a perusal of a long list is homophones): &#8220;Its a shame they can&#8217;t bye more knew close four there sun, butt their pour.&#8220; (Ten.) Most writers keep their eyes peeled for them, and copy editors and proofreaders pore over texts to &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/01\/can-you-use-these-homophones-correctly\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Can You Use These Homophones Correctly?&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":336,"href":"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127\/revisions\/336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brentmillerediting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}