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Pore vs. Pour

Posted by Administrator on September 15, 2010 in Editorial Musings, The Word

Here’s another pair of words that authors frequently confuse. Pore as a verb means to read studiously or attentively. “He pored over his grammar book.” Pour means to flow or cause to flow, or to rain hard. “He poured maple syrup over his grammar book and ate it.” (Definitions from The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.)

 
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Hmm vs. Hum

Posted by Administrator on September 11, 2009 in The Word

In my editing life, I’ve run across many a character who says “hum” whenever they are thinking about something, as in “Hum … I think I’ll have the chocolate cake.” But most people don’t actually say “hum” in such a situation; what they really say is “hmm,” with the lips together. Hum is a verb [...]

 
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Seam vs. Seem

Posted by Administrator on July 28, 2009 in Newsletter, The Word

One little letter can make a big difference in meaning. Seam is a noun meaning “the line or junction of two edges, esp. of edges of fabric sewn together” or “a layer of mineral matter.” Seam can also be a verb meaning “to join by or as if by sewing.” Rusty tore the seam in [...]

 
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Bazaar vs. Bizarre

Posted by Administrator on July 2, 2009 in The Word

It surprises me how often even experienced writers confuse these words. Bazaar is a noun meaning “a group of small shops: MARKETPLACE” or “a fair for the sale of articles usu. for charity.” He went to the town’s Christmas bazaar to buy a gift for his wife. Bizarre is an adjective meaning “odd, eccentric, fantastic.” [...]

 
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Allowed vs. Aloud

Posted by Administrator on June 6, 2009 in The Word

These words sound alike but look and function very differently. Allowed is the past tense of the verb allow, meaning “to permit” or “to assign as a share or suitable amount” (please consult your dictionary for other meanings). The dog was allowed to sleep on the bed. She allowed three hours for the drive to [...]

 
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Hoard vs. Horde

Posted by Administrator on May 5, 2009 in The Word

These two words are easy to mix up. I usually look them up every time I use them, just to be sure I’ve got it right. Hoard is a noun meaning “a supply or fund stored up and often hidden away” or a verb meaning “to lay up a hoard of” or “to keep to [...]

 
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Complement vs. Compliment

Posted by Administrator on March 31, 2009 in The Word

Many people are not aware that these are two separate words. The two words are often confused and used interchangeably, or a writer will choose one spelling and stick with it for all uses. Trust me (and Mr. Webster), they are totally different words. Complement as a noun refers to “something that fills up or [...]

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Conscience vs. Conscious

Posted by Administrator on March 3, 2009 in The Word

Lately I’ve seen quite a few characters who either have a guilty conscious or are not conscience. It seems this is the perfect time to review. Conscience is a noun meaning “consciousness of the moral right and wrong of one’s own acts or motives.” That little lie weighed on my conscience. Conscious is an adjective [...]

 
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Capital vs. Capitol

Posted by Administrator on February 5, 2009 in The Word

Since we’ve just had a presidential inauguration, I thought this would be the perfect time to review these frequently confused words. Capital refers to the city that is the seat of government for a country, state, etc. (Please note there are several other meanings as well, but this is the one that seems to cause [...]

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Carat vs. Karat vs. Carrot

Posted by Administrator on January 4, 2009 in The Word

The confusion over the first two of these words is perfectly understandable, but I’m really disturbed by the number of “12-carrot diamond rings” I’ve read about over the years. So, let’s review. Carat is a unit of weight for gemstones. A 3-carat diamond. Karat refers to the purity of gold. A ring of 24-karat (24K) [...]

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