For most of us, English is still a challenge. With all its irregularities, exceptions and rules, English is a very difficult language to master.
With that in mind, rediff.com presents our English Bloopers series. Here, we publish written and spoken mistakes spotted and sent to us by observant Get Ahead readers. It's a great way to review the basics, clarify a few issues and share a laugh or two!
Jagruti Sharma, director of Words Infocom Limited, sent a tremendous list of homonyms that tend to trip up non-native speakers of English. Homonyms are words that sound the same when pronounced, but are spelled differently and have different meanings.
Example: 'Loose' and 'lose'
Many people make this mistake. They inevitably interchange the words 'loose' and 'lose' while writing. 'Lose' means to 'suffer a loss or defeat'. Thus, you would write:
~ 'I don't want to lose you," and not 'I don't want to loose you.'
'Loose', on the other hand, means 'not firm' or 'not fitting.' In this context, you would write,
~ "My shirt is loose," not "My shirt is lose."
Here's the second to last instalment, through the letter S. Friday, we'll conclude the series on homonyms.
past tense of know, as in: I knew I should have backed up my hard drive.
new
fresh, original, or not used before, as in: The World Wide Web is a good way for a business to get new customers.
know
recognise, be familiar with, understand, as in: A good designer for a business web site must know marketing as well as HTML.
no
not any, as in: A business with no customers doesn't stay in business for very long.
no one
nobody, as in: No one came to the party in costume.
none
not one, as in: None of the children finished lunch.
no body
no group, as in: No body of laws enacted by humans can be called perfect.
nobody
no person, as in: Nobody is mad at you.
authorised, as in: Later this afternoon the mayor will present an official statement.
officious
meddlesome or intrusive, as in: She was an officious busybody who made trouble for everyone.
one
single person or thing, as in: The store is located on a one-way street.
won
past tense of win, as in: Who won the basketball game?
ordinance
regulation or law, as in: The city council passed an ordinance against disturbing the peace.
ordnance
military weapons and equipment, as in: The ordnance was stored in bunkers near the airfield.
are
form of to be, as in: What are you doing tonight?
hour
sixty minutes, as in: It seemed like I waited an hour, but it was only twenty minutes.
our
belonging to us, as in: Please visit our Web site and see our new book reviews.
overdo
do too much or go too far, as in: If you overdo your exercise one day, you may be sore the next.
overdue
past the expected time, as in: The library books are overdue.
crowded together, as in: The airport was packed with people trying to get home for vacation.
pact
agreement, as in: The two countries signed a mutual non-aggression pact.
pail
bucket with a handle, as in: The child filled his pail with sand at the seashore.
pale
lacking color, as in: When she heard the news, her cheeks turned pale.
pain
suffering, as in: He took a nap, and when he awoke the pain of his headache was gone.
pane
sheet of glass set in a window, as in: We had to buy a new pane of glass for the front window because the kids were playing ball in the house.
pair
two of a kind, as in: I need a new pair of shoes.
pare
trim the outer layer of, as in: Do you pare an apple when you eat it, or do you like it unpeeled?
pear
bell-shaped fruit, as in: She had a juicy pear for her lunch.
parameter
a variable or a factor, as in: The following parameters serve as guidelines for decison-making by the school site councils.
perimeter
the outer boundary, as in: He measured the perimeter of his property and bought enough fencing material to go around it.
partition
a divider, as in: They used bookshelves as a partition in the large living room.
petition
formal request, as in: She signed the petition to change the zoning law.
partially
to some extent, as in: The dog was partially blind in one eye.
partly
in some parts, as in: The movie was partly based on fact, but the rest was fiction.
passed
moved or proceeded, as in: The parade passed in front of the reviewers' stand.
past
having occurred in a time before now, as in: In the past, the pace of life seemed slower.
patience
ability to wait without complaining, as in: Teaching children requires a lot of patience .
patients
people undergoing medical care, as in: The doctor visits her patients in the hospital every morning.
peace
absence of war or troubles, as in: She works hard to make her home a place of rest and peace for her family.
piece
separate part of a whole, as in: May I have the last piece of pie?
peak
highest point, as in: They reached the peak of the mountain by midday.
peek
a quick look, as in: Peek in on the baby and see if she's still asleep, please.
pique
feeling of sharp anger or resentment, as in: She canceled the party in a fit of pique.
stimulate interest or curiosity, as in: If you want visitors to read the words on your website, you have to pique their interest in some manner.
peal
loud, prolonged sound, as in: The peal of the bells at midnight woke everyone in town.
peel
outer covering of a fruit or vegetable, as in: Where can I put my banana peel?
pedal
use a foot-operated lever, as in: As I get older, it's getting harder to pedal my bicycle up the hill.
peddle
go from place to place selling, as in: The farmer came to town to peddle his surplus tomatoes.
peer
an equal, as in: When it comes to playing the violin, he has no peer.
pier
landing place for ships, as in: We waved from the pier as the cruise ship sailed.
penultimate
next to last, as in: Y is the penultimate letter of the alphabet. According to the Random House Dictionary of 1966, penultimate means almost last, a contraction of the Latin phrase paene ultima. According to my old, old Roget's Thesaurus (1960), penultimate can mean last but one or last but two.
ultimate
last or final, as in: The ultimate cost of the project will be over one million dollars.
percent, also per cent
per one hundred, as in: The unemployment rate went down one per cent.
percentage
proportion in regard to the whole, as in: Only a small percentage of the people voted for a raise in taxes.
perfect
free from defects or complete, as in: The sweater is a perfect fit.
prefect
high-ranking official, as in: He made an appointment to interview the prefect about the new policy.
perpetrate
perform or commit, as in: Only a depraved person could perpetrate such a horrible crime.
perpetuate
preserve forever, as in: The statue will perpetuate the memory of our hero.
perquisite
special privilege accorded a position or office, as in: A luxury car is a perquisite reserved for top executives of that company.
prerequisite
something required in advance, as in: The Principles of Business class is a prerequisite for Marketing 22.
persecute
oppress or harass, as in: It is unlawful in the US to persecute someone for his or her religious beliefs.
prosecute
conduct legal proceedings against, as in: This store will prosecute anyone caught shoplifting.
personal
private, as in: She didn't want to discuss her personal affairs in such a public place.
personnel
Human Resources Department of a company, as in: Please take your resume to the Personnel Department.
perspective
point of view, as in: From his perspective, it looks unfair.
prospective
expected or future, as in: The prospective buyer went to the company's Web site to learn about the new product.
peruse
read all the way through carefully, as in: The head of our department set aside time to peruse the report before making a decision.
pursue
chase or follow for a specific purpose, as in: You must be willing to pursue your goal despite setbacks if you want to succeed.
faze
scare or worry, as in: The flash-flood warnings didn't seem to faze him at all.
phase
aspect or stage of development, as in: Two-year-olds go through a rebellious phase.
medicine, as in: Grandmother gave him a physic for his stomachache.
physique
well-developed bodily structure, as in: Arnold Schwarzenegger is an actor famous for his physique.
psychic
having extra-sensory mental powers, as in: A person would have to be psychic to predict the outcome of that race!
fiscal
financial, as in: The fiscal year begins July 1.
physical
relating to the body or the material world, as in: I must make an appointment with my doctor for a physical examination.
plain
(1) clear and distinct, as in: The facts are plain.
(2) flat, level ground, as in: A famous battle took place in 1759 between the French and English armies on a high plain adjoining the city of Quebec, Canada.
plane
(1) aircraft, as in: Have you ever flown on a plane?
(2) a level of development, as in: I've reached a higher plane of mental clarity.
plaintiff
in a court case, the one suing, as in: The counsel for the plaintiff made her opening statement.
plaintive
sad, as in: The abandoned dog let out a plaintive howl.
pleas
earnest requests or appeals, as in: His pleas for help brought the rescuers quickly.
please
be agreeable to, as in: If it please the court, I would like to ask for a recess at this time.
pole
long, slender, wooden rod, as in: He got his fishing pole and went down to the lake.
poll
survey of public opinion, as in: The poll shows that your candidate is taking the lead.
poor
not having wealth, as in: The family was poor, but they seemed happy.
pore
to study attentively, as in: Before the presentation, she will likely pore over her notes.
pour
cause to flow in a continuous stream, as in: Would you like me to pour you some tea?
populace
all the inhabitants of a place, as in: The circus entertained the populace with a huge parade through town.
populous
having many inhabitants, as in: India is a populous country.
portend
indicate beforehand, as in: Those gray clouds do not portend a sunny afternoon for our picnic.
pretend
give a false show of, as in: Most children like to dress up and pretend they are adults.
apportion
divide up and distribute by shares, as in: I want to apportion the money among all the children.
portion
an allotted amount of something, as in: He didn't eat his portion of dessert.
proportion
ratio of one thing to another, as in: The proportion of women to men using the Internet is increasing.
practicable
workable or feasible, as in: I do not believe your plan is at all practicable.
practical
useful, based on past performance, as in: She is interested in the practical applications of your idea.
pray
entreat or call upon a higher power, as in: Many people pray before eating a meal.
prey
victimise, as in: Confidence men and women prey on unwary, trusting people.
precede
to go or come before, as in: The bridesmaids will precede the bride down the aisle at the wedding.
proceed
move ahead, as in: After a short intermisssion, we will proceed with the show.
precedence
act of coming before, as in: The need for safety took precedence over everything else.
precedents
actions that serve as patterns for future actions, as in: The judge could find no precedents that would allow him to find the defendant innocent.
preposition
part of speech that shows relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word, as in: The word for is a preposition that originally meant on account of, instead of, or because of.
proposition
proposal, offer, or suggestion, as in: We gave them our proposition and they accepted it on the spot.
prescribe
give as a direction to be followed, as in: Perhaps the doctor will prescribe a short period of rest for you.
proscribe
prohibit or condemn, as in: Most cultures proscribe stealing.
presence
state of being at a specific place, as in: Your presence is requested at the wedding of our daughter.
presents
gifts, as in: To show how happy she was, she bought presents for all her friends.
presentiment
premonition, as in: He had a strong presentiment that the deal was about to fall through.
presentment
offering of a note or bill of exchange for acceptance or payment, as in: We will be happy to pay you upon presentment of a properly signed bill of exchange.
presently
soon, as in: My father will come down presently.
at present
now, as in: I'm afraid that I don't have enough money at present to make you a loan.
principal
head of a school, main person, or amount of money borrowed, as in: Interest will be charged on the principal at the rate of 6.9 per cent.
principle
fundamental law or basic truth, as in: The Golden Rule is the principle that you should treat other people the way you'd like to be treated.
profit
amount left after all costs of a business are paid, as in: To grant you a loan, the bank will want a Profit and Loss statement.
prophet
one who foretells the future or interprets divine will, as in: Jeremiah is a prophet named in the Bible who was persecuted for his beliefs.
prophecy
prediction, as in: Constantly calling a child stupid can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
prophesy
tell beforehand what is going to happen, as in: No one can prophesy with accuracy how the economy will be a year from now.
propose
suggest or plan, as in: I propose to increase revenue by 100 per cent in three months.
purpose
result or goal that is desired, as in: The purpose of my call is to tell you about our new product.
signal to begin, as in: At the meeting, I won't say anything until I get the cue from you.
queue
people in line, as in: We had to wait in the queue to get tickets for the movie.
quiet
not noisy, as in: I need to find a quiet place to study.
quit
discontinue or resign, as in: She wants to quit her job but she can't afford it.
quite
completely or to a considerable degree, as in: Are you quite sure that the door is locked?
water falling as drops from the sky, as in: The game had to be canceled because of rain.
reign
rule as a monarch, as in: The US Declaration of Independence was written during the reign of King George III of England.
rein
leather strap attached to the bridle of a horse, as in: To tell the horse you want to turn right, give a gentle pull on the right rein.
raise
lift or elevate, as in: She was so eager to give the answer, she forgot to raise her hand.
rays
narrow beams of light, as in: The rays of sunlight through the blinds woke me up early this morning.
raze
demolish, as in: The town council voted to raze the factory and put in a park.
rap
knock or tap sharply, as in: Rap on the door again; I'm sure someone's home.
wrap
to put a cover around something, as in: Be sure to wrap the baby warmly in this cold weather.
rappel
technique used to descend a vertical surface by rope, the speed being controlled by friction between the rope and a braking device, as in: The coordination of arms and legs is essential in rappel.
repel
ward off or keep away; drive back: as in: This garlic cream is sure to repel insects and humans.
read
understand something written, as in: When all else fails, read the instruction manual.
read
past tense of to read, as in: I read the letter again to make sure I hadn't misunderstood.
reed
tall grass found in marshes or part of a musical instrument, as in: I need to buy a new reed for my clarinet.
red
a color, as in: The teacher circled the mistakes with a red pencil.
real
actual, true, or genuine, as in: I wonder if her necklace is made of real pearls?
reel
wind up a line, as in: When the fish gets tired you can reel it in.
really
actually or truly, as in: That was a great story, but now tell me what really happened.
reality
fact, as in: He awoke from an unpleasant dream, happy to find it wasn't reality.
realty
land and buildings on it, as in: We are going to the realty office to look at listings for new homes.
receipt
written record of something received, as in: Here is a receipt for the money you paid me.
recipe
ingredients and directions for making a food or drink item, as in: I wish he would give me his recipe for meat loaf.
recent
just before now or of a time not long past, as in: The most recent news I heard is that the deal will go through.
resent
feel bitterness toward, as in: I resent being called a dummy.
reference
(1) a direction of attention to, as in: He made a brief reference to your last letter.
(2) a book used for helpful information, as in: I hope you have found this reference list useful.
reverence
deepest respect, as in: In many cultures, reverence is shown to elderly people.
elapse
(of time) pass by, as in: Three minutes elapsed before her page had completely loaded--too many graphics!
lapse
(1) to slip or fall, as in: When the announcement came, we all lapsed into silence.
(2) to lose effect, as in: Your insurance policy will lapse if you don't pay the premiums.
relapse
a slip backwards, as in: Just when we thought he was going to get well, he suffered a relapse.
residence
place where one lives, as in: The suspect left his residence around noon.
residents
inhabitants, as in: The residents of the little town were sad to see the visitors leave.
respectably
properly and decently, as in: The two young ladies were very respectably dressed.
respectfully
courteously and with respect, as in: I respectfully submit my resignation.
respectively
in the same order as the preceding, as in: Jane Nguyen and Maria Lopez are, respectively, the CEO and Chairman of the Board.
retch
to try to vomit, as in: The awful smell made me retch.
wretch
a pitiful or despised person, as in: I'd like to get my hands on the wretch who robbed the blind old man.
right
correct or accurate, as in: Careful writers strive to use the right word.
rite
customary and solemn ritual or ceremony, as in: The rite of baptism is taken very seriously in many faiths.
wright
someone who makes or repairs something, usually in combinations, as in: My grandfather was a shipwright and my grandson is a playwright.
write
to mark letters or symbols on a surface with a tool, as in: Class, I want you each to write your name on the top of your paper.
role
position or function, as in: What will be my role in the new company?
roll
(1) move by wheels, as in: Roll this car forwards.
(2) piece of bread, as in: I'd like a buttered roll with my soup.
(3) list of names, as in: The teacher forgot to take roll today.
en route
on the way, as in: En route to town to sell the cow, Jack traded the cow for some magic beans.
root
(1) underground part of a plant, as in: A carrot is a root vegetable.
(2) origin or source, as in: We can't solve this problem until we get to its root.
(3) cheer for or wish success for, as in: Whom did you root for in the Olympics?
rout
terrible defeat, as in: The Super Bowl turned out to be a complete rout.
route
a path which is planned and followed regularly, as in: I'm thinking of supplementing my salary with a newspaper route.
rote
unthinking routine, as in: Foreign languages used to be taught by the rote method.
wrote
past tense of to write, as in: I wrote to the company last week but I haven't received any answer yet.
canvas sheet attached to a boat, as in: The sail caught the wind and we went speeding across the lake.
sale
transfer of ownership for a price, as in: Everything on this counter is for sale.
scene
place where something happened, as in: The detectives roped off the scene of the crime.
seen
past participle of to see, as in: Have you seen today's newspaper?
cent
one-hundredth of a monetary unit, as in: In the US, a penny is worth one cent.
scent
odor, as in: The detective smelled the scent of almonds.
sent
past tense of send, as in: I sent you a letter yesterday.
cents
plural of cent, as in: His opinion is only worth two cents.
scents
uses the sense of smell, as in: A herd of zebras will flee if it scents a predator.
sense
method of perception, as in: Ears provide us with the sense of hearing.
ceiling
upper limit of a room, as in: A light-colored ceiling makes a room seem brighter.
sealing
closing airtight, as in: Sealing the containers is important to keep the contents fresh.
seam
line formed by joining two edges, as in: Every seam bulged when he tried on his old army uniform.
seem
appear to be, as in: The children seem to be healthy.
cede
yield, as in: At the war's end, the loser had to cede the disputed territory to the winner.
seed
beginning of a new plant, as in: The seed of an avocado can be planted in soil or water.
cease
stop, as in: If someone violates your copyright, send them a Cease and Desist letter immediately.
seize
grab, as in: The guerillas tried to seize control of the town.
siege
prolonged period of trouble or annoyance, as in: Our family has had a siege of bad colds this year.
cell
small room, as in: She will spend two months in a prison cell for her mistake.
sell
offer for sale, as in: I will sell you my car.
cellar
underground room, as in : In our house, the cellar was always damp.
seller
one who offers for sale, as in: Amazon.com is a seller of books in an online storefront.
census
population count, as in: The last census showed an increase in single-parent families.
senses
sound mental faculties, as in: Don't call me until you have come to your senses.
serge
a kind of fabric, as in: I think I'll wear my navy blue serge suit to the meeting.
surge
a strong forward movement, as in: When the doors opened there was a surge in the crowd.
cereal
breakfast food prepared from grain, as in: My favorite cereal is Corn Flakes.
serial
arranged in a series, as in: I hope they catch that serial killer soon.
serve
take care of people, as in: Our mission is to serve clients by designing a Web site their customers will like.
service
take care of equipment, as in: We will service your machine for one whole year at no extra charge.
cession
act of ceding (surrendering) to another, as in: The treaty included cession of all captured territories.
session
meeting or term, as in: I will take two classes during the summer session.
set
place something somewhere, as in: You may set the package on the counter.
sit
be seated, as in: Please, sit here by me and tell me about your new job.
sew
stitch, as in: The ability to sew my own clothes has saved me a lot of money.
so
in such a manner or very much, as in: I am so tired I must lie down.
sow
scatter seed, as in: Farmers will reap the same type of crop that they sow.
shear
cut off, as in: It is time for us to shear the wool from the sheep.
sheer
(1) transparent, as in: Women usually wear sheer hosiery in warm weather.
(2) pure, unmixed with anything else, as in: That was an act of sheer stupidity!
shone
past tense of shine, as in: Yesterday, the sun shone, but today it's rainy.
shown
past participle of show, as in: Smoking has been shown to be bad for your health.
chute
slanted shaft from a higher level to a lower one, as in: The gravel came rumbling down the chute.
shoot
to discharge a weapon, as in: Don't shoot! I'm unarmed.
cite
quote, as in: Your proposal will be more persuasive if you cite results of a recent survey.
sight
vision, as in: Our eyes provide us with one sense of sight; our imagination, another.
site
exact location, as in: Thank you for visiting my web site. Please come back again.
simple
uncomplicated, as in: She likes to wear simple styles in beautiful colors and patterns.
simplistic
overly simplified, as in: The drug problem hasn't been solved by simplistic slogans like "Just say no".
sleight
skill and dexterity, as in: Magicians use sleight of hand to make illusions seem real.
slight
slender, as in: The weather forecaster predicted a slight chance of rain.
soar
fly upward, as in: We watched the eagle soar into the sky and disappear.
sore
painful, as in: I went for a long walk and came home with sore feet.
soared
flew upward or rose very high, as in: Their spirits soared when they heard about the award they received.
sword
a long, pointed weapon, as in: The knight buckled on his sword and went to the battle.
sole
(1) bottom part of the foot or shoe, as in: I have a hole in the sole of my shoe.
(2) only one, as in: She is the sole proprietor of her business.
soul
person, as in: Not a soul was in the office when I arrived this morning.
soluble
capable of being dissolved in another substance, as in: Salt is soluble in water.
solvable
capable of being solved or explained, as in: I'm sure this problem is solvable if we work on it as a team.
some
any part of, as in: Would you like some of my cookies?
sum
the total of, as in: The sum of one and one is two.
some one
any person in a named group, as in: Some one of the officers is going to have to tell her.
someone
somebody, as in: Someone is going to have to tell her.
some time
a period of time, as in: I will need some time to think over your offer.
sometime
at an unspecified time, as in: We must have lunch sometime.
sometimes
now and then, as in: I love my work, but sometimes I need a rest to restore my creativity.
son
male child, as in: He brought his son and daughter to work today to teach them about our industry.
sun
star that provides heat and light to the earth, as in: Too much exposure to the sun can damage skin.
spacious
roomy, as in: She invited me into her spacious living room.
specious
counterfeit, as in: Be careful, he is known for using specious arguments to back up his claims.
especially
standing apart uniquely from the rest, as in: The air quality where I live is especially bad.
specially
given unusual treatment, as in: Look in the specially-marked boxes for your entry blank.
staid
conservative or sedate, as in: She became increasingly staid as she grew older.
stayed
past tense of stay, as in: Her parents stayed by her side through all the trouble.
stair
a step, as in: The carpet is loose on that first stair.
stare
gaze fixedly, as in: I asked him what was wrong, but all I got in response was a vacant stare.
stake
strong stick or post, as in: A young tree may be tied to a stake for support.
steak
a slice of meat or fish, as in: We went out for dinner and he ordered steak.
stationary
in the same place, as in: In the ancient past, people believed the earth was stationary and that the sun revolved around it.
stationery
writing paper and envelopes, as in: A resume should be on fine stationery.
statue
carved or molded image, as in: There is a statue of a famous war hero in the town square.
stature
height or uprightness, as in: My father was a man of average stature.
statute
a law, as in: The statute of limitations has passed for that particular crime.
steal
commit a theft, as in: The burglars came to steal the diamond.
steel
alloy of iron noted for strength, as in: Superman is also called "the man of steel."
straight
not crooked, as in: The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
strait
narrow waterway, as in: To get from the state of Washington, in the US, to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in Canada, we crossed the Juan De Fuca Strait by ferry.
straits
distressing situation, as in: If we don't get that bank loan, we will be in dire financial straits.
suit
(1) a legal action, as in: They brought a class-action suit against the tobacco companies.
(2) a matched set of clothes, as in: He bought a business suit.
(3) meet the requirements of, as in: This will suit our needs.
suite
matched furniture or connected rooms, as in: We made reservations for a suite of rooms at the hotel.
sweet
pleasant like sugar or honey, as in: I feel like having something sweet to eat-maybe I'll have some fruit.
DON'T MISS
- Is English a problem? Here's help!
- Through the letter H
- More help with Homonyms
- Weak in English? Help with homonyms
If you'd like to share common bloopers you come across when people speak/ write in English, do mail your list, along with their correct alternatives to englishbloopers@rediffmail.com -- we'll highlight them right here as a helpful guide to those trying to improve their English. Also, make sure you include your FULL NAME, AGE, OCCUPATION and the CITY you are based in.
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