Friday, June 20, 2008

Important of Public Speaking Skill

Important of Public Speaking Skill
For most people, the mere thought of speaking before an audience causes men's hands to go clammy and their hearts to pound like a kettledrum. Statistics show that people fear public speaking more than they do their own deaths. It shows that for the majority, people would rather die in silence than take a chance to speak their minds in society. Maybe it's conformity and a fear of saying something irrelevant.
The importance of communication lies in the fact that as social organisms, the ability to get your message across in the right way will do more good for you than the attempt to do a better job. Hunkering down faithfully to work is virtually useless if the boss does not even notice it.
The importance of public speaking is that it is inevitable. Sooner or later, you will be forced to enter the arena and speak to a sea of eyes and ears. Before that happens, it would always be better to meet that challenge on your terms.
Here are some points to ponder:
1. Career. People at work who can communicate better go up the ladder faster. Employers prefer hiring people with public speaking and communication skills. This is because speaking with your colleagues puts them at ease about you, helps you get your job done faster, and gets what you want done across much more easier.

2. Mental. You feel better about yourself. Successfully speaking before a live, listening audience improves your self-confidence, poise, character and sense of fun. You become less self-conscious, nervous, and can control higher levels of stress. This does not mean you won't make mistakes. Expect to make mistakes the first few times; learn from them, and keep on going. If you're consistent, that paralyzing fear of speaking to a large audience will be a thing of the past.

3. Opportunities. Oral Presentations positively impacts all aspects of your life. Being able to speak publicly opens up new opportunities unimagined in your former life. You will find yourself more eager to participate in causes you sincerely believe in, interact more with people of the opposite sex. You will find yourself assertively asking questions to clear up a problem, take the lead in a cause, or calmly explain a thorny situation without losing it. The effect of public speaking on your life is exponential.
Public speaking skill is an essential addition to the human repertoire. Technical knowledge is just as vital, but the ability to speak well takes your abilities and talents beyond the borders of your own skin and into the hearts and minds of others.

Developing Love for Public Speaking
Public speaking is an acquired taste for most people. That is, the first taste of it is usually disagreeable to the untrained person. Over time, if emboldened by a few tasty morsels, he develops a taste for it and eventually wonders how he ever lived without it.
The way to honestly be very good at something runs parallel to this analogy. To be exceptional requires that one loves the activity for its own sake. In public speaking, to love it means to share with others things you consider of relative value and importance.
Though all people approach public speaking with different goals in mind, a few pointers, if you will on how one can eventually find it an indispensable boon to one's life.
1. Let go of yourself. When you speak publicly, the only thing on your mind is the speech. It's really not the time for thoughts of your bills, arguments with the boss, and needing to have the car washed. All these other thoughts get in the way of you being natural on stage.
2. Be uniquely you. This may sound like a contradiction of the first pointer, but nothing is more true. If you let go of your ego and just let your true personality shine though, the audience will be awed by this. This is partly the reason why most people flock to movies and theaters, as a means to express their own feelings albeit vicariously. Words depend on the manner in which they are spoken and less by the matter these words are a part of.
3. Have a chat with your audience. Create a sense of give-and-take communication with the audience. Never let the audience feel you never wanted to be there with them in the first place. You will want your hearers to know that you are speaking with experience from the heart.
4. Wear your heart on your sleeve. Being passionate isn't right for some occasions, but being passionate in public speaking is just what the doctor ordered. Speak with emotion, confidence and conviction. There is no audience that would rather see the speaker.
5. Practice makes perfect. Practice with your speech and its delivery. Never neglect to exercise the mental and physical traits necessary to create a direct impact on the audience. Measure your performance by capturing your speech on video, or ask for advice from an expert. Find ways to improve your technique.
If you follow these suggestions, public speaking will never concern you with fear, worry and anxiety.

Having Fun with Public Speaking
While most people consider speaking in public worse than a death sentence, it does not have to be so. In fact, public speaking can be a fun and fruitful endeavor in the hands of a speaker with the right mindset.
And the first agenda when it comes to public speaking is to approach it in terms of having fun.
How can you ever have fun speaking to a large audience hanging on to your every word and gesture, you say? The answers are simple.
Here are a few tips to get you started.
1. Choose a subject near and dear to your heart. There is no better supplier of knowledge than experience. Your audience knows when you just read off a book and when you're speaking from having been there yourself.
Frankly speaking, unless you speak with emotional involvement with the subject, you cannot endear yourself to your audience. The audience looks for it, wants to know that whatever they are learning from you is worth their time and effort to listen to.
You want to be earnest, enthusiastic, excited, and persuasive. No other technique does this faster than being personally involved.
2. Capture the feelings you had about the topic. Again, your feelings are the key to a convincing speech and is the ability to project the feelings you had of the subject across the whole audience. Some may not agree with you and some may have felt you could have said it another way. But, none of them will forget you.
Speaking to the public monotonously and indifferently creates a sense of objectivity not appreciated by the audience. The stage is not the time to become dispassionate. Imagine the reason why we patronize movies and theater so much. It is partly because we want to see depth of emotion expressed fully.
As human beings, we need to see humanity in others.
3. Speak and act sincerely. You must approach the speech like a man going to have a good time, not like a man heading for a hanging. No matter what happens, you must have the will to survive with a sense of humor. In this tip, one must find a way to appreciate the situation he is in, and then find a way to turn the tables to his advantage.
The ability to float right-side up when you are down in public speaking is a great test of personal character more than anything. To act with sincerity in all that you do will permeate his being and will become most noticeable with the audience.

Techniques Comparison
As everybody will certainly agree that having the confidence to speak publicly is a valuable skill, there is much debate as to which technique of public speaking is the most effective.
Currently, the most recognized associations are Toastmasters International and the Dale Carnegie Course.
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of the principles of communication, public speaking and leadership skills. It achieves this by promoting a "learning-by-doing" program in which members move up by making presentations in the presence of certified examiners.
The Dale Carnegie course is a program for self-improvement in which the emphasis is to be able to get the message across to the audience utilizing the speaker's naturalness. There are fewer rules and lots of practice sessions. The course consists of twelve evening sessions; all participants are required to present a short speech.
Toastmasters Pros
Toastmasters certainly makes everything clear-cut when it comes to passing the exams. Each member is provided with a Communication and Leadership Manual containing ten speech projects the member has to fulfill. Members will then be evaluated and his speech criticized according to a set of rules.
When the member completes these projects, he is recognized to have achieved a level of competence. Advanced projects are also available after the "basics" are done to move the member up some more.
Members are encouraged to frequently attend meetings and enjoy a sense of camaraderie with fellow members.
Toastmasters Cons
This system seems to not be suited for people who wish to speak well but would like to retain their informality as speakers. For example: Fillers, the areas in a speech when a speaker pauses and makes an involuntary sound like "uhm" and "ah", is a very human habit and is considered an area for improvement.
The ranking system, though effective to show where the members stand, can also deter people from joining due to the perceived "elitist" nature of the ranking system.
Carnegie Pros
The course encourages the participant to use what works for him to an extent. The rules are few but fundamental. Fillers are acceptable as long as they do not distract the audience from the speech.
There are facilitators but there is no certified examiner. All participants in the session are asked to give their opinion about the speech in their terms. Some would consider Carnegie a course to understand the target audience whether it is laymen or intellectuals.
This course has a positive perception with many businesses.
Carnegie Cons
This system has been criticized by some that the time spent in particularly large classes is wasted waiting for others to finish their speeches. Some feel that this time would be better spent having two or three speeches in one night instead.
This goes to show that there are many systems to choose from but only one goal in public speaking. That is to get the message across in a manner that does not hinder the speaker.
Why Do You Hate Public Speaking
Several people despise the idea of having to verbally elaborate anything in front of an audience. Research has shown that the anxiety of public speaking stems from the following reasons:

1. The display of signs of anxiety such as shaking or trembling.

Surely, not a lot of people would like to be seen by a massive audience looking like a wimp, making a fool of one's self while jittering and trembling.

2. The fear of mental block.

There could be nothing more embarrassing than being waited upon to say things when you realize that your memory has just failed you. It is not uncommon with people who are speaking in front of a large audience for their mind to go blank . This is caused by the mental stress one undergoes while speaking in public.

3. Doing anything embarrassing.

The fear of becoming a laughingstock is what makes public speaking very frightening. With a large audience before you, you never know what's in their mind while you are giving your best in delivering your speech.

4. Discontinuing the speech.

It's another phenomenon that is commonplace with public speaking when one stops talking. Making people wait for your next words is stressful enough to hate public speaking.

5. Not making sense or saying silly things.

Like all the other reasons as to why a lot of people cringe at the thought of speaking in public, mumbling unintelligible words is another one of those shameful things that many would not want to experience.

After knowing all of these terrible things that people are trying to avoid when deciding on a public speaking engagement, it's high time to learn what can one do to prevent these from happening.

Prepare
The key element in order not to be a victim of these incidents is to be well-prepared. Nothing can beat preparation when it comes to public speaking. Even the smartest person can make use of ample time to gather all the resources he or she will use before delivering a speech.

Practice
Practice will also make things more well-facilitated. Getting more comfortable with your subject entails practicing the speech in front of a smaller audience like your family or even just by yourself.

Relax
Also, relaxing oneself before, during and after the speech will make things sail a lot smoother. Doing things that can put you in a relaxed mood such as eating chocolates, getting a breath of fresh air, or even smoking, though not a healthy option, might help you in psyching your body before the talk.
Causes of Public Speaking Anxiety
In a survey done by Dr. Laurie Rozakis, author of Idiots Guide to Public Speaking, it was found that many people are scared to speak before a group. It is the number one fear among Americans, "--and the number 6 is fear of death," according to Dr. Rozakis.
Even the most experienced speaker gets anxious when speaking in public. However, this timidity can be controlled so that you can put your fear to your advantage. This topic teaches us why people are nervous when speaking in front of a crowd and how you can conquer your fear.
FEAR OF THE AUDIENCE
People are afraid of rejection by their audience. Thus, many are terrified of public speaking for worry of being criticized by the crowd for how they look or how they deliver their speech. On the contrary, audiences are very understanding about the speaker's problem with stage fright. You become more nervous when your fearfulness of the audience increases.
Below are some strategies that can help you overcome your timidity of the audience.
• Choose a topic that you like and you are familiar with. The more comfortable you are about your chosen topic, the more confident you are in facing your audience.

• Concentrate on your topic. Focus on your topic and not on yourself. When you start to think of your subject matter and not yourself, your timidity of public speaking will likely decrease.

• Say to yourself: "I am the BOSS." Trust in your capability of delivering your speech. Showing that you are in charge decreases your anxiety and increases your confidence in facing the situation.

• Don't think of your audience as a threat. Bridge the gap between your audience and yourself. Analyze carefully to establish rapport. You should consider age, gender and their level of expertise. Remember to analyze your audience.
FEAR OF FAILURE
There are two ways to win over your fear of failure.
• Picture yourself succeeding. If you think that you will stutter in front of many people, chances are you will stutter. But if you visualize yourself delivering your speech well, then, you will.

• Face your worry. You cannot overcome your fearfulness unless you show it and admit that you are afraid of it.
FEAR THAT YOUR SPEECH IS A BAD SPEECH
• Write well. Take time to write your speech. Review it and rewrite if necessary. If you are confident with your speech, the less terrified you will be about speaking in public.

• Practice and ask for suggestions on how you can improve your speech in public speaking. Ask a friend of relative to act as your audience. Once you have delivered your topic, ask for their feedback. Don't be afraid to hear about what they will say. Their feedback can give you insight on what is good or bad in your speech.
Causes of Public Speaking Phobia
According to World Book Online Research Encyclopedia, "Phobia is an unreasonable yet strong fear of a certain object, class of objects or a situation." People who suffer phobia have a compelling desire to avoid the object or situation that causes their stress.

Phobia may be classified into two types:
• Specific Phobia, such as fear of animals (i.e. Arachnophobia - Fear of spiders; Necrophobia - Fear of death or dead things).

• Social Phobia is an anxiety disorder where the sufferer fears being assessed adversely in front of a group. Thus, Public speaking phobia is an over-emphasized fear of speaking in front of a group.
According to World Psychiatric Association (1995), Social Phobia affects one to 10 people at some stage of their lives. Sufferers experience dizziness, muscle tension, trembling, blushing and/or sweating, and even heart palpitations when exposed to the feared object or situation. Others do not manifest physical symptoms but they are overtly conscious of how others react to them. They also have a tendency to underestimate their capability to overcome the feared situation.

Among the common effects of Social Phobia in a person are:
• Unstable employment record
• Have less or no friends
• Being single
• Having a low educational attainment
Studies show that public speaking phobia, and most phobias, develop in middle or late childhood stage. It usually starts from an unpleasant experience like being humiliated in front of the class; this unpleasant experience gets stored in the child's memory and is brought up when faced with similar situations.

Children who have been exposed to people with public speaking phobia, like their parents or friends, learn the phobia by hearing them. They immediately conclude that what they have heard of is true without actually verifying the facts.

Research also shows that genetics also play an important role in developing phobias. It has a tendency to occur in families. Phobias are mostly likely to occur in identical twins, than in fraternal twins.

Luckily, there are many ways to treat Phobia.
• PERSONAL MOTIVATION. There are many self-help books that can help you overcome your public speaking phobia. Your desire to overcome your fear is the most important factor of treatment.

• PROFESSIONAL TREATMENT. If self-treatment does not work for you, you can seek help from a professional. Exposure to therapy is a good example of this method, which focuses on the behavior instead of the thoughts of the sufferer.

• Other kinds of treatment include:

o Counseling - discussing your phobia with a professional.
o Hypnosis
o Medication - This method is used if the sufferer has other mental conditions that are affected by the phobia. The use of these drugs can only be used for a short period of time. Using medication alone cannot cure the phobia.

Public Speaking Lesson
The benefits of communication are evident from the least sophisticated creatures to the most advanced as in humans.
Perhaps, among the creatures especially endowed with the power of communication, humans make use of them more intensely and with a purpose that each speech made has had some effect on the people who hears them.
Not only do humans use communication in everyday survival but uses it for a variety of reasons. It is used to inspire and to deliver important messages in a well-structured and equally measured manner.
Public Speaking
In a recent survey, more than 90% among the 1000 American individuals interviewed are afraid of hosting a speaking engagement. 20% of them have at least done such acts and never want to do it again while 75% commented that there are people who are endowed with such skills and that public speaking should be reserved solely to them.
In a monologue lecture, one has to inform, influence, and convince people. This can only be done through the use of speech that is well crafted, revised and edited.
The above criteria can only be met if the speaker has a main purpose in mind, a tool to convey the very same purpose with a full consideration of the recipient audience.
In order for your speech to become as effective as you want it to be, you have to consider the four elements of the above activity, and tailor activities and strategies that will effectively drive your audience into believing everything you have to say.
Who/whom – Your audience is your best resource when considering in what manner you would want to conduct your speech. You should deliberately come up with a verbal address that is appropriate to your audience. Consider their age, level of education, place in the society, and your level of relationship with them.
Ron Kurtus, an experienced speech master, commented that your first and primary purpose of speaking is to communicate ideas that you think your listeners would like to hear; something that they want to internalize and be part of their lives and something which can they can use for their daily living and gain rewards along the way.
What – Your topic will provide you an effective idea and help you develop a talk which is most appropriate, timely and equally-relating to your listeners and spectators. Your topic can be as complicated as you want it to be as long as your audience is aware of the main topic at hand.
When – As you go along making your speech, you may want to ask yourself if the subject of your talk is timely or something which your audience could probably relate to.
You do not want to explain the science behind Alzheimer if you are talking to business folks who are looking for ways on how they can develop a procedure for managing their business and get warranted results.
In a sense, one has to consider if one has the opportune time to talk about things to their audience that will make a direct impact on how they view the world and the concepts surrounding your topic.
How – As today's world becomes a place for entertainment, people expect their speakers to be lively and use strategies that will arouse their interest and help them better understand the complexities by which your topic is founded.
Dr. Stephen D. Boyd says that a 20 or 200 person audience is similar in terms of maintaining their interest on what you have to say. Speakers battle on the external factors which play in getting the attention of your listeners.
Listeners expect their client speaker to speak with vigor, humor, vitality, confidence, and animation. This can be in the form of creating something catchy like a surprising and unusual story, an unbelievable figure and/or your personal experiences.
If you are tired and emotionally stressed, your listeners can feel it. It is evident in your voice, in your actions and the way you move your hands and body when public speaking. You will be physically restricted and repressed and could hardly do more to stir excitement among your audience.
While these and other factors affect the way you conduct your speech in public speaking, it is important to follow several recommendations that will help you combat the consequences of your audience finding out your true physical state.
• Vary your pace of speaking
• Pause to make a point
• Demonstrate gesture that is relevant to the idea that you are trying to point out
• Employ facial expressions
• Make sensible and purposeful movements

Effective Habits of Public Speaking
A promising spokesperson often encounters risk before they arrive to the right thing. However, top speakers strive for excellence toward their goals. This article provides you with the effective habits a of successful speaker.
1. Be determined in your pursuit to be an outstanding spokesperson. Show excellence through your experiences, study, and how you tailor your material to match your audience.

2. Be patient in your goal to succeed. Persistence is a must. There is no such thing as overnight success in public speaking. Attend training about effective speaking; or ask someone who has mastered the art of public speaking.

3. Develop a passion for your topic. Your audience will not care to listen to you if you show less interest in your topic. Jot down the topics that you love. Then, choose two or three that you can expound.

4. Be sincere and sensitive towards your audience. Share some of your unfavorable experiences involving your topic. This way your audience perceives you as a real person and they can relate to your subject.

5. Relate with your audience promptly. Avoid offensive remarks or jokes. State a funny story that is applicable to your subject; cite a quotation or an anecdote to keep their attention. Remember that you only have half a minute to connect to your audience. Use it wisely.

6. Prepare adequately. Research your topic. Do not throw away old materials that you have used. Organize material logically. Use supporting metaphors or analogies to solidify the message you want to convey.

7. Reinforce your key points with stories that people relate to. Be a proficient storyteller.

8. Communicate in ways that will help people learn. In a recent study, 80% of people learn by visual stimulation and only 20% actually learn by listening to the lecture. So do not underestimate the use of visual props and visual aids. Find other ways or tools that can help you achieve 100% of your audience's attention.

9. Practice. Memorizing your speech is not enough. Try to practice in front of a mirror or with a friend. Their feedbacks can help you improve the way you deliver your message.

10. Possess a genuine appreciation in what you do. Remember that not all people have the chance and the courage to speak in front of a large crowd. It is a privilege that is coupled with your responsibility to entertain, educate and persuade your audience. Public speaking is an art that requires a tremendous amount of skill.

Public Speaking Tips for Children
Public speaking is one skill that kids should enhance. Aside from practice, it requires personal coaching. Personal coaching includes the development of self-confidence and the effort on helping kids to improve their public speaking skills. For beginners it is important that they undergo this kind of learning to have a better approach.
Children have their own skills and abilities on how to deliver a presentation. It is up to the coach to bring out that natural skill in them. The kid only needs to listen and internalize all the things that the coach will teach.
If you are the kid being trained, you will be introduced to an approach in public speaking that can be convenient to you. The coach will not attempt to change your style and be different to other speakers; although speakers seem to be more effective if the audience finds him unique in his public speaking.
The coach will try to enhance your own skills and talents that are already present in you. You can expect comments and feedback from your coach during the training process. He will provide you the much needed guidance and specific knowledge for the coach is obliged to produce a better result in your training. Here are some reasons why you will need a personal coach:
- You may ask for a coach if you need help on a specific presentation that is very important to you.
-If you want to concentrate on specific communication and speaking issues that are covered in general workshops and seminars.
-If you have encountered sessions and workshops that progress slowly and are too standard or maybe do not get your interest.
-When you are too busy to attend training because you cannot choose just one that can answer your needs.
-If you are not comfortable in the team setting or you may feel that your speaking skills are on a much higher level.
-If you have undergone public communication and speaking lessons before and you may need additional knowledge and enhancement.
-If you have found you work much better and develop faster with a personal approach.
Getting a personal coach does not mean you are a slow learner or have poor communication skills. There are many reasons why will you need to have a personal coach, as mentioned in the above list.
Coaching can be just like that, like any sport where a team needs a coach to perform well and be guided on the executions. For a child that wants to be trained in public speaking as early as in his early childhood, it could be better if the child is already trained on how to address and interact to other people by means of public speaking.

Public Speaking Jobs
Sell what you know
Your knowledge and expertise in a specific field will make them come, so make sure to build your base in that area through a variety of different mediums and formats. You can reach a lot of people if they are familiar with your works, books, CDs, or audio tapes. They could recognize you easily and instantly know what it is you are an expert at. You could get hired without difficulty and be conveniently invited to various speaking engagements. This could instantly translate to a thriving business as well as numerous speaking engagements.
Try Corporate Sponsorship
You can attempt to get companies to sponsor your fees when you speak by being in touch with those organizations who might be interested to be associated with whatever is the message of your speaking engagement. There are a lot of opportunities to be creative. Think of any specific group or company that would be a perfect audience for your subject and propose your concept to that corporation's PR Department.
Try Speakers Bureau
What this type of organization does is to actually locate speakers for their clients. This bureau earns a bit of a percentage from whatever is the speaker's fee. Usually the percentage ranges between fifteen percent up to thirty percent. Although having a speakers bureau hire you would be a lot easier if you were a celebrity or already have a record of proven success in the public speaking field, it won't hurt if you try them out. It is also highly advisable that the materials you have for promotion do not include your contact number but the bureau's. This is done so that any client who is interested in booking you again will contact the bureau and not you. The more fees you earn, the higher their earnings. So the benefit works both ways.
Do Seminars in Public
The idea behind this is simple, you do a speaking engagement in public and people buy tickets to that engagement.
Or you could also inform several corporations of your public seminar and any interested employees that they may have will buy the tickets to your speaking engagement.
You could do your own promotions through your website or through mailing lists.
Do Seminars on the Phone
Yes Virginia, it is possible. An inexpensive telephone bridge line could be requested or a more expensive conference call. Would-be participants then call and once connected, the seminar is delivered over the telephone line. It saves a lot of travel expenses for everyone instead of a public speaking job. Any visual aids needed may be had via your website so participants should have ready access to a computer.

How to Land Speaking Jobs
You can make it easy if you really want to. Although there are those who would give the usual advice of attending a meeting with the famous Toastmasters in order to hone your impromptu speaking skills, this is not as necessary as being aware of yourself and the skills you could objectively define as good, better, best, or needs improvement.
If you know the level of your ability and if you feel you are ready for an actual job speaking in public, the following could be a convenient and effective means to land that speaking job you have always wanted.
Search, search, search and search
Google and Yahoo search is there to help anyone and everyone so make use of it. It is free and is also a quick and efficient way to find what you are looking for. You could enter the words, speaker jobs, or wanted speakers, in the search bar and click search.
Wait for a few seconds and opportunities for speaking engagement will be right there at your feet in your easy beck and call. Note down the companies, organizations, or seminar conferences that you are interested in. Or follow the links. There is a definite pot of public speaking job gold to anyone who seeks it.
Patience is the key
Sometimes it happens that there are few websites that teems with jobs in public speaking. Do not lose hope. There may be an instance where you will hit a jackpot and get lucky. There is a forum for speakers that is available on the internet. You could also try to check them out. What you would call a usual good fortune might actually be your perseverance paying off.
Take notes of schedules of conferences
Usually, there are organizations who annually or semi-annually host a seminar or conference where a lot of speakers are needed. This is the perfect occasion to put your foot inside the public speaking door. The typical search for speakers normally begins about six months or eight months in advance. The best thing to do is to check out their schedules and call or communicate with the organization at that time.
Try your hand at training companies
It wouldn't hurt if you try or at least apply for a public speaking job. There is such a company named CareerTracks which hires speakers on a contract basis. The job requires a bit of traveling as well as the skill to be able to sell products to audience attendees. For speakers who are just starting out, this experience is a good one to actually take a crack at.

How to learn English

Learning English is a skill which you can improve by yourself!

Here are some suggestions for you to improve;

Ask these questions to yourself:

...Why do I need to learn English?
...Where will I use English?
...How long will it take to learn English?
...How much time do I need to learn English?
...Do I have money to spend on learning English?
...How much am I ready to pay to learn English?

When you have answered the questions above then you are ready to start walking this long road! Firstly make a plan to set aside time to learn a little every day or week to achieve your goal and then work on hard and never change it.
Your goal is obviously to Learn English as soon as possible!
Here are some hints and tips to help you on your way:
• Study hard
• Join a course
• Read read read (English story books)
• Try and learn at least one new word everyday
• Watch English speaking movies, listen to music, follow episodes like Prison Break
• And never give up!
• And visit English4all.org regularly!

Some other tips to help you improve your English?
• Visit England
• Or any other English speaking country or area within your own country.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Spelling, Vocabulary, and Confusing Words

Spelling, Vocabulary, and Confusing Words


Because many words in English sound or look alike, frequently causing confusion, this list will be very helpful.
________________________________________
a vs. an Rule. Use a when the first letter of the word following has the sound of a consonant. Keep in mind that some vowels sound like consonants when they’re sounded out as individual letters.
Examples:
• a finger
• a hotel
• a U-turn (pronounced Yoo-turn)
• a HUD program
• a NASA study
Rule. Use an when the first letter of the word following has the sound of a vowel. Remember that some consonants sound like vowels when they’re spoken as individual letters.
Examples:
• an FBI case (F is pronounced ef here)
• an honor (H is silent here)
• an unusual idea
• an HMO plan (H is pronounced aych here)
• an NAACP convention (N is pronounced en here)
Deciding whether to use a or an before abbreviations can be tricky. The abbreviation for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) causes confusion because it can be pronounced as a word (fak), or one letter at a time (F-A-Q). Using the guidelines above, one would say a FAQ when it is pronounced as one word, and an FAQ when it is pronounced one letter at a time.
accept
except to agree
but, with the exception that
ad
add advertisement
to perform addition
ades
aides
AIDS
aids fruit drinks
people who help; assistants
acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
helps, assists
adverse

averse unfortunate; strongly opposed (refers to things, not people)
Examples: an adverse reaction to the medication
adverse weather conditions
having repugnance (refers to people)
Example: He is averse to a military draft.
advice (noun)
advise (verb) recommendation
the act of giving a recommendation
affect vs. effect Rule 1. Use effect when you mean bring about or brought about, cause or caused.
Example: He effected a commotion in the crowd.
Meaning: He caused a commotion in the crowd.
Rule 2. Use effect when you mean result.
Example: What effect did that speech have?
Rule 3. Also use effect whenever any of these words precede it: a, an, any, the, take, into, no. These words may be separated from effect by an adjective.
Examples: That book had a long-lasting effect on my thinking.
Has the medicine produced any noticeable effects?
Rule 4. Use the verb affect when you mean to influence rather than to cause.
Example: How do the budget cuts affect your staffing?
Rule 5. Affect is used as a noun to mean emotional expression.
Example: She showed little affect when told she had won the lottery.
ail
ale to be ill; to cause pain or distress
malt beverage more bitter than beer
air
err
heir what we breathe
make a mistake
one who inherits something
aisle
I’ll
isle passageway
contraction for I will
a small island
all
awl entire, everything
a tool
allot
a lot to parcel out
always two words meaning many
allowed
aloud gave permission to
said out loud; spoken
all ready
already means all are ready
Example: We are all ready to go.
refers to time
Example: Is it summer already?
all together

altogether refers to a group; all of us or all of them together
Example: It is wonderful to be all together to celebrate your birthday.
entirely
Example: It is not altogether his fault.
altar
alter pedestal, usually religious
Example: They exchanged wedding vows at the altar of the church.
to modify
Example: Please don't alter your plans until we have the final schedule approved.
allude
elude
illude to refer indirectly
Example: He alluded to his past as a spy.
avoid capture
Example: The fugitive eluded the police for a month.
mislead
Example: He illuded her about his age.
allusion
illusion an indirect mention of something
false perception
ambiguous
ambivalent to have more than one meaning
Example: The law was ambiguous.
to have mixed feelings
Example: She is ambivalent about her wedding dress.
amicable
amiable friendly (refers to things, not people)
friendly (refers to people)
Example: The amiable couple had an amicable divorce.
among
between involves three or more
Example: Who among us has not lied?
involves just two
Example: She couldn’t decide between Chinese and Thai food.
amount
number used for things not countable
Example: We couldn't handle that amount of ill will.
used for things that can be counted
Example: The number of accidents increased by ten percent.
ant
aunt a bug
the sister of a parent
ante
auntie a bet placed before playing
affectionate term for a parent’s sister
anxious
eager to have anxiety or worry
Example: She is anxious about taking the test.
excited
Example: She is eager to get a puppy.
any more
anymore something additional or further
Example: It didn’t rain any more this year than last year.
any longer, nowadays
Example: Harry doesn’t travel anymore.
appraise
apprise to put a value on something
to notify
arc
ark arch, crescent, half moon
a vessel or a refuge
ascent (noun)
assent (noun or verb)
consent movement upward
enthusiastic agreement; to agree
agreement
assistance (noun)
assistants (noun) help
people who help
assumption
presumption an idea not based on evidence
an idea based on evidence
assure
ensure
insure to promise or say with confidence
to make sure something will/won't happen
to issue an insurance policy
ate
eight past tense of eat
the number after seven
aural
oral having to do with hearing
having to do with the mouth
averse (see adverse)
awed
odd in a state of amazement
unusual; opposite of even when referring to numbers
aye
eye
I yes
organ one sees with
pronoun
bald
bawled having no hair
cried
ball
bawl a sphere
to cry or wail loudly
band
banned a group, sometimes a group of musicians
forbidden
bare
bear naked, unconcealed, plain
the animal
base
bass the bottom; vulgar; headquarters (singular)
low vocal or instrumental range (pronounced like lace); a type of fish ( pronounced like lass)
based
baste be dependent or supported
to moisten; to criticize or lash out at
bases (noun, verb)
basis (noun) headquarters (plural of base); builds on
foundation; belief
be
bee to exist or live
insect
beach
beech sandy area with water
type of tree with smooth, gray bark
beat
beet to strike violently; to flutter or flap; to pound as with a drum; to defeat; to stir vigorously
a plant with a fleshy red or white root
beau
bough (noun)
bow (noun)
bow (noun, verb) boyfriend (pronounced like owe)
branch of a tree (pronounced like cow)
part of a set with arrows (pronounced like owe)
boat front, a male's form of curtsy, bending at the waist; comply (pronounced like cow)
because vs. since Rule. Because and since can be used almost interchangeably although because always indicates cause and effect and since is used for a relationship or time.
Example: Since I have some extra money, I will buy shoes. (not cause and effect)
Example: I will go to the game because my daughter is on the team. (cause and effect)
Example: I have wanted to talk to you since yesterday. (time)
been
bin form of be used with has or have
container
bell
belle chime or alarm; a signal
beautiful or charming woman
berth
birth a boat dock; bedroom or bed
being born; beginning
better
bettor of higher quality
someone who places bets
between (see among)
biannual
biennial
semiannual twice a year
every two years
twice a year (same as biannual)
bite
byte to use one’s teeth to tear food
computer term for eight bits of information
billed
build charged a fee
construct
blew
blue past tense of blow
the color
bloc
block a group united for a particular purpose
city street; a cube-shaped object
boar
bore male pig
someone or something not interesting
board
bored piece of wood; a group of people
uninterested
boarder
border someone who pays for room and food
perimeter; boundary
bode
bowed predict
bent (pronounced like owed)
bold
bowled daring
to have gone bowling; knocked over
bolder
boulder more daring
a large rock
boos
booze sounds made by disapproving audience
alcohol
bough (see beau)
bow (see beau)
boy
buoy male child
a naval beacon or marker
brake
break stop
separate into pieces
bread
bred a food; slang for money
past tense of breed; raised
brewed
brood (verb, noun) fermented
mull over; a cluster or family
brews
bruise ferments
a black-and-blue mark, contusion
bridal
bridle relating to brides
a harness, usually for a horse
bring
take you bring something towards
you take something away
broach
brooch to raise a topic
a bauble; a piece of jewelry
brows
browse the hairs in the arch above the eyes
search for, peruse
but
butt (noun/verb) except
bottom; joke object; to ram
buy
by
bye purchase, acquire
near, next to
short for goodbye
cache
cash hidden stash
money
calendar
colander chart of days and months
sieve to drain off liquids
can
may able to
permission to
cannon
canon large, mounted gun
rule, commandment
canvas
canvass awning cloth, tarp
to poll; a poll
capital
capitol assets; essential; main city
statehouse
carat
caret
carrot
karat unit of weight in gemstones
a proofreading mark to show insertion (^)
edible root
a unit for measuring the fineness of gold
cast (noun, verb)
caste group of actors; to throw
a social class, a rigid system of social distinctions
cay
key
quay a small, low island (also spelled key)
a small, low island; instrument for opening locks
(pronounced key) wharf, dock, pier
cede
seed to surrender
reproductive germ
cell
sell prison room; basic structural unit of an organism
to exchange for money
censor (verb, noun)
censure
sensor disallow; person who disallows
Example: The soldier's letters were censored before mailing.
to disapprove of; criticize strongly
Example: The children were censured by the principal.
a device that measures heat, light, etc. and transmits a signal to a control or measuring instrument
cent
scent
sent a penny
a smell, aroma
transmitted
cereal
serial breakfast food
a series or array
chance
chants accident(al)
chorus, melody
chased
chaste went after
pure, virginal
chews
choose how one eats food with teeth
to pick
childish
childlike immature
innocent
Chile
chili
chilly a country in South America
a type of pepper; a dish with peppers in it
cold, brisk
choral
coral
chorale
corral a cappella, singing without instruments
material that makes up reefs; orange color
a hymn, a choir
horse pen
chord
cord
cored three or more musical tones sounded simultaneously; line segment joining two points on a curve
a rope or strand of flexible material
removed the center of something
chute
shoot (verb, noun) an inclined shaft
to discharge from a weapon; a stem
cite
sight
site to assert; to quote from; to subpoena
vision, the power to see
a location or position
classic
classical important; fundamental
having to do with Greek or Roman antiquity; pertaining to eighteenth-to nineteenth-century music
clause
claws in grammar, a group of words containing a subject and verb; part of a contract
an animal’s nails
click
clique a sound
a group
climactic
climatic having to do with the climax
having to do with the climate
close (verb, adjective)
clothes to shut (pronounced like rose); nearby (pronounced like dose)
apparel
coarse
course rough, lacking in fineness of texture; crude
a class; a path
colander (see calendar)
colonel
kernel an officer in the military
a seed
complement
compliment completing part of an order
praise
confidant
confident someone confided in
certain, sure
connote
denote to suggest, imply
Example: A growling dog connotes danger.
to be a sign of
Example: Certain clouds denote rain on the way.
consent (see assent)
continual

continuous repeated but with breaks in between; chronic
Example: The continual problem of our car not starting forced us to sell it.
without interruption in an unbroken stream of time or space
Example: The continuous dripping of the faucet drove me crazy.
core
corps
corpse center or crucial part
trained group
dead body
cosign
cosine to sign along with
a trigonometry term
council
counsel (verb, noun) a group of people meeting for a purpose
advise; advice, an attorney
creak
creek a sound
a stream
crews
cruise many groups
a trip or vacation by sea
criteria
criterion plural of criterion
a standard for evaluating or testing something
cue
queue a hint; a stimulus
a line of people waiting
currant
current type of small berry
up to date
curser
cursor someone who swears or wishes misfortune on another
a blinking symbol indicating position on a computer screen




________________________________________
dam
damn a barrier obstructing the flow of liquid
a swear word or curse
dammed
damned blocked from flowing
doomed
days
daze twenty-four-hour periods of time
to stun or overwhelm
dear
deer affectionate term
the animal
denote (see connote)
desert (noun, verb)
dessert a desolate area; to abandon
extra s for sugary treat
desperate
disparate lost all hope, in despair
entirely dissimilar
device (noun)
devise (verb) an invention
to invent
dew
do
due condensation in the morning
to take action
owed by a certain date
die
dye to cease to live; the singular of dice
to stain or color using an agent
different from vs. different than vs.
differently than Rule. Use different from not different than.
Example: The weather was different from what we expected.
You may use differently than when a clause precedes and follows the expression.
Example: He works differently than she does.
discreet
discrete careful, confidential
individual, distinct
discussed
disgust talked over
repulsion
does
does female deer (plural) (pronounced like hose)
a form of to do (pronounced like fuzz)
doughs
doze unbaked loaves of bread
to sleep
dual
duel two-fold
fight
eager (see anxious)
effect (see affect)
e.g.

i.e. for example
Example: My living expenses have increased, e.g., rent, food, and utilities.
that is, in other words
Example: My living expenses have drained my finances, i.e., I have less money in the bank at the end of every month.
eight (see ate)
elicit
illicit evoke, extract, draw out
illegal
elude (see allude)
elusive
illusive difficult to describe, evasive
Example: The point of the novel is elusive to me.
plausible or possible; deceptive
Example: She had the illusive dream of finding happiness by traveling. (plausible, possible)
Example: She had an illusive idea that she was qualified for the job. (deceptive, delusional)
emigrate
immigrate to exit one country in order to live in another country
to enter a new country to live
empathy
sympathy to understand another's feelings
to feel compassion or sadness for another
ensure (see assure)
epic
epoch saga
a period of time, an age
err (see air)
every day
everyday each day
Example: I learn something new every day.
ordinary
Example: These are my everyday clothes.
except (see accept)
eye (see aye)
facts
fax objective data
short for facsimile; technology that sends images by phone
faint
feint to go unconscious
pretense
fair (adjective, noun)
fare impartial; an exhibition
payment or expense for travel
fairy
ferry imaginary being possessing magical powers
type of boat
farther
further refers to physical distance only
Example: We had to walk farther than the map indicated.
refers to physical distance like farther; moreover; in addition; to a greater extent
Examples: We need to discuss this further.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
We had to walk further.
faux
foe fake, imitation
enemy, opponent
faze
phase to perturb or fluster
a period or situation
feat
feet an extraordinary act or accomplishment
twelve-inch increments; appendages at end of legs
feted
fetid celebrated, honored
noxious, gross
fewer
less
under refers to a number that can be counted
Example: Fewer days off.
refers to an uncountable amount
Example: Less rain, less fear.
used for direction
Example: Under the mattress, not under $100.
find
fined discover
penalized
fir
fur type of tree
hairy coat of an animal
flair
flare style
erupt
flea
flee insect
to run away
flew
flu
flue past tense of fly, to have moved through the air with wings
a virus
part of a chimney
floe
flow sheet of floating ice
pour, proceed, spew
flour
flower grain
the bloom of a plant
for
fore
four preposition
ahead
the number after three
forego
forgo to go in front of, precede
to do without
foreword
forward introduction to a book written by someone other than the author
opposite of backward
fort
forte a military fortification
someone’s strong point, talent
forth
fourth forward
number after third
foul
fowl offensive, disgusting
certain birds
frees
freeze
frieze releases
to make cold
a decorative band on the wall
further (see farther)
gait
gate a manner of walking or stepping, stride
Examples: trotting, galloping, limping
barrier
gilt
guilt gold-covered
blame
gone

went used with has or have
Examples: Ella has gone to the store.
Barry and Ella have gone to the beach.
past tense of go
Examples: Ella went to the store.
Barry and Ella went to the beach.
gored
gourd stabbed with a horn or tusk
hard-shelled fruit
gorilla
guerrilla largest of the apes
soldier using surprise raids; irregular tactics
graft
graphed attach; acquisition of money dishonestly
diagrammed
grate
great a cover or partition of parallel or crossed bars
excellent
grill
grille method of cooking; barbecuing
an openwork barrier for a gate
groan
grown a low, mournful sound of pain or grief
to have increased in size
guessed
guest conjectured, offered an opinion
company, honoree
guise
guys appearance or assumed appearance
men
hair
hare what grows on one’s head and body
rabbit
hall
haul passageway or large room
to pull, drag, or lower
halve
have divide into two
to possess
hangar
hanger shed or shelter for housing airplanes
something to hang a garment on in the closet
haut/haute
hoe high-class, fancy as in haute couture (pronounced oh or oht)
flat-bladed gardening tool
have vs. of should’ve, could’ve, and would’ve are contractions for should have, could have, and would have. No such wording as should of, could of, would of
hay
hey dried grass
interjection used to call attention
heal
heel to alleviate or cure
back part of the foot; scoundrel
healthful
healthy something that promotes health
Example: Organic food is thought to be healthful.
to have good health
hear
here to listen; to give an official hearing
in this spot
heard
herd listened
a flock of animals
heir (see air)
heroin
heroine a narcotic derived from morphine
female admired for courage or ability
hi
high a greeting, informal for hello
elevated
higher
hire more elevated
to pay for services
him
hymn pronoun referring to male person or animal
song in praise of religious deity
hoard
horde stockpile, amass
a large group, crowd
hoarse
horse cracked voice
animal
hoes
hose flat-bladed gardening tools
a flexible tube for conveying liquid
hole
whole an opening
entire, complete
holy
wholly religious
entirely, completely
hostel
hostile boarding house or inexpensive lodging
antagonistic
hour
our sixty minutes
possessive pronoun
I (see aye)
idle
idol
idyll not active; unemployed
someone admired
interlude, breathing space; romance, fairy tale
i.e. (see e.g.)
I'll (see aisle)
illicit (see elicit)
illude (see allude)
illusion (see allusion)
illusive (see elusive)
immigrate (see emigrate)
imply
infer to indicate without being explicit
to conclude from evidence
in
inn preposition; inside
small hotel
inc.
ink abbreviation for incorporated
fluid in pens
incite
insight to prompt to action
understanding, comprehension
incredible
incredulous astonishing
Example: Her gymnastic moves were incredible.
skeptical
Example: Citizens are incredulous about the reason for the increase in the price of gas.
ingenious
ingenuous clever
naive or simple
innocence
innocents to be without guilt
people who are without guilt
insure (see assure)
irregardless
regardless no such word exists
in spite of, without regard
isle (see aisle)
it's
its contraction for it is or it has
Example: It’s for a good cause.
possessive pronoun
Example: The cat hurt its paw.
jewel
joule gem
in physics, a unit of work or energy
karat (see carat)
kernel (see colonel)
key (see cay)
knead
kneed
need work with bread dough
hit with one’s knee
to require
knew
new past tense of know, to have understood
opposite of old
knight
night a soldier in the Middle Ages
period between sunset and sunrise
knot
not interlacing of cord or rope
used to express negation
know
no understand, comprehend
a negative to express dissent
knows
nose understands
part of the body one smells with




________________________________________
lacks
lax is deficient in
slack, easy-going
ladder
latter the thing with rungs that you climb
the second of two
Example: If given a choice between vanilla and chocolate ice cream, I'll take the latter.
lain
lane past participle of lie as in lie down
narrow road or passage
lay vs. lie lay vs. lie chart
Present Past Participle (A Form of Have)
To recline lie, lying lay has/have/had lain
To put or place
(verb followed by an object) lay, laying laid has/have/had laid
To tell a falsehood lie, lying lied has/have/had lied

Examples in the Present Tense:
I like to lie down for a nap at 2:00 p.m.
I am lying down for a nap today.
The hens lay eggs.
The hen is laying eggs.
I am tempted to lie about my age.
I am not lying about my age.
Examples in the Past Tense:
I lay down for a nap yesterday at 2:00 p.m.
The hen laid two eggs yesterday.
He lied on the witness stand.
Examples with a Participle (has, have):
I have lain down for a nap every day this week.
The hen has laid two eggs every day this week.
He has lied each day on the witness stand.
lead
led a metal element (pronounced like red); present tense of led (pronounced like seed)
guided, past tense of to lead
leak
leek unintended discharge of liquid or gas
type of onion
lean (adjective, verb)
lien not fatty; to incline
a claim on property to secure debt payment
leased
least rented
smallest in size or amount
less (see fewer)
lessen
lesson to make less
a unit to be learned or studied
lie
lye a falsehood; present tense of lie down (see lay vs. lie chart above)
a caustic substance
lightening
lightning to make lighter
a brilliant electric spark in the sky
loan
lone something lent for temporary use
only, solitary
loose
lose opposite of tight
opposite of win; misplace
Mach
mock (adjective, verb) ratio with the speed of sound: Mach 1 = the speed of sound Mach 2 = twice the speed of sound
artificial; ridicule
made
maid created
cleaning lady
mail
male correspondence
masculine; opposite of female
main
mane primary, chief, leading
long hair on the back of a horse or lion
maize
maze corn
labyrinth
mall
maul plaza, focal point
abuse, claw
manner
manor behavior
palatial residence
marquee
marquis canopy, shelter; projection over a theater entrance
aristocrat, nobleman
marry
merry to wed
cheerful
marshal (verb, noun)
martial assemble; a judge
militant, aggressive
may (see can)
meat
meet (verb, noun)
mete animal flesh used for food
to connect, touch; an event
administer, allot
medal
meddle decoration, badge
to interfere unwantedly
metal
mettle earth element
boldness
mind (noun, verb)
mined intelligence; obey
excavated to extract ores
miner
minor (noun, adjective) one who excavates to extract ores
someone under legal age; small
missed
mist failed to hit
fog, fine spray
moan
mown lament; sound of suffering
cut grass
mode
mowed method, manner
to have cut grass
mood
mooed an emotional state
the sound a cow made
moose
mousse an animal
type of dessert
morning
mourning start of the day, between night and afternoon
sorrow over someone’s death
muscle
mussel fibrous tissue
edible marine bivalve
mustard
mustered yellow condiment
assembled, gathered
naval
navel pertaining to ships
belly button, umbilicus
need (see knead)
new (see knew)
night (see knight)
no (see know)
none
nun not one, not any
female member of a religious order
nose (see knows)
not (see knot)
number (see amount)
oar
or
ore a blade for rowing
conjunction
metal-bearing mineral or rock
odd (see awed)
of (see have)
on to vs. onto Use onto if you can add up before on.
Examples: He climbed (up) onto the roof.
She held on to her child in the crowd.
one
won single unit
past tense of win
oral (see aural)
ordinance
ordnance a law
military weapons and ammunition
our (see hour)
overdo
overdue to do to excess
past due
packed
pact past tense of pack
an agreement or treaty
pail
pale bucket
lacking color
pain
pane physical or emotional suffering
a plate of glass or panel
pair
pare
pear two of something
to remove or peel
type of fruit
palate
pallet
palette roof of the mouth; taste
a low, portable platform
a range of colors; a board to hold and mix colors
passed
past past tense of pass
the time before the present
patience
patients willingness to wait
people under medical care
pause
paws a temporary stop
animal feet
peace
piece calm
a portion of something
peak
peek
pique top of a mountain
glance furtively
to wound someone’s pride or to excite interest
pealed
peeled rang bells
removed a layer
pedal
peddle foot-operated lever
to sell, hawk, or dispense
peer
pier person who is an equal
a structure extending out over water
perpetrate
perpetuate to commit, as in a crime
to prolong or sustain
Example: The myth that the sun revolved around the earth was perpetuated for centuries.
phase (see faze)
pi
pie 3.1416, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter
baked food filled with fruit or meat
pistil
pistol female organ of a flower
type of gun
plain (adjective, noun)
plane not fancy; evident; simple; treeless area of land
a flat or level surface; short for airplane
pleas
please cries for help; appeals
a polite word; to satisfy
plum
plumb a type of fruit
perpendicular
pole
poll a long, cylindrical piece of wood or metal
a collection of opinions; survey
pore
pour small hole
to send liquid flowing
praise
prays
preys express approval
makes requests to God
hunts for food; victimizes
precedence
precedents
presidents priority
examples, criteria
chief executives
presence
presents (noun, verb) appearance, being present
gifts; offers
presumption (see assumption)
pries
prize looks closely; wedges open
award or reward
principal (noun, adjective)
principle head of school; chief; of first importance
fundamental belief
profit
prophet gain
predictor, seer
pros
prose professionals, experts
literature
quarts
quartz units of liquid measure (four quarts to a gallon)
a mineral
quay (see cay)
queue (see cue)
rain
reign
rein water that falls in drops from the sky
rule, administration
bit, harness
raise
raze lift up
flatten, tear down completely
rap (noun, verb)
wrap a type of music; to strike sharply
to enclose in a covering
rapped
rapt
wrapped struck sharply
fascinated
enclosed in a covering
read
red present and past tenses of to comprehend writing
a color
real
reel actual, authentic
stumble, falter
recede
reseed to move back, withdraw
to seed again
reek
wreak to smell bad
to cause trouble wreak havoc
regardless (see irregardless)
rest
wrest relax
take from
retch
wretch vomit
lowly being, scoundrel
review
revue survey
a satirical show
right
rite
write correct; opposite of left
ritual, ceremony
to compose letters or words
ring
wring sound of a bell; jewelry worn around a finger
to twist
road
rode
rowed street, path, highway
past tense of ride
past tense of row
roe
row fish eggs
aisle (pronounced like oh); propel with an oar (pronounced like oh); fight (pronounced like wow)
role
roll (noun, verb) part in a play or film
a bun; to rotate
roomer
rumor one who rents a room
innuendo, gossip
root
rout
route base of a plant
defeat (pronounced rowt)
path (pronounced like root or rowt)
rot
wrought decay, decompose
accomplished
rote
wrote by memory, formula
past tense of write
rude
rued impolite, unmannerly
regretted, repented
rye
wry seed from a grain
mocking, ironic, droll




________________________________________
sacks
sax large bags
saxophone
saver
savor one who saves
to appreciate a taste
scene
seen a view, a setting
to have viewed with eyes
scent (see cent)
sea
see a body of salt water
to view with eyes
seam
seem line formed by pieces of fabric sewn together
appear
sear
seer
sere scorch, burn, or char
one who sees (as in the future)
withered, dry
seas
sees
seize bodies of salt water
views with eyes
to grab hold of
seed (see cede)
sell (see cell)
semiannual (see biannual)
sensor (see censor)
sent (see cent)
serf
surf (noun, verb) slave
breaking waves; to ride a surfboard
serial (see cereal)
set
sit one sets a thing
Example: Please set the table.
one sits oneself
Example: Please sit down at the table.
sew
so
sow to stitch
in the manner indicated
to scatter or plant seed
sewer
suer a conduit for carrying off waste
one who sues
shear
sheer to cut
transparent
shoe
shoo foot attire
interjection used to scare away an animal
shoot (see chute)
sic

sick a Latin term used to indicate that something written is intentionally left in the original form, which may be incorrect.
Example: She wrote, "They made there [sic] beds."
ill
sics
six attacks
a number
sight (see cite)
sign
sine an indication
a trigonometry term
since see because
sink
synch or sync to submerge; to descend to a lower level; where you wash dirty clothes
to synchronize, to coincide or match up
site (see cite)
slay
sleigh kill
snow vehicle, sled
sleight
slight cunning, skill
slender, of little substance
slew
slough past tense of slay
swamp (pronounced slew or slau)
soar
sore to fly at great height
in pain
soared
sword flew at great height
a bladed weapon
sole
soul bottom of foot; alone
the spiritual part of humans
some
sum a certain unspecified number
the total from adding numbers
son
sun male offspring
star that is the central body of the solar system
sonny
sunny diminutive of son
lit or warmed by the sun; cheerful
spade
spayed digging tool
to have removed the ovaries of an animal
staid
stayed solemn, serious
remained, waited
stair
stare step
to look without blinking
stake
steak a pole
cut of meat
stationary
stationery in one place
writing paper
steal
steel (noun, adjective) rob
iron alloy; determined
step (verb, noun)
steppe moving by lifting the foot; degree
vast grasslands
stile
style turnstile, passageway
fashion
straight
strait not curved or bent
narrow passage of water connecting two bodies of water
succor
sucker relief, assistance
fool
suede
swayed leather finished with a soft, napped surface
past tense of sway; persuaded
suite
sweet a connected series of rooms
opposite of sour
summary
summery an abstract or brief account
of the summer
sundae
Sunday ice cream with syrup
day of the week
sympathy (see empathy)
tacks
tax short nails
percent of earnings paid to the government
tail
tale hindmost animal appendage
story
take (see bring)
tare
tear (verb) allowance for the weight of packaging
rip, pull apart
taught
taut past tense of teach
tightly stretched
tea
tee a beverage
a peg from which a golf ball is hit
team
teem group playing on the same side in a game
swarm
tear (noun)
tier salt water coming from eyes when sad (pronounced like ear)
a row or layer
tense
tents nervous strain
portable shelters used for camping
than
then used for comparison
indicates time, answers when
their
there
they're possessive pronoun
location
contraction for they are
threw
through past tense of throw
in one end and out the other
throes
throws agonizing struggles
tosses, hurls
throne
thrown royal seat or office
was tossed
thyme
time herb of the mint family
past, present, future sequences of events
ticks
tics parasites; sounds of a clock
facial twitches
tide
tied ebb and flow of the ocean
past tense of tie
to
too
two in the direction of, toward
also, to an extensive degree
Example: It is too hot to jog.
the number after one
toad
toed
towed similar to a frog
having a toe
pulled, hauled
told
tolled said
sounded a bell
tort
torte a breach of contract
a rich cake made with little or no flour
tracked
tract followed
an extended area of land; a political or religious pamphlet
troop
troupe a body of soldiers
a group of traveling performers
vain
vane
vein excessively concerned about one’s appearance
a blade moved by wind as in weather vane
blood vessel
vary
very to change or alter
extremely
verses
versus lines of poetry
as compared to another choice; against
vial
vile small container for holding liquids
repulsive, depraved
vice
vise bad habit; immoral practice
device used to hold an object firmly
wade
weighed to walk through water
to have put on a scale
wail
whale mournful cry
marine mammal
waist
waste narrowest part of the human torso (usually)
to squander or spend uselessly
wait
weight to be available or ready
quantity of heaviness or mass
waiver
waver a relinquishment of some right
to feel indecisive; vary
warn
worn to notify
carried on the body; deteriorated
warrantee
warranty person who is given a written guarantee
written guarantee
way
weigh direction
to measure mass
weak
week lacking strength
seven days starting with Sunday
wear
where to carry on the body
in what place?
weather
whether state of the atmosphere in a location
if
weave
we've to interlace thread or yarn to make a fabric
contraction for we have
went (see gone)
were
we're past tense of are
contraction for we are
wheeled
wield moved on wheels
to exercise power; to handle a weapon effectively
which
witch what one?
sorceress
while
wile during or in the time that
a trick to fool, trap, or entice
whine
wine complaining cry
fermented grape juice that becomes an alcoholic beverage
whined
wind
wined past tense of whine, complained
what one does to keep a watch ticking on time (pronounced like kind); air current (pronounced like sinned)
to supply with wine
whirled
world
whorled spun rapidly
planet Earth
shaped like a coil
whole (see hole)
wholly (see holy)
who's
whose contraction for who is
Example: Who’s at the door?
possessive case of who
Example: Whose coat is this?
won (see one)
wont (adjective, noun)
won't accustomed; habit
contraction for will not
wood
would tree trunk material
expressing an intention
Example: I would if I could.
wrap (see rap)
wrapped (see rapt)
wreak (see reek)
wrest (see rest)
wretch (see retch)
wring (see ring)
write (see right)
wrote (see rote)
wrought (see rot)
wry (see rye)
yoke
yolk harness for oxen
yellow center of an egg
yore
you're
your long past
contraction for you are
possessive pronoun