Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 2 of 6

BAITED, BATED

Baited usually refers to traps or snares. When the reference is to someone who is hardly daring to breathe, the correct word is always bated:

"She watched with bated breath."

I've yet to read that someone "bated a trap" instead of baiting it, but there's always a first time.

BARE, BEAR

Bare means naked; bear (apart from being a large animal) means to carry.

BESIDE, BESIDES

Beside means by the side of; besides means in addition to.

BIANNUAL, BIENNIAL

These two are really tricky! Biannual means happening twice a year; biennial means every two years.

BLONDE, BLOND

Because these are borrowed from French there is a feminine and masculine form. Blonde is feminine and blond is masculine.

BOARD, BORED

Board is a long sheet of wood, also a group of people as in "Board of Directors", and as a verb means to go onto a ship, plane or other form of public transport; bored means not interested.

BORN, BORNE

Born is always the beginning of life, borne means carried.

"I was born in the middle of a particularly severe winter."

"The logs were borne down the river to the mill."

BRAISE, BRAZE

Braise means to cook slowly in liquid (usually meat); braze most commonly means to solder with an alloy of copper and zinc.

BRAKE, BREAK

Brake means to stop; break means to smash.

BY, BUY, BYE

By is a preposition meaning next to; buy means purchase; bye means farewell or good-bye.

CAPITAL, CAPITOL

Capital means the seat of government; capitol is the building where government meets.

CONTINUAL, CONTINUOUS

Continual means something that happens frequently, with breaks between the occurrences. Continuous means something that happens without stopping!

"Continual interruptions distract me from writing."

"The continuous noise of the motor mower distracts me from writing."

CO-OPERATION, CORPORATION

Co-operation (usually spelt without the hyphen in US English) means working together; corporation is a business organisation.

CORRESPONDENCE, CORRESPONDENTS

Correspondence is written communication; correspondents are those who write it.

CREDIBLE, CREDITABLE

Credible means believable; creditable means praiseworthy or deserving credit.

CURB, KERB

Curb means to control, as in "curb your temper"; kerb is the edge of a footpath or sidewalk.

DESERT, DESSERT

Desert means to abandon (and can also be a noun, meaning a wasteland); dessert is the sweet course of a meal.

DEVICE, DEVISE

Device is a noun, meaning a gadget or (particularly in writing terms) an invention; devise is a verb, meaning to invent or plot.

DISCREET, DISCRETE

Discreet means respectful, prudent; discrete means separate or detached from others.

DRAFT, DRAUGHT

Draft refers to the the first writing of your novel or story (or any other document). You can also be drafted (enlisted or recruited) into the army, navy, etc.

Draught is an air movement, a drink (as in "draught of ale") or refers to a horse (or other animal) used for pulling ploughs, etc (e.g., "draught horse").

About The Author

Laraine Anne Barker writes fantasy for young people. Visit her web site at http://lbarker.orcon.net.nz. Fantasy for Children & Young Adults for FREE stories and novel excerpts. Sign up for the NOVELLA OF THE MONTH CLUB, absolutely FREE!

cheap limo service Lombard .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

Recent reports show many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to strengthen your passwords.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Iron, a robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds, combines advanced artificial intelligence with human-like movement and exceptional vision.
Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.
There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.
These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.
Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.
Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.
Infected USB flash drives can spread malware among multiple organizations in ways that can easily bypass traditional security systems.
With a fully automated warehouse system and AI-powered robots, Ocado's Hive picks, packs and delivers grocery store orders in just a few minutes.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Recycling robots are using artificial intelligence to learn how to sort recyclables by recognizing patterns in colors, textures, shapes and logos.
The Reachy 2 robot is designed to be friendly and approachable, inviting natural interaction and is perfect for research, education and experimenting with embodied AI.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares several easy ways to keep your credit cards safe from digital thieves while you're traveling this summer.
Arcturus sets up cameras around the edges of baseball stadiums to capture real-time action and generate a 3D digital clone of the game.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
The CyberGuy explains why healthcare organizations are vulnerable to hackers after there have been a half dozen data breaches this year.
Developed at two California universities, the innovative technology combines brain-computer interfaces with advanced AI to decode neural activity into audible speech.

Writing About Writing

What am I going to write about?Which topic is the... Read More

10 Tips on How to Cultivate Relationships with Editors

If you are an aspiring writer, or you simply want... Read More

COULD YOU (not) REPEAT THAT PLEASE?

I recently read a book where everything was akimbo. Arms... Read More

Teachers Should Write, During Their Summers

Before I became a teacher, I was a sports writer.... Read More

Why We Dont Write Our Books

In the ten years that I've taught people how to... Read More

Taking the Free Out of Freelance Writing

When you run an online agency for freelance writers, editors... Read More

Is Now the Time for a Play about the War in Iraq?

Everone knows that comedy is mostly about timing. If you... Read More

How I Became a Syndicated Columnist -- And You Can Too!

Real Estate has "Location, location, location," and writing has "Clips,... Read More

How Are You Plotting?

Creative Writing Tips ?Writing is a creative process and how... Read More

10 Tips on Writing Effective Dialogue

1. Become an EavesdropperListen carefully to the way people REALLY... Read More

Write Possibilities

We writers are a powerful lot. We control time. We... Read More

How New Authors Can Keep Their Manuscripts Coherent

In large publishing houses, many manuscripts penned by first-time authors,... Read More

Time to Write

SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?Many people have entertained... Read More

Create Confidence With Your Writing

Whether you are writing a magazine article, composing a press... Read More

Writing Query Letters that Count -- Close the Deal with Your First Letter!

Your query letter can be a deal maker or a... Read More

Ten Tips To Get Started Writing Your Book

You are far more likely to successfully write and publish... Read More

How To Break Into Print Publishing

The big question. Do you submit directly to the publishers,... Read More

Get Published: The Nuts and Bolts of Good English, and How to Impress a Publisher (1)

Not all writers write good grammar. That's a fact. It's... Read More

A Writers Life

Ever wonder what an author's life is like? What that... Read More

Water to Swim In

Not long ago, I took stock of my unrealized desire... Read More

What Is The Single Worst Mistake Most People Make When Writing Classified Ads?

All sales begin with some form of advertising whether it's... Read More

Writing the PDA Way

When we think of writing it triggers many thoughts and... Read More

Writing Help

Whether you are working for a small business, large corporation,... Read More

Open a Vein

If you want to be a writer, you must write... Read More

Personal Journaling - Strategies To Make It Easy

Recently I was watching the Oprah show and it was... Read More

limo O'Hare Glen Ellyn ..