Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 3 of 6

ELICIT, ILLICIT

Elicit means to extract or draw out; illicit means not legal.

EVERYONE, EVERY ONE

Everyone means every person in a group; every one means each person and is always followed by "of".

"Everyone needs to know how to swim."

"Every one of you should be able to swim."

FAIR, FARE

Fair means average, good-looking, pale, unbiased (what a lot of meanings for one little word!); fare is the money you pay to go somewhere by bus, train, plane, taxi, etc. It can also refer to a passenger. As a verb it means do, as in:

"I didn't fare as well in my exams this year as I'd hoped."

FAZE, PHASE

The most common error is the use of phase when the writer means faze. To faze someone is to fluster or confuse them, whereas phase is mostly used in reference to a stage in someone's life--though it can be a stage in almost anything else:

"Like most children, Danny's going through a phase of refusing to eat his vegetables."

"Nothing fazes my mother, who can produce a meal for unexpected guests at a moment's notice."

FOREWORD, FORWARD

Foreword is the preface in a book, usually written by someone who is not the author; forward means ahead, near the front.

FORTH, FOURTH

Forth means forward; fourth is after "third".

FOUL, FOWL

Foul can mean dishonourable (by foul means), disgusting (a foul smell), entangle (rubbish dumped in the river can foul fishing lines); fowl is a bird.

GORILLA, GUERRILLA

Gorilla is a large ape; guerrilla is a particular kind of soldier.

HANGED, HUNG

A criminal is always hanged; a picture is hung:

"We hung the portrait where everybody could see it."

"John Smith was hanged yesterday at dawn."

Just remember, "I'll be hanged if they're going to hang me," and you won't forget the difference again!

HERD, HEARD

Herd is a group of animals; heard is the past tense of hear.

HERE, HEAR

Here refers to a location (as in "over here"). Hear is always what your ears do. I can't see why writers should get confused here, but they must do because I have seen this more than once. (And, no, that's not a sample sentence!)

IRREGARDLESS, REGARDLESS

There is no such word as irregardless; the correct word is regardless.

HOLE, WHOLE

Hole is an opening; whole means complete.

ITS, IT'S

This is confusing because possessives normally have an apostrophe, but in this case it's is short for it is and its is possessive--always.

"Its colour is green and it's quite beautiful."

Other possessives that don't have an apostrophe are theirs, hers, yours and his--though I doubt anyone is likely to try putting one in his!

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!

cleaning team near Winnetka ..
In The News:

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.
Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.
Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.
iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.
Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.
FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.
Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.
Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.
Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.
Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.
Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.
New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.
FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.
New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.
OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.
Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.
New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.
DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.
Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.
Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.
Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.
A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.
South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Editing Secrets

Once you've plotted out your book, developed the characters and... Read More

Five Golden Rules for Writers

Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More

The Power of Punctuation

Punctuation, when used creatively, is powerful. Note, however, that when... Read More

Writing IS a Business

Why is it that so many people don't take writing-as-a-job... Read More

A Writers Tools

William Faulkner, the great Mississippi writer, said, "The tools I... Read More

Kick-Start your Juices

Listen, consider this scenario.You have a deadline to honour. Time... Read More

Comma Usage Made Simple

Don't they drive you nuts?You can visit all the rules... Read More

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

BAITED, BATEDBaited usually refers to traps or snares. When the... Read More

Getting To Know Your Characters

Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important... Read More

Nobody Likes A Rambler

We all know people who ramble. They include every boring... Read More

Characters In A Romance Novel

Before you even begin writing your novel, you need to... Read More

6 Ways to Jump-Start Your Writing Day

1. PLAY A GAME LIKE SOLITAIRE....for half an hour or... Read More

Write For Yourself First

It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More

Home Business Writing Made Simple

Have you ever written a letter to a friend? Ever... Read More

10 Secrets For Everyday Writing Success

During my 25-year career in a variety of professional positions... Read More

How to Multiply Your Freelance Writing Work

You can turn your $200 fee to write a press... Read More

A Quick Guide to ISBNs for Self-Publishers

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a... Read More

Editing and Polishing - How Much is Enough?

A few days ago, I critiqued a chapter for a... Read More

Can Your Theme Be Proved In Your Story?

Creative Writing Tips ?Your theme has to be something you... Read More

Could Your Book Idea Be the Next Best Seller?

Everyone has a unique story to tell. From explaining business... Read More

Is Horror Dead?

I've noticed a big shift away from traditional horror recently,... Read More

Screenwriting and Screenwriters ? beyond Syd Field

Without denigrating the work and contribution of Syd Field to... Read More

Top Seven Mistakes Writers Make and What to Do About Them

Writers often get stuck because they make assumptions about writing,... Read More

Top Seven Ways to Write your Print or eBook Fast

Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on... Read More

The Blank Mind

Many writers stare at the blank page or clean computer... Read More

family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..