Odd Spellings: Peek, Peak, Pique

This set of homophone pairs often leaves out pique, which often gets spelled like one of the others. 

Peek: to look while trying not to be seen

Peak: the top (of a mountain or career, for instance)

Pique: to stir, usually in “pique my interest.”

Trick to Remember:

Peek has two eyes to see with.

Peak is first or best, like the letter A.

Pique is to get you interested in something quirky.

Usage: Reluctant Vs. Reticent

 This issue has been popping up more and more lately. Again, these words are not interchangeable.

Reluctant is well understood. It means to resist doing something or to do something unwillingly.

But reticent is very specific. It means hesitant or unwilling to speak, not reluctant in general.

Trick to Remember

Reluctant is similar to hesitant.

Reticent is related to silence (-cent, s-enc).

Usage: Rifle vs. Riffle

The difference isn’t a firearm vs. looking through stuff. You can actually both rifle and riffle through belongings. The difference is in your method.

To riffle is to flip through something like a book or shuffle a deck of cards. It’s basically a blend of ripple and shuffle.

As a noun, a rifle is a gun with a long barrel with grooves called rifling. As a verb, to rifle is to ransack. You can rifle through a drawer or suitcase, for example.

Tip to Remember
A burglar may bring a rifle to rifle through your stuff.
You may riffle by gently shuffling.

Usage: Fortuitous

Fortuitous has come to mean fortunate, lucky, but that is not its actual definition. It actually means random, happened by chance — subject to the whims of fortune. So it could refer to something that happened that was lucky or unlucky.

So if you are a traditionalist — or about to be judged by one — remember that it does not mean by happy chance; it only means by chance.

Spelling: Defuse vs. Diffuse

These words have become popular lately, and they get mixed up frequently.

Defuse is what you do with bombs to stop them exploding. This includes metaphorical bombs, like tense situations and quick tempers.

Diffuse is a chemistry term. It’s what happens when you add dye to water and it spreads out, for example. Metaphorically, it would be used when talking about something just sort of petering out or slowly affecting everything.

Trick to Remember
Defuse is what you do to things with fuses. 

Diffuse –> Diffffffffuse. See the f’s spreading out.

Different From or Different Than?

You can’t go wrong with different from. That’s the standard rule. Different than is used frequently and is becoming more accepted in American usage. (Different to is accepted in Britain, but you rarely hear that in America.)

I want something different from that.
My definition is different from yours.
That’s different from what it was supposed to be.

Different than is more accepted before a clause (a complete sentence) and is interchangeable with other than.

It turned out to be different than I had imagined.
He is a different person than he used to be.

Trick to Remember:
Different from is always accepted. Different and from share the letter f.

However, you can still use different than in most cases, though I’d be wary of English teachers.

There’s already a word for that!

Prideful

If you are full of pride, you are proud. This prideful thing is unnecessary and longer to say.

Nauseating

I can understand this one. Nauseous means nauseating (to induce nausea). However, it often gets used to mean nauseated. So when you hear someone say nauseous, you’re unsure whether they really know what they’re talking about. I suggest sticking to nauseous as much as possible.

Reoccur

Yep, the rule is to add re- to a word to mean do it again. However, occur already has a word for “occur again.” Recur. Save a syllable.

Orientated

Whoa, what happened to orient? It’s a great word. Orient is a verb, oriented is the adjective, and that’s all you need here.

*     *     *

Are there any others you can think of? I’ll add them to the list.

Top 5 Usage Errors

This is compiled from previous posts, but it’s important information.

1) Uninterested or Disinterested?

This is an issue I’m seeing a lot in published books, which have presumably passed by editors. Disinterested has become a trendy word in books the last few years. However, it does not mean the same as uninterested.

Uninterested means one is not interested in something; indifferent.

Disinterested means one is impartial and unbiased; lacking a conflict of interest.

You want a judge to be disinterested but not necessarily uninterested. You will rarely, if ever, see disinterested outside of legal contexts.

Trick to Remember

If something is uninteresting, you are uninterested in it. If you are disinterested, you are distancing yourself from the interested parties in a conflict.

* * *

2) Comprise or Compose?

Comprise is used in place of compose all the time now. Writers use it to sound distinguished and educated. The actual effect is the opposite.

Compose means to form something by putting things together. It’s often used in passive voice (… is composed of …).

Comprise means includes; is made up of. It is NEVER used in passive voice (… is comprised of …) because that would be illogical.

Fifty states comprise the United States.

The United States is composed of fifty states.

Bacon, eggs, and juice comprise my breakfast.

My breakfast is composed of bacon, eggs, and juice.

The non-passive use of compose is not as common now.

Trick to Remember

Compose is rarely used wrong, but comprise is misused all the time. So, if you’re writing comprise, replace it with is made up of and see if it still makes sense. You can also just avoid comprise altogether; you can live without it easily enough.

* * *

3) Amused or Bemused?

Note the meanings of these two different words (Merriam-Webster):

amused: pleasantly entertained or diverted

bemused: marked by confusion or bewilderment, lost in thought or reverie

Too many writers are using bemused to mean amused. They are not interchangeable!

Trick to Remember

Bemused is similar to bewildered.

Amused makes you say ah! ooh!

* * *

4) Entitled or Titled?

This poor word (entitled) has been abused so often, I think the dictionaries are caving and allowing it to be synonymous with titled.

Entitled means to have permission; entitle is to give permission

Titled means to have a title; title is to give a title.

Right: The book is titled War and Peace.

Wrong: The book is entitled War and Peace.

Right: You are entitled to a heated work environment.

Wrong: You are titled to a heated work environment. (Nobody makes this error.)

Trick to Remember

Title is only for titles, names of things.

The book has a title, and it has been titled War and Peace.

* * *

5) Farther or Further?

Guess what? These two words are not interchangeable. 

Farther is for distance: The store is farther than the school. You have to run farther than that.

Further is for degree: We need more money to further the cause. I will look into the matter further.

Trick to Remember

Farther is for things that are far. 

Further is related to furthermore and metaphorical distances.

Usage: Decimated

Decimated

“Personally, I think some early-years, respected television personality got decimated and devastated confused at some point, and no one wanted to point it out to him, so everyone started using them interchangeably. But dammit, words mean what they mean, even if everyone thinks they ought to mean something else.” – Jim Butcher

The word decimated goes back to Roman times when the army would kill off every tenth soldier to improve morale. Sharing the same root as decimal, the word literally means to reduce by a tenth. But when English took over the word, it was used to mean demolished, destroyed, or devastated.

Recommendation
I would hesitate using the word in formal writing to mean mostly destroyed. Enough people still hold to the literal meaning, so be cautious. Feel free to use it if it comes naturally to you.

Usage: Enormity Vs. Enormousness

Enormity Vs. Enormousness

Who knew this was an issue? I don’t think it is so much anymore, though.

Originally, officially, enormity refers to figurative bigness and implies a moral defect. You can talk about the enormity of a crime or a sin, for instance.

Using enormity to mean literal bigness — the enormity of a building or explosion — is frowned upon. You’re supposed to use enormousness instead. However, enormousness was never a popular word, and the condemnation of enormity as meaning large appears to be arbitrary.

Bottom line — use it however you want. I won’t correct it.

Usage: Edition Vs. Addition

These words are often pronounced the same, making it easy to confuse them at times.

An edition is a version of something. It refers to something printed, like a book, newspaper, or magazine. Books will have an American edition and a British edition. Newspapers may have a morning edition and an evening edition.

An addition is something extra. You can build an addition to a house. You can study addition in school.

Trick to Remember
An edition is made by an editor.
An addition has to do with additional; adding: +

That Vs. Which

That Vs. Which

This is a one-way error: Which often gets used when that is needed. That is rarely, if ever, used mistakenly in place of that.

Which requires a comma before it. The phrase starting with which provides additional information that is nice to know but is not essential to know.

That will never have a comma before it and begins a phrase with information that you need to know.

Often the comma will be enough of a clue for you to know which to use.

I went to the parking lot to my car, which is a red van.
I went to get my car that is a blue sedan.

In the first phrase, which is a red van is a statement that is “nice to know.” I have one car, so it’s already clear that it’s a van. In the second phrase, I have more than one car. The phrase that is a blue sedan is “need to know” information. You don’t know which car I mean without that clarification.

Here are two different ways to say the same thing using which and that.
The snow was falling heavily, which made it hard to see.
The snow that was falling heavily made it hard to see.

Wrong examples (from the book I’m reading):
He was never as happy as when he had a job which required no thinking at all.
If you only do the easy and useless jobs, you’ll never have to worry about the important ones which are so difficult.

Summary

That = Need to Know = No Comma

Which = Nice to Know = Comma

Usage: Fewer/Less, Much/Many, Continual/Continuous

Usage: Fewer/Less, Much/Many, Continual/Continuous

These are pairs of words that mean the same but are used in different situations. Fewer, many, and continual are for things that can be counted one at a time. Less, much, and continuous are for things that have infinite variations of degrees or volume. (In math terms, it’s the difference between discrete and continuous.) 

You can have less time but fewer hours.
You have much (more) money but many (more) coins. 
You can be interrupted continually but hear a hum continuously.

Most people use much and many just fine but have problems with the other two. 

Trick to Remember
There’s not a good trick, but seeing it in table form might help.
much —  less — continuous = a blob; not countable
many — fewer — continual = countable

Usage: Hone or Home In?

It’s quite easy to confuse these two words, especially since they sound so alike in casual speech.

You home in when you’re getting close to home.
You hone your skills with practice, so you never actually hone in for or at anything.

Trick to Remember
Do you feel like a homing pigeon? Then you’re homing in.
Have you sharpened your skills? Then you’ve carved away part of that m in home and are left with hone.

Usage: Comprise Vs. Compose

I see comprise used in place of compose all the time now. Writers use it to sound distinguished and educated. The actual effect is the opposite.

Compose means to form something by putting things together. It’s often used in passive voice (... is composed of ...).

Comprise means includes, is made up of. It is NEVER used in passive voice (... is comprised of ...) because that would be illogical.

Fifty states comprise the United States.
The United States is composed of fifty states.
Bacon, eggs, and juice comprise my breakfast.
My breakfast is composed of bacon, eggs, and juice.

The non-passive use of compose is not as common now:
We will compose a committee. The committee will be composed of five members. Five members will comprise the committee.

Trick to Remember
Compose is rarely used wrong, but comprise is misused all the time. So, if you’re writing comprise, replace it with is made up of and see if it still makes sense. You can also just avoid comprise altogether; you can live without it easily enough.

Usage: Persuade vs Convince

Here’s a pair of words that are not synonyms despite being similar in meaning.

Persuade has to do with actions. You persuade someone to do something.

Convince has to do with beliefs. You convince someone that something is true or untrue.

Trick to Remember
You persuade someone to pursue a course of action.
You convince someone to share your convictions.

Usage: Entitled vs Titled

This poor word (entitled) has been abused so often, I think the dictionaries are caving and allowing it to be synonymous with titled.

Entitled means to have permission; entitle is to give permission.
Titled means to have a title; title (as a verb) is to give a title.

Right: The book is titled Nevernight.
Wrong: The book is entitled Nevernight.
Right: You are entitled to a heated work environment.
Wrong: You are titled to a heated work environment. (Nobody makes this error.)

Trick to Remember
Title is only for titles, names of things.
The book has a title, and it has been titled Nevernight.

Entitle is to give permission, similar to enable and words like endow, ensure, enshroud, enslave. The government often talks about entitlement programs.

Usage: Amused vs. Bemused

Note the meanings of these two different words (Merriam-Webster):
amused: pleasantly entertained or diverted
bemused: marked by confusion or bewilderment, lost in thought or reverie

Too many writers are using bemused to mean amused. They are not interchangeable, at least for now.

To muse means to be absorbed in thought. If you are comfortable with your Latin prefixes, a- means not, so amused means not absorbed in thought. You are being entertained instead. The be- prefix has a lot of meanings, mostly to do with making things more complicated. So you may be over-thinking something if you’re bemused.

Trick to Remember
Bemused is similar to bewildered and befuddled.
Amused makes you say ah! ooh!

Usage: Farther vs Further

Guess what? These two words are not interchangeable.

Farther is for distance: The store is farther than the school. You have to run farther than that.

Further is for degree: We need more money to further the cause. I will look into the matter further.

Trick to Remember
Farther is for things that are far.
Further is related to furthermore and metaphorical distances.

Usage: Uninterested vs. Disinterested

This is an issue I’m seeing a lot in published books, which have presumably passed by editors. Disinterested has become a trendy word in books the last few years. However, it does not mean the same as uninterested.

Uninterested means one is not interested in something; indifferent.

Disinterested means one is impartial and unbiased; lacking a conflict of interest.

You want a judge to be disinterested but not necessarily uninterested. You will rarely, if ever, see disinterested outside of legal contexts.

Trick to Remember
If something is uninteresting, you are uninterested in it. If you are disinterested, you are distancing yourself from the interested parties in a conflict.