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!

---

Getting Past The Shoulds To Write

During the past few months I have received many questions... Read More

Win More Clients, Projects and Freelance Jobs By Making Three Small Changes

Iâ??ve spoken to hundreds of editors, employers, and project managers... Read More

10 Tips To Help You Pack More Power Into Your Business Writing

1. Before you write anything down define not what you... Read More

Keeping a Journal - One of the Three Treasures to Leave Behind

(excerpted from the "How to Use a Journal" audio series... Read More

Writers: Dr. Phil Goes Fishing with Oprah in His Tackle Box, Shouldn?t You?

Dr. Phil's Life Strategies, #1 New York Times Bestseller catches... Read More

Editing for Perfection ? The Personal Statement

This article contains a short guide on how to edit... Read More

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

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

The Best Freelance Job Boards for Writers

How many times have you checked out a job board... Read More

The Iniquitous Slip

All the famous writers I heard of could paper the... Read More

Use These 3 Editing Tips to Ensure Your Writing Hits the Bull?s-Eye

The first step in the writing process is to put... Read More

3 Quick Tips on Plotting Your Book

Plotting a book can seem an overwhelming task when you're... Read More

Strategies For Finding Topics To Write About

What possibly could I have to write about? I never... Read More

Make Your Mark Upon Humanity

The greatest gift you have to give to yourself and... Read More

Focusing Your Reading and Finding Ideas

Many experts recommend reading as a way to get ideas,... Read More

Five Common Errors to Correct Before Submitting a Letter or Report

First impressions count in writing too! So it is always... Read More

Editing and Polishing - How Much is Enough?

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

Get Published: The Nuts and Bolts of English, and How to Impress a Publisher (2)

The tiniest things can be so useful when you come... Read More

A Mode of Transportation

Great writing transports one vicariously to realms that the reader... Read More

You Dont Need Inspiration!

Or do you?Writers write. You shouldn't wait around for inspiration... Read More

The Top Five Mistakes That Companies Make with Regard to Technical Documentation

I've seen it time and again. One of the most... Read More

The Run-on Sentence: From Here To Eternity

If you find your sentences filled with commas, and they... Read More

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

SALE, SAIL Sale is either offering something for purchase... Read More

Write Your Story, Put It On A Website, Sell Millions of Copies

Although he has his own website, John Grisham probably does... Read More

How to Write Articles, Reports, and Books Quickly

Do you have trouble getting your thoughts and ideas down... Read More

10 Tips on How to Cultivate Relationships with Editors

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

Novel to Screenplay: The Challenges of Adaptation

ADAPTATION 101Brimming with confidence, you've just signed the check purchasing... Read More

Write Strategy: Think, Believe, Attack

Think of writing like karate...it's about DISCIPLINE.Writing, like other forms... Read More

Mind Mapping Your Journal Entries

Clustering, also called Mind Mapping, is a great way to... Read More

If You Want to Succeed As a Writer, Dont Just Think It, Do It

It never ceases to amaze me when a prospective writer... Read More

Freelance Writing: A Career From Anywhere

An island in the Mediterranean. A beach in Africa. The... Read More

Freelance or Staff

There is no doubt that a staff writer enjoys advantages... Read More

Creative Problem-Solving: Following Your Stream of Consciousness

Having trouble finding a solution to a nagging problem? Try... Read More

And What Do You Do? ... How To Know When Youre a Writer!

It's the funniest thing. When someone asks me what I... Read More