Road and Street

A road usually runs between two more distant points, such as between two towns. A street is described as being a paved road or highway - in a city, town, or village, especially one lined with houses, shops, or other buildings. The implication is that if a street does not have these things, it will probably be called a road. When a town expands, sometimes what was formerly a road will become a street. The word road is the more general term, though, and can be applied to a street. Street is the narrower term.




Snow flurries and Snow showers

Snow refers to the partially frozen water vapor which falls in flakes. The expression snow flurries refers to light, intermittent snowfall without significant accumulation. Snow flurries tend to come from stratiform clouds. Snow showers is the label used to refer to a short period of light-to-moderate snowfall, also characterized by a sudden beginning and ending. There is some accumulation with snow showers, and they fall from convective or cumuliform clouds. A snow squall is a heavy snow shower with strong winds.





complacent and complaisant


Complaisant means 'eager to please' and 'showing a cheerful willingness to fulfill others' wishes'. Complacent is quite the opposite, 'being pleased with oneself; contented to a fault'. However, they share one meaning, which may cause them to be confused - each also carries the sense of 'obliging, agreeable'. One could differentiate the two words by saying that complaisant is the active adverb and complacent denotes a more passive feeling. Complaisant was first recorded in 1647, deriving from Latin complacere. Complacent comes from the same Latin word, but is not found in writing until 1660.






aluminum and aluminium

Aluminum is the American spelling and aluminium is the British spelling for this ductile, malleable silver-white metal. In 1812, its discoverer, Sir H. Davy, first called the metal alumium but then modified the word. This is one of a number of spelling differences between British and American English, such as: aeroplane/airplane, aesthetics/esthetics, colour/color, encyclopaedia/encyclopedia, paralyse/paralyze. The principle differences are: 1) a final -l is always doubled after one vowel in stressed and unstressed syllables in British English, but usually only in stressed syllables in American English; 2) some words end in -tre in British English and -ter in American English; 3) some words end in -ogue in British English and -og in American English; 4) some words end in -our in British English and -or in American English; and 5) some verbs end in -ize or -ise in British English, but only in -ize in American English. In common speech, some 4,000 words are used differently in the UK from the United States.






plaid and tartan

Generally, we think of tartan as the name for the cloth and plaid as the name for the particular pattern, but the words are often used interchangeably so that tartan can mean any checkered pattern and plaid can mean any checkered fabric! Plaid's original definition is 'as a woolen cloth having a checkered or tartan pattern'. It evolved to mean any such checkered or tartan pattern. Tartan's first definition is a 'woolen cloth woven in stripes of various colors at right angles to form a rectangular pattern; also, the pattern and design of such a cloth'. Both words were first recorded around the same time, c. 1500.






roast and bake

Bake is the term used for cooking foods such as bread, potatoes, apples, etc. in dry heat in an oven, and roast refers to cooking meat in an oven or before a fire. However, the terms are actually used quite interchangeably. Both roasting and baking are basically surrounding food with hot, dry air - but our usage of the terms is slightly different. When we think roasting we think of meats and other items that would go into a roasting pan; when we think baking we think baked goods, and the method that produces them. Bake is dated to c. 1000 and roast to the 13th century.







a case in point and in point of fact

A case in point is a relevant example or pertinent case that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time. It is a noun and its plural is cases in point. It derives from French à point meaning 'something relevant'. In point of fact is actually an adverb meaning 'in reality or actuality; actually' or 'with regard to; in the matter of'. These two terms should really not be compared. Examples: When one doubles player is having a great game, the other player is not; case in point is the last two tournaments. In point of fact, no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq.





stationary and stationery

Stationary means 'fixed in one place and not moving' while stationery means 'the paper and envelopes used for writing correspondence'. You can use the a in stationary to remember it is the adjective. Stationery is a noun. Another mnemonic to help you is: let the ar near the end of stationary remind you of 'at rest' and the e near the end of stationery stand for 'envelope'. Examples are: He likes to ride the stationary bicycle for exercise. / She bought stationery and ink pens for writing thank-you notes.






a corporation and a partnership

A corporation is the name used in the United States for a business association established by one or more people who later sell shares in the corporation to investors. In a partnership, there are one or more owners who share jointly in the profits, liabilities, etc., and these partners are personally liable for the debts. A partnership, then, is usually created for a small company. Once the company grows larger, it is usually prudent for the owners to change over to a corporation. There are also differences between a partnership and a 'limited liability company (LLC)', a 'general partnership', and a 'limited partnership'. The main difference between a partnership and an 'LLC' is that partners are personally liable for any business debts of the partnership, while owners of an 'LLC' are not personally liable for the company's debts and liabilities. 'Limited partnerships' are very different from general 'partnerships', and are usually set up by companies that invest money in other businesses.






attorney, barrister, lawyer, and solicitor

Lawyer is a general term for a person who gives legal device and aid and who conducts suits in court. An attorney or, more correctly, an attorney-at-law, is a member of the legal profession who represents a client in court when pleading or defending a case. In the US, attorney applies to any lawyer. In the UK, those who practice law are divided into barristers, who represent clients in open court and may appear at the bar, and solicitors, who are permitted to conduct litigation in court but not to plead cases in open court. The barrister does not deal directly with clients but does so through a solicitor. The word attorney comes from French meaning 'one appointed or constituted' and the word's original meaning is of a person acting for another as an agent or deputy. A solicitor would be the UK equivalent of the US attorney-at-law. Counsel usually refers to a body of legal advisers but also pertains to a single legal adviser and is a synonym for advocate, barrister, counselor, and counselor-at-law. As to the abbreviation 'Esq.' for 'Esquire' used by some lawyers ... it has no precise significance in the United States except as sometimes applied to certain public officials, such as justices of the peace. For some reason, lawyers often add it to their surname in written address. However, it is a title that is specifically male with no female equivalent, so its use by lawyers should fade away.






property and attribute

An attribute is a quality or character ascribed to or considered to belong to, or be inherent in, a person or thing. A property is a quality or characteristic belonging to a person or thing, with its original use implying ownership, and also either being essential or special. However, property is now used to mean a quality or characteristic in general without reference to its being essential or special. In many contexts, these words can now be used interchangeably.





optician, optometrist, and ophthalmologist

The optician dispenses eyeglasses and contact lenses and may also make eyeglasses and other optical instruments. An optician sometimes also tests the eyes and provides a prescription. An optometrist is a specialist in examining and measuring the refractive power of the eyes. An optometrist prescribes corrective lenses and exercises. An ophthalmologist (watch the spelling ph and th!) is an eye specialist who can prescribe drugs or perform surgery. An ophthalmologist has an M.D. (doctor of medicine), an optometrist an O.D. (doctor of optometry), and an optician a license to examine eyes and prescribe treatment. The term oculist is rather dated but is somewhat of a catchall for a doctor of medicine who can examine and treat eyes, including performing surgery. The beginning of each of these words is based on Latin opti- and oculus and Greek ophthalmos, meaning eye.







assure ,insure and ensure

Basically, insure, ensure, and assure mean to make a person or thing more sure. Insure should be restricted to providing or obtaining insurance to indemnify or guarantee someone or something against a loss. Ensure can be used in all other senses, especially 'to make certain'. Ensure can also imply a guarantee. Then there is a third word, assure, which means to make a promise or convince. Assure also implies the removal of doubt and suspense within someone's mind. Here are some examples of usage for assure, ensure, and insure: I assured him that I would not clean out his tool and hardware collection. She looked back to assure that no dogs were following her. / The government ensured the safety of the troops during the time they would be airlifted out of the country. We will ensure that the abusive coach will not return next year. / She was insured against loss in the homeowner's policy. The valuables are insured.






adverse and averse

To be averse to something is to have feelings against it, to be disinclined or opposed towards it. Averse can take the preposition to as well as from and usually describes an attitude. To be adverse to something (the only preposition it takes) is to be turned in an opposite direction to that thing or acting against it. Adverse also means 'opposing or detrimental to one's interests' and usually refers to things, not people. A good way to remember the difference is that the prefix of averse is ab, or away and the prefix of adverse is ad, meaning towards. Examples of each are: I am averse to watching a lot of television. / We are dealing with adverse circumstances.





awhile and a while

As a noun phrase after a preposition such as after, for, in, within, one should use two words, a while. In that case, it means 'a short or moderate time'. If one is using the term adverbially, it should be spelled as one word, awhile, which means 'for a short time'. Examples of each are: I will stay for a while at the party. He napped for a while. / She stayed awhile at the party. I napped awhile on the couch. This topic is a fine point of grammar and for many uses only writing it will distinguish which syntactic structure one should use.





blatant and flagrant

Blatant refers to anything that is offensive, notorious, or shocking, especially in an obvious or conspicuous way. Something that is blatant is often obtrusive in a crass manner - and blatant can be used of persons and things. Flagrant refers to anything that is evil or wrong, a willful or glaring violation of a promise or flouting of law or morality. A flagrant offense or error is so bad that it cannot escape notice. Flagrant is definitely the stronger term. Blatant was purportedly created by the English poet Spenser; flagrant derives from an Aryan word meaning 'to blaze' and its original meaning was 'blazing, burning, flaming'. Examples are: He blatantly lied about having permission to leave the school. / It was a flagrant violation of human rights.







a ship and a boat

The difference between a ship and a boat is size. Generally, a boat is a smaller craft than a ship. Ship is the more broad term for any oceangoing craft. A boat is a small vehicle for traveling on water. A boat can have oars, paddles, sails, or a motor to make it move. A ship is a large boat that can travel across deep water, such as a sea or ocean. A ship is built to carry people or goods for a long distance. A ship is propelled by sail or power only. However, there are two notable exceptions: submarines are officially boats and ore-carrying vessels that traverse large lakes are also called boats.





definite and definitive

These words are not that different, as both refer to something precisely defined or set forth. Definitive, however, specifically applies to a description or judgment that is a standard or reference point for others, or being the most complete or authoritative. Definitive means 'having the function of deciding or settling' or being 'conclusive'. Here are some examples: She has a definite opinion on most topics. I want a definite answer on what we shall eat for dinner tonight. / The Oxford English Dictionary is the definitive guide to the English language. It was a definitive victory for the political candidate.






allusion, delusion, and illusion

An allusion is a reference to something, usually an indirect reference to a statement by another or to a hint or suggestion, a passing or incidental reference. An illusion is a fanciful vision or a false impression or idea, a mental state in which one attributes reality to something unreal. Delusion is a mistaken impression or wrong idea, but the word also implies action - the action of fooling with a wrong impression or idea or the condition of being fooled or deceived. Some examples are: In an allusion to her profession, she named her cat Webster. / He suffers from the delusion that he is a great writer. / It is an illusion that the economy is in a full recovery.






discreet and discrete

This is another pair of homophones (words that sound alike but are different in spelling or meaning or both) that can be very confusing. Discreet implies the showing of reserve and prudence in one's behavior or speech. Discrete means something quite different - 'distinct, separate, unrelated'. Both words derive from the same Latin word discretus and for a long time these words were each spelled two different ways, but eventually came to be differentiated in spelling as well as in meaning. Discreet has yielded the noun discretion, but discrete's noun form is discreteness. Examples: They tried to be discreet about their unapproved friendship. / The course is broken down into 10 discrete study units.






dissemble and disassemble

Disassemble means 'to take something apart'. You can see that the word can be split into a prefix dis- and the root assemble. An example is: She disassembled the Lego creation. Dissemble means 'to alter or change the appearance of in order to deceive or conceal; to misrepresent or pretend'. This word's etymology is trickier: it may be a form of dissimule, which means 'to alter the semblance of in order to deceive or conceal'. So, the breakdown of dissemble is dis- and the root semble, or 'appear, seem'. An example of this word is: We witnessed the dissembled persecution of good citizens.







empathy and sympathy

Both empathy and sympathy are feelings concerning other people. Sympathy is literally 'feeling with' - compassion for or commiseration with another person. Empathy, by contrast, is literally 'feeling into' - the ability to project one's personality into another person and more fully understand that person. Sympathy derives from Latin and Greek words meaning 'having a fellow feeling'. The term empathy originated in psychology (translation of a German term, c. 1903) and has now come to mean the ability to imagine or project oneself into another person's position and experience all the sensations involved in that position. You feel empathy when you've "been there", and sympathy when you haven't. Examples: We felt sympathy for the team members who tried hard but were not appreciated. / We felt empathy for children with asthma because their parents won't remove pets from the household.






an outbreak, epidemic, and a pandemic

An epidemic is a disease that affects many people at the same time, such as the flu. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's official definition of epidemic is: 'The occurrence of more cases of disease than expected in a given area or among a specific group of people over a particular period of time'. A pandemic is a very extensive epidemic, like a plague, that is prevalent in a country, continent, or the world. There is also the word endemic, which is a disease native to a people or region, which is regularly or constantly found among a people or specific region. The term outbreak describes the sudden rise in the incidence of a disease, especially a harmful one. An outbreak is characterized by a disease's bypassing of measures to control it. Often, the difference between these terms is determined by the percentage of deaths caused by the disease.







archaic and obsolete

The meaning of these temporal labels can be somewhat different among dictionaries and thesauri. The label archaic is used for words that were once common but are now rare. Archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time. Obsolete indicates that a term is no longer in active use, except, for example, in literary quotation. Obsolete may apply to a word regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence. In the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin [4th ed.], 2004) the archaic label is described this way: "This label is applied to words and senses that were once common but are now rare, though they may be familiar because of their occurrence in certain contexts, such as the literature of an earlier time. Specifically, this label is attached to entry words and senses for which there is only sporadic evidence in print after 1755." The AHD describes the obsolete label thus: "The label obsolete is used with entry words and senses no longer in active use, except, for example, in literary quotations. Specifically, this label is attached to entry words and senses for which there is little or no printed evidence since 1755.





a bug and an insect

We tend to use the word bug loosely for any very small creature with legs. However, a true bug is defined as belonging to the order Hemiptera. These creatures characteristically have tough forewings and lack teeth, such as beetles. True bugs have a stylet (a mouth shaped like a straw) that they use to suck juices from plants. Insects belong to the class Insecta and they are characterized by three-part bodies, usually two pairs of wings, and three pairs of legs, (e.g., bees and mosquitoes). Arthropods (spiders, ticks, centipedes, etc.) is a separate phylum from bugs and insects. All of this does not mean that you are wrong to call various insects bugs; because of the common usage of this meaning, it is certainly acceptable.

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