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Words and Wondering
By Annette Gisby
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edited: Wednesday, July 18, 2001
Posted: Wednesday, July 18, 2001
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Want to know when in your writing you should use its or it's? Find the answers here, and a few more.
I won't go into the English versus American English spelling debate here, but point out a few editing errors that are very common to both. Ones the computer's spellchecker is unlikely to pick up on. This isn't an extensive list, just the ones I know have come up when I've been editing. There are probably a lot more.
Alright = it doesn't really exist, use all right instead.
Key = a tool to unlock something
Quay = a harbour
Ear = organ of hearing
Ere = before
It's = a shortened form of it is.
Its = belonging to it.
There = a place
Their = belonging to them
They're = shortened form of they are
Here = a place
Hear = the act of hearing something
Hair = the stuff on your head
Hare = an animal similar to a rabbit
Pale = wan in colour
Pail = a bucket
Your = belonging to you
You're = shortened form of you are
You = a person
Yew = a tree
Yore = past
Were = past tense of the verb is
We're = shortened form of we are
Wear = what you do with clothes
Ware = goods for sale
Weir = a small dam across a river or canal
His = belonging to him
Hiss = noise of disapproval
Hers = belonging to her
Hearse = funeral vehicle
Horse = animal
Hoarse = difficulty in speaking
Write = the act of writing
Right = correct
Time = measurement
Thyme = a type of herb
Bough = branch of a tree
Bow = a ribbon or curtsey
Rough = not gentle
Ruff = part of a collar
Steal = take something without permission
Steel = a metal
Stile = steps to help climb over a fence
Style = clothing and accessories
Die = cease living, singular of dice
Dye = change the colour of something
Road = a path to get somewhere
Rode = past tense of ride
Shoe = something for the feet
Shoo = chase something away
Sioux = a native American tribe
Sue = take to court or a girl's name
Too = as well as, also
To = used with a verb, e.g. to ride, to walk
Two = a number
Tow = drag something
Toe = on the feet
Feet = at the bottom of legs, a measurement
Feat = an act of skill or daring
Off = e.g. to turn the cooker off
Of = used such as 'he was an actor of great skill'.
One = a number
Won = to win something
Tents = plural of tent
Tense = upset or nervous
Place = a location
Plaice = a fish
Sore = hurting
Soar = to fly high
Oar = paddle for a boat
Ore = raw metal
Bore = not interesting or drill a hole
Boar = a wild pig
Roux = a base for a sauce
Rue = to regret
Naval = to do with the navy
Navel = the bellybutton
Read = look at a book
Reed = a type of plant
Him = a male
Hymn = a song of praise/worship
Sun = orb in the sky
Son = male child
Team = a group of people
Teem = abundant, e.g. it's teeming with rain
Have = own something
Halve = divide something in two.
Wine = an alcoholic drink
Whine = to complain
Peak = top of something
Peek = to look
Sew = use a needle and thread
So = as in 'so what?'
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