Eminent means "successful, well-known, and respected," as in "an eminent physician. Imminent means "happening very soon," as in "awaiting their imminent arrival" or "their arrival is imminent. Envelop is a verb that means "to completely enclose or surround someone or something," as in "she enveloped the baby in the blanket" and "mist enveloping the mountains.
Envelope is a noun that refers to an enclosing cover for a letter, card, etc. The word is also used in the phrase "push the envelope," which means "to go beyond the usual or normal limits by doing something new, dangerous, etc. Formally and formerly are both adverbs. Formally is used to describe things done in a serious and proper or official way, as in "guests were dressed formally" and "she has formally announced her candidacy.
Formerly means "at an earlier time," as in "a car formerly owned by my neighbor. Forth is an adverb used especially in literary contexts to mean "out into notice or view," as in "spring's blossoms bursting forth," and "onward or forward in time or place," as in "from this day forth.
Fourth is used as a noun, an adjective, and an adverb with meanings that relate to the number four. As a noun it can mean "number four in a series," as in "arriving on the fourth of May," and "one of four equal parts of something," as in "cut the cake into fourths. Hoard is used as a noun to refer to a large amount of something valuable that is kept hidden, as in "a dragon's hoard of treasure," and as a verb to mean "to collect and hide a large amount of something valuable," as in "a dragon hoarding treasure.
Horde is a noun that refers to a large group of people, as in "a horde of shoppers crowded the store. Read this article for more on these two words. Incredible and incredulous are both adjectives. Incredible means "difficult or impossible to believe," as in "a movie telling an incredible story of survival," and "extremely good, great, or large," as in "the musician's incredible skill" and "a place of incredible beauty.
Incredulous means "not able or willing to believe something," as in "people were incredulous that the child had achieved the feat. This article can give you more detail on these two words.
Liable is an adjective that can mean "legally responsible for something," as in "determining who is liable for the damage"; or "likely to be affected or harmed by something," as in "a condition that makes her liable to illness"; or "likely to do something," as in "you're liable to fall if you're not more careful.
Libel is a noun and a verb. As a noun it refers to the act of publishing a false statement that causes people to have a bad opinion of someone, as in "a newspaper found guilty of libel.
Loose is most often used as an adjective with a variety of meanings that have to do, either literally or figuratively, with something not being tight or tightly fastened, attached, or held. Median and medium both function as both nouns and adjectives. As a noun, median can refer to a grassy or paved area that divides a highway also called "a median strip" , or, in mathematics, to the middle value in a series of values arranged from smallest to largest. The adjective median is usually used in mathematics to mean "having a value that is in the middle of a series of values arranged from smallest to largest," as in "the median price of homes in the area.
Medium as an adjective means "in the middle of a range of possible sizes, amounts, etc. Moral is a noun and an adjective. The noun refers to a lesson that is learned from a story or an experience, as in "the moral of the story is to appreciate what you have," and in its plural form morals to proper ideas and beliefs about how to behave in a way that is considered right and good by most people, as in "I don't question her morals.
Morale is a noun referring to the feelings of enthusiasm and loyalty that a person or group has about a task or job, as in "employee morale was high in the wake of the project's success. Peace is a noun that has several meanings relating to an end to war or fighting or to a state of calm, as in "a wish for world peace," "looking for some peace and quiet," and "peace of mind.
Piece is a noun and a verb. As a noun piece has various meanings most of which have to do with a part, amount, or type of something, as in "a piece of pie," "a large piece of land," or "pieces of paper," and "a piece of land. Pedal is a noun that most often refers to a flat piece of metal, rubber, etc. Usage depends on whether you are referring to the subject or object of a sentence.
I consulted with a doctor whom I met in school. I consulted with him. You should only buy clothes made locally, which are usually sold at smaller local businesses. I lay my head upon the pillow. Last night, I laid my head upon the pillow. The stones lay near the river, waiting to be washed.
I bet either Mike or Jessie will not like the movie. Because I saw you, I looked into that new job you recommended. I ate fewer calories today than I did yesterday. I need to eat less food so I can lose weight. I will meet up with you tonight if I finish my homework.
I may see you later if I can finish my essay. I might go to Europe this summer—if I can get over my fear of flying. Jane is the girl who lives above me. She is much taller than me.
I will see you first and then go to the store. The dog licked its paw. There is that sock I was looking for. The fresh herbs really complement the chicken. She complimented me and said she liked my shoes. My trousers are so loose , I need a belt to keep them up. Commonly confused words Try this quiz! Used before a word that begins with a consonant.
Getting Started. Get Involved. Arts at UIS. Alumni Resources. Visit UIS. Search Search. Here are what we consider to be the top ten most confusing word pairs, organized in alphabetical order: Affect vs.
Effect Affect is a verb meaning to influence. Lie vs. Lay Lie is a verb meaning to recline or rest on a surface. Lose vs. Loose Lose is a verb meaning to misplace. One Word vs. Two Word combos People often confuse similar words that appear as one word, or two words. Any way Anyway is an adverb meaning regardless. Than vs. Then Than is a conjunction used to compare two things. That vs.
Which That is used when the phrase or clause that follows it is necessary in the sentence. Their vs. But it's a very important vowel. The word complementary with an "e" describes things that combine to enhance each other's qualities. Complimentary with an "i" describes things that convey praise or things that are free, like "compliments of the house. Here's a simple mnemonic to help you remember: If I get something free, it's complimentary.
Flare and flair are homophones — they sound exactly the same, even though they're spelled differently. Flare, which can be both a noun and a verb, is connected with fire, either literally "the candle flared" or figuratively "the tempers flared" , or it can mean something spreading out "the jeans flared".
Flair is a noun that means a special aptitude or ability, or a sense of style. We've heard many people talking about someone having a "flare" for something, when they definitely don't mean someone's on fire! How often do you see something about someone "flaunting the rules"? Pretty often, we bet. But it actually should be "flouting the rules. It's an easy mistake since flout and flaunt are paronyms — they look and sound similar.
But they aren't interchangeable. Flaunt means to show off or to brazenly display. Flout means to openly disregard a rule or law. Here's one that often trips up word snobs. They want to sound smarter than the rest of us, so instead of saying something is the "ultimate," they say it's the "penultimate.
But penultimate isn't a fancy way of saying ultimate — it's a fancy way of saying second from the last, or the last except for one in a series. So don't call your boss the penultimate leader if you're looking for a promotion. A prerequisite is a thing that is required as a prior condition.
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