COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS-3
1. MINIMAL, MINIMUM:
A 'minimal' amount is the item 'of least value' in a data set.
A 'minimum' amount is the least value that any element in a data set can take.
Example: The minimum height requirement for aspirants to the police service is five feet and six inches. The minimal height of this group of recruits is five feet eight inches.
'Minimal' is an adjective and 'Minimum' may be used as a noun or as an adjective.
2. MUTUAL, COMMON:
'Mutual' refers to two people who share the same emotion. Example: My fiancée and I have mutual respect
'Common' refers to something shared by two or more people such as 'a common goal' or 'a common point of departure.
3. NATURISM, NATURALISM:
'Naturism' means nudism and a 'naturist' is a 'nudist'.
'Naturalism' is an artistic or literary approach or style and a 'naturalist' is an expert in natural history, or an exponent of naturalism.
4. OFFICIOUS, OFFICIAL:
'Officious' means asserting authority or interfering in an annoyingly domineering way.
'Official' means having the approval or authorization of a public body (government, military etc.)
5. ORDINANCE, ORDNANCE:
'Ordinance' means 'an authoritative order'
'Ordnance' means 'guns' or 'munitions'.
6. PALATE, PALETTE:
The 'palate' is the roof of the mouth.
A 'palette' is an artist's board for mixing colours.
7. PARAMETER, PERIMETER:
A 'parameter' is a number that describes a population or, metaphorically, a distinctive characteristic of a population of events.
A 'perimeter' is a boundary.
8. PAST, PASSED:
'Past' means 'gone by' or 'history'. Example: My past is very interesting.
'Passed' is the past tense of pass. Example: We passed the truck earlier.
9. PEDAL, PEDDLE:
'Pedal' is a noun denoting a foot-operated lever; as a verb it means 'move by means of pedals'. The associated noun form pedal is pedaller.
Peddle is a verb meaning 'sell goods', and the noun from peddle is peddler.
10. PERCENT, PERCENTAGE:
Use 'percent' when identifying a particular number.
Use 'percentage' when there is no definite figure.
Thus, you may write 'a full fifteen percent of women in the company are executives', but 'a small percentage of women in the company is on the executive level'.
11. PERQUISITE, PREREQUISITE:
A 'perquisite' is a special right or privilege enjoyed as a result of one's position.
A 'prerequisite' is something that is required as a prior condition for something else. Prerequisite can also be an adjective, meaning 'required as a prior condition'.
12. PERSONS, PEOPLE:
'Persons' usually involves a collection of people who are counted or numbered.
'People' can refer to a large group of people, usually unnumbered.
Thus, 'people' often can be substituted for 'persons', but 'persons' cannot be substituted for 'people'.
13. PERSPICUOUS, PERSPICACIOUS:
'Perspicuous' means 'expressing things clearly'.
'Perspicacious' means 'having a ready understanding of things'.
14. PRECEDENCE, PRECEDENTS:
Things have 'precedence' over others if they are given preference.
'Precedents' are events that serve as standards.
Example: 'The Supreme Court decision set a precedent on federal authority over state courts'.
15. PRETTY, VERY:
Do not use 'pretty' as a synonym for 'very'.
Ill-mannered members of a rock concert crowd may become 'very ugly', but describing them as 'pretty ugly' is ridiculous.
16. PRINCIPAL, PRINCIPLE:
Principal (adjective) means 'first in order of importance; main'
'Principal' (noun) is the head of a school. Example: the principal spoke to us today
A 'principle', which is a noun, means a basic of a system of thought or brief. Example: The principle of democracy is important to Canadians.
17. PROSCRIBE, PRESCRIBE:
Proscribe is a rather formal word meaning 'condemn or forbid'.
'Prescribe' means either issue a medical prescription or recommend with authority.
18. PURPOSELY, PURPOSEFULLY:
Actions are done 'purposely' if they are intended.
Actions are done 'purposefully' if the person doing them is very determined.
19. QUOTATION, QUOTE:
'Quote' is a verb meaning 'cite'
'Quotation' is the noun form
Thus, 'You quote people, but you read or hear quotations'.
20. RAISE, RISE:
'Raise' in its noun from means 'an increase'.
Raise in its verb form means 'increase'
'Rise' is a verb meaning 'get up', 'stand up' or 'move up'
Thus, 'you ask the boss for a raise in your salary', 'you rise to your feet to raise a point of order'.
21. RAVAGE, RAVISH:
'Ravage' means 'destroy'. Example: When armies conquer cities, they often ravage them.
'Ravish' means 'sexually defile'. Example: If a criminal commits a rape, the victim is ravished.
22. REGRETFUL, REGRETTABLE:
'Regretful' means 'feeling or showing regret'.
'Regrettable' means 'giving rise to regret; undesirable'
23. SHEAR, SHEER:
'Shear' means 'cut the wool off a sheep'
'Sheer' as a verb means 'swerve or change course quickly' or 'avoid an unpleasant topic'.
'Sheer' as an adjective means 'nothing but; absolute', 'perpendicular', or '(of a fabric) very thin'.
24. SICK, ILL:
Use 'sick' when you mean a person is nauseated.
Use 'ill' when the person is not well, but not necessarily nauseated.
25. SPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY:
'Special' means 'not ordinary'. Example: This program was specially designed for preschool children.
'Especially' refers to things that are pre-eminent or primary. Example: He was an especially talented musician.
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