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Just because two words sound alike when spoken doesn’t mean the written word will
carry the same meaning, and the wrong word used in a written sentence can throw the whole message off track. The reader stops, reads it again, and determines what was meant by what was written. By then, the “flow” is gone.
While some readers won’t notice and others will be forgiving, some will dismiss the writer as a person who isn’t very intelligent or who doesn’t pay attention to details. As a professional, you don’t want anyone to have either impression of you.
Following below are some misuses that I’ve come across in blog posts and emails recently.
Through for threw – as in “We drove threw the neighborhood.” (Ouch!)
One way to remember that one is to think about the word “throw.” Its past tense is threw. So let’s say “He threw the football through the goal posts,” and say we drove through the neighborhood.
Peek and peak: “Give them a peak at…” Nope, the word is peek. When the clouds parted, we got a peek at the mountain peak.
Rode and road: “Side of the rode.” Here’s a verb (rode) in place of a noun (road). I could say I rode the horse to the side of the road.
Heels and heals: “Dug their heals in.” Another verb (heals) in place of a noun (heels.) Correct: Joe said that this super-salve heals the cracks in his heels
.
Manner and manor: “Behave in that manor.” Well, if you have good manners you would behave in a manor – a manor house, that is.
Waste and waist: “I don’t like to waist time.” Nope. A waist is that part of your midsection where your belt belongs. Not wanting to waste the last piece of pie could result in your waist increasing in size.
Are and our: I don’t understand how people get this one mixed up, but they do. I even saw a banner at the school saying “Root for are team.” (Really big ouch at a school!)
Those of us who like words don’t have any trouble knowing which to use, but those who got through English classes because they “had to” find it a bit more difficult. (That’s nothing to be ashamed of – we all have different talents and interests.)
I’ve been thinking a lot about how to help them, and so far haven’t come up with any sure-fire solutions.
So here are my (inadequate) solutions for those who aren’t quite sure if they’re writing the right words or the wrong ones:
- Ask a friend who is sure to read some of your blog posts and emails. Tell them to be brutally honest and let you know if you’re using the wrong words.
- When you identify your own “trouble words,” take the time to look up the definitions, then write out both the spellings and the definitions by hand. Then type them into a running list on your computer. Keep adding to the list when you find new ones, and keep it by your computer for reference.
If you’re brilliant at selling real estate (or staging, or home inspecting, or mortgage lending) but words give you fits, don’t let it get you down. Just enlist the help of a “wordy” friend and then work at learning the words you use often.
Grammar book courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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