1. taught/taut
Taught is the past tense of teach. It is also used as an adjective to mean instructed.
Example: “Howard Phillips Lovecraft, weird fiction writer and primogenitor of modern horror fiction, was a self-taught writer.”
Taut means “pulled tight.”
A common error is to spell taut as taught, as in this fishing advice in Backpacker magazine:
Incorrect: Use more weight to keep the line taught.
Correct: Use more weight to keep the line taut.
2. titivate/titillate
Titivate means “to spruce up, to make more attractive.”
Example: We decided to titivate the kitchen with new cabinets and countertops.
Titillate means “to excite the senses or imagination in an agreeable way.”
Example: Camilla Ochlan has crafted a supernatural mystery-thriller that will titillate the palate of even the most discriminating sci-fi reader.
The error is to mix them up, as in this example from a restaurant site:
Incorrect: We are sure to have something to titivate your taste buds.
Correct: We are sure to have something to titillate your taste buds.
3. tortuous/torturous
Tortuous means “full of twists; complex.”
Example: The tortuous road had one steep and narrow curve after another all the way to the top.
Torturous derives from torture and means “full of pain or suffering.”
Example: The book prominently features a scene in which the heroes resort to torturous means to extract vital information.
The error is to mix them up, although some might argue that a thing can be full of twists and pain at the same time.
4. tenant/tenet
A tenant is someone who rents property.
Example: The tenant always paid her rent on time.
A tenet is a principle or belief.
Example: The tenet to love one’s neighbor is stated in Leviticus 19:18.
The error with these words goes both ways:
Incorrect: This course is designed to give the students an overview of the basic tenants of Christian Doctrine.
Correct: This course is designed to give the students an overview of the basic tenets of Christian Doctrine.
Incorrect: Most important, stay informed about your rights as a tenet.
Correct: Most important, stay informed about your rights as a tenant.
5. than/then
Than is a conjunction used after a comparative adjective or adverb to introduce the second member of the comparison.
Example:She thinks her border collie is smarter than my boxer.
The word then is an adverb that refers to a specified time, past or future, as opposed to the present.
Example: We didn’t have enough money for luxuries such as books then.
6. through/threw
Through is a preposition used to convey the idea of entering the inside of something and coming out the other side.
Example: They always go through the churchyard on their way home.
Threw is the past tense of to throw.
Example: He threw the ball over the fence.
The usual error is to spell through as threw, as in this example from a geocaching site:
Incorrect: You will need to go threw the tunnel to access this cache.
Correct: You will need to go through the tunnel to access this cache.
7. throws/throes
Throws is the third person present singular of the verb to throw.
Example: He throws with his left arm.
Throws can also be the plural of the noun throw that refers to a light blanket.
Example: She keeps throws on all the couches and chairs.
Throes is a noun that means “severe pains.” Figuratively, it can mean “difficult times.”
Example: The pirate lay in the last throes of death. The Smiths are in the throes of divorce.
8. track/tract
A track is a mark or series of marks left by the passage of something.
Example: The Mountie caught the fugitive by following the track left in the snow.
One meaning of tract is “a book or written work treating of some particular topic.”
Example: The evangelists passed out tracts on the subject of salvation.
9. till/‘til
Till has several functions. As a noun, it usually means a cash drawer.
Example: The cashier was fired after she was caught skimming from the till.
As a verb, to till means to work the soil, as in farming.
The form 'til is an unnecessary shortening of until.
As a conjunction, till is often used in place of until.
10. torpid/turgid
Torpid means “benumbed” or “devoid of the power or motion of feeling.”
Example: Even when he was awake he was completely torpid.
Turgid means “swollen, distended, puffed out.” It’s applied figuratively to language with the meanings “inflated, pompous, bombastic.”
Example: My arm was turgid where the snake had bitten it.
Example: Eventually, the movie surrenders to the most turgid Hollywood speechifying and sentimentality, far more so than the original.
A version of this article originally appeared on Daily Writing Tips.from Ragan.com http://ift.tt/1nyFFlH via web video marketing
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