This is a thread for sorting out homonyms! What's a homonym, some joker in the back wants to know? It's a word that sounds exactly like another word but is different! Not sure which is which? Post here and someone will tell you. Notice someone else making a mistake? Refer them here for flogging--er, gentle correction, or report their tomfoolery for my amusement! Of course, all in good fun; everyone makes mistakes, and homonyms are especially tricky little buggers.
Let's get some of the more common ones out of the way, shall we?
it's = contraction of it is
its = possessive form for it
there = a place that is not here
their = possessive form for they
they're = contraction of they are
then = indicates a later time or a consequence
than = for making comparisons
Mix-ups I have seen with my own eyes!
populace = noun referring to the people of a given region; also sometimes means the poor, the masses
populous = adjective for a place that is densely populated
reign = to rule over
rein = noun, things you use to control a horse; verb, to rein (in), as in to control
witch = a person who does magic or is a Wiccan, maybe; usually female but not necessarily; pointy hat optional
which = a relative pronoun introducing a subordinate clause, which can be used in combination with a preposition
I will here confess that I have been known to mess up "there/their" and "write/right" even though I know the difference very well.
What errors have you seen? which ones do you routinely commit?
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