Homonym confusions!

[lasm]

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?

[Sam]

Compliment = a polite expression of praise or admiration.
Complement = something that contributes extra features to something else so as to enhance or improve it.

Allusive = using or containing suggestion rather than explicit mention.
Elusive = difficult to find, catch, or achieve.
Illusive = deceptive or illusory.

Appraise = assess the value, quality, or performance of.
Apprise = (usually 'apprise someone of') inform or tell.

Arrant = utter or complete.
Errant = erring or straying from accepted standards.

Assure = tell someone something positively in order to dispel potential doubts.
Insure = protect against a possible eventuality.
Ensure = make certain that something will occur.

Affect = have an effect on or make a difference to.
Effect = a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.

Some of those are more esoteric and therefore harder to get right. I can't find occasion for a writer to make mistakes with any of the straightforward ones such as there/their/they're or it's/its. That should be bread and butter for a wordsmith.

[lasm]

Good ones, Sam! Yes, I included some that are pretty basic, but people often have trouble with them, so why not.

By the way, affect and effect are even more tricksy than you think!

affect: verb: "have an effect on or make a difference to", yes, but also noun: external expression of mental state (e.g. "lack of affect")
and!
effect: noun: "a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause", but also verb: to produce a particular result (e.g. "to effect change")

[Sam]

Isn't the English language a peach?

[Morkonan]

And... now we know yet another reason why English probably has more words in it than most other languages.

[Olly Buckle]

adverse; strongly opposed to.
averse; just a bit opposed to.
It is a matter of degree going from being directly contrary to a bit reluctant

alternative; having a different choice
alternate; every other one

grisly; very gruesome
grizzly; a type of bear or child

Hail; frozen rain, or a greeting.
hale; ...and hearty, not ill.

all together; in a small group
altogether; completely
similarly
an other; a different one
another; one more the same
'was it him or an other?' 'Do we have another suspect?'

portentious; ominous, but also pompous, which I think is why it sometimes gets confused with
pretentious; which means affected and showy in a show off way.

amend; improve
emend; make corrections
that is close, but significant.

hanged and hung, not quite in the remit, but confusable, people are hanged (by the neck until dead) things are hung in all sorts of places.
that reminds me
hangar; for putting airplanes in
hanger; for putting clothes on

Does anybody ever confuse wrapped and rapt? Perhaps if it is deeply involved (rapt) in thought, you know, all wrapped up in himself.

How about ones that are spelled the same? '"I went to Southend, a destination of last resort". (For you Americans Southend is a faded holiday resort on the East coast with mud instead of sand)
Oh, and spelled; for the order the letters are written, and spelt for a primitive type of grain or a mix of wheat and barley.

and Southend is the sea, so flounder and founder, the first is either a type of fish or the verb meaning to thrash about, the latter to sink to the bottom.

Olly is 'forever' going on about just ; meaning continually going on
The name Olly will live 'for ever'. (I wish); meaning for all time

discreet; tactful and cautious, not imposing
discrete; separate from one another

There must be more ...

[Terry D]

And... now we know yet another reason why English probably has more words in it than most other languages.

Somewhere in excess of 800,000. The next closest is German at 300,000+.

[Gamer_2k4]

discreet; tactful and cautious, not imposing
discrete; separate from one another

I'm a little ashamed to admit I didn't realize this one until my third year in college.

[J Anfinson]

Pare: to carve at

Pair: a set of two

Pear: a fruit

[Olly Buckle]

A potential source of confusion (Sauce on my burger, source of the Nile) is:-
Deduce what you can Watson, then tell me what your deductions are. ie conclusions arrived at by logic.
Deduce what the client owes us Watson, then deduct our expenses. ie subtract our expenses.

By the way deductive logic means starting with general principles and moving to the particular, inductive logic means starting with the particular and moving to the general, though 'deduce' is used to mean 'conclude from the evidence' in either way in general use. Most of Holmes' logic is inductive, most of what are called 'feats of deduction' by Conan Doyle are 'feats of induction'. There's one!

feet; we have a pair each. and three make a yard.
feat; an accomplishment, often daring.