Differentiate words that sound alike but have different meanings - Spelling - Mechanics

Rules for writers, Tenth edition - Diana Hacker, Nancy Sommers 2021

Differentiate words that sound alike but have different meanings
Spelling
Mechanics

Words that sound alike or nearly alike but have different meanings and spellings are called homophones. The list on the next page shows sets of words that are commonly confused. (See also the glossary of usage in 18f.)

COMMON HOMOPHONES

✵ affect (verb: to exert an influence)

✵ effect (verb: to accomplish; noun: result)

✵ its (possessive pronoun: of or belonging to it)

✵ it’s (contraction of it is or it has)

✵ loose (adjective: free, not securely attached)

✵ lose (verb: to fail to keep, to be deprived of)

✵ their (possessive pronoun: belonging to them)

✵ they’re (contraction of they are)

✵ there (adverb: that place or position)

✵ who’s (contraction of who is or who has)

✵ whose (possessive form of who)

✵ your (possessive pronoun: belonging to you)

✵ you’re (contraction of you are)

EXERCISE 44-1

The following memo has been run through a spell checker. Proofread it carefully, editing the errors that remain.

✵ November 3, 2020

✵ To: Patricia Wise

✵ From: Constance Mayhew

✵ Subject: Express Tours annual report

Thank you for agreeing to draft the annual report for Express Tours. Before you begin you’re work, let me outline the initial steps.

First, its essential for you to include brief profiles of top management. Early next week, I’ll provide profiles for all manages accept Samuel Heath, who’s biographical information is being revised. You should edit these profiles carefully and than format them according to the enclosed instructions. We may ask you to include other employee’s profiles at some point.

Second, you should arrange to get complete financial information for fiscal year 2020 from our comptroller, Richard Chang. (Helen Boyes, to, can provide the necessary figures.) When you get this information, precede according to the plans we discuss in yesterday’s meeting. By the way, you will notice from the figures that the sale of our Charterhouse division did not significantly effect net profits.

Third, you should email a first draft of the report by December 13. Of coarse, you should proofread you writing.

I am quiet pleased that you can take on this project. If I can answers questions, don’t hesitate to call.