# Words That Sound Alike... Or Look Alike.



## Whyemier (Mar 22, 2016)

Always been a pet peeve of mine, not that it matters in the big view of thing, using the wrong word even if it does sound like (or near enough) the right word. Words that sound alike are homonyms (sp) I believe.

The three I see most abused are; There, Their and They're.  Admittedly the last is a contraction made up of two words but it does sound the same.  The difference is;

*There*-Denotes location in most instances (over there, up there, out there)

*Their* - Denotes possession (The house 'over there' is theirs)

*They're*  - Denotes the state of being or doing. (They're going to Mexico.  They're not home.)
Two other words that are often abused but not homonyms (somebody will tell me if I have the right term I'm sure) are Then and Than.


*Than* - Indicates a preference (I want to eat ice cream rather than liver)
*Then* - Indicates something related to the time of doing. (I ran home then had to go back out for what I forgot.) 
These two words are often interchanged but have totally different meanings.

I could go on but probably will offend someone if I do.


----------



## steve323 (Mar 22, 2016)

I know what you mean.  Last week, we received a postcard in the mail from a local realtor.  It said "Your invited" and listed the time for an open house, but they didn't include the address.  It looks like a $2 million house.  You would think that a commission that large would justify hiring a proofreader.

Steve


----------



## jpfabricator (Mar 22, 2016)

Through, passing through.
Threw, threw it out.
My mother was an english teacher.............guess wich class I failed in high school?

Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker


----------



## TommyD (Mar 22, 2016)

Grey or gray? Which go use and when?


----------



## uncle harry (Mar 22, 2016)

TommyD said:


> Grey or gray? Which go use and when?



It might depend on if you are a USA resident or someone from Canada, the UK, New Zealand or Australia.  Then there are Color & Colour.  (That last one got the spell checks attention). (hee, hee, hee).


----------



## Steve Shannon (Mar 22, 2016)

Moot and mute,
Averse and adverse,
My former boss, who was also a good fried used to say "a mute point" and that she was "risk adverse."


 Steve Shannon


----------



## jim18655 (Mar 22, 2016)

Your - you're
Break - brake
Vice - vise


----------



## stupoty (Mar 22, 2016)

All the girls like a sailor , I mean sea , ow no too much 

haha

Drunk Stuart 

ps sorry to debase it like that


----------



## Grumpy Gator (Mar 22, 2016)

_Well I'm the primary culprit for all of the above. But in my defense I write like I speak. Mangling the language is a right of passage in this part of the world y'all.  Heck if it was not for spell check I'd really be lost.
All that aside we do not pick on people for grammar or spelling gaffs here. Keep in mind we are a world wide forum.In the last week I have OKed membership from six different countries. English is not the primary language in five of them.
So as long as this does not get personal and stays informative I will let it go. With some help I might even learn some thing.
*G*_


----------



## ELHEAD (Mar 22, 2016)

It is wise to watch your "auto-complete , auto-correct, and spell check " these rascals cause you to say things you did not intend , should you not go back over your text and check them.
The Paomnehal Pweor of the Hmuan Mnid
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't  mttaer in 
waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny 
iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.
The rset can be a taotl mses and you can slitl  raed it wouthit porbelm.
Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef,
but the wrod as a wlohe.


----------



## cvairwerks (Mar 23, 2016)

Two 
To 
Too...

Wear
ware
where...

I
eye....

Whole
hole...


----------



## mcostello (Mar 23, 2016)

Aluminum or the other name.....


----------



## tomw (Mar 23, 2016)

One of my mother's pet peeves was 'angry' versus 'mad'. I would, as a small child, say "that makes me mad."

She would then ask if she should commit me.

Which would make me angry. And laughing. I miss her.


----------



## Swarfmaster (Mar 23, 2016)

bow
bough

through
threw


----------



## higgite (Mar 23, 2016)

wait weight
way weigh
key quay
made maid
lye lie
pray prey
shoe shoo
stayed staid
sleigh slay
chute shoot
by bye buy

Tom Thom


----------



## Ben Nevis (Mar 24, 2016)

from form
quite quiet


----------



## mcostello (Mar 24, 2016)

YES Deer!


----------



## Dirty Al (Mar 24, 2016)

Sight
Site
Cite

Younger news writers frequently mix the first two - as in "The police arrived at the sight in 5 minutes"  The third example is rarely used.


----------



## Steve Shannon (Mar 24, 2016)

Dirty Al said:


> Sight
> Site
> Cite
> 
> Younger news writers frequently mix the first two - as in "The police arrived at the sight in 5 minutes"  The third example is rarely used.


Can you cite an example of the third? 


 Steve Shannon


----------



## Dirty Al (Mar 25, 2016)

You just did!!!


----------



## eugene13 (Mar 25, 2016)

Polish the nationality
polish the bearing journal


----------



## mcostello (Mar 25, 2016)

color or colour.


----------



## Steve Shannon (Mar 25, 2016)

Accept 
Except 

Brake
Break

Affect
Effect


 Steve Shannon


----------



## jtrain (Mar 25, 2016)

doe
dough
dew
due
do


----------



## Chip Hacket (Apr 3, 2016)

Steve Shannon said:


> Moot and mute,
> Averse and adverse,
> My former boss, who was also a good fried used to say "a mute point" and that she was "risk adverse."
> 
> ...


When someone is pointing out the error of my ways I prefer the mute point.


----------



## Rick Leslie (Apr 3, 2016)

Finally! Someone else to whom this matters. "Then" and "than" are my two pet peeves. It's sad to read national publications where the grammar has gotten so poor that it appears to have been composed by a 3rd grader. I take no issue with those who speak English as a second (or third) language. I admire anyone who learns English later in life.


----------



## LucknowKen (Apr 3, 2016)

I used to live beside a place that held live concerts.
Some days, it was to windy to wind my wrist watch.


----------



## Whyemier (Apr 3, 2016)

With apologies to everyone; Let's add,

To
Too
Two

*To: *Indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward, participates in a particular activity, or the direction of something 

*Too: *In addition to, further, besides, also. 

*Two:* I don't really need to elaborate this but here goes - *2*

I'm going _*to *_visit the _*two*_ people I love most and my Uncle Bob _*too*_.


----------



## sgisler (Apr 3, 2016)

I was



Whyemier said:


> going _*to *_visit the _*two*_ people I love most and my Uncle Bob _*too*_.



But it was TOO cold


----------



## Steve Shannon (Apr 3, 2016)

Coarse
Course



 Steve Shannon, P.E.


----------



## Steve Shannon (Apr 3, 2016)

We ought to also have a thread about words that auto-correct helps us with. One of the ones I see frequently is "definitely".  Many people (including me just now) try to spell it with an "a", which auto-correct frequently changes to "defiantly", sometimes with humorous results.




 Steve Shannon, P.E.


----------



## eugene13 (Apr 4, 2016)

leading the way slinging hot lead


----------

