Confusing Words Clarified: Group C; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, etc. +(lists of "C" sections that are organized into what for some people are confusing groups of words)Three words that every student of language should understand are homonyms, synonyms, and antonyms. Homonyms are words that sound alike, but have different meanings. Synonyms are words that are related in meaning but do not sound alike (begin and commence, for example). Antonyms are direct opposites in meaning, as hot and cold; white and black.
With homonyms, the following set of to, too, and two are all pronounced exactly alike, but by no means are they interchangeable in writing. To be sure that you choose the correct spelling for any on these, you must know the meanings of all three so you will not make wrong choices with a feeling of vagueness and uncertainty. Efforts have been made to help you grasp the meanings of these and other words that may be confusing so you can utilize them with greater accuracy in your communication. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome by writing to: E-mail Contact (just click it for an e-mail form) or by typing, words@wordinfo.info, as the address in your e-mail heading. If you have any problems understanding the pronunciation symbols, go to this Pronunciation Chart for clarifications.chased, chaste
chased (CHAYST)
1. The past tense of "to chase"; to have run after or pursued in order to catch someone or something: "She chased after her child before he could run out into the street."
2. Someone or something that was driven away: "She chased the dog away from her front yard." chaste (CHAYST)
Not indulging in unlawful sexual activity, decent, moral: "She remained chaste through out her engagement and married as a chaste bride."
A chaste woman is seldom chased. cheap, cheep
cheap (CHEEP)
1. Not expensive or not costing a lot of money: "You can always get a cheap meal at this restaurant."
2. Low quality, not worth a lot of money: "These curtains were made of cheap material." 3. Not willing to share or to spend money: "He was too cheap to pay for the dinner." cheep (CHEEP)
To chirp or to peep, as a baby chick: "I could hear the chicks cheep for food."
He has a less expensive bird for sale which he calls a cheap cheep or at least a cheaper cheeper. check, Czech
check (CHEK)
In chess, the exposure of the King to capture, thus needing protection: "During the chess game, the strong player often moved his King, to avoid being in check."
2. In banking, a written order to be submitted to the bank, directing it to pay the amount indicated on the order: "She always used a check to pay her bills." 3. To inspect for accuracy or safety: "Her plan for the holidays was to check the tests the students wrote just before the holiday began." 4. To halt, slow down or stop, often abruptly: "He put out his hands to check his fall against the wall." Czech (CHEK)
A native of or the language of the country of Czechoslovakia: "Even though she had lived in New York for many years, she still spoke Czech fluently."
cheek, chic, sheik
cheek (CHEEK)
1. The fleshy part of either side of the face below the eyes and between the nose and ears: "Her father kissed his daughter on the cheek."
2. Impertinent boldness: "He had the cheek to insult his hosts at the party." chic (SHEEK)
1. Conforming to the current fashion; stylish: "She always wore the most chic clothes."
2. Adopting or setting current fashions and styles; sophisticated: "This particular style is the height of chic this year." sheik (SHEEK, SHAYK)
1. A leader of an Arab family, village, or tribe: "We paid a visit to sheik while we were traveling in his village."
2. A senior official in an Islamic religious organization: "We were happy to learn more about Islam from the sheik." Chic refers to the woman who is always ready to take what's becoming to her. chew, eschew
chew (CHYOO)
1. To bite food and to grind it with the teeth: "Many health experts believe people should chew their food more before they swallow it."
2. To meditate on; to ponder: "He had to chew the problem over before he could go on the trip." eschew (es CHYOO)
To avoid doing or being involved in something disliked, harmful, or is not proper or right: "Many people eschew the violence that is going on in so many parts of the world."
There are those who are convinced that we should eschew the term masticate when we mean chew. chews, choose, eschews
chews (CHYOOZ)
Biting and grinding with the teeth: "He prefers more chews and taking more time to consume his food during his meals."
choose (CHYOOZ)
To select or to prefer: "How can a person choose when there are so many things available?"
"We are being forced to choose sides in this dispute." eschews (es CHYOOZ)
To avoid something especially because a person does not think it is right or proper: "She is a psychologist who eschews the traditional methods of psychotherapy."
Masticate is the word to eschew when you mean chew. childish, childlike
childish (CHIGHL dish)
Suggesting a simplicity or immaturity befitting a very young person: "His tantrums looked childish for a person who was working at the bank."
childlike (CHIGHLD lighk")
Resembling behaviour of attitudes compatible with the period of a person's life when when he/she was very young: "She had a childlike innocence about her that was appealing."
chile, chili; Chile; chili, chilli; chilly
chile, chili (CHIL ee)
Peppers, hot or sweet, that add a strong flavor to food such as a thick meat sauce: "The cook used several chilli peppers to flavor the soup."
Chile (CHIL ee)
A country in South American bordering on the Pacific Ocean: "For her vacation, she wanted to go to Chile to see the famous ruins and to enjoy the fine food and wine."
chili, chilli (CHIL ee)
Alternative spellings for peppers, hot or sweet, that add a strong flavor to food; such as, a thick meat sauce: "The cook made a delicious chilli dish using three different kinds of chilli peppers."
chilly (CHIL ee)
Unpleasantly cold; lacking in warmth or feeling: "The governor gave a chilly reception to his opponent on the blustery, chilly day."
choir, quire
choir (KWIGHR)
1. An organized group of singers; especially, in a church: "I sang in the choir at my high school."
"The church choir was rehearsing for next Sunday's service." 2. The part of a church where singers assemble to sing during a service or ceremony: "The choir was in the balcony and the members of the choir had to climb the steps carefully before each performance."quire (KWIGHR)
1. A compilation of 24 (or 25) sheets of paper of uniform size and quality: "The publisher decided to use a quire of yellow paper when publishing the book of poetry."
2. One twentieth of a ream of paper (500 sheets of paper): "I counted out a quire of paper when I was in the store buying paper for my printer." choler, collar, color
choler (KAWL uhr, KOH luhr)
Hot tempered and easily provoked: "The candidate often demonstrated a choler temper when participating in a debate."
collar (KAWL uhr)
1. To get control of or to stop: "The dog catcher attempted to collar the run away dog."
"The police were waiting to collar the robber when he left the bank." 2. The band of cloth that finishes the neckline of a shirt or blouse: "The collar of the shirt was stripped, to contrast with the plain cloth of the shirt."3. Any item worn around the neck, decorative as a necklace, or serviceable; such as, part of a harness for a horse: "She wore a diamond collar around her neck, a gift from her mother." "The collar for the horse was studded with brass to create a decorative pattern." color; British, colour (KUL uhr)
1. Vividness and/or variety of language when speaking or writing: "She would often color her prose with startling descriptions to capture the readers’ attention."
2. Visual distinction of an object based on the quality of light possessing hue, chroma (purity) and brightness: "The color of the ancient vase was a deep hue of cobalt." 3. To add distinction or vividness to a picture or writing: "The child liked to color pictures for her mother." choral, chorale, coral, corral
choral (KOHR'l, KOR uhl)
Referring to a choir or chorus: "The choral group at the church met every Thursday evening to practice."
chorale (kuh RAL)
A hymn sung by the choir and congregation of a church: "J. S. Bach wrote many chorale pieces for soloists and choirs."
coral (KAWR uhl, KOR uhl)
Colonial marine animals and the hard, rock-like structure formed by such organisms: "The pink coral in her necklace came from the coral reefs in the ocean."
corral (kuh RAL)
An enclosure for confining livestock; such as, horses, cattle, etc.: "The cowboys exercised the horses in the corral every morning."
chord, cord, cored
chord (KORD)
1. At least three musical notes which are sounded simultaneously: "The piano concerto ended with a resounding chord."
2. Emotional or prevailing responsiveness: "Her comments struck a chord with her audience." cord (KORD)
1. A long, thin material that is usually thicker than a string but thinner than a rope: "She wore the key to the house on a cord around her neck."
2. An electrical wire that is wrapped in a protective covering and used to connect a device to a power source: "We have to be careful that we don't get our feet entangled in the extension cord to our TV set and the lamp." 3. A part of the human body that is like a string or rope: "The body has a cord for various parts of its anatomical structure; including, a nerve cord, a spinal cord, an umbilical cord (at birth), and vocal cords, to name just a few." 4. An amount of wood that has been cut for burning in a fireplace, a stove, etc.; and such a unit contains cut fuel wood, equal to a stack measuring 4 × 4 × 8 feet or 128 cubic feet (3.62 cubic meters): "The truck delivered a cord of wood for our fireplace." 5. Clothing made of corduroy material: "He was wearing a black-cord jacket and dark blue cord pants." cored (KORD)
The removal of the innermost part of such things as fruit: "She cored the pears and apples before using them in her pies and cakes."
chute, shoot
chute (SHOOT)
1. A narrow tube or passage that things and people go down or through: "We could see people sliding down a water chute."
2. An informal term for parachute: "His chute opened automatically as he dived from the aircraft." shoot (SHOOT)
1. To cause a bullet, arrow, etc., to move forward with great force from a weapon: "Does this gun shoot accurately?"
"Last Saturday, I tried to shoot a gun for the first time and my friend wanted to shoot an arrow at the target." 2. To kick, hit, or throw a basketball, hockey puck, etc., toward or into a goal: "You can't really play hockey if you don't have a goal to shoot at." 3. To film or to photograph something: "They want to shoot the next movie in the mountains of Colorado." 4. A part of a new plant that is just beginning to grow above the ground: "We can see a new shoot on each twig of the tree now that winter is over." cinque, sink, sync
cinque (SINGK, SANGK)
The number five in cards or dice: "The roll of the dice resulted in a double cinque."
sink (SINGK)
1. To descend or to move to the bottom; especially, when it moves slowly or in stages: "You could see the rock sink down to the bottom of the pool."
2. To become lower in amount, value, etc.; or to decline or to decrease: "Just watch, this company's stock will sink after it announces that its profits are less than expected." 3. To do something that is morally wrong: "How could he sink to cheating like that?" 4. A basin typically with a built in drain and water supply used for washing hands, dishes, etc.: "He filled the sink with water to wash the breakfast dishes.” sync or synch (SINGK)
1. A situation in which two or more people or things move or happen together at the same time and speed: "You could see the dancers move in sync across the stage."
2. A condition in which two or more people or things agree with or match one another and work together properly: "Since his views are in sync with ours, we can proceed with the project." An informal abbreviation of "synchronization, synchronism", or "synchronize", etc. circumscribed, circumspect
circumscribed (SUR kuhm skrighb'd")
1. To define a space carefully by drawing a line (literal or figurative) around a space: "The surveyor circumscribed the building lot before the purchase was finalized."
2. A limited size or amount of something: "His role as president was carefully circumscribed by the committee." circumspect (SUR kuhm spekt")
Thinking carefully about possible risks before doing or saying something: "These people are circumspect in all their business dealings."
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