Confusing Words Clarified: Group P; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, etc.(lists of "P" sections that are organized into what for some people are confusing groups of words)If you have any problems understanding the pronunciation symbols, go to this Pronunciation Chart for clarifications.pretend, portend, portent, potent
pretend (pri TEND)
1. To give a false impression; to make believe: "When we were children, my sisters and I used to dress up and pretend to be fairy princesses."
2. To make a false claim or assertion: "We will pretend we have tickets and hope to go to the parade." portend (por TEND, pohr TEND)
To give a sign in anticipation of something, an omen: "The dark clouds over the bay seem to portend a storm."
portent (POR tent", POHR tent")
That which foreshadows an event in a prophetic manner: "The arrival of the seagulls in the farmer's field often is the portent that it will rain in about two hours."
potent (POH n't")
1. Powerful; mighty: "The police proved to be a potent fighting force."
2. Producing powerful physical or chemical effects: "He used a potent drug to fight the cancer." 3. Having or exercising great power or influence: "The higher interest rate was a potent factor in the economy." prevent, hinder
prevent (pri VENT)
To keep from happening or succeeding; to deprive of hope or power: "The flat tire on the car will prevent us from going to the movies tonight."
"The birth of the prince will prevent the revolutionaries from taking power from the king." hinder (HIN duhr)
To delay, to impede, to make progress difficult: "The heavy snow drifts on the roads will hinder the progress of our car going across the hills towards our town."
preventative, preventive
preventative (pri VEN tuh tiv)
Actions taken to deprive something from succeeding: "Getting a flu shot now is a good preventative measure so I won't become ill later."
preventive (pri VEN tiv)
Actions taken to forestall or to keep something from happening: "Careful crop management is a preventive measure in terms of soil erosion."
preview, purview, purvey
preview (PREE vyoo")
1. An advance showing, as of a movie or art exhibition, to which a selected audience is invited before public presentation begins: "We had the opportunity of seeing the movie at a special preview."
2. An introductory or preliminary message, sample, or overview; a foretaste: "The magazine includes a preview of the newest fall fashions." purview (PUR vyoo")
1. The range of operation, authority, control, concern, etc.: "The CIA drones won't cease operating, but a separate group of drones will now be under the purview of the Defense Department and, for the first time, will be allowed to venture beyond the border areas."
2. The full scope or compass of any document, statement, subject, book, etc.: "The moral dilemmas of the early settlers are beyond the purview of this book." purvey (puhr VAY, PUR vay")
To publish or to pass on news or information; especially, gossip, scandal, or other kinds of information that people generally feel should not be circulated: "The blog kept trying to purvey personal information about well-known people."
pride, pried
pride (PRIGHD) 1. A gathering of lions: "On our safari we saw a pride of lions."2. Justifiable self esteem: "She felt a great deal of pride at her accomplishments as a painter." 3. Delight or pleasure in one's own accomplishments or of another individual: "He took great pride in his daughter's success as a conductor of the orchestra." 4. Disdainful behavior or treatment towards others: "His pride towards his neighbors tended to blind him to their friendliness." pried (PRIGHD)
1. To have opened or exposed with difficulty: "My sister pried my secret recipe for cookies from me."
2. To have pulled something apart by using a lever: "Using a crow bar, my brother pried open the buried treasure chest." prier, pryer; prior
prier, pryer (PRIGH uhr)
Someone who pries, especially a person who is unduly interested in the affairs of others: "She was always known as a prier into what her son was doing when he was away from home."
prior (PRIGH uhr)
1. Existing earlier in time: "He had a prior history of back problems."
2. More important than something else because it came first: "They have a prior claim to the property." 3. A monk who is the head of a religious house or order: "We went to visit the prior of our local monastery." 4. A previous time of being arrested for or found guilty of a crime: "The suspect had a prior conviction as a robber." pries, prize
pries (PRIGHZ)
Things, such as crowbars, that are used to apply leverage; such as, raising, moving, or forcing open with levers: "The movers used a crowbar as a prise when they were trying to pry open the box."
prize (PRIGHZ)
1. Something offered or won as an award for superiority or victory, as in a contest or competition: "My grandmother won an authentic wooden shoe as the prize in a spelling contest."
2. Something worth striving for; a highly desirable possession: "Winning the scholarship prize was worth all the hard work and practice." prince, prints
prince (PRINS)
1. A male person of high standing in his profession: "As an actor, he was a prince among his peers."
2. The male child of a king; an heir to a royal throne: "Even though he was a prince, he was allowed to attend the local school and make friends among his classmates." prints (PRINS)
1. Copies or reproductions of original works of art: "At the shop in the art gallery, I bought several prints of my favorite painting to give as gifts to my friends."
2. Original works of art intended as a reproduction and completed under the supervision of the original artist: "In my art history class we learned that many famous artists employed apprentices to paint prints of their famous paintings." 3. To create copies of something by hand or machine: "The new photocopier at the office prints very nicely." 4. To make letters of something by hand: "My sister is just starting school and she uses a pencil when she prints her name." It was easy to see the messy prints of the prince before he washed his hands after working on his wet-clay sculptures. When told at the camera shop that her photographs were not back from the developer, the woman began to sing: "Some day my prints will come. . . ." principal, principle
principal (PRIN suh puhl)
1. Most important or influential: "He was the principal financial backer of the railroad project."
2. The individual who has significant authority and leadership in an educational institution: "My aunt was the principal at the local high school for almost ten years before she retired." 3. The star or leading performer in a play or movie: "She had the principal role in the newly discovered play by Shakespeare." 4. Money that is used to fund an undertaking, not including interest accrued: "The principal is in the bank and I am using it to pay the bills." 5. The primary source of information. “The principal source for my research was the letters and documents which were located in the library archives." principle (PRIN suh puhl)
1. A comprehensive rule or code of conduct: "The main rule or principle of the company was declared to be integrity."
2. An underlying quality or characteristic of something: "The famous writer had a principle which involved doing careful research before starting work on a novel." 3. Characterized by adherence or devotion to appropriate behavior: "He was described as a man of principle in terms of his business transactions." 4. The laws of science that underlie the operation of an artificial device: "The water wheel operated on the principle that falling water would hit the paddles and turn the wheel." The professor said that his main code of conduct or his principal principle was to make sure that his students would have every opportunity to improve their vocabulary skills. For more information and mnemonic explanations for determining the appropriate usage of these words, visit this principal, principle, page. prodigal, profligate
prodigal (PRAHD i guhl)
1. Characterized by extravagant, wasteful, lavish behavior: "His prodigal behavior about the food left from the banquet upset many people."
2. An individual who spends foolishly or extravagantly: "Despite winning the lottery, he was a prodigal and was soon poor again." profligate (PRAHF li git, PRAHF li gayt")
An individual who always acts in a dissipated or wildly extravagant manner: "The king's son was a profligate and not liked by others in the court who feared he would bankrupt the treasury."
prodigy, progeny
prodigy (PRAHD uh jee)
1. An individual who is considered to be very talented, often in reference to a child: "Mozart was considered a child prodigy."
2. Something that is an extraordinary or unusual accomplishment or event: "The completion of the massive symphony was nothing short of being a prodigy." progeny (PRAHJ uh nee)
Offspring, children, followers or successors: "The list of my grandparents' progeny is extensive and includes me."
produce, produce
produce (proh DOOS)
1. To make something; especially by using machines: "The company will produce thousands of cars."
2. To show something or to cause something to appear or to be seen: "He had to produce his ID for the security guard before he was allowed entrance into the building." produce (PROH doos)
Fresh fruits and vegetables: "We will be going to buy produce at the market tomorrow."
Our farm helped to produce needed produce for people to buy at the market. profit, prophet
profit (PRAHF it)
1. To gain benefit: "I know I will profit by going to summer school this year."
2. Income typically over a specific period of time: "The profit on her investment this year was significant and she was pleased." 3. Money obtained by selling something for more than the cost of production or manufacture: "The company made a significant profit by deciding to buy the raw materials from local farmers rather than to import what they needed." prophet (PRAHF it)
1. An individual who can foretell future events or happenings: "The farmer was viewed as a prophet when he warned his neighbors about the coming hail storm."
2. An individual who is credited with writing Holy Scripture; for example, the Old Testament in the Christian bible; "The Prophet was revered for his knowledge and understanding of the holy books." 3. A spokesperson or leader for a group or a cause: "My uncle was seen as a prophet among climate change advocates." Many a prophet has been known to profit from his prognosticator's successful renditions. program, pogrom
program (PROH grahm"; PROH gruhm)
1. A listing of the order of events and other pertinent information for a public presentation; schedule, order of events, things to be done, agenda, plan; timetable; prospectus: "Today's program includes a tour of San Francisco."
2. List of players, list of selections: "The ushers gave everyone a program for the evening's performance." 3. Show, presentation, production; series: "There were new programs indicated for the fall television schedule." 4. Schedule, arrange, book, slate, bill, calendar; design, intend, expect: "We've programmed you to appear on her show next week." pogrom (puh GRAHM; POH gruhm)
A planned campaign of persecution or extermination sanctioned by a government and directed against an ethnic group; especially, against the Jews in Tsarist Russia: "With the success of the Bolshevik Revolution, pogroms ceased in the Soviet Union; they were revived in Germany and Poland after Adolf Hitler gained power."
The word pogrom is a Russian term, originally meaning "riot", which came to be applied to a series of violent attacks on Jews in Russia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. prophecy, prophesy
prophecy (PRAHF i see)
The work of an individual who seems to be inspired with a spiritual will or purpose: "The prophecy of the local saint was recorded in the church annals."
prophesy (PRAHF i see)
1. To speak as if inspired by a divine thought: "He stood on the street corner to prophecy about the dangers of dance halls and beer consumption."
2. To predict seemingly on the basis of mystical knowledge: "It was her prophecy that there would be a severe rain storm and flood during the coming summer."
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