h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, what an odd surprise... having just found this thread yesterday I was working today on a Word Advanced manual (being a trainer) and I was doing a search in the help to find info on some topic or other and oddly enough I came across this one page which was supposed to point out things which might get changed by the grammar checker...

Anyway I have deleted some which I knew others had already found but here is a cut-paste of the rest....

(What an odd coincidence)


Commonly confused words detected by the grammar checker

Word Pair Description

Abut/About Generally, use "abut," a verb, when you mean "to border" or "to lie next to." Use "about," an adverb, when you mean "almost" or "nearly."

Adept/Adapt Generally, use "adept," an adjective, when you mean "skilled." Use "adapt," a verb, when you mean "to adjust."

Adept/Adopt Generally, use "adept," an adjective, when you mean "skilled. "Use "adopt," a verb, when you mean "to take in," "to take up," or "to vote for."

Ads/Adds Use "ads," a noun, when you mean advertisements. Use "adds," a verb, when you mean "combines" or "expands."

Advice/Advise Generally, use "advice," a noun, when you mean "suggestion" or "guidance" ¾ for example, "The manager gave Jenny advice."Use "advise," a verb, when you mean "to suggest" or "to give advice to" ¾ for example, "Will you advise me before I go into the meeting?"

Aid/Aide Generally, use "aid," a noun or verb, when you mean "help" or "assistance." Use "aide," a noun, when you mean "a helper."

Ail/Ale Generally, use "ail," a verb, when you mean "to feel unwell" or "to have pain." Use "ale," a noun, when you mean a type of drink.

Alter/Altar Use "alter," a verb, when you mean "to change." Use "altar," a noun, when you are referring to a table used in religious ceremonies.

Assess/Asses Use "assess," a verb, when you mean "to evaluate." Use "asses," a plural noun, when you are referring to the animal.

Augur/Auger Use "auger," a noun, when you are referring to the tool.Use "augur," a noun or verb, when you mean a prophet or the act of prophesying for example, "He has traits that augur well for his success."

Bare/Bear Generally, use "bare," which can be an adjective or verb, when you mean "undressed," "simple," or "to reveal." Use "bear," which can be a noun or a verb, when you mean the animal or "to support" or "to produce."

Beet/Beat Use "beet," a noun, when you mean the plant. Use "beat," a verb or a noun, when you mean "to hit," "to win," or a rhythm.

Border/Boarder Use "border," a noun or verb, when you mean "edge" or "to be alongside of." Use "boarder," a noun, when you mean a paying guest.

Breath/Breathe Generally, use "breath," a noun, when you mean the process of breathing, inhalation, or exhalation ¾ for example, "She took a deep breath."Use "breathe," a verb, when you mean "to inhale and exhale" for example, "Breathe deeply and smell the lilacs."

Bridal/Bridle Use "bridal," an adjective, when you are referring to a wedding. Generally, use "bridle," a noun, when you mean "a harness." Use "bridle," a verb, when you mean "to harness" or "to show resentment" for example, "she bridled at the suggestion."

Broach/Brooch Use "broach" as a noun when you are referring to the tool or as a verb when you mean "to bring up" or "to pierce." Use "brooch," a noun, when you mean a pin or clasp.

Brows/Browse Use "brows," a noun, when you mean the eyebrows. Use "browse," a verb, when you mean "to scan through."

Callous/Callus Generally, use "callous," an adjective, when you mean "unfeeling." Use "callus," a noun or verb, when you mean a thickened part of the skin or to develop a thickened part of the skin.

Cant/Can't Use "cant," a noun, when you mean "slope" or a type of speech. Use "can't," a contraction, when you mean "cannot."

Cloth/Clothe Use "cloth," a noun, when you mean "fabric." Use "clothe," a verb, when you mean "to dress."

Confident/Confidant Use "confident," an adjective, when you mean "assured" ¾ for example, "She is confident she will get the promotion."Use "confidant," a noun, when you mean "friend" ¾ for example, "He is her only confidant."

Decent/Descent Use "decent," an adjective, when you mean "proper" or "adequate." Use "descent," a noun, when you mean "a slope" or "a downward motion."

Desert/Dessert Generally, use "desert," a noun or verb, when you mean a type of land or "to abandon." Use "dessert," a noun, when you mean a class of food.

Dingy/Dinghy Use "dingy," an adjective, when you mean "dirty" or "worn." Use "dinghy," a noun, when you mean a type of boat.

Envelop/Envelope Use "envelop," a verb, when you mean "to enclose completely." Use "envelope," a noun, when you mean a type of container.

Extant/Extent Use "extant," an adjective, when you mean "still in existence." Use "extent," a noun, when you mean "the range or area that a thing covers."

Faze/Phase Use "faze," a verb, when you mean "to disturb." Use "phase," a noun, when you mean "a certain stage or condition."

Feat/Feet Use "feat," a noun, when you mean "an act of courage or achievement." Use "feet," a noun, when you are referring to a part of a body, the lower end of an object, or a unit of measurement.

Find/Fined Use "find," a verb or noun, when you mean "to locate," "to detect," or "a discovery." Use "fined," a verb, when you mean having been required to pay an amount of money.

Flare/Flair Use "flare," a verb or noun, when you mean "to flame up" or "a blaze of light." Use "flair," a noun, when you mean "talent" for example, "He has a flair for decorating."

Flea/Flee Use "flea," a noun, when you are referring to the insect. Use "flee," a verb, when you mean "to run away."

Forebear/Forbear Use "forbear," a verb or noun, when you mean "to resist," "to stop," or "an ancestor." Use "forebear" only as a noun when you mean "an ancestor."

Grate/Great Use "grate," a verb or noun, when you mean "to shred," "to irritate," or "a structure made of metal bars." Use "great," an adjective, when you mean "big," "important," or "outstanding."

Grater/Greater Use "grater," a noun, when you mean a tool. Use "greater," an adjective, when you mean "bigger" or "more important."

Herd/Heard Use "heard," a verb, when you mean perceiving sound or "listening." Use "herd," a noun or verb, when you mean "to flock" or "to assemble."

Hew/Hue Use "hew," a verb, when you mean "to cut" ¾ for example, "The workers will hew a new trail to the waterfall."Use "hue," a noun, when you are referring to color or appearance for example, "The hue of the silk dress was a delicate blue."

Hoard/Horde Use "hoard," a noun or verb, when you mean "riches" or "to accumulate." Use "horde," a noun, when you mean "a large crowd."

Hostel/Hostile Use "hostel," a noun, when you mean a type of lodging. Use "hostile," an adjective or noun, when you mean "unfriendly" or "one who is unfriendly."

Incite/Insight Use "incite," a verb, when you mean "to urge" or "to stimulate" for example, "Her speech will incite them into action."Use "insight," a noun, when you mean "perceptiveness" or "understanding" ¾ for example, "Their insight into the situation was very useful."

Indoor/Indoors Use "indoor," an adjective, to modify a noun or pronoun, as in "indoor pool." Use "indoors," an adverb, to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, as in "walked indoors."

Its/It's Use "its," a pronoun, when you are indicating possession, as in "its branches." Use "it's," a contraction, when you mean "it is" for example, "It's a long way to the station."

Laps/Lapse Use "lapse," a noun or verb, when you mean "to decline" or "to revert." Use "laps," a noun or verb, when you mean "to drink," "the motions of waves," or "to overlap."

Lessen/Lesson Generally, use "lesson," a noun, when you mean "instruction" or "example." Use "lessen," a verb, when you mean "to decrease."

Let's/Lets Use "let's," a contraction, when you mean "let us." Use "lets," a verb, when you mean "allows" or "rents."

Loath/Loathe Use "loath," an adjective, when you mean "unwilling" or "afraid" for example, "Although he was loath to apologize, he did it."Use "loathe," a verb, when you mean "to dislike" ¾ for example, "The only vegetable they loathe is okra."

Mane/Main Use "main," an adjective or noun, when you mean "most important" or "most important point." Use "mane" when you are referring to a part of a horse or other animal.

Mind/Mined Use "mind," a noun or verb, when you mean "intellect," "sense," or "to obey." Use "mined," a verb, when you mean "tunneled" or "excavated."

Miner/Minor Use "miner," a noun, when you mean a type of worker. Generally, use "minor," an adjective or noun, when you mean "lesser" or "a child."

Mite/Might Use "mite," a noun, when you mean the animal or an amount of money. Use "might," a noun or a verb, when you mean "strength" or "a sense of possibility."

Moral/Morale Use "moral," an adjective or noun, when you mean "virtuous," or "a kind of truth." Use "morale," a noun, when you mean "a group's attitude."

Morn/Mourn Use "morn," a noun, when you mean the morning. Use "mourn," a verb, when you mean "to express sorrow."

Navel/Naval Use "navel," a noun, when you mean a type of orange or the depression in the middle of the abdomen. Use "naval," an adjective, when you are referring to the navy.

New/Knew Generally, use "new," an adjective, when you mean "fresh" or "additional." Use "knew," a verb, when you mean "recognized," "understood," or "experienced."

No/Know Use "no," an adjective or adverb, when you mean a denial or "not any." Use "know," a verb, when you mean "to recognize," "to understand," or "to experience."

Peddle/Pedal Use "peddle," a verb, when you mean "to sell." Use "pedal," a noun or verb, when you mean a part of an instrument or machine or to operate with pedals for example, "The pedal on the bicycle broke."

Pleas/Please Use "pleas," a noun, when you mean "appeals" for example, "The pleas for a longer recess were not heard."Use "please," a verb, when you mean "to be agreeable" or "to give enjoyment." Use "please," an adverb, in polite requests.

Populace/Populous Use "populace," a noun, when you are referring to people. Use "populous," an adjective, when you mean "numerous" or "crowded."

Pray/Prey Use "pray," a verb, when you mean "to ask" or "to plead." Use "prey," a noun, when you mean a hunted animal or a victim.

Pride/Pried Generally, use "pride," a noun or verb, when you mean "self-respect" or "to be proud." Use "pried," a verb, when you mean "to inquire too closely" or "to force open."

Principal/Principle Use "principle," a noun, when you mean a rule or a standard. Use "principal," an adjective or noun, when you mean "main," "the main participant," or "the head of a school."

Prophesy/Prophecy Use "prophecy," a noun, when you mean "prediction" for example, "The prophecy came true."Use "prophesy," a verb, when you mean "to predict" for example, "He says he can prophesy the future."

Prostate/Prostrate Use "prostate," a noun, when you are referring to the gland. Use "prostrate," a verb or adjective, when you mean "to bow down" or "lying down."

Rote/Wrote Use "rote," a noun, when you are referring to a type of speaking. Use "wrote," a verb, when you mean "having formed letters or words."

Stationary/Stationery Use "stationary," an adjective, when you mean "not moving" for example, "The weather front was stationary."Use "stationery," a noun, when you mean "writing paper."

Team/Teem Use "team," a noun or verb, when you mean "group" or "to form a team." Use "teem," a verb, when you mean "to overflow" or "to swarm."

Thats/That's Use "that's," a contraction, when you mean "that is.""Thats" is always incorrect.

Tide/Tied Use "tide," a noun, when you are referring to the rise and fall of the ocean. Use "tied," a verb, when you mean "bound" or "connected."

Undo/Undue Use "undo," a verb, when you mean "to reverse" or "to open." Use "undue," an adjective, when you mean "excessive" or "not proper."

Urn/Earn Use "urn," a noun, when you mean "vase." Use "earn," a verb, when you mean "to acquire" or "to gain."

Vein/Vain Use "vein," a noun, when you are referring to a blood vessel, a fissure, or a mood. Use "vain," an adjective, when you mean "fruitless" or "proud."

Wile/While Use "wile," a noun or verb, when you mean "trick" or "to trick." Generally, use "while," a noun or verb, when you are referring to time or an interval of time.

Wither/Whither Use "wither," a verb, when you mean "to shrivel up" or "to fade." Use "whither," an adverb, when you mean "to what place or condition."

Wont/Won't Use "won't," a contraction, when you mean "will not." Generally, use "wont," an adjective, when you mean "accustomed to" or "likely" for example, "He is wont to do these things."

Yolk/Yoke Use "yolk", a noun, when you are referring to a part of an egg. Use "yoke," a noun or verb, when you mean a type of harness or "to harness."

You're/Your Use "you're," a contraction, when you mean "you are." Use "your" when you are indicating possession, as in "your garden."



Sorry for the formatting. I tried tabs I tried spaces but this delightful editor eats the both and I'll be damned if I have to learn HTML or Guide thingy language just to add a text only message!