For most of us, English is still a challenge. With all its irregularities, exceptions and rules, English is a very difficult language to master.
With that in mind, rediff.com presents our English Bloopers series. Here, we publish written and spoken mistakes spotted and sent to us by observant Get Ahead readers. It's a great way to review the basics, clarify a few issues and share a laugh or two!
Jagruti Sharma, director of
Example: 'Loose' and 'lose'
Many people make this mistake. They inevitably interchange the words 'loose' and 'lose' while writing. 'Lose' means to 'suffer a loss or defeat'. Thus, you would write:
~ 'I don't want to lose you," and not 'I don't want to loose you.'
'Loose', on the other hand, means 'not firm' or 'not fitting.' In this context, you would write,
~ "My shirt is loose," not "My shirt is lose."
Twice a week, we'll provide the most common homonyms in the English language. We'll go in alphabetical order. Today, let's look at the letters 'F', 'G' and 'E'.
facet
any of several sides or aspects of something, as in: We carefully considered every facet of the problem.
faucet
spigot or tap, as in: The dripping of the faucet kept me awake.
facetious
funny, not serious, as in: His father didn't like his facetious remarks about such a serious subject.
factitious
artificial, as in: Her factitious laughter didn't fool anyone.
fictitious
imaginary, as in: This story is completely fictitious.
facilitate
make easy, as in: Computer programmess facilitate letter-writing.
felicitate
congratulate, as in: His parents called long-distance to felicitate the happy couple.
facility
(1) ease of doing something, as in: The gymnast showed her facility with the parallel bars.
(2) something made to serve a function, as in: Visitors are invited to tour our new kitchen facility.
felicity
great happiness, as in: The trip to the country was a time of felicity for me.
faint
lose consciousness, as in: For a minute, I thought I was going to faint.
feint
pretend to strike a blow, as in: His strategy was to feint with his right hand while preparing to deliver a mighty blow with his left.
fair
exhibition or marketplace, as in: We bought these baskets at the local farmers' fair.
fare
cost of a ride in a vehicle, as in: I would like to go by airplane but I can't afford the fare.
fare
experience good or bad results, as in: We'll see how our business fares with the new marketing plan.
farther
more distant in space, as in: Each day I try to walk a little farther than the day before.
further
additional or more, as in: If there are no further questions, we will adjourn the meeting.
faze
scare or worry, as in: The flash-flood warnings didn't seem to faze him at all.
phase
aspect or stage of development, as in: Most two-year-olds go through a rebellious phase.
feat
noteworthy deed, as in: Her performance on the ice concluded with a remarkable feat of agility and speed.
feet
plural of foot, as in: These shoes hurt my feet.
fewer
not as many as (applies only to number), as in: Only people with fewer than ten items should use Express Lanes in the supermarket.
less
not as much as (applies to extent, degree, bulk), as in: There is less chance of misunderstanding if you choose the right word.
finale
concluding part, as in: I had to leave the show early, so I missed the finale.
finally
in the end, as in: After competing many times, he finally won the Gold Medal.
finely
(1) excellently, as in: She stood out from the others because she was finely dressed.
(2) in small pieces, as in: For extra flavour add one cup finely chopped onions.
fineness
state or quality of being nearly perfect, as in : This gold jewelry is of exquisite fineness.
finesse
tactfulness or smoothness, as in: We must handle that customer with utmost finesse.
fir
type of evergreen tree, as in: He planted a fir tree in the front yard.
fur
animal hair, as in: My dog has black and tan fur.
fiscal
financial, as in: The fiscal year begins July 1.
physical
relating to the body or the material world, as in: I must make an appointment with my doctor for a physical examination.
flair
talent, as in: You have a flair for the dramatic.
flare
(1) a signalling device using bright light, as in: We used a flare gun to tell the rescue team where to find us.
(2) outward spread, as in: I could tell you were mad by the flare of your nostrils.
flaunt
make a showy display, as in: It is considered rude to flaunt one's wealth in front of others.
flout
treat with contempt, as in: Rebellious youths flout authority.
flounder
struggle clumsily, as in: I forgot my speech and had to flounder around for something to say.
founder
sink, collapse, or fail completely, as in: The iceberg caused the ocean liner Titanic to founder.
flour
ground wheat powder, as in: Make a paste of flour and water.
flower
a blossom, as in: The child handed his mother a flower.
flew
past tense of fly, as in: The birds flew south every winter.
flu
short term for influenza, as in: I can't come to work today because I have the flu.
flue
passage to let air or gas escape, as in: Don't block the chimney flue or the house will fill with smoke.
for
a preposition meaning on account of or because of, as in: She was fired for stealing.
fore
at or to the front, as in: Out of all the software makers in the world, his company has come to the fore.
four
one more than three, as in: We have four children in our family.
forbear
abstain or refrain from, as in: I will forbear mentioning his name again.
forebear
ancestor, as in: Most people have at least one forebear they admire.
foregoing
preceding, as in: The foregoing paragraph is about the words forbear and forebear.
forgoing
doing without, as in: To save time, we are forgoing the usual formalities.
foreword
brief and simple introduction in a book, as in: The foreword was written by a noted scientist.
forward
onward or toward the front, as in: Despite the obstacles, he kept moving forward to his goal.
formally
done in a valid and binding way, as in: They formally announced their engagement a month ago.
formerly
previously, as in: She was formerly the mayor of New York.
fort
military post, as in: The fort was surrounded.
forte
something in which a person excels, as in: His forte is design and hers is business, so they make a great team.
forth
forward, as in: She came forth to meet him.
fourth
next after third, as in: This is the fourth time we have met.
person with exceptional intelligence or talent, as in: Only a genius can assemble that puzzle.
genus
kind, sort, or classification, as in: The dog, the wolf, and the coyote belong to the same genus.
gibe
jeer or taunt derisively, as in: I would never gibe someone because it's unkind.
jibe
agree with, as in: His alibi doesn't jibe with the testimony of eye-witnesses.
grate
(1) framework of iron bars, as in: Clean out the ashes under the grate in the fireplace.
(2) scrape or shred, as in: I will grate the cheese next.
great
extraordinary or outstanding, as in: You did a great job on your term paper.
guessed
decided based on little evidence, as in: I didn't know the answer to that question on the test, so I guessed.
guest
visitor, as in: Thank you for treating me so well while I was a guest in your country.
(1) salute, greet or call, as in: You hail a cab while I watch our bags.
(2) ice shower, as in: We didn't get snow, but we got hail.
hale
healthy and strong, as in: Astronauts must be hale and hearty people to cope with the hardships of space travel.
hall
passageway or large room, as in: Her office is down the hall.
haul
drag or transport, as in: He earned extra money by using his truck to haul vegetables to the local farmers' fair.
heal
mend or restore to health, as in: Keep the wound clean and dry and it will heal in a few days.
heel
part of a foot or part of a shoe, as in: I have a blister on my heel from all the walking we did.
healthful
promoting good health, as in: A healthful diet builds strong bones.
healthy
possessing good health, as in: I am thankful I am healthy.
hear
perceive by ear, as in: Did you hear that noise?
here
in this place, as in: She came here to study.
heard
past tense of hear, as in: We heard the news and were shocked.
herd
flock or large group of animals, as in: The younger elephants stayed in the center of the herd for protection.
heir
person who inherits something, as in: The heir chose to put the castle up for sale.
air
our atmosphere, as in: The air quality where I live is not very good.
higher
taller, loftier, above normal, as in: Prices keep getting higher.
hire
employ, as in: The company wants to hire a part-time worker.
hole
hollow place or cavity, as in: The groundhog peeped out of his hole in the ground.
whole
complete or entire, as in: Bread made from whole grains is healthful.
holly
plant of the Ilex genus, as in: We have a hedge of holly bushes on our property.
holy
sacred or pure, as in: The people refused to build there because they considered it holy ground.
wholly
completely or entirely, as in: The company is wholly owned by one family.
hour
sixty minutes, as in: It seemed like I waited an hour, but it was only twenty minutes.
are
form of to be, as in: What are you doing tonight?
our
belonging to us, as in: Please visit our Web site and see our new book reviews.
human
of mankind, as in : Imagination is a human trait.
humane
kind and good, as in: They joined a group of students working for more humane treatment of animals.
hypercritical
excessively critical, as in: It's impossible to please a hypercritical person.
hypocritical
deceptive, just pretending to be good, as in: It is hypocritical to say tell your children to behave a certain way and then do the exact opposite yourself.
DON'T MISS
If you'd like to share common bloopers you come across when people speak/ write in English, do mail your list, along with their correct alternatives to englishbloopers@rediffmail.com -- we'll highlight them right here as a helpful guide to those trying to improve their English. Also, make sure you include your FULL NAME, AGE, OCCUPATION and the CITY you are based in.
