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It’s time for “Confusing Words of the Week” where I take a set of two or three words that get confused and give you definitions and try to give you a memory trick to help you remember when to use which word. If you have words that confuse you, use the Ask PTB tab on the website or send an email to [email protected] and they may appear here soon!

This week’s words are:

• quash – to suppress (a legal motion)
  • We are filing the motion to quash the subpoena on Wednesday.
• squash – (v.) to press down, to flatten; (n.) a vegetable
  • She sat on the suitcase to squash it so she could lock it.

Memory tips:

• quash – you’re not trying to flatten something, you just want it to end, so you don’t need the extra “s”
• squash – it takes more weight and energy to squash something, so it needs the extra “s”

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It’s time for “Confusing Words of the Week” where I take a set of two or three words that get confused and give you definitions and try to give you a memory trick to help you remember when to use which word. If you have words that confuse you, use the Ask PTB tab on the website or send an email to [email protected] and they may appear here soon!

This week’s words are:

• precede – to go before
  • The flower girl will precede the bride down the aisle.
• proceed – to advance
  • We will proceed to order lunch at 10:00 whether or not we have your order.

Memory tips:

• precede – the prefix pre- means before, so precede means to go before
• proceed – think of pro- as being the same as go and you are going to advance or go forward, so you will proceed 

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It’s time for “Confusing Words of the Week” where I take a set of two or three words that get confused and give you definitions and try to give you a memory trick to help you remember when to use which word. If you have words that confuse you, use the Ask PTB tab on the website or send an email to [email protected] and they may appear here soon!

This week’s words are:

• tack – (n.) direction; (v.) to change direction
• tact – considerate way of behaving so as to avoid offending others

Memory tips:

• tack – think of the “k” as a road with a choice of direction

• tact – think of the “t” as keeping things even to avoid offending others

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