Category Archives: confusing words

Confusing Words of the Week

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Words of the WeekIt’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:

Defuse – to make less harmful

  • The officers worked to defuse the bomb

Diffuse – (v) to spread; (adj.) wordy, badly organized

  • She prepared a diffuse report of the accident
  • He wanted to diffuse the lavender in his bedroom.

Memory tips:

Defuse – to De-Fuse the situation

Diffuse – make a difference in the atmosphere (to spread) and to make it difficult to read (wordy, badly organized)

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Confusing Words Of The Week

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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:

  • Age – the length of time during which a being or thing has existed; length of life or existence to the time spoken of or referred to
    • He was 16 years of age.
  • Aged – having lived or existed long; of advanced age; old; of the age of
    • A girl aged 40 years.

Memory tips:

  • ageD – having liveD or existeD long
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Confusing Words of the Week

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Words of the WeekIt’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:

  • censor – (n.) an official who examines documents and deletes objectionable material; (v.) to examine in order to delete anything considered objectionable
    • The network television show was heavily censored for language.
  • sensor – a device that detects a change (for example, in motion, light, heat, sound or pressure)
    • The sensor for the air conditioner was broken.
  • censure – (n.) condemnation; reprimand; (v.) to criticize; to find fault with
    • The politician received a censure for his recent antics.

Memory tips:

  • censor – censOr – O for objectionable
  • sensor – senses a change
  • censure – they should be reprimanded for sure 
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Confusing Words of the Week

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Words of the WeekIt’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:

  • currant – a berry
    • I haven’t yet tried currant jam.
  • current – (adj.) belonging to the present; (n.) a flow of water or electricity
    • Joe needed to do a report on current events.
    • Jane was shocked by the electrical current.

Memory tips:

  • currAnt – jAm made of currant berries
  • currEnt – prEsent; Electricity
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Confusing Words of the Week

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Words of the WeekIt’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:

  • Annals – historical records
    • She researched the church annals looking for her genealogy records.
  • Annual – yearly
    • He looked forward to the annual celebration of new officers.
  • Annul – to cancel
    • She couldn’t wait to annul the agreement to serve on the committee.

Memory tips:

  • Annals – records about your Aunt Ann
  • Annual – U Always Love your birthday every year
  • Annul – undo

As an extra, someone posted this sign on my Facebook page, and since it fit perfectly to demonstrate the issues with misspelling annually, I’m adding it here:

kansas city

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Confusing Words Of The Week

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Words of the WeekIt’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:

  • flesh out – to give substance to; to make something fuller
    • She fleshed out the presentation with quizzes over the material.
  • flush out – to cleanse; to force something to the surface
    • He flushed out the radiator and added fresh fluid.

Memory tips:

  • flesh out – think of filling out flesh thus making it fuller
  • flush out – flushing the toilet cleanses it
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Confusing Words of the Week

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Words of the WeekIt’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:

  • precedence – priority
    • He gave precedence to Sally, who had been waiting the longest.
  • precedents – established rules
    • He went by the precedents for Phase 10 even though his family used different rules
  • precedent – an established rule
    • The court went with the precedent set by statute.
  • president – the head of an organization
    • The president was elected at the meeting last night.

Memory tips:

  • Precedent/precedents – remember the “t” as following rules to the “t”
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Confusing Words Of The Week

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Words of the WeekIt’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:

  • adverse – harmful; hostile; unfavorable
    • They expected an adverse reaction to the change in the PTO policy.
  • averse – opposed (to)
    • He was averse to having kale on the menu.

Memory tips:

  • adverse – since the difference is the letter “d” being included in this word, I would think of “dang,” “dynamite,” or another “d” word that makes you think of being on the verge of being harmful.
  • averse – think of “vice versa” or opposites so it is opposed to
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