Category Archives: Words of the Week

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!

A friend asked about some confusion over two words. Here they are as this week’s words:

• inquire – ask for information from someone; investigate; look into.
• enquire – ask for information from someone; investigate; look into.

Yes, they are the same. Traditionally, “enquire” meant to ask, while “inquire” was used for more formal investigation. In the UK, either word is appropriate, but “inquire” is most common. Here in the US, “inquire” is the preferred word.

So you would be correct to use “inquire” in the US when you are asking for information or investigating something, although “enquire” is not incorrect. And the same would be true in the UK.

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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:

rain – falling water.

The rain was pouring down.

rein – (n.) part of a bridle; (v.) to check; to stop.

It was time to rein in the committee members who had launched off onto a different topic.

reign – (n.) the term of a ruler’s power; a period during which power is exercised; (v.) to rule.

The reign of the chapter president is over.

Some hints to help remember are that to stop something–like a horse–is to rein them in (like the horse’s rein) while reign looks pretty royal to me with the silent “g.”

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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:

Interstate – Between states

Intrastate – Within one state

Intestate – Dying without a will

TIPS:

Interstate is between states, so you are entering (inter) different states as you travel through, while intrAstate is in the same state so you’re not entering other states, you are staying “In” the sAme state. Intestate means that it is going INto probate because there is no will.

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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 Ask PTB or send an email to [email protected] and they may appear here soon!

This week’s words:

Wangle – to get by devious means

• Joe was trying to wangle an invitation to the party.

Wrangle – to bicker; to herd horses

• It seems that politicians love nothing more than to wrangle with opponents.

Tip to help remember–Wrangle (with an “R”) means to “bickeR” or to “heRd hoRses.” The definition of “wangle” does not contain an “R.”

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