{"id":2371,"date":"2021-06-11T17:39:50","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T17:39:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/?p=2371"},"modified":"2021-06-11T17:39:50","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T17:39:50","slug":"english-want-to-sound-smarter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/english-want-to-sound-smarter\/","title":{"rendered":"English, Want to sound smarter?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>English is filled with words that look alike or sound alike (or both), but mean very different things \u2014 so it\u2019s easy to get confused and use the wrong word at the wrong moment.<\/p>\n<p>As \u201cword nerds\u201d and podcast hosts of NPR\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/podcasts\/642595029\/you-re-saying-it-wrong\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.npr.org\/podcasts\/642595029\/you-re-saying-it-wrong&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1623332087882000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHq2loEBw0j7w2zZ5OddnD4puycJg\">\u201cYou\u2019re Saying it Wrong,\u201d<\/a> we\u2019re constantly on the lookout for these mistakes. And we\u2019ve seen them everywhere, from corporate reports, resumes and cover letters, to major publications.<\/p>\n<p>But if you\u2019re aware of the different meanings of these words, you won\u2019t fall into the same traps. Here\u2019s a list of some of the most commonly confused words in the English language:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>1.\u00a0imply\/infer<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Imply and infer both have to do with communicating and understanding information. But when you imply, you\u2019re the speaker; you\u2019re <em>giving<\/em> the information. When you infer, you\u2019re the listener or the reader receiving the information.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, imply means to suggest something or hint at it without saying it outright. Infer means to conclude something based on signals or evidence you\u2019ve picked up \u2014 ones that aren\u2019t explicitly expressed.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>She <strong>implied<\/strong> that she wanted a raise, instead of asking for it bluntly.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The manager <strong>inferred<\/strong> from her comments that she\u2019d quit if she weren\u2019t paid more.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>2. eminent\/imminent<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Imminent means something is about to happen, while eminent means distinguished or standing out. Some linguists think that both words come from the same Latin root word <em>mons<\/em>, or mountain, which makes sense.<\/p>\n<p>Eminent and especially<em> preeminent<\/em> people (eminent with the prefix \u201cpre,\u201d meaning <em>super<\/em> eminent) jut out from the crowd, and imminent things loom before us as we near them.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"m_-6718497239212064640gmail-MidResponsive-1\">\n<div id=\"m_-6718497239212064640gmail-div-gpt-midresponsive-2021536452\">\n<div id=\"m_-6718497239212064640gmail-google_ads_iframe_\/2620\/nbcu.cnbc\/makeit\/makeitsuccess_2__container__\">\n<div id=\"m_-6718497239212064640envIpolli1045979\">\n<div id=\"m_-6718497239212064640gmail-impIpolli1045979\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"CToWUd\" src=\"https:\/\/ci6.googleusercontent.com\/proxy\/SF89unhfpsephTPUjLAbbFG5zRLROdUpSoEKxUrQ-hSxEjKAHrw5LZgNMYrmOS4lrhUC_VFEoWWZsMdBvDq9ab6Co_SPcEvUgkRqiConWZBmeG6gccmO_R4nlDkwec2jXHfiGZfCC07epJMk5m88GOss86dy4aUSWW2Kdh00fOsAnnMxmYRjpkGUU52mSUaj_1n1618s9NMbdyM3BYXPDn1Z2Pyc6OgxGWaLig_iCeMTEuoaFFHZGcoADYbL-AXFZwRhOemFLlPX2uUuCc4bPWwNnywyS6dFL56EXXR1MykoXV8q0SbQ5p8zy5LQLhpi4wuep7A6aFV8oQNHhypkBz1z2euzLbsXd6nDZQZsEjeAkqhX_IDms5gNGNsphn4js7E=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/ad.doubleclick.net\/ddm\/trackimp\/N284201.834NBCUNIVERSAL-CNBC0\/B25652103.299479323;dc_trk_aid=492697621;dc_trk_cid=148328375;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;gdpr=$%7BGDPR%7D;gdpr_consent=$%7BGDPR_CONSENT_755%7D;ltd=;ord=557232730948398800\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"CToWUd\" src=\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/proxy\/lY-LnWLtQa3aE-CWA-PX0HYwQRRHDrHsPqNt-HOoD7x2mYdZ3l6PiohL0-EZYp-JN1f6SSE7FIXqZel7jOiRKMLyL6avlnj3RtRAFgn02MTWu0VDVWzq-auBNlsFoNo_M03LayNzrSk33r0=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/hs.interpolls.com\/imprimage.poll?a=83961&amp;c=80&amp;p=1&amp;t=9&amp;i=0&amp;rnd=557232730948398800\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><em>She is an <strong>eminent<\/strong> doctor.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The CEO\u2019s arrival is <strong>imminent<\/strong>, so get ready!<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>3. ensure\/assure\/insure<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Ensure basically means to make certain. Assure means to reassure, or to give confidence to someone. Insure is to arrange for monetary compensation in the case of unfortunate events.<\/p>\n<p>Three words with three different meanings, and, just to make it more complicated, sometimes there\u2019s overlap in the meanings. For example, particularly in the U.K., assure can mean insure. But for the most part, the basic definitions should be followed.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>I <strong>assure<\/strong> you I will <strong>ensure <\/strong>that I insure my <strong>house<\/strong>.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>4. advice\/advise<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>There\u2019s just one letter differentiating these two words, and there\u2019s also one very big difference between them: They\u2019re completely different parts of speech.<\/p>\n<p>Advice is a noun, meaning information or guidance that someone or something gives you. Advise is a verb, meaning to give someone advice.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Her boss gave her excellent<strong> advice<\/strong> on how to further her career.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Her boss <strong>advised<\/strong> her on many different career matters.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>5. altogether\/all together<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>People get these two mixed up all the time. Altogether is an adverb meaning completely or entirely. All together is a phrase meaning all in one place or all at once.<\/p>\n<p>(Tip: when \u201call together\u201d is used correctly, you can separate the \u201call\u201d from the \u201ctogether\u201d and it will still make sense.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Words that look and sound the same can be <strong>altogether<\/strong> confusing.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>All together<\/strong> now, sing along with me!<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>6. bemused\/amused<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Bemused means to find something confusing or perplexing. It isn\u2019t, like so many people think, a synonym for amused. But people who should know better keep using bemused as amused.<\/p>\n<p>When we did a quick Google search of news articles with \u201cbemused\u201d in their headlines, we found only one correct usage of it on the first page of results.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>He was <strong>bemused<\/strong> by the logic puzzle.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The barista was <strong>amused<\/strong> when his customer cracked a joke.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>7. complementary\/complimentary<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Here\u2019s a duo of easily confused words separated by only one vowel. But it\u2019s a very important vowel.<\/p>\n<p>The word complementary with an \u201ce\u201d describes things that combine to enhance each other\u2019s qualities. Complimentary with an \u201ci\u201d describes things that convey praise or things that are free, like \u201ccompliments of the house.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>(Here\u2019s a simple mnemonic to help you remember: If <em>I<\/em> get something free, it\u2019s complimentary.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Those two product lines are <strong>complementary<\/strong>.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>He was very <strong>complimentary<\/strong> about my performance at the conference.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>8. flare\/flair<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Flare and flair are homophones \u2014 they sound exactly the same, even though they\u2019re spelled differently.<\/p>\n<p>Flare, which can be both a noun and a verb, is connected with fire, either literally (\u201cthe candle flared\u201d) or figuratively (\u201cthe tempers flared\u201d), or it can mean something spreading out (\u201cthe jeans flared\u201d). Flair is a noun that means a special aptitude or ability, or a sense of style.<\/p>\n<p>(We\u2019ve heard many people talking about someone having a \u201cflare\u201d for something, when they definitely don\u2019t mean someone\u2019s on fire!)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>The match <strong>flared<\/strong> when he struck it.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The copywriter had a <strong>flair<\/strong> for clever puns.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>9. flaunt\/flout<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>How often do you see something about someone \u201cflaunting the rules\u201d? Pretty often, we bet. But it actually should be \u201cflouting the rules.\u201d This is one of the most common errors when it comes to confused words.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an easy mistake since flout and flaunt are paronyms \u2014 they look and sound similar. But they aren\u2019t interchangeable. Flaunt means to show off or to brazenly display. Flout means to openly disregard a rule or law.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>The Vegas star <strong>flaunted<\/strong> his velvet jacket and huge diamond pinky ring.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>She <strong>flouted<\/strong> the company rules one too many times and got fired.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>10. penultimate\/ultimate<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Here\u2019s one that often trips up word snobs. They want to sound smarter than the rest of us, so instead of saying something is the \u201cultimate,\u201d they say it\u2019s the \u201cpenultimate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But penultimate isn\u2019t a fancy way of saying ultimate \u2014 it\u2019s a fancy way of saying second from the last, or the last except for one in a series. So don\u2019t call your boss the penultimate leader if you\u2019re looking for a promotion.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>He choked on the <strong>penultimate<\/strong> lap, and by the final lap you could see he was going to lose.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>We can\u2019t predict the <strong>ultimate<\/strong> outcome of the race.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>11. perquisite\/prerequisite<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>A prerequisite is a thing that is required as a prior condition. A perquisite, or perk for short, is something that you get in addition to your normal job salary, usually a non-cash benefit like use of a company car \u2014 or if you\u2019re really lucky, a private jet. (Hey, we can dream\u2026)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>A working knowledge of a foreign language was a<strong> prerequisite<\/strong> for the job.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>In addition to a great salary, he got a nice<strong> perquisite<\/strong>: a leased luxury car.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/kandrpetras.com\/bio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=http:\/\/kandrpetras.com\/bio\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1623332087882000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHDLuD-q8Qj_eadkbdX-1u9oq445Q\"><em><strong>Kathy and Ross Petras<\/strong><\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0are the brother-and-sister co-authors of\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B07T51FPJX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B07T51FPJX&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1623332087882000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHupF1sPyXnAq1CTgdNP2tJV3xdsA\"><em>\u201cAwkword Moments,\u201d<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B01A4ATX08\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B01A4ATX08&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1623332087882000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHZGhaaKFQRdGSvwvYl9FDQYCHkvQ\"><em>\u201cYou\u2019re Saying It Wrong\u201d<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B078DTY5GT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B078DTY5GT&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1623332087882000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFBQRis9fO5XeVqcRalnORFcxdTgw\"><em>\u201cThat Doesn\u2019t Mean What You Think It Means.\u201d<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>English is filled with words that look alike or sound alike (or both), but mean very different things \u2014 so it\u2019s easy to get confused and use the wrong word at the wrong moment. As \u201cword nerds\u201d and podcast hosts of NPR\u2019s \u201cYou\u2019re Saying it Wrong,\u201d we\u2019re constantly on the lookout for these mistakes. And<a class=\"read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/english-want-to-sound-smarter\/\"> Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2374,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[56,1],"tags":[310,945],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2371"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2371"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2371\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2372,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2371\/revisions\/2372"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}