Further Confused Words

By georgelthomas on 31 Jul 2017 • ( 1 )

Hi, everyone! I’m back with another post about words that may sound similar but can mean entirely different things.

They are:

Horde, Hoard
Horde: this word is used when you want to describe a large group of people. For example, the museum receives ‘hordes’ of visitors every day.
Hoard: is used when you’re talking about gathering things together in one place, for example, he is ‘hoarding’ food and other supplies in a bunker in his back yard.

Whine, Wine
Whine: this is used when describing a high pitched sound. It can also mean to complain or beg. For instance, the engine ‘whined’ as it sputtered into life. “I don’t like Brussels sprouts,” he ‘whined‘.
Wine: this word is used when talking about the fermented juice of grapes or other fruits used as an alcoholic drink or in cooking. For example, they often have ‘wine‘ with their meal. He often adds a splash of red ‘wine‘ to the sauce for flavour.

Great, Grate
Great: can be used to describe something considerably larger than average in size, quantity or intensity. It can also be employed when talking about ability or quality. For example, Earth is ‘greater’ in size than the Moon. She showed ‘great‘ strength in her ability to handle grief.
Grate: can be used when speaking about something which is irritating. It can also be used when referring to the action of reducing food to shreds. For instance, his voice began to ‘grate‘ on her. He ‘grated’ cheese to sprinkle on his baked potato.

Plane, Plain
Plane: this word is used when speaking about an aeroplane (airplane for the Americans and Canadians out there), a level of existence or when referring to a tool for shaving wood. For example, he watched as the ‘plane‘ flew overhead. She hoped that meditation would lead her to a higher ‘plane‘. He smoothed the edges of the door with a carpenter’s ‘plane‘.
Plain: can be used when referring to something as simple, or it can be used when talking about an area of flat land without much vegetation. For instance, his words could not have been ‘plainer’. She walked across the desert ‘plain‘.

Peace, Piece
Peace: this word can be used when you are speaking about the absence of war or about a feeling of calm and tranquillity. For example, once the two warring factions have signed the treaty, there will be ‘peace‘. Meditation helps Sam reach a level of inner ‘peace‘.
Piece: is used when referring to a part of a larger whole. For example, Matt cut the pie into eight ‘pieces’.

Leak, Leek
Leak: is used when referring to a crack or a hole in a container through which the contents is able to escape. For example, Jane sealed the hole in the pipe with tape to temporarily fix the ‘leak‘.
Leek: this word is used when talking about the vegetable that is related to the onion. For example, John made some ‘leek‘ soup for dinner.

Hopefully, this will be helpful to anyone who’s unsure of the correct word or words to use.
Thank you for reading if you did, your time is precious, and I appreciate you spending it here.

Until next time…

George