508 EDITING FOR CORRECTNESS • Spelling EDITING FOR CORRECTNESS • Words pronounced alike but spelled differently 509

analysis/analyses medium/media
Exercise 60.2 Practicing spelling
crisis/crises stimulus/stimuli
datum/data thesis/theses Some words i n the following list are misspelled. Circle each of the mis-
spelled words, and w r i t e the correct spelling next to i t .
Some nouns w i t h foreign roots have regular and irregular p l u r a l forms
{appendix/appendices/appendixes). Be consistent i n the spelling you either boxxing hopping
choose. hygiene supplyed nieghbor
dealer neither worried
Note: Some writers now treat data as though it were singular, but the buying divorced tring
preferred practice is still to recognize that data is plural and takes a
exced managable receipt
plural verb: The data are clear on this point: the pass I fail course has
become outdated by events.

Compound nouns w i t h hyphens generally form plurals by adding W o r d s pronounced alike but spelled differently
s or es to the most i m p o r t a n t word.
H o m o n y m s sound alike b u t have different meanings and different
attorney general/attorneys general spellings. The following is a list of common homonyms as well as words
mother-in-law/mothers-in-law t h a t are almost homonsmis.

For some compound words t h a t appear as one word, the same rule ap-
plies (passersby); for others, i t does not (cupfuls).
I f both words i n the compound are equally important, add s to the ; C O M M b N HOMONYMS and
second word: singer-songwriters. NEAR HOMONYMS
A few words such as fish and sheep have the same forms for sin-
gular and plural.
accept: "to take w i l l i n g l y " it's: contraction for it is or it has
except: "to leave out" (verb); its: possessive pronoun
"but for" (preposition)
loose: "not tight"
Tip f o r IVluitilingual Writers: affect: "to influence" (verb); lose: "to misplace"
American and British Spelling "a feeling or an emotion"
passed: past tense of pass
(noun)
Standard B r i t i s h s p e l l i n g differs from A m e r i c a n spelling for some past: "former time"
effect: "to make or accomplish"
words—among them color/colour, canceled/cancelled, theater!theatre, (verb); "result" (noun) peace: "quiet, harmony"
realize I realise, and judgment Ijudgement. ^—_ piece: "part of "
a l l ready: "prepared"
already: "by this time" p l a i n : "simple"
plane: "aircraft" or "tool for
discreet: "tactful" or "prudent"
leveling wood"
Exercise 60.1 Practicing spelling discrete: "separate" or "distinct"
precede: "to come before"
Write the correct p l u r a l form for each of the following words. Consult cite: "to quote or refer to"
proceed: "to go forward"
the preceding rules or a dictionary, as needed. sight: "spectacle, sense"
site:"place" p r i n c i p a l : "most important"
Bentley hoof trophy (adjective); "the head of an
desert: "dry, sandy place"
president-elect potato index organization" or "a sum of
(noun); "to leave" (verb)
life fungus Sidney money" (noun)
dessert: "after-dinner course"
principle: "a basic standard or
box brother-in-law self hear: "perceive by listening" law" (noun)
appendix stereo nucleus here: "at this place" (continued)
EDITING FOR CORRECTNESS • Spelling EDITING FOR CORRECTNESS • Commonly misspelled words

COMMON HOMONYMS and COMMONLY MISSPELLED WORDS

: NEAR HOMONYMS {continued) height nuclear rhyme
heroes nuisance rhythm
their: possessive pronoun weather: "atmospheric humorous numerous ridiculous
there: adverb of place condition"
they're: contraction for w h e t h e r : " i f i t is or was true" I O S
they are imaginary occasion sacrifice
who's: contraction for who is
immediately occur schedule
to: indicating movement whose: possessive of who
incredible official secretary
too: "also"
your: possessive pronoun independence opponent seize
two: number
you're: contraction foryoa are individual opportunity separate
influential similar
intelligence P sincerely
interest parallel sophomore
irrelevant parliament succeed
irresistible particularly summary
COMMONLy MISSPELLED WORDS performance surprise
J permanent
A judgment permissible T
changing efficient
persuade technique
absence chief , eighth
K pitiful tendency
accessible column embarrass
knowledge pla5rwright thorough
accidentally commitment emphasize
possession together
accommodate committee entirely
L practically tomorrow
achieve competition environment
laboratory preference tragedy
address conceive especially
license prejudice twelfth
amateur consistency exaggerate
luxury prevalent
analysis continuous exercise
lying privilege U
analyze convenient existence
apparent criticism professor unanimous
M pronunciation unconscious
appearance curiosity F maintenance unnecessary
appropriate curious familiar
manageable Q usually
argument curriculum fascinate
athlete February marriage questionnaire
average D meant quizzes V
foreign
medicine vacuum
decision fulfill
mischievous R vengeance
B definitely
misspelled receive villain
basically descendant G mortgage recommend
beginning desirable gauge
muscle referred W
believe desperate government
remembrance weird
beneficial discipline grammar
N reminisce wholly
business discussion guarantee
necessary repetition writing
disease guard
C neighbor restaurant
dissatisfied guidance
calendar
cemetery E H
certain ecstasy harass
INTERMEDIATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE

Practice

Words commonly spelled wrongly are also included here.

Correct the spelling where necessary.

a) decideing d.^id'}:^. g) thier

b) swiming h) beatiful
c) foto i) reciept
d) qestion j) begining
e) whistle k) phychiatrist
f) knowen 1) sucesfull

Use the letters in brackets to make a w o r d which fits the space.

a) Sue said she'd (nehop) phov\&, me but I haven't

(iredvece) .J^?rk^.. a call yet.
b) When the referee blew the (stewlih) the players left
the (edlif)
c) Ellen (feclyslusucs) completed the course in nuclear
(shipscy)
d) I didn't (wonk) how to cut the string without a
(inkef)
e) The police arrested the (itfeh) as he was
(negvial) the bank.
f) Jim asked a (slqontue) , but his teacher wasn't
(nilsigent)
g) At the (nigengibn) of the film, I had a poor
(wive) of the screen.
h) These ancient (mulcosn) are
(yitbuelfual) made.

Write each verb w i t h an -ing ending.

a) control ...0MKP.llim g) upset

b) thicken h) hook
c) grip i) write
d) choose j) improve
e) fly k) swim
f) make 1) ride

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