So, is it capital or capitol? What is the difference between censor and censure? Here we go with the third installment of confusing words and word pairs:
1 Capital/Capitol:
Capitol refers only to the actual Capitol building. But Boston is the capital of Massachusetts. Massachusetts begins with a capital M.
2. Canvas/Canvass:
My sneakers are made of canvas. And when I put them on to go door-to-door with a survey, I will canvass the neighborhood.
3. Censor/Censure:
Censor means to ban. I will censor all curse words from my radio broadcast (bleep!). Censure is a strong, often official, reprimand and can be a verb or a noun. The Senate committee censured the President for his actions.
4. Climactic/Climatic:
Climactic with the second c comes from climax: The car chase was the climactic point of the movie. Climatic comes from climate. The report give the climatic forecast for June.
5. Clothes/ Cloths:
If you wear cloths, you might look funny, as usually you use them for dusting. If you wear clothes, you will looked dressed.
6.Collaborate/Corroborate:
These two words are quite different in meaning. To collaborate means to work together, such as collaborating on a project. To corroborate means to confirm or make more certain, such as corroborating someone’s alibi that they were not in town on the night of the robbery.
7. Common/Mutual:
Common means shared: My sister and I have several friends in common. Mutual means reciprocal: My sister and I have mutual admiration for each other although we are very different.
8, Complement/Compliment:
If I tell you your shoes are nice, that is a compliment with an i. But if I tell you that your shirt complements your eyes, I mean that they go well together, and I use an e.
9.Compose/Comprise: Ugh – this one is so confusing.
The parts comprise the whole: Fifty states comprise the United States. The whole is composed of the parts: The United States is composed of 50 states. (Not is comprised of)
10. Continual/Continuous: There is no longer much regard for the difference between these two adjectives.
Continual means over and over again, often in rapid succession. Continuous means without stopping. These continual thunderstorms make every day gloomy. It rained continuously all day.
Hope you are staying well in this pandemic. Wear a mask, please.
Dear Arlene,
I vaguely remember having commented on this before (or somewhere else …).
From my good, old and well-trusted friend-in-need, the OED:
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(So: “The United States comprise 50 states”- ?)
and:
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Helpful?
Significant differences between American and British English (which I was ‘forced’ to study …)?
Yes. We would consider the United State singular — per the word “united.”
Hi, Fellow language-obsessed person!
In addition to “censor” and “censure” in number 3 in today’s blog, what about the word “censer,” used in religious rituals as a vessel for burning incense?
I recall seeing priests walking down the aisle swinging the censer back and forth at Catholic churches I was visiting with a friend.
I have not heard of that. Thanks!