Finally, we reach the end of the alphabet on the series about confusing word pairs and groups. Last week I received a lot of returns on the emails I sent out. If you didn’t receive last week’s quiz post, I apologize — and you can always find the blog posts on my website under the BLOG tab. (www.bigwords101.com OR www.TheGrammarDiva.com.) I am moving to a new e-mail sending service, but first I have to figure out the technical details….and that generally stops me in my tracks: technophobia! So bear with me….
Confusing words that begin with W and Y:
Waive/Wave – To waive is to refrain from insisting on something or to forego. Wave is the movement of the tides or a hand gesture. Because she had such good grades, the school waived the requirement that students running for office be at the school for at least a year. He waved at us before he rode the big wave on his surfboard.
Warrantee/Warranty – I used to have a tough time with this one. A warrantee is the person who receives a warranty. A warranty is an agreement you get with a purchase that guarantees your product will work for a specific length of time, or the product will be repaired or replaced free of charge. The contract claimed that the warrantee had to register the product with the company in order to use the warranty.
Wary/Weary – Wary means watchful or on guard. Weary means tired. The dog was wary of strangers. After that covid vaccine, I was very weary for a couple of days.
Way/Ways – Ways is the plural of way. Don’t use it as a singular. Which way is your house? (Yes) There are many ways to bake brownies. (Yes) We still have a ways to go. (No. That last sentence is not correct.)
Wet/Whet – Wet is the opposite of dry. To whet, a verb, is to make eager for something or to stimulate. My nail polish is still wet. These fancy appetizers will whet your appetite for the main course.
Whoever/Who ever – Whoever is some person. Occasionally who and ever are two separate words. If you can put a word or phrase between them, they are two separate words. Whoever is first at the party will win a prize. Who ever says those things? (You could say Who on earth ever says those things? OR Who, might I ask, ever eats that?)
Whose/Who’s – We probably have had this one drummed into us enough times to know it by now. Whose is possessive. Who’s is a contraction for who is. These words follow the rule that all contractions have an apostrophe, but no possessive pronouns do (his, hers, ours, yours, theirs, whose). Whose old shoe is this? Who’s coming with me.
Wont/Won’t – Wont isn’t used very often, but it means accustomed. And of course won’t is the contraction for will not. He is wont to take a hike every weekend. He won’t be able to visit because he is hiking.
Yoke/Yolk – A yoke is something that binds things together, particularly two draft animals. And yolks belong in eggs (the yellow part). Please tighten the yoke on those two donkeys. The yoke broke while I was frying the egg.
Your/You’re – I know, I know. But it still is a very common mistake, and probably much of the time, just a typo. Your is possessive. You’re is a contraction. Just like whose and who’s. They follow the rules. Please don’t forget to take your coat. You’re going to freeze without it.
Stay tuned for the quiz next week.
Thanks, Arlene. I have never known about the way/ways no-no. I suppose you could use it as in, “How many ways are there to get to your house?” The “a ways to go.” phrase is one I’ll have to dump from my vocabulary, though. Thanks for setting me straight–so to speak!
Thanks for the comment, Cate! It always sounded weird when people said it, but it is pretty common, so it is probably “OK” now!
Nice to know
Thanks!!
Are you skipping Z? I have trouble with Z in the middle, such as advertizement vs. advertisement.
I am just doing beginning letters, and X and Z didn’t have any in the source I was using (one of my books!).