Double N, One L

The Assistant Director of Personnel at a large corporation noticed that his boss, the Director of Personnel, upon arriving at his desk each morning, unfailingly opened a drawer, took out a metal box, unlocked it, looked inside, smiled, then closed it and put it away. The Assistant Director longed to know what was in that box. Years later, the boss retired and the Assistant Director became the Director of Personnel.  He couldn’t wait to open that drawer, unlock the box, and look inside.  There he found a small slip of paper on which was written: “Two N’s, one L.”

There are many words in English, like personnel and personal, which look similar, but are spelled differently and mean different things. Guess what? They are often confused with each other.

Here’s a list of some of the most commonly confused, misspelled, and misused words. Like the man said, there is no royal road to geometry—nor to orthography.  Well, he didn’t mention orthography, but it’s equally true.  English being what it is, there is usually no way to differentiate between these similar-looking words, except to commit them to memory.  Do it.  Now.

Here are a few to get started on; you will no doubt think of many more on your own:

            Affect (v.) – cause a change in

            Effect (v.) – put into operation

                    Note: Effect can also be a noun, in which case 
                    it can mean the result of having been affected.  

            Altar (n.) – place of religious sacrifice

            Alter (v. ) – change 

            Census (n.) – a counting, usually of people

            Consensus (n.) – general agreement, usually of 
                   people

           

            Compliment (n.) – favorable comment

            Complement (n.) – the full number that makes 
                    something complete

           

            Confectionary (n.) – place where confectionery is 
                   made or sold

            Confectionery (n.) – sweet foods made in a 
                  confectionary

                  Note: Some dictionaries will tell you that these 
                  words are  interchangeable. Do not believe them.

            Continuous (adj.) - uninterrupted

            Continual (adj.) – recurring over time in rapid 
                     succession

            Council (n.) –  deliberative or advisory body           

            Counsel (n.) – advice or the adviser who gives it, 
                      specifically a lawyer 

            Consul (n.) – diplomatic or trade official in a foreign 
                      country

           

            Forego (v.) – come before

            Forgo (v.) – do without

            Foreword (n.) – part of a book preceding the main text

            Forward (adj.) – situated in an advance position; 
                    precocious

                            (v.) – promote

                            (n.) – player at the front of a team’s 
                                     formation

                            (adv.) – toward what is ahead

           

            Precede (v.) – come before

            Proceed (v.) – move along

            Prescription (n.) – order for medicine from the doctor

            Proscription (n.) – ban

            Secede (v.) – withdraw

            Succeed (v.) – do well

            Supersede (v.) – take the place of, especially if 
                  superior to

                  Note: Some dictionaries will tell you supercede is 
                  an acceptable spelling. Do not believe them.

                                   

            Stationary (adj.) – immobile

            Stationery (n.) – writing paper

            Weather (n.) – climatic (not climactic!) conditions

            Wether (n.) – castrated male sheep

            Whether (conj.) – indication of alternatives

There, now.  Don’t you feel better having learned all that?  The Bard of Buffalo Bayou certainly does; in fact he feels so much better that he decided to take a week off, write proscriptions on his stationary, forego confectionary, give council on the wether--and if at first he doesn’t secede, he’ll precede again. He is expected to return next week, but I wouldn’t count on it.