Words Often Confused
Words Often Confused
wet, whet
Wet as a verb means strictly to pour
liquid on something. You do not “wet”
somebody’s appetite for anything; you’ll
only land up doing the opposite of what
you want! Instead, you whet it, which
means to sharpen or stimulate.
which, witch
As a fantasy writer, I have trouble
believing people get these two
confused! Which is one of a
group; witch is a sorcerer.
whose, who’s
This confusion is similar to its and
it’s. Whose is possessive, and who’s is
short for “who is”.
wont, won’t
Wont means accustomed; won’t is
short for “will not”. The usual confusion
here is to use won’t instead of wont.
yoke, yolk
Yoke as a verb means to bind or
confine. In olden days, for instance,
oxen were yoked together for ploughing.
As a noun it is more usually the means
by which something is bound or
confined, though I remember the upper
part of a two-piece bodice on a dress or
blouse being referred to as a
yoke. Yolk is the yellow part of an egg.