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They Sound Alike… or Almost Alike
Careful with homonyms and homophones
The Medium blogger spoke of “a horde” in his kitchen. What? I wondered if his kitchen was that big or if he was using hyperbole. Certainly not a Mongolian horde…
But then, from the context, I realized he meant “a hoard,” as in “a stock or store of money or valued objects, typically one that is secret or carefully guarded.” Believe me, as a Hord, I notice the difference!
In a previous post, I spoke of numerous such faux pas, even in Medium blogs. Since then, I’ve discovered others and often sent a private note to the writers.
Some examples include:
· Throws vs. throes. “I was in the throws of XYZ…” Sorry, “throw” is usually a verb, except when we’re referring to someone’s baseball throw.
· Trooper vs. trouper. It’s common to find phrases such as “She’s a real trooper,” which is incorrect unless the writer is referring to a police officer or private soldier. One meaning of “trouper” is “a reliable or uncomplaining person.”
· Pour vs. pore. “Pouring over books” is unlikely unless one wants to be more specific: “Pouring water/gas over books.” To “pore over” means “to look at or study carefully.”
