The Ultimate Guide to Avoiding Spelling Errors on AC

No matter how long you've been writing, sometimes those pesky words like "your" and "you're," "bear" and "bare," and the dreaded "it's" and "its" can trip you up.

These word pairs are called homophones: words that are pronounced alike but have different spellings and different meanings. Other examples are "blue" and "blew," "choose" and "chews," and "see" and "sea." Sometimes they come in groups of three: "their," "there," and "they're."

Following is a guide to some of the homophones that I've seen most often misused on Associated Content, plus a couple of other hints for fixing mistakes that your spell-checker program may not catch.

I'll tackle the most difficult pair first:

Its/It's

Typically, to show possession you use an "apostrophe s" formation, such as, "Bill's car." That is not the case with the word "it." If you want to say "Its paw," meaning, "the bear's paw," you would NOT use an apostrophe.

The word "it's" always translates into "it is." For example, Did you know it's going to rain today? In other words, Did you know it is going to rain today?

More examples of correct usage:
Paris, with its famous monuments, is a treasure-trove for sightseers.
She left the book in the rain; its cover is now ruined.
It's so quiet in the library.
The sun is so bright; it's a beautiful day.

If you're not sure if you're using "it's" correctly, try reading the sentence out loud, substituting in "it is." If it makes sense, then you have used the word correctly.

Their/There/They're

Their is a possessive, meaning "belonging to them." There is a place. They're means "they are."

The twins loved their birthday cake.
The birthday cake is over there.
They're going on a road trip.

Your/You're

Your is a possessive, meaning "belonging to you." You're always means "you are."

Your book is on the table.
When you're done with the book, put it on the table.

Like "it's," if you're not sure if you're using "you're" correctly, read the sentence aloud, substituting in "you are" for "you're." If it makes sense, the sentence is correct.

Affect/Effect

This is another really tough one to keep straight. Both words can be used as nouns and transitive verbs. (I'll save that definition for another day.) But affect is most commonly used as a verb. Effect is most commonly used as a noun.

Extra spices affect the taste of the soup.
Attracting men in a short skirt was the effect she wanted.

Bear/bare

Bear is the animal; it can also be a verb, such as to bear weight, bear fruit or bear children. Bare is naked.

The grizzly bear approached the tent.
Bear with me while I look for my wallet.
My baby has such a cute bare bottom.

Complement/compliment

Complement means to pair nicely with or to complete. Compliment is when you tell someone they look nice.

The asparagus complements the pork chops.
I got some great compliments on my yummy meal.

Similarly, if an item is complementary, it goes along with something else. If an item is complimentary, it is free.

That shirt and those shorts are complementary; they look good together.
I didn't have to pay for the tickets; they were complimentary.

Sight/site

This one can be tricky, especially when you're talking about traveling. You may be enjoying the "sights" of Rome, visiting all of the important historic "sites." Sight is something that is seen or worth seeing. Site is a monument or place.

Grandma in her ratty bathrobe was quite a sight.
Let's meet at the picnic site.

Fare/fair

Fare can be a noun, such as what you pay to get on the subway. It can also be a noun referring to food. It can take the form of a transitive verb meaning "do." The noun form of the word fair is a carnival or an event like a book fair. The adjective form of fair means to be equitable; it can also mean light, as in skin.

I paid my fare and hopped on the train.
The fare at that restaurant is not to my liking.
I'm afraid I didn't fare too well on that test.
We had a ball riding the Ferris wheel at the county fair.
She didn't think it was fair that he got the biggest piece of pie.
The girl was so pale; she had fair skin.

Cue/queue

Cue is a signal you give someone or the stick you use to hit the balls in billiards. Queue is a waiting line. (Take note AC Content Providers: I see this word misspelled constantly on the forums!)

I kicked my husband under the table, hoping he'd take the cue to stop talking.
I haven't gotten an offer from a Content Manager yet; my article must be near the end of the queue.

Palate/palette

Palate is the roof of your mouth, or it can refer to one's sense of taste. Palette is the board that an artist holds and uses to mix paints, or it can refer to a range of colors.

That new Italian restaurant offers cuisine to suit every palate, even finicky eaters.
He used a limited palette in that dull painting.

Loose vs. lose

The words loose and lose are not homophones, though some writers seem to use them that way. "Loose" means not tight. "Lose" is to not win a game.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen the word "loose" used incorrectly, as in "I need to loose (sic) weight" - even among teachers, attorneys, English majors and other highly educated folk.

The correct usage is:
I need to lose weight so my pants will be loose.

Plurals and "apostrophe s"

Finally, you do NOT need to add an apostrophe before an "s" when you're making a word plural. It's not "cat's," it's just "cats." It's not soda's," it's simply "sodas." The only time you'd use an "apostrophe s" formation with such a noun is if you were talking about "the soda's bottle cap" or "the cat's litter box."

I find this error all over the place--in AC articles, on gas-station signs, on restaurant menus (note: it's "menus," not "menu's). Stop the madness! Just add an s, no apostrophe, if you're making a world plural.

And if you're not sure if you are supposed to add an "s" or add "es" to the end of a noun, consult your dictionary for the correct plural spelling.

In fact, whenever you're in doubt of any spelling, look it up. My favorite free online lexicon is Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary (www.m-w.com).