Do These Trip You Up?

Compliment or complement? Ensure or insure? Horde or hoard? Mantel or mantle? They sound the same — or almost the same — but have different meanings.

This post will help you sort out these stumbling blocks and many others. Each word pair is accompanied by at least one definition for each word, as well as mnemonic triggers.

And we won’t discuss the redundancy in the bold heading.

Without Further Ado — the Words

base and bass

base: headquarters; center of operations

bass: a bass guitar; the lowest male voice

bassist: someone who plays a bass guitar or double bass

Mnemonic triggers:

• The lisping bassist entered the base.

brake and break

brake: to slow down a vehicle; the mechanical device that slows a vehicle

break: to separate or cause to separate into pieces

Mnemonic triggers:

• An auto brakes.
• A dropped teacup breaks.

breech and breach

breech: the back part of a cannon, rifle, or gun

breach: a gap in a defensive barrier, especially a gap made by an attacker

Mnemonic triggers:

• He rested his cheek against the breech of the rifle.
• The leak was caused by a breach in the seal.

bridle and bridal

bridle: part of the headgear used to control a horse

bridal: regarding a bride or a wedding

Mnemonic triggers:

• A bridle is never idle.
• The bridal bash caused a scandal.

capital and capitol

capital: a letter in the alphabet used to begin sentences and proper nouns; a city that is usually the seat of government for a town, region, or country

capitol: a building or group of buildings where a state legislature assembles

Mnemonic triggers:

• SIGNAGE IN ALL CAPITALS IS ANNOYING.
• Many capital cities have large populations.
• The Capitol Building has a roomy round rotunda.

complement and compliment

complement: to add to something in a way that completes it or brings it to perfection

compliment: to express praise or admiration for someone or something

Mnemonic triggers:

• The lemon complements the flavor of the lemur stew.
• He complimented her slim figure.

currant and current

currant: dried fruit made from a small seedless grape

current: the flow of electricity or water

Mnemonic triggers:

• Ants love currants.
• The rain caused the current to become a torrent.

emigrate and immigrate

emigrate: to exit one’s home country and settle in another

immigrate: to come into another country and settle there

Mnemonic triggers:

• emigrate = exit
• immigrate = ingress

ensure and insure

ensure: to make certain that something happens

insure: to arrange for financial compensation in the event of loss or damage to property, life, etc.

Mnemonic triggers:

• Their secrecy was ensured.
• The policy insures against fire.

forth and fourth

forth: onward, forward, or outward

fourth: number four in a sequence, list, etc.

Mnemonic triggers:

• The Norsemen sailed forth toward the north.
• Losing in the fourth period left a sour taste in the mouths of our players.

gaff and gaffe

gaff: a barbed or hooked stick for holding or lifting large fish

gaffe: a blunder or mistake that usually causes embarrassment to the person who makes it

Mnemonic triggers:

• The gaff was affordable.
• The gaffe affected his reelection.

hoard and horde

hoard: a stockpile of money or valued items

horde: a large group of people or animals

Mnemonic triggers:

• They discovered a hoard of gold coins beneath the board.
• A horde of illegal aliens sneaked across the border.

liable and libel

liable: likely or predisposed to do or be something

libel: a false statement that damages the reputation of a person or business

Mnemonic triggers:

• Her idea is liable to be non-viable.
• I believe he is guilty of libel.

lightening and lightning

lightening: becoming lighter in darkness, weight, pressure, etc.

lightning: atmospheric electrical discharge that causes flashing light

Mnemonic triggers:

• The word lightning is formed by taking out the e from lightening, an e begins electricity, and lightning can take out your electricity.
• The kerosene lamp lightened the entrance.

mantel and mantle

mantel: a frame around the opening of a fireplace, typically with a shelf on top

mantle: a sleeveless cloak or cape

Mnemonic triggers:

• A yellow elephant knelt on the mantel.
• Please let Leonard take your mantle.

Ready for the Second Part?

See Easily Confused Words and How to Get Them Right: Part 2.