Commonly Misspelled Words Armstrong （容易拼错的单词阿姆斯特朗）.pdf

Commonly Misspelled Words “Are you quite quiet?” English spelling is difficult. Words are often not spelled the way they sound. Raccoon sounds like it should have a k but doesn’t. Threw sounds like through but is spelled differently. Though, cough, and through look like rhyming words but are actually not pronounced at all alike. Given that English has a vocabulary of over 400,000 words, it’s a wonder that we spell as well as we do. Some words—called homophones—sound exactly alike but have different spellings and meanings. Other words are not exactly homophones but are similar enough to be often confused. Study the following examples: Homophones: Altar (a raised platform in church) Alter (to change) The minister stood at the altar. I can alter your jacket. It’s (a contraction of “it is”) Its (possessive form of the pronoun “it”) It’s getting late. The rabbit is in its nest. Confusing Words: Accept (to receive with consent) Except (excluded) I accept your money. Everybody left except Fred. Advice (a noun) Advise (a verb) She asked for advice. We advise you to study. Homophones and Frequently Confused Words Learn the meaning and spelling of homophones and frequently confused words. Errors in spelling can drastically change the meaning of writing. Angel spelled correctly will still confuse your reader if you really meant angle. English is riddled with many homophones and confusing words. The examples on the following sheets