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Ways to remember those
tricky words. |
In the English language there are several words which
are so similar it can be difficult to remember which one you use or even how to spell
them. Each person will, of course, experience problems with different words.
Here are just a few I have come across, but I am sure you will have some of your own, so
please let us know. Send them into us at june@hintsandthings.co.uk
so we can add them to this page and help others -
RHYTHM
Rhythm
Helps Your
Two Hips
Move
or
Rhythm Has
Your Two
Hips Moving
Amante
Darmanin)
CHURCH
CH on the
right CH on the left and
(you are) U R in the middle.
Amante Darmanin
GEOGRAPHY
Gary
Eats Old
Grey Rats
And Paints
House Yellow
Rhonda Courtney
or Amante
Darmanin suggests
George Eliot's
old grandmother rode
a pig home
yesterday.
Maxine Dorot has kindly shared the
following tricks with us:-
CEMETERY
People frequently spell "cemetery"
with an 'a', in order to spell it correctly, simply remember that late at night all the
ghosts come and and go "eeeeeeeee"!
DESSERT
Can't remember how many s's there are in the word "dessert" (pudding), well just think, when you eat
dessert you always want "one more".
PRINCIPAL
In the U.S. (and sometimes in the U.K.) the headmaster is called the
Principal. To remind you that the
ending of this word is 'p-a-l' and not 'p-l-e' remember he/she is your 'pal'.
The word principle means a
personal code of conduct or fundamental truth.
DIARRHOEA
Dash In A Real Rush, Hurry Or Else Accident!
Diana
Nikki Chaplin has sent in the following
two tips used by her children -
QUEEN
To remind children that a Q
is followed by the letter U - the Queen always carries an Umbrella.
BECAUSE
Big
Elephants Can
Add Up
Sums Easily
Nikki Chaplin
or
Big Elephants
Can't Always
Use Small
Exits!
Caroline Noon
or
Big
Elephants Cause
Accidents Under
Small Elephants
Gillian
Jackson
or
Big elephants
can always understand
small elephants.
Amante
Darmanin
PRACTICE /
PRACTISE
To distinguish between PRACTISE
(verb) and PRACTICE (noun) think of ADVISE and ADVICE.
To ADVISE is the verb so PRACTISE
is the verb.
Jordan Walters
To distinguish PRACTICE
(noun) from PRACTISE (verb) and
ADVICE (noun)
from ADVISE (verb),
just remember that ICE
is a noun and IS is a verb.
John Mihaljevic
PractiSe
- verb, spelt with an s, S for sports.
Moe
PractICE
- I went to the doctor’s practice and he put ice on my leg.
Ice is in
practice.
Debbie Aicken
STATIONERY
/ STATIONARY
STATIONERY
meaning paper and Envelopes
Mary Ihla
STATIONARY
meaning "not moving"
This can be remembered if you think of "E" stands for
Envelopes, therefore, Stationery with an "e" is paper etc. and a CAR not moving, therefore, the word meaning
"still" ends in ARY.
StationAry
- StAnd still
StationEry
- PEns, PEncils
Moe
THERE /
THEIR
THEIR meaning "belonging to them".
THERE
meaning "in that place"
This can be remembered by "HERE and THERE",
therefore, "in that place" is the one ending in the word "here".
STALAGMITE
/ STALACTITE
STALAGMITE meaning a
deposit of calcium carbonate formed by the dripping of water into the shape of a large
inverted icicle rising from the floor of a cave.
STALACTITE
meaning a deposit of calcium carbonate formed by the trickling of water from the roof
of a cave.
There are several ways to remember which is which -
STALAGMITE
- From the Ground
STALACTITE
- From the Ceiling
A slightly risqué
method of remembering the difference between stalaGmites
and stalaCtites.
Gee,
the mites fly up and see
the tights fall down!
(I
would point out to non-English English speakers that tights are pantyhose).
WAFT / WEFT
In fabric which direction do the warp and weft run.
WEFT goes left to right across the fabric.
WARP goes vertically top to bottom.
Weft = left
to right, therefore, warp must be top to bottom.
NECESSARY
It is NECESSARY
to have one (C)ollar and two (S)leeves
Katie Sassoon
Or
you can use the following phrases to remember
how to spell this word.
Never Eat Cucumber
Eat Salmon
Sandwiches And
Remain Young
or
Never Eat
Crisps Eat
Salad Sandwiches
And Remain
Young
Jaimie Ramsay
or
Never Eat
Chips Eat
Salad Sandwiches
And Raspberry
Yoghurt.
Unlike
the variants on your web site, this carries a very sensible health message
that does not breach trade description legislation!
or
Never Eat
Cress Eat
Salad Sandwiches
And Remain
Youthful.
or
A vicar has one collar and two
socks. - NECESSARY
Amante Darmanin
I can't guarantee the sandwiches work, but hope the phrases
help!
ARITHMETIC
A Red Indian Thought
He Might
Eat Toffee In Church
Kate
Williams.
It has been brought to my notice that
the term "Red Indian" is offensive to some people so perhaps the following is a
less sensitive alternative.
A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream
Don't forget if you have any of these little "tricks" or
your own, please share them with the rest of us.
DIFFICULTY
Mrs D,
Mrs I, Mrs FFI,
Mrs C, Mrs U,
Mrs LTY
Fiona Flynn
FRIEND
If you "fri"
your friend he'll come to an "end".
or
Friends end in end.
Amante
Darmanin
Friday is the
end of the school week.
Luan Carter
BELIEVE/BELIEF
There is a lie in the middle of
believe and belief
SECRETARY
A Secretary has a
secret.
ACCOMMODATION
Two cots need two
mattresses in any accommodation.
SEPARATE
There is a rat in
separate.
or
There is a parachute in
separate.
MANOEUVRE
Old
elephants usually manoeuvre poorly.
BUSINESS
You take the bus to
business.
Other examples can be see here!
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