Commonly confused sound-alike words: Vol. T

Do you know the difference between ‘tortuous’ and ‘torturous’? Have you ever mistaken ‘tenet’ for ‘tenant’? It’s time to get these and other homonyms straight.

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1. taught/taut

Taught is the past tense of teach. It is also used as an adjective to mean instructed.

Example: “Howard Phillips Lovecraft, weird fiction writer and primogenitor of modern horror fiction, was a self-taught writer.”

Taut means “pulled tight.”

A common error is to spell taut as taught, as in this fishing advice in Backpacker magazine:

Incorrect: Use more weight to keep the line taught.

Correct: Use more weight to keep the line taut.

2. titivate/titillate

Titivate means “to spruce up, to make more attractive.”

Example: We decided to titivate the kitchen with new cabinets and countertops.

Titillate means “to excite the senses or imagination in an agreeable way.”

Example: Camilla Ochlan has crafted a supernatural mystery-thriller that will titillate the palate of even the most discriminating sci-fi reader.

The error is to mix them up, as in this example from a restaurant site:

Incorrect: We are sure to have something to titivate your taste buds.

Correct: We are sure to have something to titillate your taste buds.

3. tortuous/torturous

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