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.
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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