# Educate Your Fellow Dopers: Explain Words That Are Easily Confused **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 27, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367 "2014-05-27T13:34:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/61 "2014-05-28T08:03:47Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > I suppose there’s also: > > **splice** : to join together > **splice** : to break apart Really? I’ve never encountered the second one, and can’t find it in the dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/62 "2014-05-28T08:34:03Z")
My pet peeves (plural of peef?), as commonly used in newspaper articles by writers who _ought_ to know better: **stanch** vs. **staunch** **stanch** v.t., to block the flow of a liquid (or, more loosely, of anything else that can be said to “flow”): Use a tourniquet to stanch the bleeding; sell off an imploding stock to stanch the losses. **staunch** , adj., steadfast, unwavering: Staunch allies in the Cold War. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/63 "2014-05-28T11:33:47Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Really? I’ve never encountered the second one, and can’t find it in the dictionary. Me either. Is it an archaic usage? ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/64 "2014-05-28T11:43:00Z")
Too and Two. Always getting mixed up. For example I say "When I got married my wife was 30 and I was thirty - too. Which sounds like I was age 32 when I was really 30. I should say I was “thirty also”. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/65 "2014-05-28T11:44:37Z")
Sucker and lollipop. Both describe the same kind of candy but lollipop sounds more fancy than sucker. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/66 "2014-05-28T11:54:10Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Me either. Is it an archaic usage? Or an overhearing of someone who should be saying ‘slice’? ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/67 "2014-05-28T12:27:30Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > **Cannot:** It is impossible for a thing to happen (Penguins cannot fly) > **May not:** Something in prohibited (Customers may not consume their own food on these premises) Unfortunately, “may not” is ambiguous. That is, it may or may not mean what you say it does. 😉 That caused a lot of confusion in early internet specs, so they formalized the language: you’re supposed to use “MUST NOT” or “MIGHT NOT” (in caps!) ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/68 "2014-05-28T12:36:00Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Also : > > **cache** , pronounced “kash” : a hidden stockpile of stuff, prepared for future use > **cachet** , pronounced “kashey” : prestige, class. Also a seal (the ring/stamp thing, not the pinniped) No kidding, though I’d spell that pronunciation as “kashay”. ---
**Author:** ![codgerone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c37758/32.png) [@codgerone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/codgerone)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/69 "2014-05-28T12:41:41Z")
Advice - noun - to give guidance. Advise - verb - the act of giving advice. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/70 "2014-05-28T12:45:02Z")
**Councilor:** member of a council **Counselor:** one who gives counsel ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/71 "2014-05-28T13:25:27Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Or an overhearing of someone who should be saying ‘slice’? Or maybe someone once got tongue-tied, and came up with “splice” as a portmanteau of “split” and “slice,” which became an inside joke somewhere, and the poster is a late-comer, who didn’t realize it was a joke. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/72 "2014-05-28T13:33:14Z")
Oh-- wait, I know. Sometimes in splicing branches of trees, when they cut the piece from the bigger tree to splice onto a root to create an artificial sapling (or for a couple of other uses, like bark repair on old growth trees), they refer to it as “cutting a splice.” It’s shorthand for “Cutting off a piece to use for a splice.” Maybe that’s what the OP is talking about. I’ve spliced wires, and never heard the term used in reference to wires, but when splices are used in ropes or fabric, the may say “cut a splice” as well, to refer to the piece they are going to use for the splice, if it’s being used to bridge a gap. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/73 "2014-05-28T13:35:53Z")
**Diffuse** : to disperse matter within a medium. **Defuse** : to ameliorate interpersonal or diplomatic tension in a situation, with the purpose of avoiding a metaphorical explosion. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/74 "2014-05-28T13:45:50Z")
> [@codgerone](#): > > Advice - noun - to give guidance. > > Advise - verb - the act of giving advice. 1000X this. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/75 "2014-05-28T14:02:46Z")
**Sherbet** : a type of frozen dessert **Sherbert** : a homophone for the phrase Ernie uses to signal his intention to comply with his roommare’s request. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/76 "2014-05-28T14:05:17Z")
**Flammable** : combustible; easily set on fire. **Inflammable** : combustible; easily set on fire. What a country! ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/77 "2014-05-28T14:07:02Z")
Proscribe and prescribe are almost opposite in meaning (“proscribe” means “forbid”). And then there are all those people that give me the heebie-jeebies by using “ect.”. Unless you are referring to a certain medical procedure sometimes used to resolve severe psychiatric symptoms, the abbreviation is “etc.”. If you pronounce it correctly (et cetera) you will be much more likely to spell it correctly. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/78 "2014-05-28T14:12:16Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > **Sherbet** : a type of frozen dessert > **Sherbert** : a homophone for the phrase Ernie uses to signal his intention to comply with his roommare’s request. **Espresso:** cures my headaches when consumed \*\*Expresso: \*\*gives me headaches when spoken ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/79 "2014-05-28T14:37:22Z")
Disperse: to spread through the air, as in a gas, or to clear an area of people (“disperse the crowd”). Disburse: to pay out. It’s literally “dis-purse,” with the consonant “p” voiced. In medieval Latin, “bursa” was a repository for money, and we get the word “purse” as well as “bursar” from it. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/80 "2014-05-28T14:44:17Z")
**taught** : provided instructions **taut** : tight oh, and that reminds me: **straight** : in an unbending line (walk a straight line) **strait** : tight (strait-laced, strait-jacket) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367.md?page=5)