By DeAnna Cameron //
Homophones are problematic by nature. They’re words that sound the same but are spelled differently and mean different things.
Some of the most common ones we learn to sort out as soon as we begin to read. Remember when your elementary teacher made you memorize the difference between they’re, their, and there? What about two, to, and too?
Most of us handle those pretty well, but there are a few troublesome pairs that can trip up even the most seasoned writers.
Here are a few of the worst offenders I see as a copy editor, along with some memory tricks to help keep them straight.
AFFECT/EFFECT
This pair has a subtle difference in pronunciation, but as a copy editor, it’s the one I see misused all the time. So, how can you remember the difference? Dictionary.com offers up the RAVEN mnemonic device: Remember Affect is a Verb and Effect is a Noun.
Example: The billing mistake will affect the company’s revenue.
Example: Her poor test performance was an effect of insufficient preparation.
In most cases, the RAVEN trick will keep a writer on track, but there are exceptions. Affect can be used as a noun to mean the physical appearance of an emotion. Example: His cheerful affect stood in stark contrast to his gloomy outlook.
And effect can be used as a verb meaning “to cause something to come into being.” Example: You will effect these changes as soon as possible.
These exceptions tend to be rare, however, so remembering RAVEN will help a writer most of the time.
COMPLIMENTARY/COMPLEMENTARY
Complimentary is an adjective that usually means either something is offered free of charge as a courtesy or favor or it refers to an expression of praise or admiration.
Complementary, on the other hand, is an adjective that means something that is added to something else to create a whole. It can also refer to a color that when added to another given color creates white or black.
To keep them straight, WritingForward.com suggests remembering that what makes the words different are the “i” in one and the “e” in the other. For complimentary, think of the “i” as standing for insult, and a compliment is the opposite of insult. For complementary, think of the “e” as standing for enhance, and if one thing enhances another, it is complementary.
STATIONARY/STATIONERY
Stationary is an adjective that means something is in a fixed position and unchanging.
Stationery is a noun that means paper and other materials for writing or typing.
A memory trick I always use remembering that stationery with an “e” is the noun form because “e” stands for envelope, like you’d find in a stationery set.
CONCLUSION
These are just a few memory tricks savvy writers have devised to elevate the quality of their work, and you no doubt have your own. In the end, it isn’t the trick that matters. What’s important is to find what works for you and steers you in the right, or write, direction.
QUESTION: Do you have a favorite mnemonic device for remembering tricky words?
DEANNA CAMERON is the founder and managing director of O.C. Writers. She’s also an award-winning hybrid author currently writing YA dark fantasy as D.D. Croix and an occasional copy editor who’s never met an Oxford comma she didn’t like. Learn more at www.DDCroix.com.
The one that mess me up are “bear/bare”. I know one is an animal and one is naked, but which one is for carrying a burden?
You’re right, that is a tricky one to remember. Since “to bear” means to carry a burden, the association I make is to picture someone carrying a bear, the animal. There are probably better ways to remember it that aren’t so silly, but this works for me. Please let me know if you find another one.