Errors occur every day in the manner in which words are used. Let's talk about some of the most common.
COUNCIL / COUNSEL
The word,
COUNCIL
, is a noun and means a group of people that pass laws, ordinances or other laws or standards.
She had to go before the
council
for them to pass judgment on her
or
The
council
will take up the wetlands provisions next week
are two examples of how to use this word.
COUNSEL
is a noun. It can mean a lawyer that offers advice or the advice itself. A few examples of how to use this word correctly are:
The
counsel
asked to approach the bench
or
His
counsel
provided answers for her.
ACCEDE / EXCEED
ACCEDE
is a verb and means to agree.
I accede with your wishes
is an example of how to use the word.
The word,
EXCEED,
is a verb and means to go beyond what the standard is for that particular situation. A few examples are:
Her father told her not to
exceed
her limit
or
The cop told her that she could not
exceed
the speed limit.
ENQUIRE / INQUIRE
This is a good example of a word that has the same meaning with either spelling but one is more common in another country.
ENQUIRE / INQUIRE
is a verb and means to ask questions about or seek information concerning something.
In the United Kingdom and other U.K. holdings (past and present), the word
ENQUIRE
is more commonly used. In the United States, the word
INQUIRE
is more commonly used.
LEAD / LED
LEAD
is both a noun and a verb. In noun form, one of the many meanings of the word
LEAD
is a metal that is silvery in color. As a verb, it rhymes with the word REED and means to give someone or a group specific direction.
Moses was chosen by God to
lead
his people out of bondage
is a good example of how to use the verb version of the word.
LED
is a verb and is the past tense of
LEAD
. A few examples are:
I
led
the horse to water
or
He said that the people needed to be
led
.
DEFUSE / DIFFUSE
In its literal meaning,
DEFUSE
means to 'remove the fuse' or to remove whatever is present in a situation that could make or makes it volatile.
DEFUSE