Kay Hudson

Grammar Gremlins: More Pesky Pairs (and a Trio)

The English language is filled with words that sound and/or look enough alike to confuse the most careful writer (imagine what they do to those poor souls taking English as a Second Language classes!). Here are a few more from the Gremlins’ storehouse.

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Allude and elude don’t have much in common beyond their sound. Allude means to “suggest or call attention to, hint at, or mention briefly,” while elude means to “escape or evade,” applied to dangers, ideas, or goals.

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In his writings, Joe alluded to the fact that he had eluded capture by the invading aliens.

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Averse and adverse have some similarity in meaning, but they are definitely not synonyms. Averse means “having a strong dislike of or opposition to something,” while adverse means “harmful or unfavorable.”

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The neighbors were averse to the adverse conditions caused by the landing of the alien spaceship in their backyard.

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Discreet and discrete are two words I can never keep straight. Spellings like this should not be allowed. Discreet means “careful and circumspect in speech or action,” while discrete means “individually separate and distinct.”

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Jane was too discreet to mention the several discrete bits of evidence that her friend was having an affair with the alien invader.

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Assure, ensure, and insure are separated by shades of meaning. Assure means to “tell someone something positively or confidently, or make something certain to happen.” Ensure means to “make certain something will occur or be done, or make certain of obtaining or providing something.” Insure means to “provide compensation (i.e. insurance) or protection.”

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I assure you we have nothing to fear from the arrival of the aliens.

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Hiding in the root cellar should ensure that we survive the alien invasion.

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Nimby Mutual refused to insure anyone against damage by aliens, and now look what happened!

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Happy writing, and watch out for those alien invaders!