Using the right word in its proper context

Grammar Tips

27 Sept

Your words matter

Are you a business owner trying to sell your products or services, a blogger trying to find your audience, a student writing up your end-of-year assignment, or a job seeker trying to impress the HR manager standing between you and your dream job?

Whatever your reasons for writing, what you say and how you say it could be the difference between achieving your goals or falling flat on your face.

There’s a word for that…

When you right, an essential element is to make sure you use the write word in its correct context. See what I did there?! Words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings are called homophones. They’re incredibly common in the English language, catching many of us out.

And to make matters worse, there are different types of homophones:

Homophones: words that sound the same but have different meanings
Homographs: words that sound the same and are spelt the same but have different meanings
Homonyms: words that are spelt the same but have different meanings
Heterographs: words that sound the same but are spelt differently and have different meanings

Of course, you don’t need to remember the technical terms, but you should be aware of where you can slip up. There are lots of common homophones – here are just a few words that are frequently confused:

► Your/you’re

Your indicates possession

You’re is short for you are

If you are unsure which one to use, try writing ‘you are’ – if it fits, you can use you’re, but if it doesn’t make sense, then use your.

► There/their/they’re

There is a ‘location’ word and indicates a place (see also: here)
Their indicates possession
They’re is short for they are

► Its/it’s

Its indicates possession
It’s is short for it is or it has

► Whose/who’s

Whose indicates possession
Who’s is short for who is or who has

► Here/hear

Here is a ‘location’ word and indicates a place (see also: there)
Hear means to listen and perceive a sound, or to be informed about something

► To/too/two

To is a preposition – it has several meanings, including toward and until
Too can mean excessively or in addition
Two is a number

► By/buy/bye

By is another preposition with many meanings, including beside, near and via
Buy means to acquire something in exchange for payment
Bye is the shortened form of goodbye; it’s also used in sports to indicate moving to the next round without opposition.

► Right/write/rite

Right can mean either correct or appropriate
Write is to form letters and words
Rite is a ceremony or ritual

► Stationary/stationery

Stationary means not moving or not intended to be moved
Stationery refers to pens, paper, pencils, etc.

This is not a complete list by any stretch of the imagination. There are many, many more to look out for – just Google homophone examples.

A quick Google of the word you’re stuck on will also show you its definition. Looking it up in an online dictionary (such as the Oxford English Dictionary) will also give you example sentences so you can put the word into context.

Proofread, proofread, proofread!

Using the wrong word is one way you can slip up with your writing, so be sure to carefully proofread your work before publishing it for all to see.

Unfortunately, these types of errors won’t be picked up by most free software packages as they don’t check for context. So, if spelling and grammar aren’t your strongest points, it's well worth investing in a professional to review your writing.

Are there particular words that you regularly stumble over? Do you have a tried-and-tested method for spotting them? Share your top tips below!