Welcome to this edition of Words For Thought, the blog on wordrefiner.com. Like some of the previous blogs, we are exploring typographical errors. Words that look almost the same, but have different spellings and meanings. To find more of these on Twitter search for the hashtag: #TyposHurtYourWriting.
I understand how important it is to have a manuscript free of spelling errors. With over 40 years of experience, I have found that typos give many writers problems. Less than perfect typing can create hidden errors. I find typos and other spelling errors in 95% of the published books.
There are many groups of words that vary by only one letter, such as came, dame, fame, and game. The correctly spelled word in the wrong context will not be flagged by most spell-checkers. The Hyper-Speller at Word Refiner is dedicated to exposing all of these hidden errors and delivering your document free of spelling blunders.

Now, onto today’s episode!

We are set with 10 different four letter words that start with Her. That means you have nine opportunities to create a hidden error that won’t be found by many spell checkers. Let’s take a look at this list of terrible typos.
Herb refers to plants with flowers, leaves or seeds used for cooking, folk remedies, perfume, and coloring other materials. In a strict botanical sense, it includes annual plants that are without a woody stem and bear seeds. It also used as a man’s name and was the name of the 31st president of the USA, Herbert Hoover. This word has been in use for hundreds of years.
Herd defines a group of animals that travel as a group for safety and foraging purposes. These can be wild animals or domesticated. Many times a large group of people that are participating in a similar activity such as jogging are jokingly referred to as a herd. This word has both noun and verb uses.
Herf is a word unknown to me previously and I suspect for many of you also, unless you are an aficionado of fine cigars. A lively gathering of people devoted to the appreciation and smoking of quality cigars is known as a herf. Like so many niche groups, they even have their own magazines such as “Cigar Aficionado”, “Cigar Advisor”, and “Cigar Snob” to name only three of what’s available.
Here is a common adverb and exclamatory statement used to draw attention to a spot right here and right now. Perhaps to sign a document, give an item or time. This is where I work or live. An acknowledgment of being in this location for roll call.
Herl is specific to a type of sport fishing, fly fishing to be precise. It is the barb or filament of a feather used to dress a fly.
Herm is not a new term, very archaic, it comes to us from ancient Greece. It refers to a stone pillar, square in shape, which is used as a boundary marker or sign post. Frequently it is topped with a bust of the Greek god Hermes. The god of commerce and trade.
Hero is the main character of a book, movie, or other production that the reader will sympathize with. A person that is idolized and approved for courageous acts and outstanding achievements. A person who overcomes insurmountable odds or dies trying. It is also a generic term for a submarine sandwich. Will the hero who eats your hero still be your hero?
Herp is a mashup of herpetology and reptile. It is used when talking about amphibians and reptiles. It is also slang for a common disease known as herpes.
Herr is a German word meaning sir. It is a title of respect and used to refer to a German man.
Hers indicates that an item or several things belong to a female person or animal.
There they are, ten words with similar sounds and the same first three letters.  If you use the wrong word, the reader could feel like they tripped on a root and might fall down, as they read your book. They may feel like leaving your story because it is too hard to figure out what you are trying to say.  Do everything in your power to prevent that from happening, do not give your reader a reason to close your book. Use Word Refiner, beta readers, critique partners, proofreaders and editors to ensure that your work is spelling error free and as smooth reading as possible.
 
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this issue of Typos Hurt Your Writing on Words For Thought.  Follow me on twitter: @wordrefiner; for more Hazardous Homophones and Terrible Typos search for #HomophonesHurtYourWriting and #TyposHurtYourWriting on twitter.
Don’t forget the free offer for writers under the “Learn More” tab on http://www.wordrefiner.com/. I offer another service at a great value, see the “Review Your Book” tab.

Welcome to this edition of Words For Thought, the blog on wordrefiner.com. Like some of the previous blogs we are exploring typographical errors. Words that look almost the same, but have different spellings and meanings. To find more of these on Twitter search for the hashtag: #TyposHurtYourWriting.
I understand how important it is to have a manuscript free of spelling errors. With over 40 years of experience, I have found that typos give many writers problems. Less than perfect typing can create hidden errors. There are many groups of words that vary by only one letter, such as came, dame, fame and game. The correctly spelled word in the wrong context will not be flagged by most spell-checkers. The Hyper-Speller at Word Refiner is dedicated to exposing all of these hidden errors and delivering your document free of spelling blunders. I find these spelling errors in 95% of published books.

Now, onto today’s episode!

We have 10 words with the same 3 letters AGE. That is almost half the alphabet and presents many opportunities for an easy typing mistake to bury an invisible error in your book.
Age is a very common word, known and used by all. It is a marker of time, our time on this earth or a reminder of times in history. We all have an age, our personal timeline of existence. We study ages past and we live in the modern age. Age is both a noun and a verb, it is also the suffix for many words such as marriage, acreage, and demurrage. There are close to 100 words that use the suffix –age.
Cage primarily refers to a structure made of wire or bars to contain an animal or bird. It can also be used to refer to a prison or jail. There are batting cages that allow a person to practice swinging a bat without injuring others from an errant ball. Some sports use a cage-like object to record a point won such as soccer and hockey.
Gage has had a long life as an archaic word meaning something offered as a promise, deposit, or a good faith guarantee. That could be the end of it as far as modern times. Except it is also an alternate spelling of gauge and they are pronounced the same with a hard or long “A” sound. In this more recent context, it is all about measuring, dimensions, and quantifying desired sizes.
Hage while more commonly appearing in several foreign languages such as Danish, Japanese, and Norwegian. It is found in modern English as an acronym or texting abbreviation for Have A Good Evening.
Mage is an archaic literary term familiar to people who read and enjoy books in the fantasy genre. It is derived from the Latin term Magus and both mean magician or educated person. While not seeing much use in the 19th century and much of the 20th century, it has seen a rapid increase in usage in the last 40 or 50 years.
Nage is a cooking term for an aromatic soup used to cook shellfish. It has come from France and its popularity has increased dramatically in the last 20 or 25 years.
Page is a very common word with a variety of meanings. In modern terms, it means a single piece of paper among many bound together into a book or magazine. It can also mean to have a person sought out for a particular purpose. Does anyone remember the ubiquitous pagers from the eighties and nineties? The precursor of our cell phones. In verb form, it can mean to go through a book or magazine one page at a time.
Rage means intense feelings, uncontrollable anger as in road rage! As I write this the current rage (a widespread temporary fashion) sweeping the nation is fidget spinners and other toys that require small manipulations. These toys are supposed to aid concentration for people who have ADD or are on the lower end of the autistic spectrum. Many are familiar with rage as a type of party that involves dancing to loud music with strobe lights and frequent drug use.
Sage is an interesting word because it has two very distinct meanings. First, it is an aromatic herb that grows primarily in southern Europe and the Mediterranean region, used for cooking and seasoning food. But wait, there’s more! It is also the name of two North American bushes with silvery-green foliage, and it is short for sagebrush, a common plant growing in arid regions of the western part of the United States of America.
The very different definition refers to a philosopher, thinker, scholar; a person who understands and dispenses wisdom.
Wage has become an important word in the last 100 years or so. It refers to the payment made to someone for work performed, commonly on a per piece or time sensitive framework. We talk about an hourly wage that someone makes such as a carpenter or cashier. We have a minimum wage in Oregon which is $10.25 per hour.
As a verb, it means to carry on or execute a plan or campaign such as a political campaign or war.
 
There they are, ten words with similar sounds and the same last three letters.  If you use the wrong word, the reader could feel like they stumbled on a rock and might fall down, as they read your book. They may feel like leaving your story because it is too hard to figure out what you are saying.  Do everything in your power to prevent that from happening, do not give your reader a reason to close your book. Use Word Refiner, beta readers, critique partners, proofreaders and editors to ensure that your work is error free and as smooth as possible.
 
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this issue of Typos Hurt Your Writing on Words For Thought.  Follow me on twitter: @wordrefiner; for more Hazardous Homonyms and Terrible Typos search for #HomonymsHurtYourWriting and #TyposHurtYourWriting on twitter.
Don’t forget the free offer for writers under the “Learn More” tab on http://www.wordrefiner.com/  
I offer another service at a great value, see the “Review Your Book” tab.

Remember: Words Have Meaning and Spelling Makes a Difference. 
Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz ​