Welcome to Words For Thought, the blog on wordrefiner.com.  We are dealing with homophones today.  Three words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.  Every writer is likely to miss one or more misplaced words in their writings.  We define a misplaced word as a correctly spelled word in the wrong context, typographical errors are included in this definition as well.  That is why a writer needs beta readers, critique readers, an editor and a proofreader or two.  Writers can also find help in a writers’ group.  Many pairs of fresh eyes are needed to root out all of those errors in their many forms.   

Onto today’s episode! 

These three words have their roots in Latin, have traveled through Late Middle English and French.  The 2nd and 3rd are more closely related of the three words, they have a common Latin root meaning spade or shovel.  Yes, we know, sometimes the route a word travels from one meaning to another is obscure.   

Palate is a noun and has two primary meanings in Modern English.  First is medical, it means the roof of the mouth that separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavities.  Second is an appreciation of differing taste and flavors, usually in a sophisticated and discriminating fashion.  Connoisseurs and Foodies sometimes use these words in their descriptions. It is easy to see how these two related definitions came to be, since they have to do with taste and smell.

Palette is a noun that finds use in the fine arts.  It refers to a thin board or slab of hard material a painter uses to hold and mix small amounts of colors while painting. 

     During his open-studio, the artist walks up to a person admiring a particular painting and says, “If you like these colors you can take them home for free because you sat on my palette.”

 This term can also include the range and variety of sounds in a musical composition.

Pallet is another noun that first means a crude bed covered with straw or a mattress made of straw.  This is not quite modern for most of us, because it seems to predate the inner spring mattress.  Secondly, the definition that many of us might be more familiar with is a portable platform for storing and moving goods with the aid of a forklift or pallet jack. 

Three words with identical sound and very different meanings.  By choosing the wrong word for your context your reader is quite likely to stumble in their reading and maybe even close the book.  Do not let that happen, do all in your power to ensure your millions of readers a smooth ride to the end.
 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this issue of Homophones Hurt Your Writing on Words For Thought.  Follow me on twitter: @wordrefiner for more alerts about hazardous homophones search #HomophonesHurtYourWriting.

Don’t forget the free offer for writers under the “Learn More” tab on our website. 

Remember: Words Have Meaning and Spelling Makes a Difference. 
​Copyright © 2015 Mark L Schultz 
​

Welcome to the new edition of Words For Thought.  Today we are looking at three common words.  Two of these words are pronounced exactly alike, the third word is so close in pronunciation and other ways that I have chosen to include it in today’s discussion.  
The problem with homophones is they sound alike, when we read and write most of us say the words aloud in our mind; we have been taught to sound them out from the earliest age.  That skill, while always helpful, can create problems if we are not diligent in catching the incorrect word for the context.  This problem is widespread in the English language and common usage.  Two examples: to, too, and two; there, their, and they’re.  The English language is full of these tripping hazards.  
These three words are related in Latin, an ancient Romance language; all of them have traveled extensively through Old French, Middle English and into our current era.
 

Council usually refers to an official body directed to consider one or more matters necessary to the operation of a governmental, business, ecclesiastical, or private organization.  A Council can be temporary or permanent, elected or appointed.  

Counsel can be a noun.  It can be the proffered results of the previous word, Council, the advice or decision made after deliberations have ended.  It can also be a lawyer or lawyers, as in Counsel for the Defense.  As a verb, it means to give advice, by an authority or trusted friend.
There are many synonyms for both of these words, differing shades of meaning are one of the things that make the English language such a rich medium of expression. 

Consul is a person appointed by a governmental body to represent it in a different organization or foreign country.  An ambassador or diplomat would live in the foreign country and represent the interests of the sending body.
 

There we have our three words, similar in sound and closely related in definition.  Using the wrong word in your context will not trigger your spell-checker and a pothole has been created for your reader. Be sure to prevent those problems from happening, use Word Reiner, beta readers, a critique group, proofreaders or editors. We all want a smooth ride for the consumers of our writing. 
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this issue of Homophones Hurt Your Writing.  Follow me on twitter: @wordrefiner for more alerts about hazardous homophones, search #HomophonesHurtYourWriting.

Don’t forget the free offer for writers under the “Learn More” tab on our website. 

Remember: Words Have Meaning and Spelling Makes a Difference. 
​Copyright © 2015 Mark L Schultz 
​

Welcome to this edition of Words For Thought, the blog on wordrefiner.com. Like many of the previous blogs we are looking at homophones. Words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.  
I understand how important it is to have an error free manuscript. With over 40 years of experience, I have found that homophones give almost every writer fits and difficulties. Because we sound words out in our mind, it is easy to write the wrong word. 
Let’s not forget typographical errors also, a slip of the finger on the keyboard can create a different word that may not be caught by a spell-checker. There are many groups of words that vary by only one letter, such as vary and very, or must, mist and most.
The correctly spelled word in the wrong context will not be flagged by most spell-checkers. Word Refiner is dedicated to uprooting all of these hidden errors and providing your document free of spelling errors that you want and deserve.

Now, onto today’s episode!
Today we have some interesting words, of course, all words are interesting; they have histories, growth and migrations; they move around quite a bit sometimes.  Words are part of the baggage that people carry with them wherever they go.  Two of these words are fairly regional, commonly used in areas with active seaports.  Two of these words might be mispronounced, more on that later.  These words are borrowed from the Romance languages like so many others. 

Quay can be traced to French several centuries ago it was spelled “quai” and is related to Old Spanish “cayo”.  Beyond that in the 14th century it was “keye”, and with a Celtic origin as “kai”.  The definition of quay is a structure for loading and unloading ships running parallel to the shore.  Serving as a breakwater is another function of a quay, slowing down the intensity of incoming waves. This is unlike a pier or wharf, which are built perpendicular from the shore and stick out into the water.  

Cay is from the early 1700’s and is from Spanish. Like the previous word, it has origins in “cayo”.  Some think it is related to quay also.  Cay is a small sandy island on top of coral.  Many of them are nearly submerged by high tides, some completely.  This word is used very frequently in the Caribbean.   These little islands are frequented by sea birds and crabs of different kinds.  

Key is actually closely related to the two previous words in one of its definitions.  When you search for key on Google, the second version is similar in definition to both quay and cay.  Most of us know it primarily as a small metallic object with notches used to lock and unlock doors or padlocks. Of course there are the devices that I am using to type this blog: the keys of my laptop keyboard.  There are standardized tests that have an answer key to facilitate correcting the tests.  There are uses in music and other disciplines as well. 

Now it is later, let us talk about pronunciations.  The definition of a homophone is two or more words that sound the same but are spelled differently.  Some people might think these three words are not homophone, maybe two of them, but not all three.  If you use Google again, you will find that all three can be pronounced the same and pronounced differently.    They can all be pronounced as “kee”, my choice today.  I have chosen to treat them as homophones for the purposes of this blog.  Feel free to disagree with me at length in a cordial fashion. 

There they are, three words with identical sounds and a somewhat related history.  If you use the wrong word the reader might think they hit an unknown speed bump and lose the momentum you worked so hard to build.  Use every tool available to prevent that from happening, do not give your readers a reason to not finish your story. 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, we hope you enjoyed this issue of Homophones Hurt Your Writing on Words For Thought.  Follow us on twitter: @wordrefiner, for more alerts about hazardous homophones search for  #HomophonesHurtYourWriting or #TyposHurtYourWriting on twitter. 
Don’t forget the free offer for writers under the “Learn More” tab on our website.

Remember: Words Have Meaning and Spelling Makes a Difference. 
​Copyright © 2015 Mark L Schultz 
​