​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 on Twitter use 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 providing your document free of spelling errors that you want and deserve. I find these invisible spelling errors in 95% of published books.

Now, onto today’s episode!

Something nice has been cooked up for us today! We have a dozen four-letter words that end in the same three letters –ain. Are we ready for a tasty treat fellow word-nerds? Grab your favorite hot beverage and settle in.
Cain is word that refers to a murder, particularly someone who has committed fratricide, killing a brother or sister. Cain was the name of Adam and Eve’s first son, he was a farmer and killed his brother in a religious rage. You can find the entire story in the Bible, book of Genesis, chapter 4.
Fain is an archaic word, reaching us from Old English and German. It means that you are happy or well pleased considering the circumstances of the moment. It is a pretty word, with an interesting shade of polite reluctance; and I am sorry it is not in common use.
Gain has been in use for a long time, since the 15th century. It comes to us from Germanic and Old French and used to refer to pirates’ treasure or booty. Now, booty is a word that has really changed! Gain has verb and noun forms and primarily means an increase in wealth, riches or some other factor such as weight; which has a negative connotation for a lot of people.
Kain. I am almost embarrassed to include this word in the list, but my desire to be thorough overrides that feeling. Am I OCD? Not enough to be very dangerous. This word is a variant spelling of Cain. See above, and after all, we are all about spelling at wordrefiner. Thank you for your indulgence.
Lain is the past participle of Lie. If we are told something has lain for a period of time, we know it has not moved or has been in a horizontal position during this period of time.
Main, you know, the primary person, the one with chief importance. Something of paramount size. There are a lot of adjectives that can be used in place of Main. It can also be a noun such as a gas, water or electrical main. Have you heard of the Spanish Main? Historical literature uses the term to refer to open ocean. It can also refer to a sail on a sailing vessel.
Pain ouch! There are two versions of the noun form. First is the effect of an injury or illness that causes physical discomfort or suffering. One of the first words mom teaches a little one is hot, she wants her baby to avoid suffering pain. The second noun form is quite unrelated to the first, it means that great care is taken or great efforts made to achieve a specific result. I take great pains to be sure there are no spelling errors in my blog. How would that look? The hyper-speller is human!?
Rain. Sometimes we can’t get enough of the wet stuff, sometimes we get too much. This word is not just about water falling from the sky, it carries a concept of many things coming down from above. Hot ash can rain down after a volcanic explosion. It can also get personal, such as the boxer rains blows down on his stupefied opponent.
Sain, one of those obscure scrabble words. It is an archaic term that means to make the sign of the cross as a blessing or protection.
Tain, another word only a scrabble nerd would love. I have not played scrabble in years. My friends and family won’t play with me. This word can mean a thin plate, and can refer to the silverfoil used to make a mirror a long time ago.
Vain has been with us for long time, reaching us from Latin and continuing through Old French. It means someone who thinks far more highly of themselves than other people do, such as having an inflated ego. It can also refer to a useless attempt, something with no chance of success. Like asking a two year old to put the toys away.
Wain, another one of those archaic words. It was a word for wagon. Who would have thought?
 
There they are, twelve words with similar sounds and the same last three letters.  If you use the wrong word the reader might feel like they have a flat tire and the drive just got real bumpy as they cruise through 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 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 our website. I offer another service at a great value, see the “Review Your Book” tab.

Remember: Words Have Meaning and Spelling Makes a Difference. 
​Copyright © 2016 Mark L Schultz ​

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 on Twitter use 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 providing your document free of spelling errors that you want and deserve. I find these invisible spelling errors in 95% of published books.

Now, onto today’s episode!

We have stumbled upon a nice group of words, oil words. There are ten four letter words that end in oil. Some of the words are obscure and I hope they won’t create a slipping hazard! Put some hiking boots on and keep a walking stick in your hand, here we go!

Boil is a common and curious word; it is a noun and serves as a verb, there is also a regional definition. The boil point of a liquid is reached when it begins changing from a liquid to a vapor. Refrigeration and air conditioning depend on special liquids that achieve change of state at specific temperature points. Boiling water is used in cooking a great deal, as well as making our favorite hot beverages. Stormy weather can be described by clouds that are boiling. A fish that rises quickly to the surface to get a fly is said to boil the water. In Louisiana, a seafood boil is a picnic conducted outdoors, on the beach most often. Medically, a skin boil is swollen and filled with pus.

Coil has many uses, it can be a rope that is arranged into concentric rings or even stacked. Constrictor type snakes use their body to coil around a victim and squeeze the life out before ingesting, mama snake always tells the babies, “play with your food before you eat”. An electrical transformer has many coils of wire to adjust the voltage. An archaic definition is confusion and turmoil.

Foil first means to prevent something nefarious from happening. A hunted animal that runs in circles will confuse the tracking dogs and prevent their success. Aluminum foil is used to cover food and to cook food in sometimes. A person or thing that brings substantial contrast to another and emphasizes the qualities of the second is a foil. It is an architectural term from the European Gothic style. It is also a light weight fencing sword without sharp edges.

Goil is a mixture of gasoline and oil for chainsaws and other portable power tools. The ratio is determined by the needs of the equipment.

Moil is an archaic word, not in common use any longer. It conveys the idea of people who work in mud all the day. Seriously hard work and pure drudgery. It has fallen out of common use since the early 1800’s. Now people pay good money to bathe in mud.

Noil was very common in the 1940’s and 1950’s. It referred to the short fibers and knots that were removed from wool or silk before it was spun into thread.

Poil is a yarn or thread made from silk and used for ribbons and other decorations.

Roil describes water that is muddy because something stirred up the sediment on the bottom. It also describes water that is impacted by flooding or high winds.

Soil is dirt first. A mixture of sand, decaying organic matter and small rock. It is also the territory of a nation or region. An embassy in a foreign country is considered to be native soil of that embassy. It also means to make dirty or stain, a child that plays outside is very likely to soil their clothes. It can mean to tarnish the reputation of something or someone. Farmers, in the early 1700’s, would feed their cattle fresh cut greens to purge the digestive tract before slaughter.

Toil is hard work, no getting around it. Exhausting hard work, nearly intolerable drudgery, mind-numbing back breaking labor. Did I mention it is hard work?
 
There they are, ten words with similar sounds and the same last three letters.  If you use the wrong word the reader might feel like they have a flat tire and the drive just got real bumpy as they cruise through 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 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 our website. I offer another service at a great value, see the “Review Your Book” tab.

 Remember: Words Have Meaning and Spelling Makes a Difference.​ 
​​Copyright © 2016 Mark L Schultz  
​

In 2010, Haven Caylor fulfilled a lifelong dream of writing for publication, and he hasn’t stopped writing since that time. In his blog, Parenting with Pride (www.parentingwithpride.net) you can find writings on spirituality, family, and nostalgia. Haven had the idea for us to be guest bloggers for each other, and I agreed. You will find my blog on the same subject on his website. Now, with no further delay, Haven has some ideas on “words”…


Mark, you are awesome! Okay, These past few days, I’ve been paddled back and forth by “words” like paddles flipping a pinball on a pinball machine. You may think it strange, but I was enjoying the game; however, the game was suspended when my children, Carter and Ammon (boy and girl twins respectively) were sick with a weird respiratory virus, and we had a pinball “time-out”.  Since the beginning of May, Ammon, Carter, and I have been promoting my latest book, Parenting Strategies on the Go (www.parentingstrategiesonthego.com).  It was a self –publishing project, and I am very proud of it.  If you all are wondering, yes, it does have errors that I didn’t “catch”. However, in close to 200 pages, I’ve only caught about 5 errors ( I should have used Mark and Word Refiner). Errors aside, my children and I were on local programming on our NBC affiliate helping parents choose souvenirs (summer vacation, you know!) as teaching tools (Chapter 4). All three of us had to be succinct and articulate during our interpersonal interview with the television hostess. Next, we had a book signing at the Barnes and Noble in Chattanooga. We had a wonderful time. All three of us had to speak to guests while signing books. I thought we did well in our verbal interactions. 

Immediately following the book signing, Carter became ill. Sadly, both children took turns with their viruses, and in between trying to write this blog, a Southeast Tennessee magazine, The Tennessee Valley Parents Magazine wrote to me asking to complete a Question & Answer article regarding fatherhood and our Parenting Strategies on the Go. The columnist’s deadline was quickly approaching, so I answered the questions with haste.  I thought my verbal-linguistic, written answers complemented and completed the answers with great grammar and punctuation. The columnist did not send anything back for me to edit or correct! 

Okay, back to Ammon and Carter after their tummy aches and fevers: the pinball machine of “words” began batting the pinball again. We took a weekend trip to see family in Montgomery, Alabama. As we were speaking with some friends, Carter and I were engaged in conversation with two adults. Carter was speaking with Brian about video games, and he was having a great, adult conversation. Mary Kay, Brian’s mother-in-law, leaned forward and said,  “He is so confident and succinct in what he is saying. He has no problem communicating what he is feeling.” I followed up with, “Thank you, he does have a gift for interpersonal communications.” Less than 24 hours later, we were back home, in our regular homeschooling routine, and doing our spelling. I had been disappointed with myself that I was about 4 days late getting this blog to Mark; however, we had missed so much school the previous week due to the virus and Carter and Ammon needed to settle back into their routine. During their spelling, they had to read several sentences and correct/edit sentences and tell whether the errors were 1) Spelling errors, 2) Capitalization errors, or 3) Punctuation errors.  At the end of her correcting/editing, Ammon exclaimed, “That was great, and kind of easy!” During his spelling corrections, Carter exclaimed, “Well, anyone would know what the sentence is saying even with the errors.” I was stunned by his insightful comment. I tried to quickly gather my wits, and I returned with, “Yes, son, but if a writer wants to be taken seriously as an educated person who can validate or prove his literacy (being able to read and write) they need to spell and punctuate correctly.”  Carter felt satisfied and concretely surrendered to my explanation with, “I agree.” And that was it.  I thought to myself, “I’ve got to convey these word editing conversations with Mark for our blogs.” Folks, being literate, correcting, and editing is not intrinsic or genetic. It is environmental. People may be born with an Intelligence Quotient  (IQ) of 150, but if there is no one to teach them to be literate, they will not be able to communicate 100% effectively.  Editors help people communicate more effectively.

I’ve had my share of writing and editing words. I have an Educational Doctorate in Instructional Leadership, and I have taught for over 27 years: From kindergarten to graduate school. My other degrees include Education Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction, a Master of Education in Social Studies Education, and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Studies Education. I am bilingual with Spanish, and I am also a beginning, functional communicator in German. I love words in English, Spanish, and German. I also want to communicate effectively in all three languages.

Now, the pinball game of “words” comes to an end with some inspirational words: 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (a) To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

When I was 16 years old, I knew I had a gift for writing, but there was absolutely no one to help me nurture and perfect that gift. All I had on my mind was either being an accountant or an educator. By 1989, the educator career had won. In the autumn of 2008, God blessed me with my beautiful children, Carter and Ammon, and it changed my life forever.  By 2010, God guided me back to a “writing season”, and I was and still am grateful. I know God expects me to communicate effectively as I write, and I know it’s my responsibility to teach my children to communicate effectively as they learn to write. I truly believe that here in the middle of 2016, I’m doing a pretty darn good job on both fronts! Oh, perhaps Mark will allow Carter, Ammon, and me to return this Christmas season to help promote the children’s picture book, Christmas Hawk (www.christmashawk.com), that Carter and Ammon helped me create.  

God bless you all, and until the next time….keep on writing! 

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 on Twitter use 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 providing your document free of spelling errors that you want and deserve. I find these invisible spelling errors in 95% of published books. I find these invisible spelling errors in 95% of published books.

Now, onto today’s episode!
 
We have found a nice even dozen of four letter words that end in –ate. They are so pretty, all lined up. Some are familiar and some are foreign, from a different time or place. Like little treasures in an egg carton, there is something for everyone.
Bate might seem faintly familiar to a lot of people. It has several definitions including to moderate, lessen or restrain. It can refer to a hawk trying to escape, or part of the procedure of tanning leather.
Cate is an archaic word, from Middle English, it refers to dainty or choice morsels of food.
Date is a busy word. We use it to refer to a romantic or social appointment. It is the marking of the day on a calendar indicated by a number. It also refers to a dark brown fruit that has a large pit, it is sweet and usually eaten dried. It is the name of the tree this fruit grows on and is found in the Middle East and Africa. I really enjoy eating dates.
Fate has a rather dark history. It is commonly thought of as the prescribed course of events that are beyond the control of humans. In ancient times there were three goddesses responsible for the birth, life and death of people; their names were Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos.
Gate is a hinged barrier used to prevent moving through a wall, fence or hedge. It is also what must be paid as an entry fee for an event or exhibition. It can also be an electrical circuit with an output that depends on the combination of several inputs.
Hate is a very simple and powerful word. It means an intense dislike for someone or something.
Late most of us are very familiar with. Accomplishing something or an event that starts after the appointed or expected time. One day I ran over a fork, the flat tire made me late for a dentist appointment. It can also refer to a specific person no longer living.
Mate has several definitions. It can be part of a pair of items, or animals. It can be a fellow member or joint occupant of a certain thing. It is also commonly used to refer to a best friend in Australia and New Zealand. It is short for the declaration of victory in chess: Checkmate! Mate` is a shrub in South America that the leaves are used to make a bitter tea high in caffeine.
Pate is a person’s head. It is the paste used to make porcelain. It is the highly flavored paste made from finely minced ingredients usually meat or fish.
Rate is a quantity or frequency measured against some other quantity. It is also the fixed price paid for goods or services.
Sate to fill a desire or appetite completely. To be satisfied.
Yate is any of several eucalyptus trees or their wood.
 
There they are, twelve words with similar sounds and the same last three letters.  If you use the wrong word the reader might feel like they stumbled over a hidden object as they walk through the forest of 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 Homophones and Terrible Typos search for #HomophonesHurtYourWriting or #TyposHurtYourWriting on twitter.
Don’t forget the free offer for writers under the “Learn More” tab on our website. I offer another service at a great value, see the “Review Your Book” tab.
For a free smile or two peek at “Hyper-Speller humor”. 

Remember: Words Have Meaning and Spelling Makes a Difference.​ 
​​Copyright © 2016 Mark L Schultz  

​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 on Twitter use 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 providing your document free of spelling errors that you want and deserve. I find these invisible spelling errors in 95% of published books.
 
Now, onto today’s episode!
 
We have struck some serious paydirt searching for 4-letter words that end in ill. This is a little bit of Scrabble heaven for people who love the game. We have 17, count them, 17 4-letter words ending in ill. This is the highest hill we have climbed yet. Gird up your loins and burnish your shackles, we are going to have some fun!
 
Bill is a very talented word. It has worked hard in many places for a long time. An amount of money owed for goods or services provided. A draft of proposed legislation. A list of happenings in a theater or other event. Paper money, such as a ten dollar bill. A poster promoting a one-time event like a concert. The beak of a duck or other bird, and the muzzle of a platypus. The pointy part of an anchor. The rigid brim of a cap. A medieval weapon with a long handle and a hook.
Dill is so much simpler. It is an herb used in flavoring food and for medicinal purposes. I love dill pickles!
Fill has many shades of meaning also. Put something into a container until no more will fit. The barrel was full of wine. The crushed mint filled the room with a powerful scent. The judge was appointed to the vacated office for the rest of the term. The prescribed medicine was filled by the pharmacist. The wind filled the sails.
Gill is like a lung for a fish. You can also find them on the underside of the cap of a many mushrooms and toadstools.
Hill is an area of land that is higher than the surroundings. It is much lower than a mountain. It is used informally in America to refer to Capitol Hill. You can also pile dirt around a plant to give it support.
Jill is a young woman. It can refer to Jill-of-all-trades. It is also the term for a female ferret.
Kill means much more than ending a life. Legally, it differs from murder because it is sanctioned or allowed by legal authority. Writers cause the death of characters in many different ways. The board voted to kill the amendment to the motion. You can take medicine to kill pain. After an unusually long hike, your feet might be in greater distress than usual, your feet are killing you. You can waste time, you can shut off the engine.
Mill is a place or equipment to grind grain into a flour. A building or machinery for manufacturing such as a steel mill. The regular ribbed markings on the edge of a coin protect against clipping of the valuable material. People or animals that are wandering around without purpose. It is a minute monetary unit worth 1/1000 of a dollar or 1/10 of a cent.
Nill is an obscure word from a long time ago. It means to be unwilling or to refuse. It came from Old English and Middle English.  There is a related phrase “willy nilly”, it means whether a person likes it or not, or something done without planning.
Pill is a small round solid object that is swallowed for medicinal or health reasons. It can refer to a person that is unpleasant and tedious. It can refer to a ball for a game. It can also mean the small round tufts that appear on fabric that mar the appearance.
Rill is a small stream or creek that is flowing rapidly. Something that is indented with small grooves. It can also refer to a narrow channel on the surface of the moon.
Sill is the base of a door or window. It can also refer to the material such as wood, stone or metal that make the sill. Geologically, it is a horizontal sheet of igneous rock that is between other types of rock.
Till is a shortened form of until. I do not think a lot was gained by that contraction of until. Just saying. It refers to a cash drawer in a store or other place of business. The farmers out there know it means to prepare and cultivate the land for planting a crop. Geologists are reminded of the stony material left behind by receding glaciers.
Vill is another archaic term from English of long ago. It refers to a parcel of land, like a manor or parish. A little bigger than your average backyard, I think.
Will is a very common word. We use it a lot without even thinking of the technicalities that surround it. It is known as a modal or helping verb, it is used to express possibility, ability, obligation or permission. It is used for expressing future tense, inevitable events, expressing a request, expressing facts about ability or capacity, or expressing habitual behavior.  Will is also a noun and can refer to determination, resolve and strength of character. It is also a legal document that does not take effect until after the maker dies.
Yill is another ancient word, this one from Scotland. It refers to beer or ale.
Zill is my favorite word in this group. It is a tiny percussion instrument, a cymbal that is worn on a finger, in pairs. They are used by belly dancers.
 
There they are, seventeen words with similar sounds and the same last three letters.  If you use the wrong word the reader might feel like they tripped over a hidden root as they walk through the forest of 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 Homophones and Terrible Typos search for #HomophonesHurtYourWriting or #TyposHurtYourWriting on twitter.
Don’t forget the free offer for writers under the “Learn More” tab on our website. I offer another service at a great value, see the “Review Your Book” tab.

Remember: Words Have Meaning and Spelling Makes a Difference.​ 
​​Copyright © 2016 Mark L Schultz  

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 on Twitter use 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 providing your document free of spelling errors that you want and deserve. I find these invisible spelling errors in 95% of published books.

Now, onto today’s episode!

We have 10 four letter words that have the last three letters in common: EAL. Eal does not mean anything by itself, it needs one or more letters in front to get the party started. Let’s find out if this party is for weal or for woe!

Deal is a very busy word! It can mean to hand out playing cards to participants, it can refer to selling and buying things, working to overcome an adverse situation such as an economic crisis, or causing damage to something or someone like dealing a blow. It can also refer to a significant but unspecified amount of something, such as the stock market lost a great deal of value.
Geal is a very limited word, unlike Deal. It means to stiffen or freeze. We more commonly see it in another word congeal. That might be a different blog in the future. (Note to self).
Heal is far more common but narrow in scope as well. It means to bring wholeness and health. To make something right and complete. Simple but very important!
Meal is very important if you are hungry! Food served on a regular basis in adequate quantities for sustained nourishment. It is also grains and other foodstuffs ground into a fine powder.
Peal is a loud ringing of one or more bells. It can also refer to laughter or thunder.
Real is something that actually exists, not imagined. Something that is honest and true. In law, it is property that cannot be moved, like land or buildings for example. It is also the national currency of Brazil. 
Seal is another multifaceted word. It can be an adhesive or device to keep things together or something from leaking out. It can also be a bit of wax, lead or some other substance to secure the origin of a document or load of material, with or without a design imprinted in the seal. It can refer to a guarantee or endorsement. To close or secure so nothing can pass. A nonporous coating on a surface. Sear meat or food in hot oil to prevent moisture from escaping. A mammal that spends most of its time in the water. A member of a US Navy elite fighting force.
Teal a small duck or a bluish green color.
Veal is meat from a milk-fed calf.
Weal is a small red mark that is swollen, left on skin from a blow or slap. Alternately, it is something that is in the best interest of someone.
Zeal is great passion in the pursuit of something or someone.

There they are, ten words with similar sounds and the same last three letters.  If you use the wrong word the reader might feel like they tripped over a hidden root as they walk through the forest of 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 Homophones and Terrible Typos search for #HomophonesHurtYourWriting or #TyposHurtYourWriting on twitter. 
Don’t forget the free offer for writers under the “Learn More” tab on our website. We offer another service at a great value, see the “Review Your Book” tab.

Remember: Words Have Meaning and Spelling Makes a Difference.​ 
​Copyright © 2016 Mark L Schultz  
​