Forums » RP Discussion » Using the right words

I know that any language is difficult. Knowing, speaking and writing English is no easy task, like any language it has its own complex difficulties and rules that sometimes confuse us.

Still, if you Roleplay the right choice of words can make all the difference. A lot of words sound the same, but depending on their spelling they have entirely different meanings. If you end up using the wrong spelling, your entire post may suddenly mean something that you didn't intend for it to be! It can confuse your RP partners a bit and to others, this can be annoying.

I often find most people are unsure and just use whatever comes up in their mind, but they realize it may be wrong. I'm a bit of a lingual nut and try to stick to the proper definitions, so I'm hoping to set up a list of words with their definitions to help out those who aren't sure, but want to get it right. Searching online may not always get the results, and if you find someone on, for example, Furcadia who's in a pinch with it, you can post the topic link to them.

I am NOT saying that people who spell this wrong are bad or dumb people! These things are confusing and even the most famous, rich writers in the world make these mistakes. It's just handy to have a list with the right definitions, that's all. I sometimes get confused as well and need to check on my list, but it seems selfish not to share.

Got any words that sound the same but are written differently and are unsure about which one to use? Post! We can all help each other out! I'll add suggested words to the list.

Press Ctrl+F and type the word you're looking for, the page will automatically jump to and highlight the word you need so you can check its definition.


Taut - Tight, snug
Taught - Past tense of teaching

Then - An indication of time, the next event, 'then we'll go to Starbucks and then we go get some KFC'
Than - It's not this, but that, 'I'd rather sit in a tub full of icecubes than listen to the old man drone on.'

Bare - Exposed, nude, not covered
Bear - Verb: to cope with. Noun: an animal (honeyyyyy)

There - A position, 'over there'
They're - Short form of 'they are'
Their - Indicates a possession or relation to someone or something, 'their siblings', 'their books', 'their spouses'

Were - Past tense of 'to be': they are, they were
We're - Short form of 'we are'

Its - Indicating an object followed by a description or attribute of it, i.e. 'its yellow color', 'its terrifying maw'
It's - Short form of 'it is'

Wondering - Asking yourself something, 'She's wondering when her husband will be home'
Wandering - Walking around, hiking

Whether - When there is a choice between two options, 'Whether to do this, or not'
Weather - Is it sunny, rainy, cloudy? That's the weather

*smiles* A very good point and contribution, Sanne.

Here are a few that I can think of off of the top of my head that tend to be more common in role-playing settings:

To - (1)A preposition/"he went to the tavern." and (2)an infinitive/"He's going to eat."
Too - (1)Synonym for "Also"/"He wanted to go, too." and (2)indicates excessiveness/"He ran too quickly."
Two - Spelled-out version of the number 2

Slight - Small, diminutive, thin/"He slight irritation went unseen."
Sleight - A clever trick or deception/"The magician's sleight of hand was amazing to watch."

Coarse - Rough, harsh/"The wood's surface was coarse."
Course - A direction/route that is taken or that something moves along/"He moved along the course." or "a river travels along a set course."

Mantel - The decorative frame around the opening of a fireplace
Mantle - (1)Loose, sleeveless cape (2)something that covers or envelops (3)The portion of the earth between the crust and core

Manner - A way of doing something/"His manner of movement was slow but steady."
Manor - An estate, the main house on an estate, a mansion, or the domain of a Lord/Lady

Hoarse - Sounding Rough or harsh/"He was hoarse due to having a sore throat."
Horse - An equine (simplicity here as not all equines are horses!)

Hoard - (1)(n)A secret store of valuables or money (2)(v) save up as for future use (3)(v) get or gather together
Horde - (1)(n)A vast multitude (2)(n) a nomadic community

Farther - Refers to length or distance
Further - Means "to a greater degree," "additional," or "additionally." It refers to time or amount.

Respectfully,
Kawmra

Wow, that's quite a list Kawmra, thanks!!!

Beeing someone whom has a hard time with words of any language I want to thank you both for putting your time and effort into this.

I find it very useful!

I would do "Well" & "We'll", but holy crud the former has so many uses and meanings in English, and I'm too tired to bother sifting through them currently.
May I just link to what Wiktionary has to say instead?

We'll - contraction of "we will", used to state what action a group of persons is about to do ("We will go to the store soon.")

http://garyes.stormloader.com/its.html

I've seen accomplished writers and "grammar nazis" make this kind of mistake. Its overwhelming. (HURR DURR SEE WHUT I DID THAR)

Excellent idea.

Pique - not sure on exactly how it's defined, but it's the one you use when you say "to pique one's interest"
Peak - the tip of something

There's my contribution

I'd also like to throw in a word that people often misinterpret, although it doesn't sound like anything else.

"Mirth" often sounds to English speakers as if it should have dark, evil, or malicious connotations, just because of the way it sounds. I see it used this way constantly, and when I was younger I made the same mistake.

Mirth is actually defined as delighted amusement, especially with great laughter. It's not dark in the least. Quite the opposite in fact.

I believe at one point I used mirth in such dark connotations too, now that I think about it.

I've wizened up since then.

Let us see, can I think of a commonly misused word this early in the morning...?
...
....
Nope. Give me 2 hours; by then my brain will be working again.

I always have trouble with those two!
So when you want to say "This shouldn't get out of hand," would you say "This shouldn't go any further" or "This shouldn't go any farther" ? I'm guessing 'farther', but I'm not sure.

Actually, I just now realized that I had a typo with those two words. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Ethelle.

It should have read as follows (I changed it on my post already):
Farther - Refers to length or distance
Further - Means "to a greater degree," "additional," or "additionally." It refers to time or amount.

So, it would be "further" because it is a figurative distance.

Respectfully,
Kawmra

Ah! I see now. Thank you, Kawmra!

"Reign"- noun: period of royal rule
verb: to have soverign power or title
'King Henry VIII's reign was puncuated by lots of wives and also some gangrene."

"Rein"- noun: thin straps of leather used to control a horse. Sometimes used figuratively.
I was in a bit of trouble when I was jumping my horse and his left rein broke, causing him to spook.

"Loose"- adjective: not confined, not held down tightly, not rigid.
The little boy kept pulling on his loose tooth, wiggling it back and forth with his fingers.

"Lose"-verb: to fail to win, to misplace something, to be deprived of something
Don't lose that, it's a winning lottery ticket!

And then of course there's rain, a.k.a that wet stuff that comes out of clouds when they collect too much moisture from evaporation.

I typically see "rain" & "reign" mixed up the most, but I suppose that's because a lot of my rping is done where kings reign, away from the reins of horses. Sometimes it's done in the rain. Badumpish.

Okay I'm sorry that was really lame, I know. xD

Two that I see people get mixed up frequently are 'cue' and 'queue'. A 'queue' is a line of people (or things) waiting for something. You put a person or a thing at the end of the line, and eventually they're at the front of the line. (Also, it's not spelled 'que'. ) A 'cue' is either a set signal for something to occur, or a stick used for playing pool.

Some things I used to mix up:

Advice – noun: “I wouldn’t do that, if you want my advice.”
Advise – verb: “I would advise against that.”

Extent – noun: He was amazed by the sheer extent of the courtyard.
Extend – verb: He extended his hand for her to take.

Effect – noun: The spell had an unexpected effect.
Affect – verb: The spell did not affect him as expected.

I'm going to update the list in my post when I get home from work today