Which, or witch, word is that?

Susan Pierotti, Creative Text Solutions Do you often mistake one word for another? Do you find particular words give you trouble with their spelling? In last week’s blog I touched on how words with similar spelling but different meanings can be confused. I have edited quite a bit of fiction. Here are some common errors Lose v. loose  If you lose something, you can’t find it; it is missing. If you loose something, you undo or unfasten it. So if a man ‘loses’ his temper, he has in a sense misplaced it because he has lost emotional balance (balance being the original meaning behind the word ‘temper’). He hasn’t unfastened it because we don’t ‘unfasten’ emotions, we lose them.             Affect v. effect Affect: to change or make a difference. Effect: the result after the change For example: The harsh effects of the pay freeze affected the workers’ morale. Complement v. compliment Complement: an addition that improves something. Compliment: to express approval, to flatter For example: The shoes she wore complemented her new dress and drew several compliments. Desert v. dessert I was once in a restaurant where they have offered deserts as the final course. Oh dear! Desert: a land with minimal rainfall, an abandoned place Dessert: a sweet course, usually at the end of a meal [caption id="attachment_153" align="alignleft" width="150"] Desert[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_154" align="aligncenter" width="120"] Dessert[/caption] Discreet v. discrete Discreet: not attracting attention, implying something that is hidden Discrete: distinct, separate For example: Whereas everyone around her was pushy, her discreet behaviour was of a discrete character. English is a complicated language in spelling and vocabulary. We all has words that trip us up from time to time. If you are still unsure of which word or spelling to use , a professional editing and proofreading service will be able to solve all your problems. Contact me at http://www.creativetext.com.au for all your proofreading and editing needs.