Roll vs. Role: The Difference, and Which for “Call” and “Play”
How can two words be so common, yet so often mixed up? Let’s explore the confusing homophones, “roll” vs. “role,” including which should be used in phrases with “call,” “play,” …
FREE English Lessons
Pair vs. Pear or Pare? A Homophone Lesson, Illustrated
Let’s continue our homophones party with a lesson requested by a sweet elementary school class in New York City: “Pair vs. Pear and Pare!” These three words have the exact …
How to Spell Dilemma: a Trick to Remember
One of the Hardest Spelling Challenges… Sometimes there is a word so juicy and useful, you want to use it all the time in your writing — the only problem …
Figurative Language: Meaning, Types, and Examples!
The Meaning of “Figurative Language” This friendly English teacher welcomes you to one of the most important lessons in ELA and life! Now for the definition you’ve been waiting for… …
Literary Devices and Terms: Lessons and Examples
Are you looking for high-powered vocabulary words to take your ELA analysis to the next level? Pop these literary devices examples and definitions of terms into your next English Language …
Passed vs. Past: Differences, Definitions, and Example Sentences
Distinguishing these Homophones: Two very commonly confused words are the tricksters known as passed vs. past. They sound exactly the same, but have mightily different meanings. Yes, that means they’re …
Weather vs. Whether: Differences, Definitions, and Examples!
When to Use Which of These Homophones? The words “weather” vs. “whether” sound exactly the same, but mean very different things. Ahh, the tricky power of homophones! As background, my …
Whose vs. Who’s: Examples to Learn the Difference
What’s Correct Spelling for These Homophones? Two of the most commonly confused words in the English language are “whose” (with an “e” and no apostrophe) and “who’s” (with an apostrophe …
It’s vs. Its, Your vs. You’re, and There vs. Their and They’re
Help for Correct English Usage Some of the trickiest words in the English language are short, seemingly simple combinations of letters which sound the same as others that have DIFFERENT …
Commonly Confused Words in English, and How to Fix Them!
Conquering English Editing Errors Having taught English for 18 years now, I can tell you that there are three different types of commonly confused words — and there’s a technique …