CHAPTER 11 Correct Word Usage^253
wait (stay), weight (heaviness)
waive (surrender claim), wave (ocean ripple; to motion with the hand)
war (armed fi ghting between groups), wore (past tense of wear)
ware (ceramics), wear (have something on body), where (adverb used to question
place)
warn (caution), worn (showing effects of wear)
wax (polish), whacks (sharp blows)
way (method; route), weigh (fi nd the weight of something; consider), whey (watery
byproduct of the cheesemaking process)
weather (climate), whether (introduces alternatives)
we’ll (contraction for we will), wheel (rotating round part)
weak (frail), week (7-day period)
which (asks a question), witch (somebody with alleged magic powers)
whine (high-pitched sound), wine (alcohol from grapes)
who’s (contraction for who is), whose (belonging to someone)
yoke (animal harness, burden), yolk (yellow of egg)
your (belonging to the person spoken to), you’re (contraction for you are), yore (in
the distant past)
Written Practice 11-4
Choose the correct homophone to complete each of these sentences.
- A laundry (shoot/chute) is extremely useful.
- I was (fi ned/fi nd) for driving through a yellow light.
- You’ll fi nd that (needing/kneading) dough is great exercise.
- The recipe says you should (mints/mince) the garlic.
- Did you know there was a (sail/sale) on children’s shoes?
- With any luck, we can look forward to an era of (peace/piece).
- After the accident, the motorists created an ugly (scene/seen).
- That movie stirred me to the bottom of my (sole/soul).
- If I send a payment immediately, they’ll (wave/waive) the fee.
- When you (wine/whine) and cry, it doesn’t help.