250 English Grammar Demystifi ed
its (indicating possession), it’s (contraction for it is)
jeans (pants), genes (basic units of heredity)
knead (work dough until smooth), need (require something essential)
knows (familiar with), nose (organ of smell), no’s (more than one objection)
lead (chemical element), led (guided)
leased (rented), least (smallest amount possible)
lessen (reduce), lesson (instruction)
lie (deliberately say something untrue; recline), lye (strong chemical cleaner)
links (associations), lynx (short-tailed wildcat)
load (something carried or transported), lode (deposit of ore; abundant supply),
lowed (mooing sound of a cow)
loan (money lent), lone (only)
loot (stolen goods; steal), lute (musical instrument)
maize (corn), maze (confusing network of paths)
manor (noble’s house and land), manner (way something is done)
meet (get together), meat (edible animal fl esh)
mince (cut up), mints (pieces of mint-fl avored candy)
miner (mine worker), minor (small; describes musical scale)
missed (did not hit target), mist (thin fog)
morning (early part of day), mourning (period of sadness)
no (indicating the negative), know (comprehend something)
not (indicating “opposite”), knot (object made by tying)
or (otherwise), oar (pole used to propel a boat), ore (mineral from which metal
is extracted)
overdo (exceed), overdue (late)
paced (set the speed), paste (adhesive mixture)
pail (bucket), pale (light)
pain (ache; feeling of discomfort), pane (piece of glass in window)
pair (two of a kind), pare (remove outer layer), pear (fruit)
passed (move past; approved), past (what went before)
patience (endurance), patients (people given medical treatment)
peace (freedom from war; calm), piece (a portion)