Grammar and Language Workbook

Unit 13, Vocabulary and Spelling 287

Copyright © by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill

Vocabulary and

Spelling

Lesson 95

Easily Confused Words

Some words are often confused because they sound similar, even though they

have different spellings and meanings.

desert, dessert When the accent is on the first syllable, desert means “a dry,

barren region.” When the accent is on the second syllable, desert means “to

abandon.”

Dessert is a sweet course served at the end of a meal.

lessen, lesson Lessen means “to shrink in size or degree.” Lesson means

“something to learn.”

passed, past Passed means “to have moved on or ahead.” Past means “time

gone by” or “existed earlier.”

quiet, quite Quiet means “little or no sound.” Quite means “wholly,

completely.”

weather, whether Weather means “the daily conditions of temperature,

moisture, wind, and so on.” Whether is a conjunction often used in indirect

quotations.

Exercise 1 Underline the word that best completes each sentence.

The doctor advised Mr. Wilson to (lessen, lesson) his intake of fat.

1. Jim’s cousins offered to show him (their, there) secret clubhouse.


2. Tina finished reading that story in one (hour, our).


3. Mom likes to drink English breakfast (tea, tee).


4. Louis cannot decide (weather, whether) to practice baseball or soccer.


5. Kim’s kite sailed (higher, hire) into the air than Bill’s kite.


6. Once the assembly began, everyone grew (quiet, quite).


7. Uncle Simon took pictures of his trip through the (desert, dessert).


8. Ling said the movie was so dull that he couldn’t (bare, bear) to watch it.


9. This book is about a poor girl who becomes (air, heir) to a fortune.


10. Calid (passed, past) Mr. Sokol on his way home from school.