Definitions of
sound-alike words: A (Part 1)
- a lot
- many, as in: A lot of people are doing business online today.
- much, as in: Some people worry a lot about their health.
- alot
- Wait a minute, there is no such word as alot! It should be two words: a lot, if you mean many or much, or allot, if you mean distribute.
- allot
- give out or distribute, as in: We will allot the prizes by date of contest entry.
- a while
- a period of time, as in: I haven't seen her in a while.
- awhile
- for a short time, as in: Let's stay awhile and talk.
- accede
- (1) give in to, as in: We accede to your demands.
- (2) take a position of authority, as in: When did the King accede to the throne?
- exceed
- to go past a stated amount, as in: It is illegal to exceed the speed limit.
- accent
- (1) way of speaking characteristic of a particular region or group, as in I speak with a U. S. American accent.
- (2) emphasize one part of something, as in: Accent your good points.
- ascent
- upward movement, as in: We watched the ascent of the balloon as long as we could.
- assent
- to agree, as in: I doubt he will assent to the arrangement.
- accept
- to agree to take, as in: I accept the terms of your offer.
- except
- excluding, as in: I knew all the answers on the test, except the last one.
- access
- permission to go in or to approach, as in: No one has access to my private files but me.
- accessible
- capable of being approached, as in: The back door is accessible from this path.
- assess
- evaluate, as in: When the flood waters go down, we can assess the damage.
- assessable
- capable of being evaluated, as in: After the zoning law is changed our property will be assessable.
- excess
- more than enough, as in: We gave our excess fruit to our neighbors.
- ad
- short for advertisement, as in: I placed an ad in the paper.
- add
- to join or to combine, as in: Please add my site to your bookmark list.
- adapt
- to change to fit, as in: Newcomers quickly adapt to the culture of the Internet.
- adept
- expert, as in: She was adept at using graphics to illustrate complex ideas.
- adopt
- to take as one's own, as in: Would it be better to make our own rules, or adopt theirs?
- addenda
- something added, as in: That problem is covered in the addenda to the software manual.
- agenda
- list of things to do, as in: What is the agenda for the meeting tomorrow?
- addition
- something added, as in: We toured the addition to the hospital yesterday.
- edition
- published version, as in: Read the latest edition of the Tax Tips and Tactics newsletter.
- adherence
- firm attachment, as in: She demonstrates a strict adherence to the rules.
- adherents
- advocates or supporters, as in: Many people in that country are adherents of the concept of free speech.
- adverse
- hostile, as in : The adverse weather conditions forced them to turn back.
- averse
- reluctant, as in: I am not averse to hearing your suggestions.
- advice
- guidance or counsel, as in: Your sound advice saved me from a terrible mistake.
- advise
- to counsel, recommend, or inform, as in: I advise you to validate the code on your Web page before you release it to the general public.
- affect
- to act upon or influence, as in: Strong emotions can affect your health.
- effect
- (1, a noun) immediate or direct result, as in: What effect does that medicine have on you?
- (2, a verb) accomplish, as in: He braided the
bedsheets to effect an escape.
- aggravate
- to make worse, as in: Lying to cover up a crime will aggravate the offense.
- aggregate
- to collect together or total, as in: Charges for a corporate Web site can aggregate into tens of thousands of dollars.
- aid
- help, as in: He rushed to the aid of the victim with no thought for his own safety.
- aide
- assistant or helper, as in: The Governor's aide will hold a press conference this afternoon.
- ail
- to cause trouble or discomfort to, as in: What ails you?
- ale
- an alcoholic beverage, stronger than beer, as in: My friend and I will have two pints of ale, bartender.
This list of definitions can't replace your dictionary. Rather
than discussing every possible meaning of the words on this list,
I try to show how one word differs from another in a group of words that sound or
look very much alike. |
