Both of these words are adjectives. Inapt means “inappropriate” and inept means “clumsy”: The applicant’s dirty jokes were inapt for a job interview. She was so inept that she often tripped over her own feet for no reason. Of course, the prefix in- means “not” in these words. And the word apt does indeed mean “appropriate.” However, there is no word […]

These words are homonyms (i.e., they are pronounced the same) but have very different meanings. Leek is a noun, the name for a plant very similar to a green onion in both appearance and flavor; the image below shows what leeks look like: Leak can be a verb or noun; it describes the situation when liquid comes […]

These two nouns are very close in meaning. You probably know that liquor is a kind of alcohol that includes, e.g., whiskey, gin, rum, and vodka. Well, liqueur is just another kind of liquor—which is very sweet, flavored by fruit, herbs, or other plants. It is often used in cooking or as an ingredient in cocktails. It […]

The nouns, locale and location, have basically the same meaning, with a slight difference. Location usually means a specific place, such as “on the corner of the table” or “37 South Main Street”—but this is only a tendency; location can mean any place, of any kind. Locale usually describes an area near some landmark or event, such as […]

These words are closely related. Material, the much more common word, has many uses. In general, material (adjective or noun) describes the physical, versus mental, spiritual, or abstract—or it means relevant or important. As a noun, material can mean: any physical substance that of which something is composed, whether physical or not: His theory is […]