These two adjectives have related meanings, but they are used somewhat differently. Impractical may be the easier one to remember, and more common; it means “not practical” where “practical” means “relating to, or able to be put into, action or reality”: Many people believe it is impractical to stop using oil as fuel, but we need to […]

These verbs have nearly the same meaning, but different uses. To clinch means to fasten, to grasp, to settle, to nail down, to tighten, to make secure, or to make final. It is most often used to mean to make victory certain: His last move clinched the game. (made his winning certain) Her evidence clinched the argument. Clinch can […]

These words are homonyms (i.e., they sound the same—have the same pronunciation). Naval is an adjective describing the sea-going branch of the military (military boats). Naval is a simple word, used mainly in certain phrases, such as naval forces or naval academy, etc. Navel is a noun meaning, primarily, “belly-button”—the place on your stomach where you were attached to […]

These two nouns, although related, have very different meanings. (They are related in that they both describe coverings—things placed over other things.) A mantel is the large piece of wood or stone that is set above a fireplace, on which people often place photographs and other sentimental objects. Mantle, in contrast, has several meanings: a […]

Impostor refers to a kind of person, while imposture refers to the actions that make a person an impostor. An impostor is a person pretending to be someone else, or a different kind of person than they really are—or as we say, “posing”: The impostor was kicked out of the meeting when he failed to show the correct […]