Break and brake, pronounced the same, have many meanings, as both verbs and nouns. To break means to divide, to separate, or to damage. A break is a gap, space, or division. Break has many different uses: We will break the bread into pieces so everyone can have some. Everybody needs a break from work to recharge. There was […]

The adjectives, nauseated and nauseous, are very close in meaning. Both describe the feeling of being sick to one’s stomach—the feeling of needing to vomit (“throw up”).  The only difference is that nauseous simply describes the feeling, while nauseated is the past tense or past participle of the verb to nauseate, which means “to cause one to feel nauseous” […]

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 […]