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 […]

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 […]