Hooked on Homophonics -- NOT!

[Weird Harold]

I've just ben reading what would be a very good story if not for the fact that the author got nearly every possible homphone wrong.

There, Their and They're were used as if they were interchangable, To, Two and Too were all spelled "to," Heal and Heel were misused, Hear and Here were often spelled "her" when they weren't swapped.

I've become somewhat accustomed to this sort of error in amateur erotica, but this particular story seemed to just scream, "hukd on foniks wurkd four me."

So in aid of improving the spelling of homophones, tell me what tricks YOU use to keep them straight.

For Example:

There is a place that is noT here.
They're is a contraction of "they are"
Their is none-of-the-above and the possessive form of "they."

Another example:
Peek has two "Eyes" while a Peak is "Everything Above"
Picque, on the other hand, I just have to remember how tospell correctly when something picques my curiosity.

 

[snooper]

... So in aid of improving the spelling of homophones, tell me what tricks YOU use to keep them straight. ...

I was taught the differences at school. Corporal punishment was the norm in those days.

The same applied to grammar as to spelling.

But then, I'm OLD.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

College and Collage always get me.

Its and It's are also favorite redheaded step children (i.e. I abuse them)

I wish I had paid more attention in HS english, but I have forgotten all the Nemonics (sp) that we were taught.

-Colly

 

[English Lady]

I learnt them in school and it mortifies me if i get them wrong! the one I have to really think about is there,their and they're but i do usually get it in the end*L*

 

[Alex De Kok]

Re: Re: Hooked on Homophonics -- NOT!

I was taught the differences at school. Corporal punishment was the norm in those days.

The same applied to grammar as to spelling.

But then, I'm OLD.

What he said. Although I don't feel old. Is 60 old?

Recommend is one I always struggle with, but then that's spelling, not homophonics. I'm getting tired of seeing 'waste' instead of 'waist'.

Alex

 

[Icingsugar]

Re: Re: Hooked on Homophonics -- NOT!

I was taught the differences at school. Corporal punishment was the norm in those days.

The same applied to grammar as to spelling.

But then, I'm OLD.

Having just barely crept out of education myself, I can tell you that corporal punishment is out, and public trashing is in. Verbal trashing, that is. Standing by the black board trying to sort out the there and their on the black board in front of 25 snickering kids, basiclayy a display of mystupidity, cold sweat pouring, with a wisht that the floor would open up and swallow me whole. That's educational enough, thank you.

ps For a moment there I thoght your subject read Homophobics...

 

[Uther_Pendragon]

"Keep them straight?"
You're kidding.
I use an editor. It's the only way for me.
|
Uther, who has been caught using "discrete" for "discreet."

 

[Guest]

I have no tricks for keeping the rule handy but I want to say the most common errors I see, even in the best of writers, is between a possessive and a contraction of a verb. E.g.,

its (possessive) vs. it's (contraction for it is)

their (poss.) vs. they're (they are)

your (poss.) vs. you're (you are)

 

[Quint]

Picque, on the other hand, I just have to remember how tospell correctly when something picques my curiosity.

In the case of "Picque v. Pique," the jury finds the defendent guilty; for attempting to provide spelling advice while making typographical errors of his own, we sentence Weird Harold to five "3-5 days, depending on how many submissions she receives" replies and no Twinkies for a week. Court adjourned.

(Sorry. It piqued me in just the wrong way.)

 

[Weird Harold]

Re: Re: Hooked on Homophonics -- NOT!

In the case of "Picque v. Pique," the jury finds the defendent guilty; for attempting to provide spelling advice while making typographical errors of his own, ...

I do indeed have stupid fingers and lack a spell check for posts. At least I know there that there is a third homophone pronounced "peek." That's more than many amateur authors can say.

 

[raphy]

Occasionally ... "It's" and "its", but that's mostly to do with my fingers moving faster than my brain.. I don't really have a problem with homophones normally - But then I also come from the school of corporal punishment and after the 100th blackboard eraser impacting on your sensitive left ear, you tend to remember how to do it.

Raph, not ashamed to stand up and say "Not every one makes those mistakes." (I make other ones, usually)

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Effect and Affect always give me pause. Always.

Already, all right, alright, all ready...

---dr.M.

 

[raphy]

So Dr M., you're saying that you're affected by the effect/affect homophone and the effect of that affects you temporally?

Raph, hoping he got that right.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

So Dr M., you're saying that you're affected by the effect/affect homophone and the effect of that affects you temporally?

Raph, hoping he got that right.

And effective illustration of an affected use of affect/effect.

Another one that's not strictly homophonic but that's been bothering me lately is the old then/than dichotomy.

This embarrasses me. I mean, it's third grade stuff, and it's funny that the trouble I'm having with these words comes up only now, when I'm writing a lot. I never used to have trouble with any of them. Maybe I'm just running into them more.

Also--and this one's really bad--my fingers seem to have lost the distinction between now and know, new and knew. I'm at a loss to explain this; it's somwhere between a typo and a lapse in thinking.

And since I got a new keyboard, I'm always hitting a semi-colon instead of a comma and writing don;t and doesn;t. It drives me mad! It's even starting to look right.

---dr.M.

 

[MercyMia]

Not exactly homophones either, but there is a difference in meaning between "lay" and "lie."

When someone writes: She was laying on the silk sheets...

it makes me think she is a hen and is producing eggs.

 

[pop_54]

Re: Re: Hooked on Homophonics -- NOT!

I was taught the differences at school. Corporal punishment was the norm in those days.

The same applied to grammar as to spelling.

But then, I'm OLD.

Same as that snooper, I got fed up with that short length of rubber garden hose smacked across my knuckles so I soon got the, there, their, they're, sorted for ever in my brain

Let's be honest folks these words and the use of same are so bloody basic and simple in the English language only the uneducated can fuck it up by choice, and the good folks who use English as a second language make genuine mistakes with.

Anyone who can continually misspell a word of less than about 8 characters (typo's and bad days excluded) has a serious problem, and should consider another side line to writing stories here.

pops....................

 

[Guest]

Well said, Pops! It's bleedin' marvellous to see you back.

Loulou

 

[Guest]

Well said, Pops! It's bleedin' marvellous to see you back.

Yeppers, ditto here. My, my, pirate man, I love it when you're tough and forceful.

luv, Perdita

 

[wornoutkeyboard]

hmmmm.....

Harold...

Picque is not exactly a homophone as it is pronounced: Peek-kay.
(Much like the card game wich is spelled picquet). Among other things, it is one of various spellings of a type of fabric often used to make polo shirts.

~WOK

 

[Guest]

Interesting. Piqué in classical ballet terms means "to prick". There are tours de piqué, sharp little turns on point wherein a student is instructed to 'prick' the floor on each step.

Perdita

 

[pop_54]

Hi kid

Well said, Pops! It's bleedin' marvellous to see you back.

Loulou

Nice to be back darling

 

[pop_54]

Wowee

Yeppers, ditto here. My, my, pirate man, I love it when you're tough and forceful.

luv, Perdita

I'll be tough and forceful with you any day you want sweet one

 

[snooper]

Not exactly homophones either, but there is a difference in meaning between "lay" and "lie."

When someone writes: She was laying on the silk sheets...

it makes me think she is a hen and is producing eggs.

This is another Queen's vs. US American problem.

In the UK we say "I lay on the bed", in the US they say "I laid on the bed". This verb to lay is intransitive perfect tense.

In the UK we give the order "Lie on the bed!" in the US they give the order "Lay on the bed!" This verb to lay is intransitive imperative mood.

In both countries "I layed it on the bed" does indeed imply that I placed some object (not necessarily an egg) on the bed. This verb to lay is transitive perfect tense.

In both countries "She lied on the bed" means she was telling an untruth and has nothing to do with laying or lying eggs or down.

 

[LorriLove]

wow

yu sure laid that on them snooper

 

[The_old_man]

Homophones and phonic spelling are/is my downfall.

I know why this problem exists, but at this late stage of my life, I fear it is incurable.

I use spell checkers and grammar checkers, but even my wife ( she Taught English), misses them sometimes.

The first story that I submitted to Lit is full of them and I have received many feedback missals on them. The story does however, carry a very respectable vote score.

I don't understand it either.