Tail vs. tale
Tail: something at the rear of something else. Tale: a story.
Bulk, balk, baulk
Bulk refers to size. To balk (sometimes baulk in British English) is to stop short and refuse to go on.
Pray vs. prey
Pray: 1. to utter a prayer; 2. to make a fervent request. Prey: 1. one that is hunted or attacked; 2. to hunt, catch or eat as prey.
Isle or Aisle – Usage, Difference & Meaning
An aisle is a passageway or division between two sides. An isle is an island.
Douse vs. dowse
Douse = (1) to plunge into liquid, (2) to drench, or (3) to extinguish (especially flames). Dowse = to search underground using a divining rod.
Sew vs. Sow – What’s the difference?
Sewing involves needle and thread or a sewing machine. To sow is to scatter seed or implant.
Fay, fey
Fey now means fairylike, elfin, or otherworldly. Fay and the older senses of fey are now mostly gone.
Dam vs. Damn – What’s the Difference?
Dam: a structure used to hold back water, plus related verb senses. Damn: (1) to condemn, (2) to bring about the failure of, (3) to prove guilty, or (4) to send to everlasting punishment.
Canon vs. cannon
Canon = (1) a code of laws, (2) an established principle, (3) a group of exemplary literary works, and (4) the works of a writer that are accepted as authentic. Cannon = a large weapon that fires heavy projectiles.