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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.
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Backyard, back yard, back-yard
The adjective is backyard or back-yard, and the noun is usually back yard, but there is little consistency in real-world use.
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.
Blowup vs. blow up
Blowup (sometimes blow-up) is a noun or an adjective. The verb is two words—blow up.
Sacrilege, sacrilegious
Sacrilege: the misuse or desecration of something sacred. Sacrilegious: of or relating to sacrilege.
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Envoi vs. envoy
Envoy = a representative on a diplomatic mission. Envoi = a closing stanza in certain forms of poetry. The former is sometime used for the latter.