Confusing Words Clarified Group K

Confusing Words Clarified Group Khttp://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/4371/?letter=C&spage=21

Pronunciation Chart

(a presentation of simplified American-English pronunciations)

The pronunciations which occur in some of the various vocabulary definitions are based on a simplified American-English phonic or sound system that most readers will find easier to use than the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) or those, often confusing, systems used in many dictionaries.

Primary Stress

The definitions present the primary, accented, or stressed syllables in capitalized form, as in: diverge [di VURJ]. Whenever there is a word of one syllable; the whole word is written in the primary stress mode, as with fate [FAYT].

Secondary Stress

Syllables with a secondary accent or stress are indicated with a ["], as in superannuate [soo" pur AN yoo ayt". The secondary stress marks are always placed after, or behind, the syllable that is being accented.
A schwa, ə (ə) or similar to ∂, shown in some dictionaries, is written as uh. The schwa is used to signify the unstressed, central vowel sound of most unstressed syllables in American-English and by the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
The ə on its diurnəl rounds
Is minəs all but minər sounds;
Yet may, phonetəcəsts əgree,
Unite a wide vəriəty
Of audəble phənoməna.

Billard R. Espy, Say It My Way

Key words: ə is presented as: uh in words; as shown in the following:a, as in: ago, uh GOH), sofa (SOH fuh)
e, as in: agent, (AY juhnt)
i, as in: sanity, (SAN uh ti)
o, as in: of, (UHV)
u, as in: focus, (FOH kuhs)
ai, as in: captain, (KAP tuhn)

When the ' [apostrophe] is used before an l, m, or n; it indicates that one of these consonants is pronounced without any significant vowel sound between it and the previous consonant.

Key words: able (AY b'l), happen (HAP'n)

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a, the short a is written as a or A

Key words: at (AT), catcher (KAT chur), crackle, (KRAK'l)

a, the long a is written as ay or AY

Key words: able (AYb'l), aid (AYD), fate (FAYT)

ah, AH

Key words: father (FAH thur), palm (PAHM or PAHLM)

air, AIR

Key words: care (KAIR), mare (MAIR), fare (FAIR), prayer (prAIR)

ar, AR

Key words: cart (KART), sparkle (SPAR k'l)

aw, AW

Key words: fall (FAWL), author (AWthur)

b, B

Key words: bed (BED), fable (FAY b'l), dub (DUHB)

c (k or s) See (k and s)

ch, CH

Key words: chin (CHIN), catcher (KAT chur), archer (AR chur)

d, D

Key words: dip (DIP), bead (BEED), had (HAD)

e, the short e is written as e or E

Key words: egg (EG), ten (TEN), said (SED), let (LET)

e, the long e, is written as ee or EE

Key words: bee or be (BEE), meat (MEET), deceive (di SEEV), thief (THEEF), even (EE vuhn)

er, ur sound is written as ur or UR

Key words: over (OH vur), under (UHN dur)

f, F

Key words: phone (FOHN), hyphen (HIGH fuhn)

g, the hard g sound is written as g or G

Key words for the hard g : get (GET), haggle (HAG'l), ghost (GOHST)

g, the soft g sound becomes j or J

Key words for the soft g: agile (AJ uhl), page (PAYJ)

h, H

Key words: hotel (hoh TEL), ahead (uh HED), who (HOO)

i, the short i is written as i or I

Key words: is (IZ), myth (MITH), if (IF), BIT (BIT)

i, the long i, is written as igh or IGH

Key words: ice (IGHS), bite (BIGHT), my (MIGH), right (RIGHT), align (uh LIGN )

j, J

Key words: jump (JUHMP), agile (AJ uhl), page (PAYJ)

k for k, hard c, and q which are written as k or K

Key words: kill (KILL), bake (BAYK), can (KAN), quick (KWIK), technique (tek NEEK)

l, L

Key words: let (LET), yellow (yel OH), ball (BAWL)

m, M

Key words: met (MET), comb (KOHM), thumb (THUHM)

n, N

Key words: not (NAHT), ton (TUHN), know (NOH)

ng, ing are written as ng or NG

Key words: song (SAWNG), anger (ANG gur), singer (SING gur)

o, the short o is written as ah or AH

Key words: odd (AHD), cot (KAHT), rob (RAHB)

o, the long o is written as oh or OH

Key words: go (GOH), rode (ROHD), slow (SLOH)

oi, OI

Key words: oil (OIL), toy (TOI), oyster (OI stur)

oo, OO

Key words: zoo (ZOO), brutal (BROO t'l), lose (LOOZ), loose (LOOS)

oo with an uh sound is written as uh or UH

Key words: look (LUHK), pull (PUHL), sugar (SUH gur)

or, OR

Key words: order (OR dur), bore (BOR), borne (BORN)

ou, OU

Key words: out (OUT), crowd (KROUD), town (TOUN), round (ROUND)

p, P

Key words: put (PUHT), apple (AHP uhl), tap (TAHP)

qu is written as kw or KW

Key words: quick (KWIK), queen (KWEEN)

r, R

Key words: red (RED), write (RIGHT), wring (RING)

s, S

Key words: sell (SEL), cell (SEL), castle (KAS'l)

sh, SH

Key words: cushion (KUH shuhn), tension (TEN shuhn)

t, T

Key words: cattle (KAT'l), top (TAHP), hat (HAT)

th, soft or silent is written as th or TH

Key words: think (THINGK), nothing (NUTHng)

th when sounded is written as th or TH

Key words: then (THEN), father (FAH thur)

u, the short u is written as uh or UH

Key words: up (UHP), cut (KUHT), color [British, colour] (KUH lur)

u, the long u is written as yoo or YOO

Key words: use (YOOZ), cute (KYOOT), few (FYOO)

v, V

Key words: vat (VAT), hovel (HUH vuhl)

wh, the soft wh sound is written as hw or HW

Key words: what (HWUT), white (HWIGHT), when (HWEN)

x, sounded and written as ks, KS

Key words: mix (MIKS), fix (FIKS), exit (EKS it), box (BAH ks)

x, sounded and written as z, Z

Key words: xenophilia (zen" uh FIL ee uh)

x, sounded and written as gz, GZ

Key words: exist (ig ZIST), examine (ig ZAM uhn), exact (ig ZAKT)

x, sounded and written as sh, SH

Key words: anxious (ANGK shuhs) or (ANG shuhs)

x, sounded and written as gzh, GZH

Key words: luxurious (luhg ZHUR ee uhs)

y, Y

Key words: yet (YET), onion (UN yuhn)

yuh, YUH

Key words: union (YOON yuhn), onion (UHN yuhn)

z, Z

Key words: zebra (ZEE bruh), busy (BIZ ee)

zh, ZH

Key words: azure (AZH ur), leisure (LEE zhur)

The following items were explained at the beginning of this chart and are repeated to emphasize their significance.

A shwah, ə or similar to ∂, shown in some dictionaries, is written as uh. The schwa is used to signify the unstressed, central vowel sound of most unstressed syllables in American-English and by the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

Key words:

a, as in: ago, (uh GOH), sofa (SOH fuh)

e, as in: agent, (AY juhnt)

i, as in: sanity, (SAN uh ti)

o, as in: of, (UHV)

u, as in: focus, (FOH kuhs)

ai, as in: captain, (KAP tuhn)

When the ' [apostrophe] is used before an l, m, or n; it indicates that one of these consonants is pronounced without any significant vowel sound between it and the previous consonant.

Key words: able (AY b'l), happen (HAP'n)

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key, quay

key (KEE)

1. An instrument, usually made of metal, used for unlocking something; such as, a padlock or a door: "She kept her house key on her key ring so she wouldn't lose it."

2. An aid; such as, a word that helps to resolve a situation or a puzzle: "The key word in the cross word puzzle was siphon."

3. A legend or explanation of markings on a map: "She checked the key on the map so she could determine the distance to the next city."

4. To indicate basic importance: "The key points in his speech were underlined for emphasis."

5. Reefs or islets off the coast of a mass of land; such as, a coral reef off the southern coast of Florida: "Have you ever been to the Florida Key or Florida Keys?"

quay (KEE, KAY)

A structure alongside a body of water to use for landing boats or to bring boats to shore: "The quay was constructed of broken concrete with a paved road on the top."

After studying the key on the map, we traveled to the Florida Keys where we located the historic quay.

The, guide, after her speech which outlined the key points in the history of the quay, used her key to unlock the gate and we spent the day exploring the quay and admiring the keys scattered across the blue sea.

kill, kiln

kill (KILL)

1. An informal term meaning to make a strong or favorable impression: "She will kill the audience with her interpretation of the main character in the play."

2. To slaughter an animal for food: "The Indians on the plains of North America would hunt to kill the bison or deer for food and for their hides."

3. To cause an interruption or stoppage: "He had to kill the engine in his car because the motor was smoking and making an awful noise."

kiln (KILN, KIL)

A heated oven or enclosure typically used for firing ceramics or objects made of clay to dry them to a fine hardness: "The potter used a large kiln when making the water pitchers and mugs."

knave, nave

knave (NAYV)

1. A humble man or a clever trickster: "He was a clever knave and entertained the visiting royalty to their delight."

2. A rogue or a rascal; a dishonest person; a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel: "The knave was caught trying to put his hand into the woman's purse to steal her money while he was pretending to help her across the street."

3. One of four cards in a set of playing cards depicting a jokester or trickster: "When she was playing cards, she had one knave, or jack, and was hoping to collect the other three."

nave (NAYV)

The central interior of a church the ceiling of which typically rises higher than that of the aisles: "She walked down the nave of the church admiring the fine stained glass windows on either side."

The knave was finally caught in the nave of the church.

knead, kneed, need

knead (NEED)

1. To mix and work into a uniform mass, as by folding, pressing, and stretching with the hands: "She said she had to get home so she could knead dough for the bread that she would bake tomorrow."

2. To make or to shape by or as if by folding, pressing, and stretching with the hands: "The artist had to knead the clay until it was smooth so he could create his sculpture."

3. To squeeze, press, or to roll with the hands, as in massaging: "She went to the physical therapist so he could knead her painful calf muscle."

kneed (NEED)

Having hit someone with a knee: "In order to protect himself, he kneed his attacker in the stomach."

need (NEED)

A condition or situation in which something is required or wanted: "It was obvious that his crops were in need of water."

"Children have a special need for affection."

"I work as a baker," said Dusty Joe, "since I'm a cake maker and knead the dough." Annis Rees, Pun Fun

kneaded, needed

kneaded (NEED'd)

To work or to shape a substance using one's hands or a specifically designed machine to create a desired texture: "She kneaded the bread dough for about 10 minutes to make it smooth and elastic so she could bake a successful loaf."

needed (NEED'd)

Considered necessary for the well being of an organism: "The silk worms needed the leaves of the mulberry tree in order to thrive."

"I felt I needed a new pair of shoes although I had several pairs in my closet already."

Getting a massage makes me feel kneaded and I can't think of anything else that is needed more for muscular relaxation.

knell, knoll

knell (NEL)

1. The slow, ominous ringing of a bell often used to indicate a sad event; such as, a funeral: "The funeral procession moved slowly, marching to the knell of the bell in the church."

2. A phrase used to signify the end of something: "The failure of the bank was the death knell for the road construction project."

knoll (NOHL)

A small gently rounded hill: "From the top of the knoll, the hikers could see the inn in the distance where they were staying."

knew, new, gnu, nu

knew (NOO, NYOO)

To be knowledgeable of or informed about; to be conscious of the truth and facts of a situation: "They read the map carefully and knew their way across the mountain pass."

new (NOO, NYOO)

1. Existing or having been made very recently: "I wore my new shoes for the very first time when I went to the symphony."

2. Just beginning or starting a situation or relationship: "He started his new job on Monday and was very pleased with his new boss."

gnu (NOO, NYOO)

One of two African antelopes characterized by a large head, a short mane, long tail and distinctly curved horns: "From the tourist bus, she observed the gnu running swiftly across the savannah or the flat grassland."

nu (NOO, NYOO)

The 13th letter of the Greek alphabet: "The letter Nu comes after Mu in the Greek alphabet as you can see in this rendition of the Greek letters: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa, Lambda, Mu, Nu, Xi, Omicron, Pi, Rho, Sigma, Tau, Upsilon, Phi, Chi, Psi, and Omega."

They knew there was a new gnu at the zoo before they went.

We saw the antelope that was recently born in the zoo; and I wish I knew if that new gnu with the Greek name of Nu will like its home.

knickers, nickers

knickers (NIK uhrz)

Short pants that are loose fitting and are typically tied at the knees: "Instead of a swim suit, he wore a shirt and knickers when he went swimming."

nickers (NIK uhrz)

The whinny or neighing of a horse: "My horse nickers every time I go to the barn because she knows I will have an apple in my pocket."

knight, night

knight (NIGHT)

A medieval tenant giving military service as a mounted man-at-arms to a feudal landholder: "The knight fought for his king on a horse while wearing armor."

night (NIGHT)

The period between sunset and sunrise, especially the hours of darkness: "We had a great night at the opera and then spent a good night sleeping."

In the evening if a man were to see a soldier in shining armor, he might be tempted to say, "Good night, Knight."

Economic advisers to a king suggested that, "To shrink the deficit, we recommend a knight tax which can be titled a sir-charge."

knit, nit

knit (NIT)

1. A method of using yarn and needles to create a series of joined loops which will be part of something; for example, a pair of socks: "She could knit quickly and accurately even when watching the TV."

2. To mend or to cause something to grow together: "The doctor assured me that my bones would knit together quickly after I broke my leg."

nit (NIT)

The egg laid by lice or other parasitic insects: "Because the little child appeared to have lice in her hair, her mother used a special shampoo and comb to remove each individual nit."

knob, nob

knob (NAHB)

A round, prominent lump or protuberance, often ornamental: "The decorative knob on the door was highly individual."

nob (NAHB)

1. A reference to the game of cribbage in which certain cards, the Jack or Knave, score points for the holder: "His nob gave him the advantage over his opponent."

2. Chiefly British, A person of wealth or social standing: "He was considered a nob in his social circle."

knock, nock

knock (NAHK)

1. To strike loudly and sharply or to draw attention to a situation or circumstance: "I will knock loudly on the door so the residents will know they have visitors."

2. To make or to create a pounding noise: "The engine in my car has developed an awful knock and I have to take it to the garage."

3. To criticize or to find fault; "Because he felt insecure, he was always trying to knock his colleagues about their work."

nock (NAHK)

1. The groove at either end of a bow for holding the bowstring: "The huntsman strung his bow, placing the bowstring in the nock at each end of the bow."

2. The notch in the end of an arrow that fits on the bowstring: "She fit the nock of the new arrow carefully onto the bowstring before aiming her shot."

knot; naught, nought; not

knot (NAHT)

1. A bond between individuals usually as part of a ceremony: "They tied the marriage knot during a beautiful ceremony on the beach."

2. An interwoven or interlaced knob created by a flexible cord or fabric: "A sailor on the ship needed to know the right knot to use when rigging the sails."

3. The measurement of a ship’s speed: "The captain of the ship calculated his vessel was moving at one knot per hour."

4. To tie up or to secure by using a flexible cord: "I am going to knot my shoelaces twice so they will not come undone."

naught, nought (NAHT)

1. Nonexistence; nothingness: "All of our efforts came to naught."

2. The figure "0"; a cipher; a zero: "We are going to receive naught for all of the hours that we worked."

not (NAHT)

Used to indicate the negative of a group of words or phrases: "The cook announced there would not be bacon and eggs for breakfast after all."

We decided not to tie the knot while we were on vacation because we had naught to spend on the ceremony.

Later, we took the ferry which traveled across the lake at two knots per hour and asked the captain to tie the knot for us. He did and he also gave us an ornamental knot of rope as a souvenir.

knotty, naughty

knotty (NAHT ee)

Complicated, possibly without solution: "The two scientists pondered the knotty problem for days before deciding there was naught to be done."

naughty (NAW tee)

Characterized by disobedience or misbehavior: "The teacher had no choice but to make the two naughty children stay after school."

A General's secretary was talking to her fellow worker: "The General doesn't want to be disturbed. He says he's working on a naughty problem.

Her colleague replied with, "Hmmm, sounds like the General.

The General opened his door: "I said I was working on a knotty problem, not a naughty problem!

Based on a conversation

in the "Beetle Bailey" cartoon.

know, no, Noh

know (NOH)

To have direct knowledge of: "She commented that she didn't know exactly what her friend was talking about regarding their children."

no (NOH)

Used to express negative, disagreement, or refusal: "Two year old children often use the expression, NO! when talking with adults."

"No, I'm not wrong, you are!"

Noh (NOH)

A form of classical Japanese musical drama performed since the 14th century in which many of the characters are masked and men actors often play both the male and female roles: "While I was traveling in Japan, I went to the theater to watch a Noh production which included music and dances performed in a highly stylized manner by elaborately dressed performers on an almost bare stage."