Confusing Words Clarified Group V
vail, vale, veil
vail (VAYL)
To let fall, cause to descend or to sink: "Sometimes, as she had learned from her mother, she let her handkerchief vail to get the attention of a certain gentleman."
vale (VAYL)
A valley or a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river: "She followed the path down through the vale to reach her destination."
veil (VAYL)
1. A piece of cloth or net worn usually by women over the head and shoulders and sometimes over the face: "The bride wore a beautifully handmade lace veil on her wedding day."
2. Something that covers or hides something else: "A veil of moss covered the trees next to the meandering stream, like in a fairy tale."
3. To hide or to partly hide something: "The clouds will veil the sun more and more today."
vain, vane, vein
vain (VAYN)
1. Excessively proud of one's appearance or accomplishments; conceited: "He was always so vain about his athletic accomplishments: he couldn't stop his bragging!"
2. Not yielding the desired outcome; fruitless: "He made a vain attempt to pass his chemistry test."
vane (VAYN)
A device for indicating wind direction: "The weather vane was used to show which way the wind was blowing."
vein (VAYN)
Any of the membranous tubes that form a branching system and carry blood to the heart: "The doctor told her that she had a clogged blood vein."
When the newly graduated doctor wrote that his patient's blood vane needed medical attention, the head physician said that it was the first time he had ever heard of the wind influencing a vain blood vein.
valet, valley, volley
valet (VAL it, VAL ay, va LAY)
1. A person who parks cars for guests at a hotel, restaurant, etc.: "The valet was already there when the limousine arrived."
2. A man's personal male servant: "The valet cleaned the man's shoes every evening before retiring for the night."
3. To clean very well: "Her son was willing to valet her car regularly for a fixed wage."
valley (VAL ee)
1. An area of low land between hills or mountains: "There is a large river running through the valley."
2. A low period, point, or level: "There was a peak and a valley in the usage of gas throughout each month of the last year."
volley (VAHL ee)
1. To hit a ball while it is in the air and before it touches the ground: "While playing tennis she was finally able to volley the ball over the net."
2. A lot of comments, questions, etc., that are directed at a person very quickly: "A volley of questions were presented to the head officer by the press."
3. A large number of bullets, arrows, stones, etc., that are shot or thrown at the same time: "The enemy was attacked by a volley of arrows flying through the air."
varied, various
varied (VAIR eed, VAR eed)
Having many forms or types, including several different things: "After being sick for so long she is now trying to eat a more varied diet."
various (VAIR ee uhs, VAR ee uhs)
A reference to several different or many different things, people, etc.: "Various pop bands played at the concert last night."
vary, very
vary (VAIR ee, VAR ee)
1. To be different or to become different; to change: "The price of the rooms in the hotel can vary depending on the holidays."
2. To make something different, to make changes to something so that it is not always the same: "He tries to vary the menu by trying to offer something new each week."
very (VER ee)
1. To a great degree, extremely: "The foreigner was so unsure of himself that he talked very slowly."
2. Used to emphasize the exactness of a description: "Mom and Dad said I could have my very own room now and I don't have to share it with my sister anymore."
vassal, vessel
vassal (VAS uhl)
A person in the past who received protection and land from a lord in return for loyalty and service; often used figuratively to describe a person, country, etc., that is controlled by someone or something more powerful: "The little country will become a vassal of the empire."
vessel (VES uhl)
1. A ship or large boat: "We traveled with the sailing vessel along the coast before landing."
2. A vein or artery that carries blood through the body: "You could easily see main blood vessel on his arm."
3. A hollow container for holding liquids: "Some wine was served from the old drinking vessel."
vault, volt
vault (VAWLT)
1. An arched structure that forms a ceiling or roof: "All the tourists gazed at the vault of the cathedral before continuing their tour of the church."
2. A locked room where money or valuable things are kept: "I had never been in the bank vault before."
3. To jump over something, especially to jump over something by using your hands or a pole to push yourself upward: "He was able to vault over the fence easily."
volt (VOHLT)
A unit for measuring the force of an electrical current: "Do you have a nine-volt battery that I could use?."
venal, venial, vernal
venal (VEE nuhl)
Willing to do dishonest things in return for money; being corrupt: "The venal banker was soon discharged from his position."
venial (VEE nee uhl, VEEN yuhl)
Not serious, forgivable: "The girl was forgiven for her venial mistake of accusing her brother of taking her pen, which he didn't."
vernal (VUR nuhl)
Of, relating to, or occurring in the spring: "The narcissus outside our living-room window are in their vernal bloom."
vending, venting
vending (VEND ing)
To sell by means of a vending machine or by peddling: "He was vending more wholesome food than the others."
venting (VENT ing)
1. To express (one's thoughts or feelings, for example), especially forcefully; usually in a loud or angry manner: "She was venting her frustrations by yelling at the driver who suddenly cut in front of her car."
2. To release or to discharge (steam, for example) through an opening: "We were venting the fumes from the chemical mixture by opening the windows."
veneer, venue
veneer (vuh NIR)
1. A thin layer of wood or other material that is attached to the surface of something in order to make it look better: "The veneer on the edges of the shelves gave them a very elegant appearance."
2. A way of behaving or appearing that gives other people a false idea of your true feelings or situation: "Their marriage appeared to be wonderful, but it was really just a veneer."
venue (VEN yoo)
The place where an event takes place: "The venue of the trial of the murderer had to be kept a secret."
venomous, venous, Venus
venomous (VEN uh muhs)
Capable of putting poison or venom into another animal's body usually by biting or stinging it: "Sometimes a bee sting can be venomous for some people and has to be treated immediately."
venous (VEE nuhs)
Full of or characterized by veins, veiny: "The venous tissue was being examined by the doctor."
Venus (VEE nuhs)
1. The planet that is second in order from the sun: "Venus is the planet that you can often see close to the moon on clear nights."
2. Venus was the Roman goddess of beauty and love: "When in Rome, I saw a beautiful statue of the goddess Venus."
veracious, voracious
veracious (vuh RAY shuhs)
Observant of the truth; habitually speaking the truth: "I always trusted her veracious behavior towards me."
voracious (vaw RAY shuhs, vuh RAY shuhs)
Having or showing a tendency to eat very large amounts of food: "My son has such a voracious appetite that I have to go grocery shopping everyday!"
veracity, voracity
veracity (vuh RAS i tee)
1. Truth or accuracy: "They had to question the veracity of his remarks regarding the accident."
2. The quality of being truthful or honest: "The lawyer hoped the jury wouldn't doubt the veracity of the witness."
voracity (vaw RAY shuhs, vuh RAY shuhs)
The quality or state of having or showing a tendency to eat very large amounts of food: "His voracity was demonstrated by his greedy behavior at the dinner table."
verses, versus
verses (VUR suhs)
1. Writing in which words are arranged in a rhythmic pattern; poetry: "An epic tale can be written with verses."
2. A part of a poem or song: "How many verses does this poem have?"
versus (VUR suhs, VUR suhz)
1. Used to indicate the two people, teams, etc., that are fighting or competing against each other or which are opposed to each other in a legal case: "In 2008, the United States presidential election consisted of Barack Obama versus John McCain."
2. Used to indicate two different things, choices, etc., that are being compared or considered: "We have a choice of staying home this summer versus going to Europe on vacation."
vertex, vortex
vertex (VUR teks")
A point where two lines meet to form an angle; especially, the point on a triangle that is opposite to the base: "Her algebra teacher told her that the vertex of her triangle wasn't correctly calculated."
vortex (VOR teks")
A mass of spinning air, liquid, etc., that pulls things into its center; sometimes used figuratively: "The exciting tale 'A Descent into the Maelstrom', by Edgar Allan Poe, tells of a ship being pulled down into the vortex of the Maelstrom."
vial, vile
vial (VIGH uhl, VIGHL)
A very small glass or plastic container used for perfumes, medicines, etc.: "She inherited an exquisite vial with Channel No. 5 from her mother."
vile (VIGHL)
1. Evil or immoral: "Articles about vile terrorist attacks have been filling our newspapers."
2. Very bad or unpleasant: "He made such vile remarks that she ran away crying."
vice, vise
vice (VIGHS)
1. Bad or immoral behavior or habits; wickedness: "His wife didn't know about his vice of gambling."
2. Minor or bad habit: "Smoking a cigarette twice a week was his primary vice."
"More and more, we are faced with the vice of greed in so many aspects of private and social existence."
3. Criminal activities that involve sex and drugs: "So many countries are being over whelmed with the crimes of vice which are increasing more and more.
vise (VIGHS)
A tool that is usually attached to a table and which has two flat parts that can be opened and closed by turning a handle or a lever to hold objects firmly in place so someone can work on them; such as, a piece of wood, metal, or other material: "He used his vise quite often for holding pieces of metal while he drilled holes in them and filed off the rough edges."
It is the business of a censor to acquaint us with vices we didn't know we had.
Evan Esar
vicious, viscose, viscous
vicious (VISH uhs)
Disposed to or characterized by violent or destructive behavior: "The mean dog showed vicious behavior towards the mailman when he tried to deliver the mail."
viscose (VIS kohs")
The thick organic liquid cellulose used in the making of rayon and cellophane: "Her dress was made of 100 percent viscose fabric for a lighter and cooler feeling."
viscous (VIS kuhs)
Having relatively high resistance to flowing or a thick, gummy liquid which is hard to pour: "Examples of viscous liquids include molasses, honey, oil, and syrup."
When the vicious boy tried to pour the viscous honey on his sister's new viscose dress, she was able to hit the jar and the sticky contents ended up on him instead.
victual, virtual
victual (VIT'l)
Food usable by man: "Charles Dicken's characters in his novels were often quite poor and were happy to have at least one victual in their bags."
virtual (VUR choo uhl)
1. Very close to being something without actually being it: "Her winning the competition is a virtual certainty."
2. Existing or occurring on computers or on the internet: "You can browse anytime through the stores on the internet for books, clothing, CDs, etc."
villain, villein
villain (VIL uhn)
1. A character in a story, movie, etc., who does bad things: "A villain is often pictured in stories as having a sharp nose, slanted eyes, and wearing a black cape."
2. Someone or something that is blamed for a particular problem or difficulty: "Don't try to make me the villain! I don't have anything to do with your problems!"
villein (VIL uhn, VIL ayn", vi LAYN)
A free common villager or village peasant of any of the feudal classes lower in rank than the thane: "The villein and his family had to work hard in order to keep the cottage they were living in."
vindication, vindictive
vindication (vin" di KAY shuhn)
The condition which shows that someone should not be blamed for a crime, mistake, etc.: "It was proven that she had nothing to do with the crime so her vindication was completely accepted."
vindictive (vin DIK tiv)
Having or showing a desire to hurt someone who has hurt or caused problems for anyone: "She became very vindictive and aggressive after the divorce."
visa, vista
visa (VEE zuh)
An official mark or stamp on a passport that allows someone to enter or leave a country usually for a particular reason: "Her work visa finally arrived and she could then begin her job in Canada."
vista (VIS tuh)
1. A large and beautiful view of an area of land or water: "After climbing up the mountain she enjoyed the vista spread below her."
2. A large number of things that may be possible in the future: "New vistas for research in medicine have been opened up by the development of the computer."
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