The words in these pairs sound alike. Study these quick definitions, and use
these words in your writing and speech.
board: piece of wood
Hillary hammered the pine board.
bored: tired of; not interested
Were you bored at the movies?
brake: the stopping device
Push hard on the brake to stop the bike. break: a rest; to smash or shatter
The tired workers deserved a break.
Did the player break her leg in the collision?
capital: money; most important
The company’s owners put up the capital to start the project.
Annapolis is the capital city of Maryland. capitol: building
Each state has its own capitol where officials convene.
choose: to select
Choose your dessert and take it to that table. chose: past tense of the verb choose
The couple chose their wedding song.
desert: to abandon (di = zert); the dry region ( de = zert)
Did the foe desert his army and go to the enemy’s side?
The Sahara Desert is huge. dessert: cake, pie, ice cream, pudding, fruit, and such served as the
meal’s final coursev
We had ice cream for dessert.