Homophones! The Writer’s Tiger Trap

You’re in the thick of writing and suddenly you freeze. Staring at your screen, you ask yourself, “Is that the correct word; it sounds right, but what if it’s the other word?”
     If that scenario feels familiar, you’ve likely fallen into the lexiconic equivalent of a tiger trap: Homophones!
     It seems almost cruel of English that there can be two (or more) words that sound alike, maybe spelled nearly identical, too, but mean completely different things. Homophones can be the hidden ordinances of otherwise good copy.
     There are homophones most of us learned to differentiate at an early age: dear and deer; to, two and too; sun and son, etc. Others, however, are trickier and can best even the most solid scribes.
     For purposes of this blog, we’ve chosen three of the more complicated homophones to feature. And since brevity is a blog crowd-pleaser, we’ll forsake the rabbit hole of listing every definition.

IS IT COMPLIMENT OR COMPLEMENT?

I chose a cabernet to complement my ribeye steak and earned a compliment for my pick by the restaurant’s sommelier.

Memory Tip: A complement is related to completion, while a compliment relates to flattering words or acts.

COMPLIMENT (noun):

1. An expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration; an admiring remark.

COMPLEMENT (noun):

1. Something that fills up, completes, or makes better or perfect (e.g., That cabernet is the perfect complement to a ribeye steak.);
2. The whole force or personnel of a ship (e.g., After several more minutes of waiting, the full complement of runners was sent off by the starter’s pistol.);
3. One of two mutually completing parts: COUNTERPART (e.g., She is a kind of complement to me, and we get on famously.).

COMPLEMENT (transitive verb)

1. To complete or enhance by providing something additional; to be complementary to (e.g., The illustrations complement the text.).​

(source: Merriam-Webster)

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IS IT CAPITAL OR CAPITOL?

During a meeting with senators at the Capitol, George W. Bush crowed about the political capital he planned to spend after winning the 2004 presidential election.Memory Tip: Capital can refer to uppercase letters, accumulated wealth, or the city that serves as the seat of government. A capitol is a building where the legislative body of government meets.

CAPITAL (adjective)

1. Description of a letter’s case (e.g., of or conforming to the series A, B, C, rather than a, b, c.);
2. The seat of government (e.g., Washington, D.C., is the USA’s capital);
3. The most serious, chief of importance or influence (e.g., Murder is a capital offense that may result in the punishment of death to those convicted.);
4. Of, or relating to, wealth and assets (e.g., Buying new appliances are considered capital purchases.)

CAPITAL (noun)

1. An amount of accumulated wealth (e.g., I have the capital to launch a new business.);
2. A store of useful assets or advantages (e.g., George W. Bush had political capital, but many say he squandered it.);
3. A case version of letters (e.g., A, B, C, etc., rather than a, b, c, etc.);
4. A city serving as the seat of government or having special renown (lowercase) (e.g., New York City is the financial capital of the United States.).

CAPITOL (noun)

1. A building where a legislative body meets (e.g., The dome on the state capitol is quite distinctive.)
2. Proper The building where the U.S. Congress operates (The Capitol’s rotunda is a hallowed space for lawmakers.)​

(source: Merriam-Webster; Grammarly.com)

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IS IT EFFECT OR AFFECT?

The effect misinformation wrought on the unwitting citizenry may affect voter enthusiasm for participating in the upcoming election.Memory Tip: Affect is generally a verb, and it means to impact or change. Effect is usually a noun and is the result of a change. (Note exceptions like using effect as a transitive verb: it goes beyond mere influence, connoting an action of substance or finality.)

EFFECT (noun)

1. Something that follows an antecedent like cause or agent (e.g., The color blue is known to have a calming effect on people.);
2. The creation of a desired impression (e.g., IMAX movies have mastered the effect of 3-D entertainment.);
3. The state of being implemented or operational (e.g., The new law takes effect at midnight on January 1, 2021.);
4. Personal property (used in the plural effects) (e.g., He donated his personal effects to his favorite niece.).

EFFECT (transitive verb)

1. To put into operation, accomplish or come into being by surmounting obstacles (e.g., Amy’s litigating skills effected a huge financial settlement favoring her client.)

AFFECT (verb/transitive verb)

1. To produce an influence upon (someone or something): (e.g., Rainfall and sunshine affects plant growth.);
2. To put on a false appearance of (something) or pretend to feel, have, or do (e.g., He affected a British accent so people thought he was more scholarly.).

 (source: Merriam-Webster; Oxford American Dictionary)