Writing & Grammar: Confusing Words for 600

by Jennie Ruby 

 

This week's confusing words pop up often in writing about training, creating a minefield of potential spelling errors.

First, let's look at lead versus led. Lead is a toxic element formerly found in gasoline and other products. It is also the common term for the graphite in pencils. As a verb, lead means to go first and show the way, so many of us lead classes. But if we did that yesterday, we led the class--the past-tense form of the verb to lead.

Peek, pique, and peak all three may appear in writing about training. A peek is a quick look. The verb pique means to arouse or cause something, typically interest or anger. As a noun, it means anger. Peak can be a verb or a noun, and always indicates a pinnacle or high point.

Select the right word in each sentence (watch for additional problems in the same sentence)!

1. I need a lead/led pencil to mark this answer key.
2. Who is the lead/led instructor for Friday's class?
3. Who lead/led last week's discussion session?
4. This instructor-lead/instructor-led training is offered monthly.
5. The training room does not have any lead-based/led-based paint.
6. We hope this preview of our training will peek/pique/peak your interest.
7. This training comes just as the interest in gamification reaches its/it's peek/pique/peak.
8. Here is a quick peek/pique/peak into the topic of next month's/months conference.
9. The unhappy, stressed-out student left in a fit of peek/pique/peak.
10. The participant-lead/participant-led workshop peeked/piqued/peaked the interest of several conference attendees/attendee's.

When ready, please post your answers as comments below.

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Answers to the Confusing Words for 500 challenge are brought to you by Chris Zimmel

1. The director asked me to keep her appraised/apprised of the project status.
2. We later met to flush out/flesh out the details of the project.
3. During the buyer's walk-through, some squirrels were fleshed out/flushed out of the attic.
4. Please appraise/apprise the seller of her rights regarding the negotiated price.
5. We need to appraise/apprise the governor of the details of the scam.
6. Can we flush out/flesh out this outline before we submit it to the client?
7. The plumber appraised/apprised me of the condition of the old iron pipes.
8. The main line needed to be fleshed out/flushed out to allow water to flow freely.
9. We met with the plumber to flesh out/flush out the plan for upgrading the pipes.
10. We need to appraise/apprise students of how toaccess/excess the supplemental material.

Other winners of Confusing Words for 500 challenge, approximately in order of receipt: Lynn Walpole, Sonia Verma,Melanie Elick, Tara Allen, Geri Moran, Michael Shepherd,  Phyllis Muder, Patrick Brown, Tonya Bowles, Christine Pass, Lisset Vega,Karyn Highet, Kolja Fuchs, Irene McCoy, Kay Honaker, Vera Sytch,Lisa J Stumpf, Ginny Supranowitz, Tanya Davis, Stacey Edwards, and Denise Miller.

Fair warning... next time I will start counting missed additional problems later in the sentence against you!

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