A

ACCEPT: Consent to receive. We accept your invitation.
EXCEPT: Signals an exclusion. We have everything we need except for napkins.

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ALLOT: To give a share of something for a particular purpose.

ALOT: This is not a word. It's often incorrectly used in place of "a lot"

A LOT: A large number of something, or very much.

• That's a lot of money.
• Does she do that a lot?

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AFFECT: This is a verb. Your actions affect other people.
EFFECT: This is a noun. Your actions have an effect on other people. Drugs have effects.

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APART: Separated by a distance, or into pieces. The dog tore the toy apart.
A PART: An individual item that belongs to a whole. Is this lid a part of that Tupperware set?

B

BREATH: Pronounced "br-eh-th". The air taken into your lungs or expelled when you breathe.
BREATHE: Pronounced "br-ee-th". The act of taking a breath.

D

DEFINITELY: Without doubt. Montana is definitely in the United States.
DEFIANTLY: In a manner that shows open resistance or bold disobedience. Folding her arms, she stood defiantly.

L

LOSE: Sounds like "loooz". To have something, and then not have it. You might lose your mind over something.
LOOSE: Sounds like "loos", with a hard 's' sound. When your shoelaces aren't tight enough, they're loose.

P

PAST: Past is a noun, in that it is a point of time. Nouns are persons, places, times, or things. Past is before the present. This happened in the past.
PASSED: Passed is a verb. It derives from the word "pass", and has multiple meanings, depending on your sentence.

• He passed her in the hallway.
• She passed her test after studying hard.
• Mom passed me the plate of bacon.
• This item has passed the sell-by date.

Honestly, just Google it.

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PASS TIME VS PASTIME – You can do things to pass time, but the things you consider your hobbies are your pastimes.

It's an awkward spelling, I know, but that's how to remember it.

To pass time would be a verb, because it's a thing you do. But pastime is a noun because it's a thing, or it can be used as an object of your sentence. It's a thing to be used or done to pass the time.

Think of "pastime" more like a soccer ball. You can play soccer, but the ball is the object of the game, itself.

T

THERE: Shows a place. The zombies are over there.
THEIR: Shows possession. The zombies are missing some of their limbs.
THEY'RE: Contraction of "they" and "are". They're going to eat us if we don't get away.

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TO: Expresses a direction. From one thing to another. Also an adverb or a "state of being" - to be, or not to be.
TOO: An excess. Something is too much, or there's too many.

W

WERE: A helping verb derived from the verb "be".

• was: Where were you last night?
• are: What were you doing?
• might: If this were to happen...
• say (informal): You were like, "Whoaaaaa!!"

WE'RE: Contraction of "we" and "are".

• Shaggy: We're gonna die!
• Daphne: Think positive!
• Shaggy: We're gonna die quickly!

WHERE: Shows a place. Used to ask a question. Where are you?

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WREAK: To bring about, or cause. It's time to wreak havoc.
REEK: To smell bad. He reeks of wet dog.

Y

YOUR: Expresses possession. That is your purse.
YOU'RE: A contraction of the words "you" and "are". You're going to love this new song.