Here is another collection of commonly confused homophones, words that sound alike but have different spellings, and, different meanings.
Stationary vs. Stationery
Stationary is an adjective, describing motionlessness.
- The stars in the night sky appear stationary, but are in fact hurtling through the cosmos at tremendous speed.
Stationery is a noun, used to mean office supplies or writing paper.
Before the proliferation of electronic written communications, or “e-mails,” letters were hand written on choice paper called stationery.
There are many tricks for remembering the difference, here are a few. Stationary is an adjective that is spelled with an a, and ‘adjective’ is a word that starts with an a. You might also remember that when you are stationary, you are stationed where you are. Stationery for letter writing has largely been supplanted by e-mail, and both are spelled with an e.
Exalt vs. Exult
Exalt has the same root as altitude, and means to raise up (sometimes literally, though more commonly, in a figurative sense) or to glorify.
- America exalts the character and achievements of the men who founded the country in the 18th century.
Exult means to celebrate, or rejoice – openly or inwardly – in a feeling.
- Every year, on the 4th of July, many Americans are exultant on the anniversary of their nation’s Declaration of Independence.
One way to remember which form is correct for what usage is to remember that exalt is a transitive verb (that is, it takes a direct object) and therefore something – a thing – is exalted. On the other hand, exult is an intransitive verb (it does not take a direct object) and therefore you can be exultant, but no one can exult you.
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