A Writer Looks at This Crazy Language Called English

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

The English language—which isn't really English, it's American—is screwy. There I've said it. First we have this rule: I before E, except after C … except when it isn't. Huh? 

Ancient, Atheist, Beige, Caffeinated, Conceit, Conceive, Conscience, Counterfeit, Deceive, Deficiency, Efficient, Eight, Fancier, Feisty, Foreign, Forfeit, Freight, Heidi, Heifer, Height, Heir, Heist, Keith, Leicester, Leisure, Neighbor, Neither, Policies Proficient, Protein, Receive, Reindeer, Rottweiler, Science, Seismologist, Seize, Sleighs, Sovereign, Species, Sufficient, Their, Weightlifters, Weird.

There are probably more, but those are the ones that came up in my search. Next, words that sound the same but aren't spelled the same, like:

• bear and bare
• bored and board
• brake and break
• by and buy
• die and dye
• eight and ate
• flour and flower
• here and hear
• meet and meat
• pray and prey
• right and rite
• cite, sight, and site
• there, their, and they're
• to, too, and two
• your, you're, and yore

Not enough for you? Okay, here are some words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, like:

• bank: the side of a river/creek or a financial institution.
• bark: the outer covering of a tree or the sound a dog makes.
• bass: low deep sound or type of fish.
• bat: a flying mammal or an item of sports equipment.
• book: a written or printed work or to make a reservation.
• bow: a knot tied with two loops and two loose ends or to bend at the waist as a sign of respect.
• crane: a large bird or a heavy equipment machine.
• lead: to go in front of or a metal.
• wind: follow a winding course or a gust of air.

Not confusing enough? I could go on, but my eyes are crossing. If you want more, check out Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs.

Join the conversation: Do you know others I haven't listed?

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Ane Mulligan lives life from a director’s chair, both in theatre and at her desk creating novels. Entranced with story by age three, at five she saw PETER PAN onstage and was struck with a fever from which she never recovered—stage fever. One day, her passions collided, and an award-winning, bestselling novelist emerged. She believes chocolate and coffee are two of the four major food groups and lives in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and a rascally Rottweiler. Find Ane on her website, Amazon Author page, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, The Write Conversation, and Blue Ridge Conference Blog.