You are preparing to go on vacation. Are you going away or aweigh? When you chop down a tree do you use an ax or an acts? The drinks need to be kept chilled. Do you put them on ice or on eyes?
fishing, wikimedia commons
avocation, vocation
An avocation is a hobby, a diversion, or a distraction.
Our doctor’s avocation is fishing.
A vocation is one’s profession or occupation.
Melinda’s vocation is nursing.
aw, awe
Aw is an interjection that is used to express disbelief or disgust. It is also sometimes used to express sentimental approval.
”Aw, that is such a cute baby!” Sandy exclaimed.
Awe is an overwhelming feeling of reverence or admiration.
Donna’s fell to her knees in awe at her first view of the Grand Canyon.
away, aweigh
Away can be used as either an adverb or an adjective. As an adverb, it can mean to part from some place to another place.
Get away from that dog!
As an adjective it can mean to be absent or gone.
Our neighbors are away for the summer.
Aweigh is a nautical term. It means just clear of the bottom.
“Anchors aweigh!” yelled the captain.
awed, odd
Awed means to be filled with reverence or admiration.
Awed as they watched their very first eclipse, the children were unusually quiet.
Odd means strange. Concerning numbers, it can also mean not even.
My daughter doesn’t like odd numbers.
awful, offal
Awful means terrible, extremely bad, or unpleasant.
The smell emanating from the hidden room was awful.
Offal are the parts of a butchered animal that humans consider to be inedible. It is also garbage.
The butcher had a special can into which he threw the offal.
acts, ax, axe
Acts are deeds.
The many brave, heroic acts of the town’s oldest citizen were known far and wide.
An ax or axe is a tool with a bladed head used for cutting and chopping.
Paul took an ax with him to chop down the tree.
beam axle, wikipedia
axel, axil, axile, axle
An axel is a type of jump done by a figure skater.
The purpose of the competition was to see which figure skater could perform the best axel.
Axil is a botanical term. It is the angle between the upper side of a leaf or stem and the supporting branch or stem.
The class assignment was to measure the axil on the classroom plant.
Axile is another botanical term. It means of or relating to the axis.
She had trouble memorizing the definition of axile.
An axle is the pin, bar, or shaft on which the wheel rotates.
When the axle broke, the wheel went flying off the car.
aye, eye, I
Aye is another way of saying yes.
Her reply was aye.
An eye is the organ that enables us to see.
The detective kept one eye on the man he suspected of robbing the bank at all times.
I is the nominative singular pronoun that the speaker uses to refer to himself or herself.
I am going shopping.
smiling eyes, wikimedia commons
ayes, eyes, ice
Ayes would be more than one answer in the affirmative.
The ayes have it; the resolution has passed.
The eyes are the organs that enable us to see.
Her eyes are blue.
Ice is the solid form of water.
The cooler was filled with ice to keep the drinks cold.
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