Is a female sheep a ewe, a yew, or a you? When you accept something, do you except it or accept it? Is a surplus an excess or an access? When you get rid of something, do you exercise it or exorcise it? When you speed up, do you exhilarate or accelerate?
an ancient yew tree in Overton-on-Dee churchyard, www.geograph.org.uk
ewe, yew, you
A ewe is a female sheep.
The ewe gave birth to two lambs this morning.
Yew is a type of ancient tree.
The leaves of the yew tree are highly toxic.
You is the 2nd person singular or plural pronoun.
You have a lot of work to catch up on today.
ewes, use
Ewes would be more than one female sheep.
The farmer owned a huge flock of ewes.
Use (YOOZ) means to put into practice. It also means to employ.
The lady down the street who broke her hip could use your help doing the housework.
St. Croix ewes, wikipedia
use, yews
Use (YOOS) is an application or employment.
You need to use this ancient book of spells in your research.
Yews would be more than one yew tree.
The rolling fields were full of ancient yews.
exalt, exult
There is only one little letter of difference in the spelling of the above words, so it is understandable why they are so easily confused. Their meanings are very close too, but there is one pretty major difference in how the words are used. One of them requires a direct object, the other one does not.
Exalt means to glorify or lift something up with praise. Since you must glorify something, this is the one that requires a direct object telling what you are exalting.
Her teachings exalt Jesus.
Exult means to party, to celebrate, to be happy, to rejoice. You do not need a direct object to whoop it up; you can do that all by yourself.
The entire team plans to exult after their long-awaited victory over the opposing team.
an exaltation of larks, pinterest
exaltation, exultation
Exaltation is the state of exalting or glorifying. It is also the collective noun for larks.
The exaltation of Christ spread like wildfire throughout the nation.
Exultation is the act of glorying or rejoicing.
The football team’s exultation put the teachers and all of the students in a great mood.
exceed, accede
Exceed means to go beyond or be superior to.
If you don’t keep your eyes on the speedometer, it is easy to exceed the speed limit.
Accede means to agree or give consent.
The parents were warned not to accede to the kidnappers’ demands.
woman exercising, wikipedia
except, accept
Except means to omit.
Except for Billy, everyone will be going on the field trip.
Accept means to receive or to believe.
Doris thought all aspects of the invitation through before she told Daniel she would accept it.
excess, access
Excess means an abundance or surplus.
Since the young couple lived so far away from town, they had an excess of supplies in their basement.
Access is an approach; admittance.
Without top secret clearance, your access to the files will be denied.
exercise, exorcise
Exercise is physical or mental exertion. It is also when you put something, such as caution, into action.
Although she was slow to begin her daily routine of exercise, it soon became a habit.
Exorcise means to expel or get rid of.
Their plan to exorcise the demonic spirits from the house was successful.
accelerating through a turn, wikimedia commons
exhilarate, accelerate
Exhilarate means to enliven or refresh.
Still drowsy, she took a walk in hopes that the cool morning air would exhilarate her.
Accelerate means to move faster or speed up.
She needed to accelerate the rate at which she did her homework.
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