Which word means to weaken: enervate or innovate? Would you stay overnight at an inn or an in? Are toddlers acquisitive or inquisitive? Is a treacherous person insidious or invidious? Would you need to insure or ensure your vehicle?
MMA event, Eglin Air Force Base
innovate, enervate
To innovate means to come up with some new creative method, product or idea that inspires change.
A new and younger bunch of workers were brought in to innovate the dying business.
To enervate means to weaken or take away physical, mental or moral strength.
One crushing blow was all it took to enervate his opponent.
inns, ins
Inns are small hotels.
None of the run-down inns along the side of the road were inviting.
Ins are those on the inside, those with influence.
Although the decision was wrong, it was the way the ins wanted it.
Bear Mountain Inn, wikimedia commons
inquisitive, acquisitive
If someone is inquisitive, they are curious.
Her inquisitive personality led her into many troublesome situations.
An acquisitive individual is characterized by a strong desire to gain and possess.
She must learn to control her acquisitive habits or her inheritance will be gone before she knows it.
insidious, invidious
Insidious is an adjective that means treacherous or sly.
The insidious cannibal made her house of cookies and candy to attract children.
Invidious is an adjective that means likely to give offense or repugnant.
The invidious acts of the dictator terrified the nation he had seized control of.
Adolf Hitler, wikimedia commons
instance, instants
An instance is an occurrence of something, or a specific situation, happening or event.
In what instance do you think I would allow such a thing to happen?
Instants are periods of time or moments.
The precious instants we spend with each other will forever remain engraved on my heart.
insure, ensure
To insure is to guarantee against harm or loss.
The young couple barely made enough money to insure their vehicle.
To ensure is to make certain.
To ensure you have a table at the opening of the new restaurant, you need to call and reserve one.
intense, intents
Intense is extreme, strained, or deeply felt.
Intense concentration is needed to build a house of cards.
Designs, purposes, aims, or intentions are intents.
Even though her intents for helping those in need were good, the outcome was not.
intension, intention
Intension is intensity.
The intension of his words set the crowd on fire.
Intention is the determination or plan to do a specific thing.
Her intention is to write a novel that will become a bestseller.
reading books, flickr
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