Commonly confused words

gaff vs. gaffe gaff (a hook with a handle used to pull large fish out of the water) I drag the fish into the boat using a gaff.   gaffe (an embarrassing mistake that a person makes in public) He made some real gaffes in his speech. I didn’t realize …

gabble vs. gable gabble (to speak fast and unclear) Don’t gabble, man. We cannot understand you. Tell it calmly and clearly. She starts to gabble when she gets angry.   gable (the upper part of a wall below a pitched roof that makes a shape like a triangle) John lives …

grip vs. gripe   grip  verb (to hold tightly) Grip the rope, and we’ll pull you up. Wide tires grip the road well. grip  noun (a tight hold) She was trying hard to free herself from his grip. Don’t loosen your grip on that rock or you’ll fall.   gripe  …

grate vs. great grate  verb (to cut food into very small pieces by rubbing it on a grater) Can you grate some cheese for me? Peel and grate the carrots. grate  noun (a metal structure that holds wood, coal, etc. in a fireplace) There were coals burning in the grate. …

gilt vs. guilt   gilt (a thin layer of gold) The firm isn’t solid gold; it is only covered with gilt. How much did you pay for those gilt-edged glasses?   guilt (responsibility for a crime or for doing something wrong or illegal) The thief did not deny his guilt. …