This section is a list of tips and tricks to help you know how to choose the correct spelling or punctuation…things that have helped me over the years.
Apostrophe
An apostrophe (‘) indicates possession for nouns, such as “the girl’s dress” or “Nana’s house.”
Do not use an apostrophe to show possession for pronouns.
Singular Possessive Pronouns
Plural Possessive Pronouns
My, Mine
Our, Ours
Your, Yours
Your, Yours
His, Her, Hers, Its
Their, Theirs
Do not use an apostrophe for plural nouns…with a few exceptions.
Incorrect
Correct
four generation’s ago
four generations ago
a card from the Taylor’s
a card from the Taylors
Affect/Effect
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Affect
Influence an outcome
Think “A for Action”
Effect
Result
Think “E for End result”
Cede/Seed
Word
Meaning
Help Hint
Cede
Yield or surrender
Think “C for concede“
Seed
Core of a plant; put in the ground to germinate
Think “you can see a seed”
Censor/Sensor
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Censor
Suppress or Forbid
Think of C as in census or cancel
Sensor
A device that detects motion, light, etc.
Related to the senses
Farther/Further
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Farther
Refers to distance
Think “A for away”
Further
Synonym for “more” or “undertake”
Think “U for undertake”
Forehead/Forward
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Forehead
Brow
Part of a person’s head
Forward
Directly ahead
Compare with “backward”
Hear/Here
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Hear
Able to understand audible
See the “ear” in “hear”
Here
Where something is or general statement of existence
Compare with “there” or “where”
Hour/Our
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Hour
A unit of time
Think of the hands of a clock
Our
Something belongs to us
Compare with “your”–just drop the Y
Its/It’s
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Its
Something belongs to it
Can be replaced with “his” or “hers”
It’s
Contraction for “it is”
Can be replaced with “it is”
Know/No
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Know
Understanding
Think “silent K = wisdom” (know)
No
Negative or null
Opposite of “yes”
Lead/Lead/Led
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Lead (noun)
An element used in pencils {led}
Rhymes with “dead”
Lead (verb)
Be at the head of something {leed}
Compare with “feed”
Led (verb)
Past tense of lead {led}
Compare with “fed”
Lose/Loose
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Lose
Opposite of “win” or “keep”
Think “one O is lost” or “use it or lose it”
Loose
Opposite of “tight”
Rhymes with “goose”
Mail/Male
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Mail
Send by post or something received in the post
Think “ai as in air”
Male
Gender; opposite of “female”
Think “he-male” to rhyme with “female”
Read/Read/Red
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Read {reed}
Peruse a document; understand
Compare with “lead”–readers are leaders
Read {red}
Past tense of read {reed}
Rhymes with “dead”–in the past
Red
A primary color
Think “red bed”
Sail/Sale/Sell
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Sail
Glide or float
Think “ai as in air”
Sale (noun)
A transaction between buyer and seller
Think “
Sell (verb)
The act of trading or promoting
Think “sell and swell your funds”
Soar/Sore
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Soar (verb)
Fly; rise quickly
Think “an oar can soar over water”
Sore
Tender spot (noun) or the state of being tender (adj.)
Think “sate of redness”
Stationary/Stationery
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Stationary
Stable, not moving
Think “ar” for “air“
Stationery
Paper used for notes or letters
Think “er” for “paper“
Their/There/They’re
Word
Meaning
Helpful Hint
Their
Something belongs to them
Compare with “his”
There
Where something is; general statement of existence
