Dear
Master’s Programs student,
Hopefully
you’ve found our commonly-confused-words series an effective (not affective) way to improve your
writing. Please enjoy our fourth—and
penultimate—blog entry on this topic!
Disinterested vs. Uninterested
Disinterested (adj): unbiased, impartial
Uninterested (adj): bored, unengaged
E.g. Dina Lohan was dismissed from the jury pool for
Lindsay’s DUI case; as the mother of the defendant, Dina could hardly have been
disinterested.
E.g. Kim assumed Kanye would be excited to see the
ultrasound technician with her, but when she suggested they go together, he
seemed totally uninterested.
Stationary vs. Stationery
Stationary (adj): not moving, immobile
Stationery (noun): paper (and envelopes) for writing letters
E.g. Although considered stationary before the 16th century, the earth actually
moves at 67,000 miles per hour around the sun.
E.g. When Galileo hypothesized a heliocentric universe, he
wrote a letter on his best stationery
to tell his friends.
Tip: Stationery is very papery.
Advice vs. Advise
Advice (noun): a recommendation or suggestion
Advise (verb): to give counsel to; to recommend
E.g. Though she often asks for guidance, Daenerys usually ignores
the advice that she receives and
follows her own mind in the end.
E.g. Petyr Baelish advised Lord Stark to trust no one.
Tip: Remember that advice and ice are both nouns.
[True, “ice” can be a verb as well, but unless you’re a physical
therapist, you probably use the noun form much more frequently.]
Council vs. Counsel
Council (noun): a group of people who give advice, or enact
legislation (like a city council)
Counsel (verb): to recommend a course of action [can also be a
noun, meaning “advice.”]
E.g. The municipal council
conspired to supplement their salaries by increasing the number of parking
meters.
E.g. I counseled
my friend to put more money in the meter than he needed; Los Angeles meter
maids are opportunistic and merciless.
Tip: Think of a city council.
Thanks
for reading. May this writing advice
help you now and in the future!
James
