Page 13 - NTC's Dictionary of Easily Confused Words_0844257877.djvu

all-awl

ail-ale
• ail [el] to be in ill health. □ Many townspeople continued to
ail long after the plague swept through their village.
• ale [el] an alcoholic beverage brewed from malt and hops. D
The members of the wedding party raised their steins filled
with ale and sang in unison.
air-err-heir
• air [Ea,.] the compound of various gases and oxygen that we
breathe. □ On hot, still days the air above large cities is often
filled with smog.
• air [Ea'] to broadcast or transmit something. D The network
will air the television special on three consecutive evenings.
• air [Ea,.] to expose something to the open air. DI need to air
the sleeping bags before we use them again.
• air [Ea'] the demeanor or manner of a person. D He has an
aristocratic air about him.
• err [Ea,.] to make a mistake. □ Sandy did not want to err on
her first day on thejob.
• heir [Ea,.] a person who inherits something. □ Charlie is the
heir to his father's dry-cleaning business.
aired-erred
• aired [Ea,.d] the past tense and past participle of air 'to
broadcast or transmit something.' D One of the news channels
aired the conference.
• aired [Ea,.d] the past tense and past participle of air 'to
expose something to the open air.' □ After Susan aired the
house, she closed all of the windows.
• erred [a'-d, Ea'-d] the past tense and past participle of err 'to
make a mistake.' □ Our accountant erred on a number of
points when he figured our taxes last year.
aisle-I'll-isle
• aisle [ml] a passage or corridor, usually between rows of
seats. □ The wedding guests stood when the bride appeared
at the head of the aisle.
• I'll [ml] the contraction of I will or I shall. □ "I'll never pass
this exam if I don't learn these equations," moaned Jane.
• isle [ad] a small island. D The author's dream is to live alone
on a beautiful tropical isle.
ale See the main entry beginning with ail.
all-awl
• all [:,I] the whole of a number or quantity. D When making a

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