Loosening vs Lucency

No, these are not sound-alikes.  Here is the problem. 

Loosening (g.) or loosen (v)  means to loosen, to make loose, to make less tight, as in "loosen your belt after eating," or "After a hard day's work, he loosened his tie as he relaxed with his beer."

Lucency (n.) means illumination, lighting, to shine a light on.  It means clarity, transparency.  "My grandmother would roll the filo dough until it was translucent."

Here is the problem: When people do not spell correctly, there is a tendency to confuse one word for another, especially if those words are not commonly used.  Certainly, that is the case with lucency.  I am making this entry because I recently came across "he lucent his tie."  This does, indeed, sound like loosened, but the meaning is entirely different.  It is critical that our educational system concentrate its efforts on correct spelling, if for no other reason than to encourage correct communication.  The fact that schools have recently opted to allow "creative" spelling is abhorrent, and quite misguided.

Plain vs. Plane

I imagine many folks have trouble with this one.

Plain (n.) refers to a plot of land, a large, flat, almost treeless area.  For example, "The plains of Africa are becoming smaller, and the elephants roaming the savannas are becoming endangered.  In other words, plain is a land formation.  Plain also means clear (plain to see), simple (this is plain arithmetic).

Plane (n.) also means a flat, level area, but is more abstract.  For example, "Place the windows on the same plane"  and "The educational plane in the United States lags behind other developed countries."

Plural v Pleural

Plural (adj.) means several or many; it means more than one.  It is the opposite of singular.

Pleural (adj.) refers to the lungs, as in pleural sounds (breath sounds).

Fusion v. Effusion

This is one of those sound-alikes that creates trouble.

Fusion (n.) means joined together, a synthesis, union, or combination.  When a bone is broken, sometimes both sides are fused together.

Effusion (n.) means the escape of fluid from anatomical vessels, such as in rupture.

Mendacity

Wow, what a gorgeous word.  How eloquent.  How easily misunderstood and distorted.

Mendacity (n.) means deceitfulness, dishonesty, puffery, misrepresentation, disingenuousness.  I just read a wonderful article by artist and author, Jack White (http://faso.com/fineartviews/47488/mendacity) in which he specifically discusses the downside of using mendacity to sell one's art, either by exaggerating one's talents, or otherwise misrepresenting their accomplishments or the value of their art.  This type of dishonesty is rampant in our society.  Sadly, it seems even to be encouraged, as when parents praise their children for anything they do from the time they get up in the morning; every word from these parents' mouths is "I'm proud of you, Johnny."  That does not teach the child the value of perseverance, or struggle and effort; and it certainly discourages the child from developing a backbone of honesty.

Another example: "She told her husband that she was meeting a friend for dinner.  But she did not make clear that this friend was a man, as she did not want to stir up any feelings of jealousy."

Parsimonious

A glorious word presented at our meeting last night.  I'm especially fond of it.  It is an adjective, and means frugal or stingy.  Ex: "The parsimonious tactics that Warren Buffet has practiced for a lifetime have made him one of the richest men in the world."  Another example: "Americans are not known for their parsimonious spending; they are a very consumption-oriented bunch."

In both examples, parsimonious describes behavior toward finances.  It is rarely used to describe other behaviors, although not unheard of.  For example, one might be parsimonious in one's affections, but that would be a bit unorthodox a use for the word.

Caudal versus Cottle

Admittedly, few people beside physicians would have occasion to use the word Cottle, a surgical instrument, but that notwithstanding, misspellings are rampant. 

Caudal refers to the posterior, or more precisely, a posterior approach (again, a term mostly used in surgery).

Why knowing how to spell is important

This is an age of the shorthand, the minimalist texting abbreviations, the fast-food mentality of social trends, the age of the 140-character 'Tweet.  It has even been proposed that spelling instruction be done away with at schools, in favor of phonetic spelling.  I fail to comprehend how educators have reached the conclusion that phonetic spelling passes the test of education.  The word nation would be spelled as nashion, patient would be pashient, alphabet would be alfabet and laughter would morph into lafter.  This is laughable, if it weren't tragic.  It has been shown again and again that the United States lags other developed countries in education.  How are we to compete in the world if our children don't learn how to spell?  And if our children don't learn, they will become illiterate adults.  Yes, illiterate, in its literal sense; one who is unable to read or write; illiterate, meaning unlettered.

You scoff.  Surely, I'm exaggerating; surely, I'm on my soapbox again.  But consider: as the child matures into an adult and his or her education proceeds, how is that child to understand what it is he or she is studying? Words convey different meanings when spelled differently.  First of all, one would be considered illiterate if one were to speak in the current jargon of the young: LMAO, WSF, LOL.  But what of such words as cite/site/sight?  All three sound the same when spoken, but mean entirely different things when read.  Then, there is oral/aural - again, similar sounding, but meaning entirely different things.  And so it is with anytime/any time, or anymore/any more, hoard/horde, persecutor/prosecutor (although not sounding exactly the same).  Learning consists of diligent work in understanding what one reads, as well as in the ability to write essays that convey correct meaning.  Our children grow up to be the adults of the future; and sadly our current adults seem to lack a great deal of wisdom when it comes to educating themselves and their progeny.  Who came up with this idea of phonetic spelling?  Would anyone accept the proposition that our future doctors, bankers, judges or lawyers be unable to read, write or interpret what they have before them?