Editors: Look Out For These Commonly Confused Words (Part 2!)
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Do you pass the mantle or mantel?
In this episode of The Modern Editor, I’m back with more commonly confused words I’ve come across in my years of editing. Some of these might be easy for you to spot, while others are trickier. Either way, it’s important to keep an eye out so these words don’t fall through the cracks.
In case you missed it, listen to part one here!
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Hello, edibuddies. So I had so much fun doing the last episode of the commonly confused words that I was coming across, and you all seemed to enjoy it too, so we're gonna do round two today. Now, these are words I've come across multiple times in my years of copyediting, and they are always good to keep an eye out for.
Now, some of you might be really good at catching some of these, and others you might find that they're tricky. It's different for everyone, and I've been very up front that, like, lay versus lie, I'll never get it. I will never get it. My brain refuses. But then there are other tricky words that I can catch really easily, but then other people lay and lie is no big deal, and other ones are tricky.
So this is free of judgment as always. They can be tricky or not so tricky, but they do trip up people sometimes. So I figured we'll just keep going with them. And again, this is gonna be short and sweet, so let's get into it.
Welcome to The Modern Editor Podcast, where we talk about all things editing and what it's like to run an editorial business in today's world. I'm your host, Tara Whitaker. Let's get to it.
The first one is mantel. So it's M-A-N-T-E-L. That means a fireplace mantel, like you put something on that shelf above the fireplace. But then there's also M-A-N-T-L-E, and that is a cloak, or you would say it like “take on the mantle,” like you're taking on the job of.
Most of the time, an author means the fireplace mantel, but they spell it with the L-E version. But there are some times where the L-E version is correct. So every time you see fireplace mantel, check it. Because more often than not, it is the L-E version I have seen.
And now we're gonna do a four-parter with medal. Here we go. M-E-D-A-L is, like, you won a first place medal. M-E-T-A-L is like something is made of metal, like iron or a street sign. Maybe that's aluminum. I don't know. We'll call that metal. I don't even know. But you get the picture.
M-E-D-D-L-E is like sticking your nose in someone else's business, like, "Quit meddling in my drama." And then M-E-T-T-L-E is when you have like, a strong spirit. So it'd be like, "Her mettle was tested after she tripped and fell during the race." Those are a little tough when you use speech-to-text software, depending on how good the software is, because they all sound exactly the same.
Some of the software out there, like the transcription software, can figure out which one you're trying to get, but sometimes not. So keep your eye out for those. If you see something that just...usually it's metal, like iron, or medal as in a trophy or whatnot. If you see one of those words, just immediately know that you need to take a second look because it could very well mean one of the other two.
All right, here's a doozy. Affect and effect. This one I know trips up a ton of people. Affect, A-F-F-E-C-T, means to influence or create change. So like, the humid weather affects my hair frizz. Makes it huge. The weather is affecting my hair. Effect, E-F-F-E-C-T, is a result or a consequence. Now, it gets tricky because effect can be a verb or a noun and affect is a verb, but can also be a noun as well. So it gets tricky. That's why this is so commonly misused. So effect would be like the environmental effects of climate change.
Now here's a tip. It doesn't work all the time. It's not 100%, but if you can't figure out which word to use, put “the” in front of affect or effect. If you put “the” in front and the sentence makes sense, use effect with an E. If it doesn't make sense, use affect with an A.
Now again, not foolproof, won't work 100% of the time, but it is a good general rule to use that will help a lot of the time. All right?
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All right, now we've got compliment. Oh gosh, I see this all the time, especially on social media. Compliment, C-O-M-P-L-I-M-E-N-T, like a nice thing to say to someone, like, "Someone complimented my art."
But complement, C-O-M-P-L-E-M-E-N-T, means something enhances something. So that would be like, "The colors of my artwork complemented their decor." It enhanced their decor. My artwork did not tell the decor they were nice. That would be a compliment with an I. It enhanced it, so that's complement with an E. That one, check every single time, 'cause that is so commonly mixed up.
And then the last one is course. I see this a lot because there's a lot of online courses out there. So C-O-U-R-S-E is like a college course or a course of study. It's something that you attend to learn things. But then C-O-A-R-S-E is a rough feeling or a rough texture, so like coarse sandpaper. I don't see this as frequently as I did a few years ago when online courses really had their moment, but it does still sneak through sometimes.
So there are five more groups of commonly confused words, and as always, I would love to hear your favorites. I would love to hear which ones are tricky for you and which ones aren't. Let me know so I can maybe share them in future episodes.
And until next time, keep learning, keep growing, and still keep those eyes sharp.
Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. If you enjoy The Modern Editor Podcast, I would be so grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts or wherever you consume podcasts. And don't forget, you can head to TaraWhitaker.com to connect with me and stay in touch. We'll chat again soon.
Mantel and Mantle
Mantel = A fireplace mantel
Mantle = A loose cloak or used figuratively to describe responsibility (Example: take on the mantle)
When you see mantle it’s always a good idea to double-check. Nine times out of ten, the author meant mantel.
Medal, Metal, Meddle, and Mettle
Medal = You won a first place medal.
Metal = The street sign is made of metal.
Meddle = Are you meddling in someone else’s business?
Mettle = You have a strong spirit. (Example: Her mettle was tested after she tripped and fell during the race.)
These words are often confused when authors use speech-to-text software because they sound the same.
Affect and Effect
Affect = To influence or create change (Example: Humid weather affects my hair.)
Effect = A result or consequence (Example: The law went into effect on Monday.)
This one gets confusing because effect is a verb and a noun, while affect is a verb that can also be used as a noun.
Here’s a trick that works MOST of the time: If you aren’t sure which word to use, put “the” in front of it. If the sentence still makes sense, use effect. If the sentence doesn’t make sense, use affect. This isn’t a foolproof tip, but it helps most of the time.
Compliment and Complement
Compliment = A nice thing to say (Example: Someone complimented my art.)
Complement = An enhancement (Example: Her shoes complemented her outfit.)
Course and Coarse
Course = A course of study
Coarse = A rough texture, like sandpaper
Important Sections:
(1:15) Mantel and Mantle
(2:00) Medal, Metal, Meddle, and Mettle
(3:30) Affect and Effect
(5:07) Compliment and Complement
(5:53) Course and Coarse