Confusing words and phrases make writing tough sometimes.  Some words are confusing because they sound the same when you say them, but are spelled differently when you write them. These confusing words are called “homonyms”. For example, the words “to, two, too” sound identical, but each spelling has a different meaning. Other confusing words sound similar, but have completely different meanings: assure/ensure/insure. And lastly, you have to write those common phrases that can be confusing, such as: supposed to. When we say this phrase, it often sounds like “suppose to”. You can often sneak by your listeners by slurring these phrases, but you can’t fool your readers. You either spell the phrase correctly…or not. 

By knowing which word to use or how to write a phrase correctly, you can help your readers understand your message easily and avoid misunderstandings. And, when you use words correctly, you present a more professional image. IWCC’s next three BLOGs will be a series on confusing words. We would like to confuse you in order to take the confusion out of some commonly misused words and phrases. In the first two BLOGS, we will explain the proper use of some commonly misused and confused words. In the third BLOG, we will give you an exercise so you can see what you have learned.

Below you will find four sets of homonyms…words that sound identical but are spelled differently and have different meanings. We have chosen examples that we see people regularly misuse during IWCC’s business writing workshops.

Allot/a lot…
Use allot as a verb – it means to assign, allocate or distribute. Use a lot when talking about a piece of land, or as describer words to indicate a large quantity. Here is an example of how to use both words in a sentence:

“Kami asked me to allot more administrative responsibilities to the sales reps because we have added a lot of new customers to our database.”

Principle/Principal
Use principal as a noun when you mean a person, or as an adjective when you mean main or chief. When you are talking about a belief, moral standard of a governing law; use principle. Here is a quick tip – think of the principal - the person - as your “pal”. Here are some examples:

“The school principal led the meeting to discuss the principles of supply and demand with our principal shareholders.”

Stationary/Stationery
If you are trying to explain that something remained still or motionless, choose “ary” for stationary. Think about no “air” movement to remember the “a”. If you are talking about paper, choose “ery” for stationery.  Here are both words used in a sentence:

“The employees remained stationary, not moving a muscle, as the President explained how the new company stationery supports their brand.”

Its/It’s
When you want to show ownership or possession, use its. When you mean it is, then add the apostrophe - it’s. Remember, only use an apostrophe when you mean “it is”, it’s that simple. Here is a sentence using these words:

“The control panel is malfunctioning again. Its warning light continues to flash and it’s a definite hazard.”

Homonyms are easy when you speak, but confusing when you write. Remember in our third BLOG of this series, we’ll give you a review test…so until then; practice, practice, practice! Tune in on July 21 when we’ll throw more confusing words at you.

If you want the academic “rules” for punctuation, then google “punctuation”. If you want some practical tips to help you make quick punctuation decisions, read on…

Effective writers punctuate pragmatically! In IWCC’s effective business writing workshops, we teach a style of writing that minimizes the need for punctuation. Is punctuation important? Of course it is! But the punctuation rules we learned in school are not as important as helping our reader get our message…the right message! Here are some practical tips.

The Comma

Think of a comma as a merge sign on a highway, you want your reader to slow down and take a brief pause. A quick test to see if you need a comma is to read your sentence out loud. If you need to pause so the sentence sounds right/makes sense, add a comma. Try it on the two versions below:
 
“When working in the control room in an emergency situation you must wait for the light to turn green before turning on the processor.”

“When working in the control room in an emergency situation, you must wait for the light to turn green before turning on the processor.”

Now be honest…when you read these sentences out loud, the first version does not sound right. You naturally want to pause briefly after the word situation – so will your reader.

The Semicolon

A semicolon asks your reader to pause just a little longer. Readers respond to a semicolon like they would to a flashing yellow light at an intersection. “Slow down and ponder this situation”, is what a semicolon says to your reader. “Consider this one thought before you continue on to read the next.” By using semicolons you can add variety and depth to your writing. For instance, a semicolon works well when you want to link two sentences that are closely related but could stand alone, like in this example:

“We focused on safety as our primary design goal; we viewed cost as secondary.”

The Colon

Then we have a colon - the light-hearted period. A colon asks your reader to slow down and come to a temporary stop, like a yellow stop light at an intersection. You probably already use a colon before you list items or bullet points, as in the first example below. But here is a second use for a colon that can add real impact to your writing. Use it to separate an explanation, rule or example from a preceding independent clause as in the second example below.

“You will need three tools: a hammer, a Philips screwdriver and a wrench.”

“Writing is not just something you do to paper: it is a way to communicate with people.”

When you read these sentences out loud you stop, take a breath and then read on until the period says STOP you are at the end of the sentence.

You choose where you want to put your focus.  Academics will insist you punctuate perfectly. IWCC recommends that you punctuate correctly…but pragmatically. Punctuate perfectly - you focus on rules. Punctuate pragmatically - you focus on your reader.

When presenting or facilitating in front of a live audience, effective speakers use visuals to create interest, improve understanding and increase retention. You can even use your body language as a visual to enhance your message.

But what about when you present or facilitate with a virtual audience? What visuals can you use? How about “wisuals”? No, it is not a spelling error…wisuals are visuals you paint with your words. You can paint wisuals through stories, examples, analogies, anecdotes, and contrast, just to name a few.

Wisuals are not a nice to do…they are a must do. If you don’t provide your listeners with wisuals, they either tune out or create their own visual to understand and remember what you say. However, if they misunderstand or misinterpret the facts and data that you are sending them, they will create the wrong wisual and walk away with the wrong message.

If we know that the human brain uses stories and pictures to make sense of information, doesn’t it make sense to give our listeners what they need? Like any fine art form, wisuals need to be well thought out and then well articulated. Here are three tips to help you start painting worthwhile wisuals.

Be picky - Identify your key points

What specifically do you want your listeners to take with them? You can’t paint a wisual for every fact or piece of data in a virtual presentation. First, identify your key messages. Then paint wisuals to sear these key messages into your listeners’ brains.

Plan ahead – then practice

If you don’t want to be embarrassed by bungling your story or analogy, take the time to prepare. First, effective wisuals take thought. Ensure your wisual is appropriate for the topic, the listeners and your message. And second, a terrific wisual can be destroyed by a poor delivery. Write your visual out on an index card. Read it out loud and practice, practice, practice until you have it just right. Record yourself on a tape recorder and listen to your wisual. Are your voice and tone supporting your wisual? Remember, your virtual audience can only “listen” too.

Choose words that create pictures

If your wisual is going to work, it has to paint a clear picture. Choose words that carry their own image rather than words that name concepts or vague ideas. A picture word names something that has mass and occupies space. You could take a picture of it! Here’s a small example of the difference between picture words and idea words:

“When I say the word St. Bernard, what do you see? Right…a big brown & white dog, drooling profusely and carrying a keg of brandy around its neck as it gallops through the Swiss Alps to rescue someone from an avalanche. Pretty clear picture? Now, when I say the word aspect, what do you see? Right…nothing at all.”

Fill your wisuals with picture words and action words so your listeners can see the story unfold. They will see it and take it with them as a memory.

The Choice is yours…

You can paint a wisual that accurately portrays your key message, or you can rely on your listeners to conjure up a wisual from their perspective. You choose!