Debbie Emmitt

ALT What's the difference between ‘sheer’ and ‘shear’? ‘Sheer’ is a verb meaning to turn suddenly or deviate from a course. It is also an adjective meaning fine or transparent; very steep/almost straight up or down; utter or complete. e.g. Don’t go near the edge. It’s a sheer drop! ‘Shear’ is a verb meaning to cut, clip or trim. It is also used in a scientific context relating to stress produced by forces, e.g. ‘shear stress’ or ‘shearing forces’. e.g. The gardener sheared the hedges.

ALT What's the difference between ‘imply’ and ‘infer’? ‘Imply’ is a verb meaning to suggest or indicate something without actually saying it. A speaker or writer implies something. e.g. He implied I was lying. ‘Infer’ is a verb meaning to suppose or come to a conclusion, esp. based on an indirect suggestion. A listener or reader infers something. e.g. I saw the smoke and inferred there was a fire.

ALT What's the difference between ‘founder’ and ‘flounder’? ‘Founder’ is a verb meaning to sink, collapse or fail. It is also a noun that describes someone who establishes a company or other entity. e.g. The Titanic struck an iceberg and foundered. ‘Flounder’ is a verb meaning to struggle to move or to proceed clumsily. It is also a noun that describes a type of flatfish. e.g. After floundering in the sea for an hour, they were rescued.

ALT What's the difference between ‘team’ and ‘teem’? ‘Team’ is a noun used to describe a group of people with a common goal. This spelling is often used incorrectly in sentences that call for ‘teem’. e.g. If we work as a team, we’ll get it done faster. ‘Teem’ is a verb used for somewhere that is overcrowded or filled to overflowing. Also used to mean to rain heavily (more common in UK English). e.g. Take an umbrella; it’s teeming down out there!