Today's Confused Words

1. Amount and Number
Amount - is used to refer to a quantity. Number - is used to refer to people or things that can be counted.

Examples:
An enormous amount of energy was exerted by a small number of people.
(a) Expect a certain amount of madness when you marry someone with pets.
(b) A great number of pets can drive you mad.

2. Compliment and Complement
Complement - means "something that completes or brings to perfection." A compliment - is an expression of praise.

Examples:
He said that men and women have strengths that complement each other.

She did not take his remark as a compliment

3.Economic and Economical
In present-day usage, the adjective economical generally means thrifty--marked by careful use of resources or operating with little waste. The adjective economic (related to the field of economics) generally refers to the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

Examples:
•"Destroying a rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal." (E. O. Wilson)
•The most economical and carbon-friendly way to travel to Boston is by train.

4.Cite, Sight, and Site
The verb cite means to mention or quote as an authority or example. The noun sight refers to something that is seen or the power or process of seeing. The noun site means a particular place.

Examples:
•This style guide explains how to cite sources in a term paper.
•"The sight of the stars makes me dream." (Vincent Van Gogh)
•I'm still looking for a good quotations site on the web.

5.Few (Fewer) and Little (Less)
Few and fewer refer to people or objects that can be counted. Little and less refer to a small quantity.

Examples:
•"I'm a woman of few words," Mae West said.
•I have even less to say than Mae.
•"The fewer the words, the better the prayer." (Martin Luther)
•"You can never learn less; you can only learn more." (R. Buckminster Fuller)
•"Anarchism is founded on the observation that since few men are wise enough to rule themselves, even fewer are wise enough to rule others." (Edward Abbey)