TABLE OF CONTENTS There are many words that are easily confused with each other or that are commonly misspelled. Here is a collection that the authors find useful.
| affect | v.t., produce an effect or influence |
| effect | v.t., to cause or accomplish; n., result or outcome |
| contaminate | v., to make impure |
| contaminant | n., a substance that contaminates |
| corroborate | v.t., to strengthen or confirm |
| collaborate | v.i., to cooperate or work with |
| discrete | adj., separate, disconnected |
| discreet | adj., tactful |
| ensure | v.t., to make sure something will happen |
| insure | v., to get protection |
| gage | n., test location of a tensile bar |
| gauge | n., instrument for measuring |
| grey/gray | grey is the British spelling of gray |
| plane | n., flat geometric surface; adj., flat, as in plane strain |
| plain | adj., simple or ordinary, as in plain carbon steel |
| principal | adj., first in rank, as in principal investigator or principal stress |
| principle | n., general truth or law |
| sample/specimen | a sample is a statistical group of specimens |
| silicon | n., element 28 |
| silicone | n., a polymer with an S O backbone |
| silica | n., SiO 2 |
|
stress |
n., force per area |
|
strength |
n., critical value of stress, such as yield strength (not yield stress) |
It is i before e except after c and when...
