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Commonly misused words-3

Diet

This is being really nitpicky , but a diet is whatever you eat and drink on a normal basis . If you’re tying to lose weight , you should say you’re going on a weight-loss diet , because everyone has a diet-even people who are trying to gain weight .

I’m going on a low-fat diet to try to lose weight so I can fit into my old cheerleading uniform .

Disc/Disk

The words are synonyms . For reasons unbeknownst to me , the preferred spelling for CDs , CD-ROMs , and the “cushions” in your spine is disc , and the preferred spelling for floppy and hard drives is disk .

After he fell off a ladder , my father had a slipped disc .
I saved my limerick about Swiss cheese on a disk .

Economic/Economical

Economic isn’t a word for thrifty-that’s economical . Economic just refers to money and wealth ; it doesn’t judge how much money is involved . (Your car is not economic , though it may be economical.)Your economic resources are how much money you have . If you’re being economical , you’re being careful with your money .

The country is in an economic crisis because it can’t pay its debts to the United Nations .
She has an economical lifestyle , preferring to buy things only when they’re on sale .

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  1. michael smith says

    hey buddy, nice work!

    —spook—-



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