Commonly Confused Words: Wait and Weight

The words wait and weight are homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings.

The verb wait means to stay in place until something else happens. As a noun, wait refers to the time spent waiting.

The verb weight means to load down or make heavier. The noun weight refers to a measure of heaviness or to an object used to hold something down.

Examples

• "You can't wait for inspiration; you have to go after it with a club." (Jack London)
• After a long wait for luggage, I took a cab to my hotel.
• Any object is dragged down when a heavy weight is tied to it.

Practice

(a) Every year, people make resolutions to exercise and lose _____.

(b) I couldn't _____ for success, so I went ahead without it.

(c) One end of the belt was attached to a five-pound _____.

(d) The _____ was agonizing, and our thirst became almost unbearable.

Answers

(a) Every year, people make resolutions to exercise and lose weight.

(b) I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it.

(c) One end of the belt was attached to a five-pound weight.

(d) The wait was agonizing, and our thirst became almost unbearable.

Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words