In this post, I’ll discuss about very common mispronounced words with almost same spellings. You will know about how a small difference in the spelling changes the pronunciation and meaning of the word. These words, about which I have discussed below, create a lot of confusion therefore, people misunderstand their meaning by mispronouncing them.
Cloth vs clothes
To make it clear from the beginning, “cloth” and “clothes” are not the same thing; the first isn’t the singular form for the second. “Cloth” and “clothes” have different meanings.
What does cloth mean?
Cloth (noun) /klɒθ/
-material made by weaving cotton, wool, or other fibers, or a piece of such material
Cloth is always used in its singular form. If you want to use it as plural, you will say pieces of cloth.
Cloth has o sound like we have in pot. It has th sound like we have in Thanks. /klɒθ/
Examples
1. Take a piece of cloth and wipe the table.
2. The cloth used to make your dress is very soft.
Clothes
Clothes (noun) are garments worn to cover, protect and decorate the body or things you wear to cover your body and keep you warm, to be comfortable, or for the way they make you look:Clothes is a defective noun without singular. If you want to use it as singular noun say piece of clothing.
We have th sound while pronouncing clothe as we have in the,their,them.
Examples:
1. She usually wears casual clothes.
2. I prefer designer clothes.
3. We allow to wear formal clothes only.
4. He keeps her clothes very carefully.
Clothe (Verb):
1.to dress; attire.
2. put clothes on (oneself or someone);
Examples:
1. Jessica was clothed in white today.
2. She has to feed and clothe her child before going to school.
Breath vs breathe
These two words create a lot of confusion.
Apart from that extra “e,” the main differences between the words breath and breathe is how they are pronounced and used in a sentence.
Breath is pronounced with a short e sound like we have in red.
While breathe has ee sound like we have in tree.
Breath
The word “breath” is a noun. It is the act of breathing; the air that is inhaled and exhaled.
Examples:
The doctor told her to take deep breath.
Keep your mouth clean to have fresh breath.
Breathe : (verb)
1.take air into the lungs and then expel it, especially as a regular physiological process.
2. to move air into and out of the lungs:
Examples:
1.The doctor told her to breathe in deeply.
2.I walk early in the morning to breathe in fresh air.
Bath vs Bathe
Bath and bathe only differ in spelling by one letter, but there is a big difference in pronunciation. Find out the difference of pronunciation and meaning.
Bath (Noun)
Act of washing the whole body especially while sitting or lying in water
Examples:
1. Did you take bath today?
2. He couldn’t receive your call as he was taking bath.
When we pronounce bath / bɑθ/ we have /θ/ sound as we have in throw.
Bathe (Verb)
Bathe is a verb means
1.to wash oneself or other person, (child or animal).
2.to immerse (all or part of the body) in water or some other liquid, for cleansing, refreshment, etc.
3.to wet; wash.
4.to take bath
Examples
1. He couldn’t receive your call as he was bathing at that time.
2. He bathed his dog in the morning.
When we pronounce bathe / beɪð /, we have
/ð / sound as we have in there.
Very good
Thank you so much!