I like to think I’m OK with words, capable of spotting a typo or grammatical error at 60 paces, and well versed in the ‘their’, ‘there’ and ‘they’re’ game.
So, to be honest, I bought Sarah Townsend‘s “The Little Book of Confusables” more as a nod to a fellow professional doing something I wanted to support than as a book I would actually USE.
I figured I’d add it to my pile of books I’ve bought because I wanted to support fellow copywriters and think nothing more of it.
And then I started flicking through it. And it’s amazing!
There were confusables I’d never thought of before — for example, choosing between humus and hummus could make a lot of difference to your lunch.
Ones that I knew of and am still amazed that people use — don’t make me an escape goat on this, it’s not my fault.
And my favourite of the book — people confusing ‘omelette’ with ‘umlaut’… I’m not entirely sure how that one came about, but it made me smile.
I’m campaigning for ‘pedal stool’ to be included in volume 2, along with ‘macro/micro’ and I’m sure many more.
If you love words, whether you’re a writer or not, this book really is a must have. It’s a handy size for sticking in a handbag or laptop case, easy to flick through while waiting for a meeting or grabbing a coffee, and you’ll find something new every time.
With clear explanations of each part of the confusable and then examples of how to use them, it’s educational, interesting, and very very funny.
If you don’t have it, buy it.
If you do have it, give Sarah some love by reviewing it on Amazon (which is where I’m heading now!)
