Today, let's look at the letters 'A' and 'B'.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
a lot
many, as in: A lot of people are doing business online today.
much, as in: Some people worry a lot about their health.
alot
Wait a minute, there is no such word as alot! It should be two words: a lot, if you mean many or much, or allot, if you mean distribute.
allot
give out or distribute, as in: We will allot the prizes by date of contest entry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
a while
a period of time, as in: I haven't seen her in a while.
awhile
for a short time, as in: Let's stay awhile and talk.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
accede
(1) give in to, as in: We accede to your demands.
(2) take a position of authority, as in: When did the King accede to the throne?
exceed
to go past a stated amount, as in: It is illegal to exceed the speed limit.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
accent
(1) way of speaking characteristic of a particular region or group, as in I speak with a U. S. American accent.
(2) emphasize one part of something, as in: Accent your good points.
ascent
upward movement, as in: We watched the ascent of the balloon as long as we could.
assent
to agree, as in: I doubt he will assent to the arrangement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
accept
to agree to take, as in: I accept the terms of your offer.
except
excluding, as in: I knew all the answers on the test, except the last one.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
access
permission to go in or to approach, as in: No one has access to my private files but me.
accessible
capable of being approached, as in: The back door is accessible from this path.
assess
evaluate, as in: When the flood waters go down, we can assess the damage.
assessable
capable of being evaluated, as in: After the zoning law is changed our property will be assessable.
excess
more than enough, as in: We gave our excess fruit to our neighbors.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ad
short for advertisement, as in: I placed an ad in the paper.
add
to join or to combine, as in: Please add my site to your bookmark list.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
adapt
to change to fit, as in: Newcomers quickly adapt to the culture of the Internet.
adept
expert, as in: She was adept at using graphics to illustrate complex ideas.
adopt
to take as one's own, as in: Would it be better to make our own rules, or adopt theirs?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
addenda
something added, as in: That problem is covered in the addenda to the software manual.
agenda
list of things to do, as in: What is the agenda for the meeting tomorrow?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
addition
something added, as in: We toured the addition to the hospital yesterday.
edition
published version, as in: Read the latest edition of the Tax Tips and Tactics newsletter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
adherence
firm attachment, as in: She demonstrates a strict adherence to the rules.
adherents
advocates or supporters, as in: Many people in that country are adherents of the concept of free speech.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
adverse
hostile, as in : The adverse weather conditions forced them to turn back.
averse
reluctant, as in: I am not averse to hearing your suggestions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
advice
guidance or counsel, as in: Your sound advice saved me from a terrible mistake.
advise
to counsel, recommend, or inform, as in: I advise you to validate the code on your Web page before you release it to the general public.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
affect
to act upon or influence, as in: Strong emotions can affect your health.
effect
(1, a noun) immediate or direct result, as in: What effect does that medicine have on you?
(2, a verb) accomplish, as in: He braided the bedsheets to effect an escape.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
aggravate
to make worse, as in: Lying to cover up a crime will aggravate the offense.
aggregate
to collect together or total, as in: Charges for a corporate Web site can aggregate into tens of thousands of dollars.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
aid
help, as in: He rushed to the aid of the victim with no thought for his own safety.
aide
assistant or helper, as in: The Governor's aide will hold a press conference this afternoon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ail
to cause trouble or discomfort to, as in: What ails you?
ale
an alcoholic beverage, stronger than beer, as in: My friend and I will have two pints of ale, bartender.
allot
give out or distribute, as in: We will allot the prizes by date of contest entry.
alot
Wait a minute, there is no such word as alot!
a lot
many, as in: A lot of people are doing business online today.
much, as in: Some people worry a lot about their health.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
allowed
permitted, as in: No one under 17 allowed.
aloud
audibly, as in: He read the book aloud.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
allusion
indirect or casual mention, as in: No one made any allusion to the scandal while she was in the room.
illusion
presentation of a false or misleading idea, as in: The magician gave the illusion of sawing the woman in half.
delusion
mistaken belief while in a confused state of mind, as in: He was under the delusion that he could fly.
elusion
evasion or clever escape, as in: The embezzlers celebrated their elusion of the police a little too soon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
alot
Wait a minute, there is no such word as alot! It should be two words: a lot, if you mean many or much, or allot, if you mean distribute.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
altar
worship table, as in: The priest approached the altar.
alter
change, as in: Nothing you can say will alter my plans.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
alternate
occuring by turns or every other, as in: She works on alternate weekends.
alternative
providing or expressing a choice, as in: An alternative to designing your own Web site is hiring a professional.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
amend
modify or revise, as in: It's time to amend our by-laws.
emend
alter or correct in the text of a written work, as in: The publishers hurried to emend the book before the next edition.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
among
in the midst of three or more, as in: The four older children decided among themselves to surprise Mother and Father with breakfast in bed.
between
in the midst of two, as in: The two younger ones decided between themselves to clean the kitchen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ante-
prefix meaning before, as in: The abbreviation A.M. stands for ante meridiem, meaning before noon.
anti-
prefix meaning against, as in: The anti-American protesters marched in the capital city.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
antecedence
act of going before in time, as in: The antecedence of parents to their own children is a fact of life.
antecedents
individuals who have gone before, as in: His antecedents left him a fortune, but he wasted most of it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
any one
whichever unit, as in: You can have any one of these prizes.
anyone
any person whatever, as in: Anyone having information about the whereabouts of the suspect, please come forward.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
any way
by a choice of methods, as in: I will succeed any way I can.
anyway
in any case or nevertheless, as in: I didn't like her anyway.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
apportion
divide up and distribute by shares, as in: I want to apportion the money among all the children.
portion
a limited amount of something, as in: He didn't eat his portion of dessert.
proportion
ratio of one thing to another, as in: The proportion of women to men using the Internet is increasing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
appraise
judge the value of, as in: A professional takes many factors into account in order to appraise your house correctly.
apprise
to inform or notify, as in: Please apprise me of any sudden turn of events.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
arc
a curved line, as in: A rainbow is an arc.
ark
a large, flat-bottomed boat, as in: They loaded the grain on the ark and floated it down the river.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
are
form of to be, as in: What are you doing tonight?
hour
sixty minutes, as in: It seemed like I waited an hour, but it was only twenty minutes.
our
belonging to us, as in: Please visit our Web site and see our new book reviews.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
area
region, as in: What area of the country are you from?
aria
an elaborate song for one voice, as in: When the soprano finished the aria, the audience clapped.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
arrears
unpaid debts, as in: We cannot extend you any credit because your account is already in arrears.
arraign
call into court, as in: The suspect will be arraigned next week.
arrange
put into order, as in: It is very important how you arrange the information on your Web site.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
assay
chemical analysis, as in: The assay office will test your ore to see how much gold it contains.
essay
a short composition expressing the author's opinions, as in: Students applying for a scholarship often have to write an essay.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
assistance
help, as in: Any assistance you can give me will be welcome.
assistants
helpers, as in: The teacher's two assistants handed out the tests.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
assure
declare positively, as in: I assure you that I will be finished by next Tuesday.
ensure
make sure, as in: Order today to ensure delivery by Monday.
insure
cover by insurance, as in: This company will insure the data on my hard disk as well as the computer itself.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
at present
right now, as in: I am designing small-business Web sites at present.
presently
in a little while or shortly, as in: Mr. Gates will be down to see you presently.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ate
past tense of eat, as in: We ate in that new restaurant last week.
eight
the number after seven, as in: Breakfast will be at eight in the morning.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
attendance
being present, as in: Part of your grade is based on attendance.
attendants
workers, as in: The flight attendants will be serving dinner now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
autobiography
one's own life story, as in: I am writing my autobiography.
bibliography
list of books about a subject, as in: Please include a bibliography with your research report.
biography
a person's life story, as in: She is writing a biography of Marie Sklodowska Curie, the chemist and physicist who with her husband discovered radium in 1898.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bail
security given for release from jail, as in: The bail was set at $100,000.00
bale
a large bundle, as in: The hay was collected together and compressed into a bale.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bare
exposed to view, as in: The bare branches of the trees made lacy patterns against the winter sky.
bear
(1) carry or transport, as in: I bear a gift for you.
(2) tolerate, stand or endure, as in: I can't bear to hear another word.
(3) a large mammal, as in: At the zoo we saw a bear.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
base
the bottom part which supports that above it, as in: We camped overnight at the base of the mountain.
bass
deep or low in sound, as in: You sing the high notes, and I'll sing the bass.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bases
(1) plural of base, as in: The Army is closing down its bases in that country.
(2) plural of basis, as in: The bases of all his theories were flawed.
basis
fundamental principal, as in: Your accusation has no basis in fact.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bazaar
marketplace, as in: The charity held a fund-raising bazaar.
bizarre
very odd, as in: Her outfit was too bizarre for the workplace.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
beat
(1) strike repeatedly, as in: Percussion bands beat their drums at an unbelievable tempo.
(2) defeat, as in: Your team will never beat the champions.
beet
root vegetable, as in: The common red beet can be cooked and eaten.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
berry
small, pulpy fruit with many seeds, as in: I love berry pie.
bury
put in the ground and cover, as in: If we bury the treasure no one will find it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
berth
a resting place, as in: When we go on the train, which berth do you want, upper or lower?
birth
being born, as in: The birth of our first child was a happy occasion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
beside
by the side of, as in: Sit down beside the fire and get warm.
besides
moreover or else, as in: I'm not hungry; besides, I'm allergic to nuts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
among
in the midst of three or more, as in: The four older children decided among themselves to surprise Mother and Father with breakfast in bed.
between
in the midst of two, as in: The two younger ones decided between themselves to clean the kitchen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
autobiography
one's own life story, as in: I am writing my autobiography.
bibliography
list of books about a subject, as in: Please include a bibliography with your research report.
biography
a person's life story, as in: She is writing a biography of Marie Sklodowska Curie, the chemist and physicist who with her husband discovered radium in 1898.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
billed
sent a statement of money owed, as in: Would you like to pay cash now or be billed?
build
construct or assemble, as in: You can build good credit by paying bills on time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
blew
sent forth a current of air, as in: The wind blew across the desert.
blue
a color, as in: The editor marked corrections with a blue pencil.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bloc
group with a shared purpose, as in: The measure was opposed by the farm bloc.
block
(1) a chunk, as in: He is going to carve an animal from that block of wood.
(2) hinder, as in: The police lined up their cars to block the bankrobbers' escape.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
board
(1) piece of wood, as in : The diver hit his head on the board.
(2) council, as in: I'll make your suggestion to the board of trustees.
bored
tired of the monotony, as in: After ten speeches, I got bored because every speaker said the same thing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
boarder
a lodger who receives meals regularly at a fixed price, as in: To earn extra money, we took in a boarder.
border
boundary, as in: Be sure to have your passport when you cross the border.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bolder
more daring, as in: If you want to be noticed, perhaps you need to be a little bolder.
boulder
a large rock, as in: The road was blocked by a boulder.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
born
brought into existence, as in: A new nation was born from the ashes of the old one.
borne
(1) carried, as in: All their belongings were borne on their shoulders.
(2) tolerated, as in: Any more outbursts like that simply will not be borne.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
boy
male child, as in: Is your new baby a boy or a girl?
buoy
a floating marker in the water, as in: When they saw the buoy, they knew they were entering the channel.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
brake
device that helps you stop, as in: When the driver saw the cow in the road, he hit the brake.
break
rupture, fracture, or crack, as in: Don't play ball in the house, because you'll break something.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bread
food made of grain, as in: I love to eat homemade soup and fresh bread.
bred
past tense of breed, as in: Some dogs are bred for strength, some for intelligence.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
breadth
width or broadness, as in: The breadth of his knowledge of world history surprised everyone.
breath
respiration, as in: Hold your breath while I take the X-ray.
breathe
inhale and exhale, as in: Breathe in that fresh air!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bridal
having to do with a marriage ceremony, as in: The bridal bouquet was made of daisies and wildflowers.
bridle
(1) having to do with horseback riding, as in: The bridle path was crowded this morning with weekend riders.
(2) restrain or control, as in: I wish I could learn to bridle my tongue.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
broach
introduce, as in: While the boss was in a good mood, I decided to broach the subject of a raise.
brooch
ornamental pin, as in: She wore a beautiful diamond brooch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bouillon
clear soup with a strong flavor, as in: For the first course I'll have beef bouillon.
bullion
precious metals, formed into bars, as in: The coach was loaded with hundreds of bars of gold bullion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
buy
purchase, as in: More and more customers are willing to buy goods from an online storefront.
by
through the action of, as in: This Web page designed by P. Sato Design.
bye
short form of goodbye, as in: Bye for now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
a lot
many, as in: A lot of people are doing business online today.
much, as in: Some people worry a lot about their health.
alot
Wait a minute, there is no such word as alot! It should be two words: a lot, if you mean many or much, or allot, if you mean distribute.
allot
give out or distribute, as in: We will allot the prizes by date of contest entry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
a while
a period of time, as in: I haven't seen her in a while.
awhile
for a short time, as in: Let's stay awhile and talk.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
accede
(1) give in to, as in: We accede to your demands.
(2) take a position of authority, as in: When did the King accede to the throne?
exceed
to go past a stated amount, as in: It is illegal to exceed the speed limit.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
accent
(1) way of speaking characteristic of a particular region or group, as in I speak with a U. S. American accent.
(2) emphasize one part of something, as in: Accent your good points.
ascent
upward movement, as in: We watched the ascent of the balloon as long as we could.
assent
to agree, as in: I doubt he will assent to the arrangement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
accept
to agree to take, as in: I accept the terms of your offer.
except
excluding, as in: I knew all the answers on the test, except the last one.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
access
permission to go in or to approach, as in: No one has access to my private files but me.
accessible
capable of being approached, as in: The back door is accessible from this path.
assess
evaluate, as in: When the flood waters go down, we can assess the damage.
assessable
capable of being evaluated, as in: After the zoning law is changed our property will be assessable.
excess
more than enough, as in: We gave our excess fruit to our neighbors.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ad
short for advertisement, as in: I placed an ad in the paper.
add
to join or to combine, as in: Please add my site to your bookmark list.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
adapt
to change to fit, as in: Newcomers quickly adapt to the culture of the Internet.
adept
expert, as in: She was adept at using graphics to illustrate complex ideas.
adopt
to take as one's own, as in: Would it be better to make our own rules, or adopt theirs?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
addenda
something added, as in: That problem is covered in the addenda to the software manual.
agenda
list of things to do, as in: What is the agenda for the meeting tomorrow?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
addition
something added, as in: We toured the addition to the hospital yesterday.
edition
published version, as in: Read the latest edition of the Tax Tips and Tactics newsletter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
adherence
firm attachment, as in: She demonstrates a strict adherence to the rules.
adherents
advocates or supporters, as in: Many people in that country are adherents of the concept of free speech.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
adverse
hostile, as in : The adverse weather conditions forced them to turn back.
averse
reluctant, as in: I am not averse to hearing your suggestions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
advice
guidance or counsel, as in: Your sound advice saved me from a terrible mistake.
advise
to counsel, recommend, or inform, as in: I advise you to validate the code on your Web page before you release it to the general public.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
affect
to act upon or influence, as in: Strong emotions can affect your health.
effect
(1, a noun) immediate or direct result, as in: What effect does that medicine have on you?
(2, a verb) accomplish, as in: He braided the bedsheets to effect an escape.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
aggravate
to make worse, as in: Lying to cover up a crime will aggravate the offense.
aggregate
to collect together or total, as in: Charges for a corporate Web site can aggregate into tens of thousands of dollars.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
aid
help, as in: He rushed to the aid of the victim with no thought for his own safety.
aide
assistant or helper, as in: The Governor's aide will hold a press conference this afternoon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ail
to cause trouble or discomfort to, as in: What ails you?
ale
an alcoholic beverage, stronger than beer, as in: My friend and I will have two pints of ale, bartender.
allot
give out or distribute, as in: We will allot the prizes by date of contest entry.
alot
Wait a minute, there is no such word as alot!
a lot
many, as in: A lot of people are doing business online today.
much, as in: Some people worry a lot about their health.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
allowed
permitted, as in: No one under 17 allowed.
aloud
audibly, as in: He read the book aloud.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
allusion
indirect or casual mention, as in: No one made any allusion to the scandal while she was in the room.
illusion
presentation of a false or misleading idea, as in: The magician gave the illusion of sawing the woman in half.
delusion
mistaken belief while in a confused state of mind, as in: He was under the delusion that he could fly.
elusion
evasion or clever escape, as in: The embezzlers celebrated their elusion of the police a little too soon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
alot
Wait a minute, there is no such word as alot! It should be two words: a lot, if you mean many or much, or allot, if you mean distribute.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
altar
worship table, as in: The priest approached the altar.
alter
change, as in: Nothing you can say will alter my plans.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
alternate
occuring by turns or every other, as in: She works on alternate weekends.
alternative
providing or expressing a choice, as in: An alternative to designing your own Web site is hiring a professional.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
amend
modify or revise, as in: It's time to amend our by-laws.
emend
alter or correct in the text of a written work, as in: The publishers hurried to emend the book before the next edition.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
among
in the midst of three or more, as in: The four older children decided among themselves to surprise Mother and Father with breakfast in bed.
between
in the midst of two, as in: The two younger ones decided between themselves to clean the kitchen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ante-
prefix meaning before, as in: The abbreviation A.M. stands for ante meridiem, meaning before noon.
anti-
prefix meaning against, as in: The anti-American protesters marched in the capital city.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
antecedence
act of going before in time, as in: The antecedence of parents to their own children is a fact of life.
antecedents
individuals who have gone before, as in: His antecedents left him a fortune, but he wasted most of it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
any one
whichever unit, as in: You can have any one of these prizes.
anyone
any person whatever, as in: Anyone having information about the whereabouts of the suspect, please come forward.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
any way
by a choice of methods, as in: I will succeed any way I can.
anyway
in any case or nevertheless, as in: I didn't like her anyway.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
apportion
divide up and distribute by shares, as in: I want to apportion the money among all the children.
portion
a limited amount of something, as in: He didn't eat his portion of dessert.
proportion
ratio of one thing to another, as in: The proportion of women to men using the Internet is increasing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
appraise
judge the value of, as in: A professional takes many factors into account in order to appraise your house correctly.
apprise
to inform or notify, as in: Please apprise me of any sudden turn of events.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
arc
a curved line, as in: A rainbow is an arc.
ark
a large, flat-bottomed boat, as in: They loaded the grain on the ark and floated it down the river.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
are
form of to be, as in: What are you doing tonight?
hour
sixty minutes, as in: It seemed like I waited an hour, but it was only twenty minutes.
our
belonging to us, as in: Please visit our Web site and see our new book reviews.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
area
region, as in: What area of the country are you from?
aria
an elaborate song for one voice, as in: When the soprano finished the aria, the audience clapped.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
arrears
unpaid debts, as in: We cannot extend you any credit because your account is already in arrears.
arraign
call into court, as in: The suspect will be arraigned next week.
arrange
put into order, as in: It is very important how you arrange the information on your Web site.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
assay
chemical analysis, as in: The assay office will test your ore to see how much gold it contains.
essay
a short composition expressing the author's opinions, as in: Students applying for a scholarship often have to write an essay.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
assistance
help, as in: Any assistance you can give me will be welcome.
assistants
helpers, as in: The teacher's two assistants handed out the tests.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
assure
declare positively, as in: I assure you that I will be finished by next Tuesday.
ensure
make sure, as in: Order today to ensure delivery by Monday.
insure
cover by insurance, as in: This company will insure the data on my hard disk as well as the computer itself.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
at present
right now, as in: I am designing small-business Web sites at present.
presently
in a little while or shortly, as in: Mr. Gates will be down to see you presently.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ate
past tense of eat, as in: We ate in that new restaurant last week.
eight
the number after seven, as in: Breakfast will be at eight in the morning.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
attendance
being present, as in: Part of your grade is based on attendance.
attendants
workers, as in: The flight attendants will be serving dinner now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
autobiography
one's own life story, as in: I am writing my autobiography.
bibliography
list of books about a subject, as in: Please include a bibliography with your research report.
biography
a person's life story, as in: She is writing a biography of Marie Sklodowska Curie, the chemist and physicist who with her husband discovered radium in 1898.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bail
security given for release from jail, as in: The bail was set at $100,000.00
bale
a large bundle, as in: The hay was collected together and compressed into a bale.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bare
exposed to view, as in: The bare branches of the trees made lacy patterns against the winter sky.
bear
(1) carry or transport, as in: I bear a gift for you.
(2) tolerate, stand or endure, as in: I can't bear to hear another word.
(3) a large mammal, as in: At the zoo we saw a bear.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
base
the bottom part which supports that above it, as in: We camped overnight at the base of the mountain.
bass
deep or low in sound, as in: You sing the high notes, and I'll sing the bass.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bases
(1) plural of base, as in: The Army is closing down its bases in that country.
(2) plural of basis, as in: The bases of all his theories were flawed.
basis
fundamental principal, as in: Your accusation has no basis in fact.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bazaar
marketplace, as in: The charity held a fund-raising bazaar.
bizarre
very odd, as in: Her outfit was too bizarre for the workplace.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
beat
(1) strike repeatedly, as in: Percussion bands beat their drums at an unbelievable tempo.
(2) defeat, as in: Your team will never beat the champions.
beet
root vegetable, as in: The common red beet can be cooked and eaten.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
berry
small, pulpy fruit with many seeds, as in: I love berry pie.
bury
put in the ground and cover, as in: If we bury the treasure no one will find it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
berth
a resting place, as in: When we go on the train, which berth do you want, upper or lower?
birth
being born, as in: The birth of our first child was a happy occasion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
beside
by the side of, as in: Sit down beside the fire and get warm.
besides
moreover or else, as in: I'm not hungry; besides, I'm allergic to nuts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
among
in the midst of three or more, as in: The four older children decided among themselves to surprise Mother and Father with breakfast in bed.
between
in the midst of two, as in: The two younger ones decided between themselves to clean the kitchen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
autobiography
one's own life story, as in: I am writing my autobiography.
bibliography
list of books about a subject, as in: Please include a bibliography with your research report.
biography
a person's life story, as in: She is writing a biography of Marie Sklodowska Curie, the chemist and physicist who with her husband discovered radium in 1898.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
billed
sent a statement of money owed, as in: Would you like to pay cash now or be billed?
build
construct or assemble, as in: You can build good credit by paying bills on time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
blew
sent forth a current of air, as in: The wind blew across the desert.
blue
a color, as in: The editor marked corrections with a blue pencil.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bloc
group with a shared purpose, as in: The measure was opposed by the farm bloc.
block
(1) a chunk, as in: He is going to carve an animal from that block of wood.
(2) hinder, as in: The police lined up their cars to block the bankrobbers' escape.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
board
(1) piece of wood, as in : The diver hit his head on the board.
(2) council, as in: I'll make your suggestion to the board of trustees.
bored
tired of the monotony, as in: After ten speeches, I got bored because every speaker said the same thing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
boarder
a lodger who receives meals regularly at a fixed price, as in: To earn extra money, we took in a boarder.
border
boundary, as in: Be sure to have your passport when you cross the border.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bolder
more daring, as in: If you want to be noticed, perhaps you need to be a little bolder.
boulder
a large rock, as in: The road was blocked by a boulder.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
born
brought into existence, as in: A new nation was born from the ashes of the old one.
borne
(1) carried, as in: All their belongings were borne on their shoulders.
(2) tolerated, as in: Any more outbursts like that simply will not be borne.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
boy
male child, as in: Is your new baby a boy or a girl?
buoy
a floating marker in the water, as in: When they saw the buoy, they knew they were entering the channel.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
brake
device that helps you stop, as in: When the driver saw the cow in the road, he hit the brake.
break
rupture, fracture, or crack, as in: Don't play ball in the house, because you'll break something.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bread
food made of grain, as in: I love to eat homemade soup and fresh bread.
bred
past tense of breed, as in: Some dogs are bred for strength, some for intelligence.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
breadth
width or broadness, as in: The breadth of his knowledge of world history surprised everyone.
breath
respiration, as in: Hold your breath while I take the X-ray.
breathe
inhale and exhale, as in: Breathe in that fresh air!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bridal
having to do with a marriage ceremony, as in: The bridal bouquet was made of daisies and wildflowers.
bridle
(1) having to do with horseback riding, as in: The bridle path was crowded this morning with weekend riders.
(2) restrain or control, as in: I wish I could learn to bridle my tongue.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
broach
introduce, as in: While the boss was in a good mood, I decided to broach the subject of a raise.
brooch
ornamental pin, as in: She wore a beautiful diamond brooch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bouillon
clear soup with a strong flavor, as in: For the first course I'll have beef bouillon.
bullion
precious metals, formed into bars, as in: The coach was loaded with hundreds of bars of gold bullion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
buy
purchase, as in: More and more customers are willing to buy goods from an online storefront.
by
through the action of, as in: This Web page designed by P. Sato Design.
bye
short form of goodbye, as in: Bye for now.