Some words in English appear to be similar but they have different meanings. Here are some of them.
Hanged / hung
‘Hanged’ is the past tense and past participle of ‘hang’ meaning to kill someone by dropping them with a rope around their necks.
Somarama was hanged for murder.
‘Hung’ is the past tense and past participle of ‘hang’ meaning put something in a position so that the top part is fixed or supported, and the bottom part is free to move and does not touch the ground.
Rex hung his coat on a hook behind the door.
Hanger / hangar
A ‘hanger’ is a curved piece of wood or metal with a hook on top, used for hanging clothes on.
Thelma took off her jacket and hung it on a hanger.
A ‘hangar’ is a very large building in which aircraft are kept.
Harangue / tirade
A ‘harangue’ is a forceful, loud, long and eventually tedious speech.
A ‘tirade’ is a long angry speech criticizing someone or something.
The speaker launched into a tirade against racketeers.
Hereditary / heredity
A quality or illness that is hereditary is passed from a parent to a child before the child is born. ‘Heredity’ is the process by which mental or physical qualities are passed from parents to a child before the child is born.
Historic / historical
A ‘historic’ place or building is very old.
Some people are against demolishing historic buildings.
‘Historical’ means connected to the study of history.
Historians are trying to find historical evidence for the existence of Ravana.
History / histology
‘History’ means all the things that happened in the past, especially the political, social or economic development of a nation.
Throughout history the achievements of women have been largely ignored.
‘Histology’ is the study of plant and animal tissues.
Hitherto / previously
‘Hitherto’ means up to this time.
This is a species of fish hitherto unknown in the East.
‘Previously’ means before now or before a particular time.
Sam had previously been a heavy smoker.
Hoard / horde
To ‘hoard’ means to collect and save a large amount of food or money, especially when it is not necessary to do so.
People hoarded food before the lockdown.
A ‘horde’ is a large crowd moving in a noisy uncontrolled way.
There were hordes of people in the Kabul Airport trying to flee the country.
Holy / holistic
‘Holy’ means connected with God and religion.
We visited the holy city of Varanasi.
‘Holistic’ means considering a person or thing as a whole, rather than as separate parts.
We should adopt a holistic approach when treating patients.
Holocaust / holocaust
A ‘holocaust’ is a situation in which there is great destruction in which a lot of people die.
Some scientists have predicted a nuclear holocaust.
The Holocaust means the killing of millions of Jews and other people during World War II.
Home / house
A home is the house, apartment, or place where you live. It implies much more than a house.