Master confusing words with ease
Dialate vs. Dilate
Dialate
/daɪˈleɪt/Examples:
Her pupils began to dilate as she entered the dark room.The doctor will dilate your eyes before the examination.Certain medications can cause your blood vessels to dilate.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Dilate
/daɪˈleɪt/Examples:
The pupils dilate in dim lighting.He watched her eyes dilate with surprise.The flower petals begin to dilate at dawn.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Dilate is the correct spelling of the verb meaning to widen or expand.
- Dialate is a common misspelling of dilate but carries no official definition.
- To remember the correct spelling, associate dilate with late, which both have similar vowel sounds and the correct arrangement of letters.
- Think of dilate relating to the phrase eye dilation, which is a precise term used in medical and optical contexts.
- Rely on the classic mnemonic: I hate it when my eyes dilate at the ophthalmologist!
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