Master confusing words with ease
Gaff vs. Gaffe
Gaff
/ɡæf/Examples:
He caught the fish using a gaff and dragged it onto the boat.The sailor swung the gaff over his shoulder as he docked.In a swift motion, the hunter wielded the gaff expertly.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Gaffe
Examples:
He made a gaffe during the live interview.Her speech was full of gaffes and awkward pauses.The comedian's onstage gaffe went viral online.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Think of gaff as something you would use or hold, like a tool or structure.
- Gaffe is often related to social interactions or speech, where mistakes are made.
- A gaff could be a place to live, like a gaff in slang meaning a house, whereas gaffe is an embarrassing error, typically verbal.
- Both words sound similar but gaffe ends with e which resembles error, an easy way to link it to a mistake.
- Remember that fishermen hold a gaff to haul fish, but politicians try to avoid gaffes.
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