ToBE #6: Similar words, different meanings - Part 1

In this issue, we shall discuss some similar sounding but different meaning words that are, unfortunately, used interchangeably at times.

alternate/alternative:
Alternate : To switch between two or more states; also, skip a state. Eg.:-

• Both events were interesting. I kept alternating between Star Sports and ESPN. (=> I kept switching between...)
• Aruna and Harish meet on alternate days. (=> they skip a day)
  

Alternative(s) : Choice(s); or, the other option; substitute. Eg.:-

• We can go to VGP resort. The other alternatives are Mamalla Resort and Fisherman's Cove.
• We can go for a movie on Friday night. Alternatively, we can stay at home and get drunk.
  

OK, if you have an Use Case document that says 'Alternate Path', it is wrong. It seems to indicate that you keep jumping between paths.

lose/loose: Pronunciation is the same for both.
Lose : Opposite of win; opposite of gain. The past tense of 'lose' is 'lost'. Eg.:-

• Did India lose the match against Holland?
• Q : Did you lose money?
  A : Yes, I lost my wallet.
  

Loose : Not tight; free, liberal; lacking morals. Eg.:-

• This screw is loose, it won't fit.
• Don't indulge in loose talk. (Gossip/slander, free talk)
  

bear/bare: Pronunciation is the same for both.
Bear : A wild animal; to suffer; to undergo; tolerate.

• Are there any polar bears in Sri Lanka?
• The injection will hurt. You have to bear the pain. (Past tense of 'bear' in this sense is 'bore').
  

Bare : Without any addition/ornamentation/clothing.

• Tell me the bare truth. (=> Speak the truth, do not add your stuff to make it softer or different).
• The apartment was bare. (=> No furniture, no additions, plain).
• As he reached up, his sleeve fell back and I could see the scar on his bare wrist. (=> plain, without clothes).
  

So, please be careful when you say, "Please bare with me"!