The Most Moving Day of the Year

March forth! Or rather March fourth (4th) is the most moving day of the year according to my uncle, who has his birthday on that day. He is, of course, referring to the fact that to march forth (forward) is an action and gets you moving, and since that day has the same pronunciation as the action, that must mean it is a “moving” day. It’s a total dad joke, but I still find it amusing on occasion when he says it.

But this whole funny exchange brings my mind to our very interesting English language and how there are so many words that are pronounced the same (and are sometimes even spelled the same) that have totally different meanings. That’s right, folks - we’re talking homonyms here.

Although we learn often learn about words like this early on in elementary school, I find that many of my clients (and I have to check myself too) still struggle to find the right version of the word we are wanting to use. One example is when a lovely author client of mine was talking about a flower that was dying and she said that it was going to “whither” away. This particular spelling of the word whither means: where or to which place. The usage she was looking for should have been “wither” which means to shrivel, fade, or decay. It is a common problem and so easy to get wrong. This is why it is a really good idea to have that second set of eyes to look over a manuscript and make sure the spelling of the word matches the usage that is desired. I actually get excited when I find these instances in a project I am working on because it gives me the chance to get into the dictionary and make sure I know correct wording myself. It’s kind of like a treasure hunt for me.

To cap off this discussion and help illustrate the fun that homonyms can be, I’ll share this poem that my oldest son learned when he was in fifth grade:

English is a Pain! by Shirlee Curlee Bingham

Rain, reign, rein,
English is a pain.
Although the words
Sound just alike,
The spelling's not the same!
Bee, be, B,
I'd rather climb a tree
Than learn to spell
The same old word,
Not just one way, but three!
Sight, site, cite,
I try with all my might.
No matter which
I finally choose,
It's not the one that's right!
There, their, they're,
Enough to make you swear.
Too many ways
To write one sound,
I just don't think it's fair!
To, two, too,
So what's a kid to do?
I think I'll go
To live on Mars
And leave this mess with ewe!
(You?)