266 THE FACTS ON FILE GUIDE TO GOOD WRITING letter in an envelope). Note that in envelop the stress falls on the second syllable, while in envelope it falls on the first syllable. enviable/envious The adjectives enviable and envious are close in meaning but are not identical. Enviable means “causing envy” (an enviable position), while envious means “feeling envy” (envious of his rival’s larger salary). envious/enviable
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ENVIABLE/ENVIOUS.
envy/jealousy These two nouns convey slightly different meanings. Envy relates to the desire to possess something enjoyed by someone else: She envied her best friend’s success. Jealousy relates to the fear of losing something one already possesses: His wife’s behavior filled him with jealousy. epidemic/endemic
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ENDEMIC/EPIDEMIC.
epigram/epigraph/epitaph/epithet These four nouns are easily confused because of their similarity in appearance. An epigram is a terse or witty saying (a writer celebrated for his epigrams). An epigraph is a quotation appearing at the beginning of a literary work (a theme hinted at in the epigraph). An epitaph is a commemorative statement about a deceased person (an epitaph carved on a gravestone). An epithet consists of a characterizing word or phrase, usually applied to a person’s name: He had earned the epithet of “the Brave.” epigraph
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epitaph
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epithet
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EPIGRAM/EPIGRAPH/EPITAPH/EPITHET.
EPIGRAM/EPIGRAPH/EPITAPH/EPITHET. EPIGRAM/EPIGRAPH/EPITAPH/EPITHET.
equable/equitable The words equable and equitable are sometimes confused. Equable means “moderate” or “regular” (an equable climate), whereas equitable means “fair” or “impartial” (an equitable arrangement). equitable/equable
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eruption/irruption
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EQUABLE/EQUITABLE. ERUPT/IRRUPT.
erupt/irrupt These two verbs have different meanings. Erupt means “burst out” or, figuratively, “begin suddenly” (lava is erupting from the fissure; erupt with laughter), whereas irrupt means “burst in” (her