PAIRS AND SNARES XVIII

The words in each group below can be easily confused. Can you give a simple definition of each one that shows the difference between them?

1. PEAL - PEEL

2. LEACH - LEECH

3. CAREEN - CAREER

4. RACKET - RACQUET

5. GENTLE - GENTEEL - GENTILE

6. ETHEREAL - EPHEMERAL- INEFFABLE

Answers:

 

1. PEAL - A loud ringing of bells

    PEEL - Remove the rind from a fruit or vegetable 

 

2. LEACH - Drain, filter

    LEECH - A parasite, sponger

 

3. CAREEN -  Move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way

                         (The car careened on two wheels)

    CAREER -  A vocation or profession practiced for a major part of one's life

                         CAREER is also a synonym for CAREEN

                         (The car careered across the road and went into a hedge) 

4. RACKET - A tennis racket, A loud unpleasant noise, An illegal scheme

    RACQUET - The preferred British spelling of RACKET - same meanings

5. GENTLE - Soft, tender

    GENTEEL - Polite, refined

    GENTILE - A person who is not Jewish - Biblical sense

                         A person who is does not believe in a particular faith, 

                         according to those in that faith

6. ETHEREAL - Extremely delicate, in a way that seems too perfect for this world

    EPHEMERAL - Lasting for a very short time, transitory

    INEFFABLE - Beyond words, inexpressible, indescribable