The Works of Marketing with Ray INDEX
October 26, 2004 • Volume 4 Issue 25
Words
Marketing is a collection of words and graphics.
In outdoor, on posters and for much of television the graphic is most important. In everything we read it is the words that carry the message.
The message words carry can be mis-understood. A professor from Northwestern told me the 500 most common words in English have 13,000 meanings. No wonder we have communication problems!
And then there are homonyms ... words spelled differently, pronounced alike, with different meanings. Yes, there have been books written on this topic - something I did not know until I, for pure fun, began putting a few of my finds, and those of friends and family, on paper.
The purpose of this thinking process is only to remind each of us we communicate with words. We must pick the right one. Or is that we must pic the write won!
One book is the Dictionary of Homophones by Leslie Presson. Another is Handbook of Homophones by William Cameron. Peter Suber and A.L.P. Thorpe of Earlham College put together An English Homophone Dictionary. A fourth source is Roger's Reference; Dictionary of Homonyms and Homophones. First I had to learn the difference between the two homo words. Here is what my online dictionary says;
Homophone; noun, each of two or more words of the same language having the same pronunciation but different meanings, origins or spelling.
Homonym . . . ditto. The exact word for word description. Which means Roger's book title is redundant. Which I guess is fitting for the subject.
Just because, below is my list of 100. Picked randomly from a number of sources. Listed in no particular order. No proper names are included (Gene & Jean, Pete & peat), no contractions (he'll, heal, heel) or acronyms (WACS, whacks, wax), or letters of the alphabet (I or t or c or u). Only English words are used.
And yes, several could become three or even four in length (for, fore, four) ... this list stops at two (not too or to).
| merry | marry | wine | whine | |
| one | won | peace | piece | |
| road | rode | steak | stake | |
| read | reed | write | right | |
| flower | flour | deer | dear | |
| rain | reign | cents | sense | |
| eye | aye | wood | would | |
| new | knew | hour | our | |
| idol | idle | wear | where | |
| roll | role | sea | see | |
| due | dew | mall | maul | |
| bye | buy | weather | whether | |
| son | sun | serf | surf | |
| hare | hair | whole | hole | |
| hear | here | there | their | |
| pair | pear | not | knot | |
| real | reel | steel | steal | |
| peak | peek | team | teem | |
| blew | blue | break | brake | |
| sew | so | pain | pane | |
| be | bee | in | inn | |
| lien | lean | main | mane | |
| know | no | heard | herd | |
| tea | tee | slay | sleigh | |
| ate | eight | board | bored | |
| soar | sore | war | wore | |
| sum | some | aisle | isle | |
| carrot | karat | beech | beach | |
| ceiling | sealing | days | daze | |
| grate | great | feat | feet | |
| foul | fowl | aunt | ant | |
| wins | winds | leaf | lief | |
| vice | vise | cheap | cheep | |
| tide | tied | faze | phase | |
| leader | liter | dual | duel | |
| flea | flee | yoke | yolk | |
| chute | shoot | which | witch | |
| toe | tow | seem | seam | |
| quarts | quartz | gel | jell | |
| time | thyme | coat | cote | |
| pi | pie | tern | turn | |
| none | nun | knows | nose | |
| missed | mist | made | maid | |
| pray | prey | naval | navel | |
| tail | tale | sweet | suite |
The purpose of this mini-article was singular. Use the right word in all your marketing messages.
Anonymous
By now everyone heading back to school has done so. Some began as early as mid-August ... others early October.
An Anonymous Chinese proverb has a word for each of us still seeking to learn;
"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."
. . . a loose thought
on Halloween
Halloween, that fun event that 'big' kids enjoy just about as much as little ones, arrives Sunday, October 31. Meaning there will be parties through the week-end.
Yet, the history of Halloween is maybe not what you would think. To learn more here a couple of web sites that give you the story ... this first one complete with fitting music; The History and Customs of Halloween (http://wilstar.com/holidays/hallown.htm)
Halloween on the Net (http://www.holidays.net/halloween/) gives history, has a section on Mexico's Days of the Dead, talks about traditional pumpkins, Trick'O'Treat, special Halloween crafts, recipes, Halloween cards and much more.
No matter what you do - have a good and safe time.
The RJm Story
Are you interested in bringing me into your company or association?
To share marketing and sales ideas? To help you get from where you are to where you're headed?
Well, if you are - and even if you are not! - can have an audio tape with selections from my speaking gigs. And a story or two. All FREE. Plus ... I'll toss in a few papers you may find worth the read. Everything with no strings.
If you'd like you very own copy, send an E-mail to ... Ray@RayJutkins.com with your complete mailing address. Your tape will be on the way to you within the day.