Grammar Punk Blog

Peak, peek, pique

I do so love a triple!

Who knew such a wee monosyllabic word could have so many meanings? You’ve no doubt used the first two many times, and the third? Whether you’ve used in writing or not, you’ve no doubt experienced the third as many times. Or maybe that’s just me.

Let’s take a look at these three commonly confused words.

Peak: the pointed summit of a mountain, and or: the point of greatest success, development, or strength of a process or activity

Peek: to take a quick look at something, especially secretively or surreptitiously

Pique: a bad mood or feeling of resentment, especially when brought on by an insult, hurt pride, or loss of face

Grammar Punk Sentence: R E 5 , Pro

Beating his fear of heights and finally reaching the peak of the Matterhorn, Cecil dared a peek through his fingers; he could see the whole Disneyland Park from here!

Grammar Punk Sentence: K A 3 ? Pro Pique

In a fit of pique, Stephanie threw the tray of cupcakes against the wall, who knew third graders could be so cranky about kumquats in the frosting?

Give it a try. Write a sentence of three using these particular commonly confused words. And share!

Desert or Dessert

Back to our regularly scheduled commonly confused words. This is a particularly good one because it not only contains two words that are pronounced the same but spelled differently, but two that are pronounced differently but spelled the same. Jackpot! Have I mentioned I love the English language! C’mon, challenges are good for us, builds fortitude.

I always remember that dessert has an extra S by thinking of all the extra sugar in desserts!

Desert can mean: (1) To abandon (a verb); or (2) Desert, a hot, sandy place, (a noun)

Dessert is a sweet course eaten at the end or toward the end of a meal

Grammar Punk^™ Examples:

T U 3 | Claire didn’t want to desert Barry, but there was no way she was going to sit through a showing of Spartacus again.

T U 3 | The butterfly flitted carefully through the thicket of cactus in the middle of the desert.

P E 4 | Lola looked dubiously down at her plate; pickled pear pancakes for dessert?

Friday is Grammar Punk Sentence Day. Dice will be rolled, cogitating will take place, sentences will be written. And that’s just at the Grammar Punk office. We invite you to stop whatever you’re doing, grab a pencil—or keyboard—and warm up those gray cells. Share your sentence with us.

Today’s roll of the dice…drum roll…

(Consonant) G (Vowel)  O (Number of words required) 3 (Punctuation symbol) , (Part of Speech) Adjective

Grammar Punk Sentence:

Clarice enjoys clapping her long, scaly dragon’s tail on the rough, rugged rocks.

Your turn!