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Pam Rider's résumé

• pandemic/epidemic/endemic: pandemic is about a disease that covers a broad area, such as a country, hemisphere, or entire world; epidemic describes a disease that infects a large number of people (typically in a given geographical area) for a given time; endemic describes a disease that always remains in a given population or region
  
  
• parameters: rarely used accurately (physical properties with values that determine a thing’s characteristics or values or in technical statistical contexts); replace with “limits,” “boundaries,” “grounds,” “elements,” or “guidelines” and impress readers with your straightforward communication style
  
  
• pardon/parole/probation: a pardon, granted by a chief of state or governor, releases and forgives an individual from punishment, but does not expunge any conviction record or restore civil rights [a general pardon is typically for political offenses and is called amnesty]; parole is release of a prisoner before sentence expiration and is granted by a parole board, the only entity that can revoke parole; probation is sentence suspension for a convicted person before the beginning of the sentence granted by a judge on the condition of good behavior, which can only be revoked by a judge
  
  
• peaceable/peaceful: peaceable is a calm nation or person aimed at avoiding conflict; peaceful is free of strife: tranquil
  
  
• peak/peek/pique: peak is an high point; a peek is a quick or sneaky glance; pique is to provoke or annoy
  
  
• pendant/pendent: pendant is a piece of hanging jewelry, usually worn around the neck; pendent is an adjective meaning suspended or draped
  
  
• penultimate: means “next to last” and is not a fancy equivalent of “ultimate”
  
  
• people/persons: people is used for smaller groups; with persons typically reserved for larger gatherings
  
  
• perpetuate/perpetrate: perpetuate means to prolong something indefinitely; to perpetrate is to perform an act
  
  
• persuade/convince: persuade is used with actions (persuade them to vote “yes”); convince deals with beliefs or comprehension (he was convinced of her patriotism)
  
  
• phase/faze: phase describes a stage or aspect; faze is to disturb or embarass
  
  
• pier/wharf/dock: pier is technically a platform built into a waterway, but is generally understood as the same as wharf; wharf is any ship landing place; narrowly, the noun dock is the portion of water used for tethering ships, in general usage it is interchangeable with pier and wharf
  
  
• plebiscite/referendum: plebiscite is a direct vote by people on an issue, with results not necessarily being legally binding; referendum is the establishment of law by popular vote
  
  
• plurality/majority plurality plurality means the amount more than the lesser, but next, highest number; majority is more than half of something
  
  
• podium/lectern: podium is the floor under a stage speaking area [from "foot"]; lectern is a stand to conveniently hold a script or notes for a standing speaker
  
  
• pore/pour: pore is to look at intently (as to pore over a book); pour is to flow in anuninterrupted stream
  
  
• positively: never synonymous for “very” or “indeed,” actually never used in conjunction with either word; positively is an unconditional term, with "very positively" and "positively indeed" incorrect usage
  
  
• postpone/delay: to postpone is to put off to a future point; to delay is to slow or to obstruct
  
  
• practicable/possible/practical: practicable is feasible; possible is capable or possible of being done or happening, but not certain; practical is suitable to be used
  
  
• preface/foreword: preface is an introduction to a book written by the book’s author; foreword (not to be confused with “forward”) is a book’s introduction written by a person other than the book’s author
  
  
• prejudice/bias/bigotry: prejudice is typically is a negative attitude toward something; bias is an inclination either for or against something; bigotry is intolerant and unreasoning devotion to one's beliefs
  
  
• pretense/pretext: pretense is a false concealment of personal motives or feelings; a pretext is an argument presented to conceal the truth
  
  
• price/value/worth/cost: price is what a seller asks for a thing; value is comparison to a recognized criterion; worth is a thing’s relationship to a potential buyer’s need or wish; cost is what is paid for an item or service
  
  
• principal/principle: principal means most important; principle is a foundational belief <
  
  
• proscribe/prescribe: proscribe is to prohibit; prescribe is to make a decree or course of action or to specific a medical remedy

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Pam Rider's résumé