jealous (not jelous) jealousy j eopardise/j eopardize Both spellings are correct. jeopardy jewelry/jewellery Both spellings are correct. (not jewlery as the word is often mispronounced) jodhpurs journey (singular) journeys (plural) See PLURALS (iii). j udgement/j udgment Both spellings are correct. judicial or judicious? JUDICIAL = pertaining to courts of law and judges JUDICIOUS = showing good judgment, wise, prudent The words are not interchangeable. There is a clear distinction in meaning, as you can see. A JUDICIAL decision is one reached in a law court. A JUDICIOUS decision is a wise and discerning one. 124 D keenness keen + ness kerb See CURB OR KERB?. kernel See COLONEL OR KERNEL?. kibbutz (singular) kibbutzim (plural) See FOREIGN PLURALS. kidnap kidnapped, kidnapping, kidnapper An exception to the 2-1-1 rule. See ADDING ENDINGS (iv). kneel kneeled or knelt, kneeling knew or new? Use these exemplar sentences as a guide: I KNEW the answer. Nanette has NEW shoes. knife (singular) knives (plural) See PLURALS (v). know or no? Use these exemplar sentences as a guide: I KNOW the answer. NO, they cannot come. We have NO milk left. knowledge knowledgeable/knowledgable Both spellings are correct. 125 D laboratory (singular) laboratories (plural) See PLURALS (iii). labour laborious laid See ADDING ENDINGS (iii) (exception tO rule). See LAY OR LIE?. lain See LAY OR LIE?. lama or llama? LAMA = a Buddhist priest LLAMA = an animal of the camel family landscape (not lanscape) language (not langage) larva (singular) larvae (plural) See FOREIGN PLURALS. later or latter? LATER is the comparative of 'late', (late, later, latest) I will see you LATER. You are LATER than I expected. LATTER is the opposite of 'former'. Cats and dogs are wonderful pets but the LATTER need regular exercise. Note-, use 'latter' to indicate the second of two references; use 'last' to indicate the final one of three or more. 126 D LEAD OR LED? lay or lie? The various tenses of these verbs cause a great deal of unnecessary confusion. Use these exemplar sentences as a guide: to lay: I LAY the table early every morning. I AM LAYING the table now. I HAVE LAID it already. I WAS LAYING the table when you phoned. I LAID the table before I went to bed. My hen LAYS an egg every morning. She IS LAYING an egg now. She HAS LAID an egg already. She WAS LAYING an egg when you phoned. She LAID an egg every day last week. to lie (down) I LIE down every afternoon after lunch. I AM LYING down now. I HAVE LAIN down every afternoon this week. I WAS LYING down when you phoned. I LAY down yesterday afternoon. to lie (= tell a lie) I LIE regularly. I AM LYING to you now. I HAVE LIED all my life. I WAS LYING to you last week. I LIED to you yesterday as well. laying See LAY OR LIE?. lead or led? LEAD is the present tense. LED is the past tense. Go in front and LEAD us home. He went in front and LED us home. 127 LEAF leaf (singular) leaves (plural) See PLURALS (v). leaned/leant Both spellings are correct. leaped/leapt Both spellings are correct. learned/learnt Both spellings are correct. leftenant Wrong spelling. See LIEUTENANT. legend or myth? Both are traditional tales but legends usually have some basis in fact (e.g. Robert the Bruce and the spider, King Alfred and the cakes, Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest). Myths are supernatural tales, often involving gods or giants, which serve to explain natural events or phenomena (e.g. Pandora's Box and the coming of evil into the world, The Seven Pomegranate Seeds and the seasons of the year and so on). legible See ELIGIBLE OR LEGIBLE?. leisure (not -ie-) See EI/IE SPELLING RULE. lend See BORROW OR LEND?. less See FEWER OR LESS?. liaise liaison (not liase/liason) 128 LIGHTENING OR LIGHTNING? libel or slander? Both refer to statements damaging to a person's character: LIBEL is written; SLANDER is spoken. library (not libary) libretto (singular) libretti or librettos (plural) See FOREIGN PLURALS. licence or license? LICENCE is a noun. We can refer to a licence or the licence or your licence: Do you have your driving LICENCE with you? LICENSE is a verb: The restaurant is LICENSED for the consumption of alcohol. licorice/liquorice Both spellings are correct. lie See LAY OR LIE?. lied See LAY OR LIE?. liesure Wrong spelling. See LEISURE. lieutenant life (singular) lives (plural) See PLURALS (v). lighted/lit Both forms are correct. lightening or lightning? LIGHTENING comes from the verb 'to lighten' and so you can talk about: 129 . opposite of 'former'. Cats and dogs are wonderful pets but the LATTER need regular exercise. Note-, use 'latter' to indicate the second of two references; . 'last' to indicate the final one of three or more. 126 D LEAD OR LED? lay or lie? The various tenses of these verbs cause a great deal of unnecessary confusion. Use these exemplar sentences . animal of the camel family landscape (not lanscape) language (not langage) larva (singular) larvae (plural) See FOREIGN PLURALS. later or latter? LATER is the comparative of 'late', (late,