More commonly confused words.

Dual/ duel

Dual is an adjective meaning having two separate parts or two of something. Duel is a noun referring to a fight, contest, or competition.

The dual-use list is based on European Union regulations with some exceptions.

The Thai-German dual vocational education is moving to another level with major German companies like BMW, Bosch and B Grimm joining a new initiative to address growing worries about shortage of skilled labour.

In the wake of rising global terrorism, Thai exporters of dual-use items – a product or technology that can used for both beneficial and dangerous purposes – will next year be regulated by the Commerce Ministry in order to ensure national security in exports in the near future.

Did Naresuan actually fight an elephant duel with the vice-king of Burma before killing him in the most dramatic battle our countries have ever seen?

After savouring what Thai hospitality had to offer, World No 1 Novak Djokovic and 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal yesterday promised to put on a great show at their “Back to Thailand Nadal vs Djokovic” duel tonight at Hua Mark Indoor Stadium.

A pair of Star Wars fans have a light sabre duel in London’s Leicester Square, 16 May, 2005 ahead of the UK premiere of “Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith”.

It is likelier that writers of Thai English will use the correct spelling if they remember what the letters ual mean when ending a word. The letters ual take a noun and make it into an adjective, usually meaning of that kind, connected with, or related to. Examples of the many familiar words ending with the letters ual include:

audiovisual

biannual

bilingual

conceptual

consensual

contextual

continual

contractual

equal

eventual

factual

gradual

habitual

In terms of its origins, the word dual therefore means having to do with or related to two. The Latin word duo, meaning two, is still often used in modern day English, making this easy to keep in mind. When we realize that dual must end with the letters ual because it has something to do with two of something, then it is not probable we will spell the word wrong as duel. There are far more English words ending with the letters ual than with uel. Exceptions include:

Sequel

Gruel

Cruel

Fuel

In general, if there is doubt over whether an English word should be spelled ending with the letters ual or ual, it is much likelier than it is spelled with ual. It is not necessary to actually fight a duel to know how to spell that word. Reading about duels in many classic novels owned by the Thammasat University Libraries may help to recognize the right spelling. They include Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers; William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair and Barry Lyndon; Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace; Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov; and Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons.

Reign/Rein/Rain

The most frequent meaning of the word reign is the time during which a monarch rules, or in which anyone has supreme influence and control. This word sounds the same as rein, which as a noun can be a piece of leather or rope used to control a horse. Used as a verb, rein can mean a way of controlling, restraining, or holding back something, often seen in the phrase to rein in. The familiar word rain sounds exactly the same as reign and rein, but has nothing to do with them otherwise.

King Power win nail-biting final to reign supreme in King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament.

Why Beijing should let international law reign in South China Sea.

Australians show iron will to reign at Samui Triathlon.

The government will also rein in the NHSF by keeping its per-head budget at Bt2,755.60 for three years from 2012-14.

New IBM country manager takes the reins today.

What had changed was a lot of jawboning by a few oil ministers up-ending earlier convictions that collaboration between members and non-members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to rein in supply was out of the question.

One way to choose between these spellings would be to tell oneself a little story that the longer word, reign, is grander and more elegant than the shorter word, rein, and so it is more appropriate for such subjects as monarchs and supreme influence. The shorter word, rein, is a verb associated with quick animals such as horses. Even native speakers of English sometimes confuse these two word, especially in an expression such as to give free rein. This means to let someone or something do whatever they want to do. If we allow a horse free rein, the reins are not held tightly, and so the animal goes as it pleases. The reverse idiom would be to keep tight rein, and guide carefully where the horse – or whatever the subject of the sentence is – is going.

We work with managers who want to connect with a brand that is aligned with their own personal motivators and values, and offer each hotel leader free rein to design unique guest activities that deliver our brand promises.

Conglomerate considering mergers and acquisitions but keeps tight rein.

Although reign and rein are often confused, remembering that the longer, grander word has to do with rulers may help to choose the correct spelling of rein when using the terms free rein and tight rein.

Cannon/Canon

A cannon is a piece of artillery used by soldiers. A canon is a widely accepted rule, or literary works accepted as representative, or works that we are sure a specific writer created.

The US Navy plans to test a laser cannon developed to shoot down drones and disable small boats, the Navy said Monday.

A China Coast Guard ship fires a water cannon at a Vietnamese boat in disputed waters in the South China Sea on May 3.

Eight hand cannons (an early form of firearm) along with a large amount of ammunition were recently unearthed during renovations at Bangkok’s Front Palace located in the National Museum compound near Sanam Luang, Fine Arts Department chief Anek Sihamat said yesterday.

That was the reason King Rama IV set up a new Buddhist order – the Dhammayuttika Nikay – alongside the prevailing Maha Nikaya. Central to the new order is the strict adherence of monks to Buddhist canon law.

This is a continuation of the “Globe to Globe” project in the summer of 2012, when the complete canon of Shakespearean plays were staged by 37 companies from 37 countries at the Shakespeare’s Globe, as part of London’s Cultural Olympiad.

Devoted to her craft for 35 years, Marjorie Evasco has seen her poetry and biographies become part of the country’s literature canon.

Any uncertainty over which spelling to choose may be resolved if we consider that as a weapon of war, a cannon is rather long. Therefore the longer word, using three letter n’s instead of just two, should resemble the thing it describes. The shorter word suits all the other non-military meanings. All Thais are familiar with the Japanese corporation Canon Inc., specializing in optical products such as cameras, camcorders, photocopiers, computer printers and medical equipment. Originally called Precision Optical Industry Co. Ltd., in 1947 the company name was changed to Canon Camera Co., Inc., shortened to Canon Inc. in 1969, inspired by the Buddhist bodhisattva Guanyin. The name of this spiritual figure of mercy was previously written in English as Kwanon. This little story may help to remember that when the Buddhist canon is referred to, the word should be spelled canon like the corporation that was inspired by Buddhist tradition, and not cannon.

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).