Fireplace mantel. That's M - A - N - T - E - L. This word (mis)usage has become one of my top pet peeves. The shelf over your fireplace? That's a mantel. For years I've been pained by those TV and print commercials touting the craftsmanship of fireplace "mantles" made by members of the Amish community. (No disrespect to the Amish. I just trust they know more about making mantels than spelling them.)
Mantle and mantel are homophones; they sound the same but have different meanings. Let's take a quick at what they mean and attempt to remember the difference with a memory aid.
Mantle refers to either a literal garment or a figurative cloak of authority (like wearing a mantle of leadership). It can also refer to something that covers something else or to the inner core of the Earth found below its crust.
A mantel is the shelf that sits above a fireplace.
I've racked my brain (yes, it's racked, not wracked) trying to devise a memory aid to help writers remember the difference between these two words. Here's what I've come up with:
mantel — el, remember it's elevated above the fireplace.
mantle — I couldn't think of a very good mnemonic for this one. My suggestion: Imagine you are at a party and put on your coat to leave early. This should help you to remember that a mantle is (by one definition) a cloak or garment. At any rate, it may be sufficient to simply learn the first one and remember the other meanings all apply to mantle.
Have you been tripped up by these two words? Do you have a better memory aid to share for remembering the difference between them? Are you troubled by other homophones? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
If you have a writing, grammar or language question, please share it for consideration. If you would like to have The Write Stuff delivered to your inbox, please subscribe below.
Mantle and mantel are homophones; they sound the same but have different meanings. Let's take a quick at what they mean and attempt to remember the difference with a memory aid.
Mantle refers to either a literal garment or a figurative cloak of authority (like wearing a mantle of leadership). It can also refer to something that covers something else or to the inner core of the Earth found below its crust.
A mantel is the shelf that sits above a fireplace.
I've racked my brain (yes, it's racked, not wracked) trying to devise a memory aid to help writers remember the difference between these two words. Here's what I've come up with:
mantel — el, remember it's elevated above the fireplace.
mantle — I couldn't think of a very good mnemonic for this one. My suggestion: Imagine you are at a party and put on your coat to leave early. This should help you to remember that a mantle is (by one definition) a cloak or garment. At any rate, it may be sufficient to simply learn the first one and remember the other meanings all apply to mantle.
Have you been tripped up by these two words? Do you have a better memory aid to share for remembering the difference between them? Are you troubled by other homophones? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
If you have a writing, grammar or language question, please share it for consideration. If you would like to have The Write Stuff delivered to your inbox, please subscribe below.
