List P

palate, palette, pallet	PALATE = the top part of the inside of your mouth PALETTE = a small board with a hole for the thumb which an artist uses when mixing paints PALLET = a platform used to lift and to carry goods
partake or participate?	PARTAKE = to share with others (especially food and drink) PARTICIPATE =tojoininanactivity; to play a part in They PARTOOK solemnly of lamb, herbs and salt. Will you be able to PARTICIPATE in the firm’s pension scheme?
passed or past?	Use these exemplar sentences as a guide: You PASSED me twice in town yesterday. In the PAST, women had few rights. In PAST times, women had few rights. Iwalk PAST your house every day.
peace or piece?	There were twenty-one years of PEACE between the two wars. Would you like a PIECE of pie?
pedal or peddle?	a PEDAL = a lever you work with your foot PEDDLE = to sell (especially drugs)
peninsula or peninsular?	PENINSULA isanounmeaninganarrow piece of land jutting out from the mainland into the sea. It is derived from two Latin words: paene (almost) and insula (island). Have you ever camped on the Lizard PENINSULA? PENINSULAR is an adjective, derived from the noun: The PENINSULAR War (1808–1814) was fought on the Iberian PENINSULA between the French and the British. Note: It may be useful in a quiz to know that the P&O shipping line was in 1837 The Peninsular Steam Navigation Company (it operated between Britain and the Iberian Peninsula). In 1840, when its operation was extended to Egypt, it became the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (hence P&O).
personal or personnel?	Sarah has taken all her PERSONAL belongings with her. She was upset by a barrage of PERSONAL remarks. All the PERSONNEL will be trained in first aid. Write to the PERSONNEL office and see if a vacancy is coming up. (Note the spelling of personnel with -nn-) Note: Personnel Officers are now often called Human Resources Officers.
perspicacity or perspicuity?	PERSPICACITY =discernment, shrewdness, clearness of understanding PERSPICUITY = lucidity, clearness of expression
possible or probable?	POSSIBLE = could happen PROBABLE =verylikelytohappen
practical or practicable?	A PRACTICAL person is one who is good at doing and making things. A PRACTICAL suggestion is a sensible, realistic one that is likely to succeed. A PRACTICABLE suggestion is merely one that will work. The word ‘practicable’ means ‘able to be put into practice’. It does not carry all the additional meanings of ‘practical’.
practice or practise?	Use these exemplar sentences as a guide: PRACTICE makes perfect. An hour’s PRACTICE every day will yield returns. The young doctor has built up a busy PRACTICE. In the examples above, ‘practice’ is a noun. You should PRACTISE every day. PRACTISE now! In these examples, ‘practise’ is a verb.
precede or proceed?	PRECEDE =togoinfrontof PROCEED = to carry on, especially after having stopped
principal or principle?	Use these exemplar sentences as a guide: Rebuilding the school is their PRINCIPAL aim. (= chief) The PRINCIPAL announced the results. (= chief teacher) His guiding PRINCIPLE was to judge no one hastily. (= moral rule)
program or programme?	Use PROGRAM when referring to a computer program. Use PROGRAMME on all other occasions.