Confusing Words from Bad to Bandied

The food didn't taste good at all. Was it bad or was it bade? If your toddler refuses to move, is he balking or is he bocking? You go to see your daughter's dance recital. Did she take ballad, ballade, ballet, or ballot? Learn about these and other confusing words in this article.

bad, bade
If something is bad, it is wrong, not good, or distasteful.
The large amount of rain the town received during a normally dry time of year was bad for the farmers' crops.
Bade is the past tense of bid. It means ordered, invited, or requested.
The town's peasants were bade to come to the feast by the rich man.

balk, bock
Balk means to stop short and stubbornly refuse to move.
The new horse the farmer bought would balk each time a saddle was placed on him.
Bock is a really strong, dark beer.
My neighbor was brewed some bock beer to drink the following spring.

balking, bocking
Balking means stopping short.
The balking mule was quickly taken to auction.
Bocking is a coarse, woolen fabric.
Bocking was used in the manufacture of the carpeting.

balks, box
When something balks, it suddenly stops.
The stubborn mule balks at every opportunity.
When used as a verb, box means to fight. When used as a noun, box is a container. It is also a shrub or small tree.
Shelley needs a huge box to pack her belongings in for the move.

ballad, ballade, ballet, ballot
A ballad is a song.
Jeremy composed a ballad for his girlfriend.
A ballade is a form of verse or a musical composition.
The romantic ballade was written especially for the piano.
Ballet is a type of dance.
Ballet was a huge part of my life when I was young.
A ballot is a ticket or vote.
Have you cast your ballot in the election yet?

balm, barm
A balm is a fragrant ointment.
The doctor applied a balm to the wound she had received.
Barm is the yeasty foam that appears on the top of malt liquors during the fermenting process.
When no barm formed on top of the wine he was brewing, he knew that something had gone wrong.

banded, bandied
Banded means united or fixed with bands.
The townspeople banded together to chase the outlaws out of their town.
Bandied means to pass around or pass from one to another.
Insults were bandied between members of the football team.