Rack ’em!

This workout returns to our “Glossary of Problematic Words and Phrases” in paragraph 5.254 of CMOS 18. This time we’re focusing on words beginning with the letters r as in “rack” through s as in “straight.”

As you take the quiz, keep in mind that we are looking for usage that would be considered correct even by sticklers (and see our disclaimer below).

Good luck!

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Note: Style guides and dictionaries sometimes disagree. This quiz is designed to test your knowledge of The Chicago Manual of Style.

Now updated to refer and link to the 18th edition.

Chicago Style Workout 38: Word Usage, Part 8

1. rack; wrack. I’ve been _____ my brains trying to come up with the answer.

racking

wracking

2. recur; reoccur. The leak _____ during the second big rain.

recurred

reoccurred

3. refute. The defendant vehemently refuted the allegations against him, crying, “I didn’t do it!”

Correct usage

Incorrect usage

4. rein; reign. Their hosts gave them free _____ to plunder the contents of the refrigerator.

rein

reign

5. shear; sheer. We stood at the edge of a ____ cliff.

shear

sheer

6. sight; site. The _____, once home to a shopping mall, has been turned into an open-air market.

sight

site

7. since. Since I’m a golfer, I know what “double bogey” means.

Good usage

Poor usage

8. sink. The ship ­­­­­_____ in uncharted waters.

sank

sunk

9. spit. He has ___ many a curse.

spat

spit

spitted

10. strait; straight. We were in dire ____.

straits

straights

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Photo by Dai Luo, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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