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"Before I came here I was confused about this subject. Having listened to your lecture I am still confused. But on a higher level."
Enrico Fermi (1901-1954) Italian physicist

Even educated writers can fall into the trap of using words incorrectly. Here are a few pairs are words that seem similar but are not the same.

Cache vs. Cachet
Cache (pronounced like cash) is a noun meaning a hiding place used especially for storing provisions or a store of goods or valuables concealed in a hiding
place. In computer lingo, a cache is a fast storage buffer in the central processing unit of a computer.

Cachet (pronounced cash-ay) is a noun meaning a mark or quality, as of distinction, individuality, or authenticity or, more rarely, a seal on a document, such
as a letter.

The drug dealer increased his cachet considerably when he revealed his cache of high-grade products.

Every day vs. everyday
Every day is an adverbial phrase telling when an action took place. How often did it happen? Every day.

Everyday is an adjective that describes something that is common, mundane, or, perhaps, that happens every day. However, it is incorrect to write, "We produce a sales report everyday.

"Word confusion happens every day; it is an everyday occurrence.

Aisle versus Isle
An aisle is a narrow pathway.

Churches have aisles. Grocery stores have aisles. Airplanes have annoyingly narrow aisles.

An isle is a small island, as in "Come with me to an enchanted isle," or "Every summer we can rent a cottage on the Isle of Wight if it's not too dear."

Do not write "The bride's father walked her down the isle." unless they were hiking from the high point to the low point of a tiny island.

Toward/Towards

Toward is a preposition indicating the direction, position, time or relationship between two things. It can also indicate partial fulfillment of an obligation. For example:

We were driving toward home. It began to rain toward evening, and our attitude toward arriving early began to wane.

We had made an effort toward arriving on time to the dinner, but as the storm winds raced toward us, we came to realize that we would be unable to pay the $50 we had committed to contribute toward the restaurant bill.

Towards is a variant form of toward. Do not use this word. Using towards is déclassé (pronounced day-class-A), which is something you do not want to be.

Worktalk Communications Consulting can help you communicate powerfully and purposefully. If you need to create web-site content that works; develop and document new procedures; perfect your core correspondence or train your staff to write clearly, we can help you. Visit us at http://www.worktalk.com or call (888) WORKTALK to learn how Worktalk can help you get to the point.

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