Here’s another installment of Word Knots, where we discuss common instances of words and phrases that are often confused or misused. In this installment and the next we’ll look at two verbs that are often incorrectly used interchangeably.

Our source for this installment is The Dictionary of Disagreeable English by Robert Hartwell Fiske (Chicago: Writer’s Digest Books). This is a great book to browse: I highly recommend it.

From Fiske:

Hone

Misused for home.

As Fiske says (excerpted):

To hone is to sharpen or perfect, whereas home in is to move or be guided toward a goal or destination. No dictionary that maintains that home in is synonymous with hone in ought to be consulted further.

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I’ve seen “hone” misused for “home” many times and what’s troubling is that AI absolutely will not catch it.

Let’s look at the relevant Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary definitions.

hone

transitive verb

1 : to sharpen or smooth with a whetstone

2 : to make more acute, intense, or effective : whet

home

intransitive verb

3 : to move to or toward an objective by following a signal or landmark —usually used with on or in 

4 : to proceed or direct attention toward an objective —usually used with on or in

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These clearly have very  different meanings. Let’s look at examples that demonstrate the differences.

While building their customer base, the company decided to home in on their target demographic.

Working with other more experienced carpenters enabled him to hone his woodworking skills.

As always, word choice is critical, which is why checking your work is an important step toward ensuring that your intended meaning is clear.

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