Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Desert vs. Dessert: Think About Having Seconds

Jeremy asks:
"Can you give me an easy way for remembering how to spell 'desert' versus 'dessert'?

You've come to the right place. A lot of people get mixed up when spelling these words, but I've got a great mnemonic for remembering the difference.

Definitions:
  • desert (n.) [pronounced DEZ-ert] - a dry place.
  • dessert (n.) [pronounced deh-ZERT] - a yummy treat eaten after a meal.

Nifty mnemonics:
  • If you have one dessert, you'll want seconds. Remember that "dessert" is the one with two s's.
  • The two s's in dessert stand for "sweet stuff."

25 comments:

  1. Thanks so much. Super helpful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Also, remember, desserts backwards is ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. omg thank you so much but also a desert isn't just a dry place lol it can also be a desert of snow

      Delete
    2. yooooo! that's insane!

      Delete
  3. VERY helpful - after 43 years I still couldn't remember, I will never forget the difference now!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. But don't forget the phase "just deserts".

    ReplyDelete
  5. The mneumonic I learned in grade 2 is that not much can grow in a desert....so they only have one 's' there. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Also a nifty way to remember is that a DESERT is too dry to have two of the letter S.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jajaja I prefer mine:

    You deserve a dessert in the desert....

    Deserve sounds kind of dessert :D

    ReplyDelete
  8. What if they desert you??? HUH?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Excellent!! Thanks!! Great ideas here! Now I will never forget this!

    ReplyDelete
  10. A desert has sand (one 's' in each). Strawberry Shortcake is a dessert (two 'ss' in each). :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is wonderful. I'm going to teach my son of this little nifty trick. So easy to remember. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  12. If you want a more visual approach, S represents a river. In a desert, Water tends to be more scarce, and only one S (or river) can be present.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This may be helpful.

      Dessert - (SS) Sweet Stuff
      Desert - (S) Sandy

      Delete
  13. Desert has only one 's' because the other one dried up.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I just have grammar issues whenever i try to write. The personal statement writing is also complicar=ted by i can write if i am good in grammar.

    ReplyDelete
  15. All people should know how to write English correctly and accurately for the reason that sometimes if the writers make use of poor grammar, there is a tendency that their writing turns out to be almost difficult to read. It is to the extent that their writing becomes incoherent. See more fragment check

    ReplyDelete
  16. AWESOME! This is so much better than the one I was using, which I always seem to forget!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wholely shet! Thank you so much! I've been trying to get a handle on that one for years!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Nice Blog We are providing technical support in Quickbooks Customer Care Number +1-800-986-4607. if you are facing any trouble in Quickbooks dial our Toll free number +1-800-986-4607 for quick response. Our excutive is available 24*7.

    ReplyDelete
  19. What an insightful article! I never thought about it from that perspective before. I can't believe I didn't discover this auto clicker earlier, it's amazing!

    ReplyDelete