Renown, meaning fame, is the correct word. Reknown is not a word.
Category: Confusing Words
Difference between Reign and Rein
Royalty can reign (rule), and a horse has reins to pull to stop it.
Difference between Regretfully and Regrettably
Regretfully means with feelings of regret. Prior commitments made him regretfully decline the invitation. Regrettably means unfortunately. It looked like the rain would stop, but regrettably it did not.
Difference between Regime, Regimen and Regiment
Regime, a noun, refers to a government, usually an authoritarian one. The country underwent regime change on its own terms. Regimen, a noun, refers to a therapeutic treatment, usually including diet and exercise. The benefits of a daily fitness regimen are endless. Regiment, as a noun, refers to a military unit or large group of people; […]
Difference between Refrain and Restrain
Refrain means to choose not to do something or partake of something. The students were asked to refrain from leaving class early. Restrain means to immobilize by force or forbid an action. The nurses had to restrain the patient in order to avoid injury.
Difference between Reeking havoc and Wreaking havoc
Wreaking havoc is the correct phrase. The power surges are wreaking havoc with our new computer.
Difference between Recur and Reoccur
Recur is the preferred word.
Difference between Recourse and Resort
Recourse refers to turning to someone or something for help. What recourse do online shoppers have today? Resort, as a noun, is something you turn to after all other options have failed. As a last resort, I contacted the police. Resort, as a verb, means to have recourse. Because of the accident, he had to […]
Difference between Rebuff, Rebut, Refute and Repudiate
Rebuff means to snub or reject someone. We offered to help with the cleanup, but he rebuffed us. Rebut means to argue against something. Unless the board rebuts the proposal, the idea is accepted. Refute means to prove something is false. The defense team refuted much of the earlier testimony. Repudiate means to reject or […]
Difference between Rebound and Redound
Rebound means to bounce or spring back. The company’s stock price rebounded after the news hit. Redound means to contribute or lead to something. Her exceptional performance redounds to the company’s benefit.
Difference between Ravage and Ravish
Ravage means to destroy or devastate something. Fires continued to ravage the western states for many weeks. Ravish means to carry off by force or overwhelm with emotion. In the novel, the king’s daughter was ravished by her captors. The beauty of the Canadian sunset ravished the travelers.
Difference between Raucous and Ruckus
Raucous, an adjective, means loud or rambunctious. It’s not unusual for them to throw a raucous party once a month. Ruckus, a noun, means a fight, disturbance, or commotion. Authorities are more interested in stopping the ruckus than in finding the culprit.