Know Your Words
Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:
DIFFERENTIATE / DISTINGUISH
In the case of these two related verbs, differentiate means point out differences while distinguish means perceive or sense differences.
CORRECT: A biologist who specializes in certain types of plants can differentiate among those various species.
CORRECT: My father, who is tone deaf, cannot distinguish the various notes in the treble clef when music is played; he only gets the beat of the bass.
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