Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:
NOISOME / NOISY
These two adjectives both have meanings that relate to the senses. The word noisome can mean physically, mentally, or morally harmful but is more often used to mean disagreeable to the senses, especially the sense of smell. The more familiar word noisy, on the other hand, means clamorous; full of noise or gaudy and bright; excessively showy, thus affecting the senses of either sound or sight.
INCORRECT: Those truck fumes are quite noisy.
CORRECT: Those truck fumes are quite noisome.
[IN]CORRECT: It gets noisome in the house when my son practices the drums.
CORRECT: It gets noisy in the house when my son practices the drums.
© 2019 Ann Henry, all rights reserved.