Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:
SINGLE / SINGULAR
These words are most often confused when the word singular is used to mean single. The adjective single means one in number while the adjective singular describes something or someone who is unusual, out of the ordinary, and sometimes indicates excellence. For instance, you could say that champion tennis player Roger Federer has a singular talent for tennis.
Note the difference between the following two sentences:
He has a single musical talent: he can play the guitar but no other instruments.
He has a singular musical talent: he can play the guitar like virtuoso classical guitarist Andres Segovia.
INCORRECT: This is the singular most popular book in the series.
CORRECT: This is the single most popular book in the series.
INCORRECT: He held a singular sock while looking for its mate.
CORRECT: He held a single sock while looking for its mate.
NOTE: To say he held one single sock would be redundant. Since the word single means one in number, the word one is unnecessary here.
NOTE: If there were something very strange about the single sock he is holding in the example above, then it would be correct to call it a singular sock as well.
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