Grammar Nazi Hoist by His Own Petard

When I started these Grammar Nazi posts, I noted, with a few exceptions, that I am not a perfect individual, particularly in the grammar and spelling department. Today, I offer an example of that imperfection, one that shows how I was led down the incorrect path by the bugaboo I harp about in others: phonics.

Today we discuss the difference between aerial and areal. Look closely, those of you who don't recognize that second word. For it is a real word. It is pronounced the same way as aerial, but their meanings are as different as the sky and the sea.

Aerial -- the version I used -- refers to the air, the sky, and the moon up above, as in aerial photography, or photographs taken from the air.

Areal -- the version I should have used -- is the adjectival form of the noun area. In this sense, areal refers to a specific area or extent, as defined here by Merriam-Webster.com. Though areal could refer to an area in the sky, it has as much to do with aerial as television aerials have to do with cable TV.

So I am humbled, today, by having learned something new.