Word Choice Rout vs. Route - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog

Word Choice Rout vs. Route - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog Word Choice: Rout vs. Route Ah, the English language, will you ever stop confusing us? Why, for instance, would anyone think it’s a good idea to have two words which differ in meaning and sound different, but which are spelled almost identically? It beats us, yet that’s what we have with â€Å"rout† and â€Å"route.† It’s easy to get these words mixed up, especially because â€Å"rout† is not common in everyday speech. So, what is the difference? And which word should we use in any given instance? Rout (Lose Badly) The word â€Å"rout† is commonly associated with battles, as it means â€Å"a disorderly retreat.† Thus, if an army is defeated and forced to run, we say it was â€Å"routed† (â€Å"rout† can be used as either a noun or a verb): During World War II, the French Army was routed at the Battle of Sedan. A more modern use of â€Å"rout† is to mean â€Å"an overwhelming defeat†: In 1990, the 49ers routed the Broncos 55-10 in the Super Bowl. To the best of our knowledge, however, sporting routs rarely end in the losing team making a disorderly retreat from the field of play. Route (Go Places) If nothing else, you’ll probably know the word â€Å"route† from the US Highway System. This, in fact, is a big clue to the main meaning of â€Å"route,† which is â€Å"a road or passage of travel†: If you ever plan to motor west Travel my way, take the highway that is best Get your kicks on Route Sixty-Six As well as major travel routes, the word â€Å"route† is used for any regular round of stops, such as a â€Å"paper route.† Furthermore, â€Å"route† can be used as a verb meaning â€Å"direct something†: Because of the accident, traffic was routed away from the town center. In both cases, the essence of â€Å"route† is always to do with traveling or following a particular course. Rout or Route? In everyday life, you’re more likely to need â€Å"route† than â€Å"rout.† But if you’re discussing a battle or an overwhelming defeat in sport, you might need to use â€Å"rout.† Remember: Rout = An overwhelming defeat and/or disorderly retreat Route = A road or regular passage of travel Be careful when using the past tense with these words, though, as both are spelled routed.