The next set of misused words I’d like to address are spiel and spill. This is an interesting one as it’s not particularly common, and I believe the misuse comes entirely from a misunderstanding of the pronunciation of spiel. 

It’s pronounced SPEEL, and sometimes SHPEEL, and is a speech or long-winded explanation. In some places, spill is pronounced SPEEL, but I think more often the error enters because of pronouncing spiel like spill.

Example: Every year, I must give my interpreter spiel to teachers who have never had Deaf students.

Several times, I have seen people write spill when they meant spiel. I believe it’s just one of those words people hear, but never see written.

I don’t want to get into a medical spiel, but the Awesome Word for today is actually two words: homonymous hemianopsia. While fun to say, it’s actually an unfortunate medical condition in which a person loses half of their vision in each eye – literally half. They can only see either the right half or the left half of what each eye should be able to see.