Commonly Confused Words Hole and Whole

The words hole and whole  are  homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings. Definitions The noun hole refers to an opening, a hollow place, a defect, or a dingy place. The adjective whole means entire, complete, or unbroken. As a noun, whole means an entire amount or a thing complete in itself. Examples The puppy tore a hole in the screen door and escaped.And Ill never forget the grim look on his facewhen he heisted himself and took leave of this place,through a hole in the smog, without leaving a trace.(Dr. Seuss, The Lorax. Random House, 1971)In her letters to her parents she had never complained.  She wrote only that she was getting along splendidly and living in her own home, although in reality she lived in a hole in a cellar, earned her living by taking in washing, and collected scraps of wood at the workshop for fuel.(Da Chen, The Sword. HarperCollins, 2008)The apartment was spacious and bright, with a view all the way downtown along the East Side. . . .  Zoe could work her  whole life and never have an apartment like this.(Lorrie Moore, Youre Ugly, Too. The New Yorker, 1990)She did not believe in a modern-day  economy, in which everyone played a part in a large and complex whole that introduced efficiencies that at least theoretically raised everyones standard of liv ing.(Gish Jen, Birthmates. Ploughshares, 1995)[Gabe] Paul leaned back with a mild smile. Reggie, he said, dont look at the hole in the doughnut. Look at the doughnut as a whole.(Roger Kahn, October Men. Harcourt, 2003) Idiom Alert Full of HolesThe expression full of holes refers, metaphorically, to an explanation, argument, or plan that is incomplete or has many flaws.Bras were never burned at the 1968 Miss America protest, but that the image persists shows how full of holes our knowledge is of the Womens Liberation Movement.(Jennifer Lee, Feminism Has a Bra-Burning Myth Problem. Time, June 12, 2014)Hole UpThe phrasal verb hole up means to hide or take shelter somewhere.She had expected that Uncle Carl would move home from the nuthouse and  hole up in the  attic, the only hints of his presence being occasional spooky footsteps on the floorboards overhead.(Paulette Livers, Cementville. Counterpoint, 2014) Practice (a) Somehow the drapes caught fire and soon the _____ place went up in flames.(b) Tim stared into the _____, and from its depths two blazing eyes stared back.(c) There were only three bullies in the _____ school, but they could make life miserable for you.(d) I was relieved to have the _____ afternoon to myself. Answers (a) Somehow the drapes caught fire and soon the whole place went up in flames.(b) Tim stared into the hole, and from its depths two blazing eyes stared back.(c) There were only three bullies in the whole school, but they could make life miserable for you.(d) I was relieved to have the whole afternoon to myself.