I find myself stopping for a moment whenever I type this phrase. Is it "Sneek Peek" or "Sneak Peak" or "Sneak Peek" or "Sneek Peak"? And suddenly, none of them looks correct.
First of all, "sneek" isn't a word at all, unless you're Dr. Seuss. And that's probably not the part that trips anyone up. It's that darn peek/peak conundrum. These are homonyms (remember them?), or two words that sound alike but are spelled differently.
"Peek" is a verb meaning "to look or glance quickly or furtively, esp. through a small opening or from a concealed location; peep; peer." And the related noun means "a quick or furtive look or glance; peep."
"Peak" is a noun meaning "the pointed top of a mountain or ridge; the pointed top of anything."
Here's how I remember which is which:
"Peek" has two e's, and the word "eye" starts with "e." I imagine that the two e's in the middle of "peek" are two little eyes peering out at at me.
"Peak," on the other hand, has an "a" in it. And what does a capital "A" look like? A mountain peak, of course.
Problem solved.
Follow these links for help with other common grammar and usage pitfalls, previously covered on the Yeah, Write blog.
everyday / every day (and also anytime / any time)
Hop on the word-nerd bandwagon!
(Of course we have a bandwagon.) This is a fabulous (and highly readable) resource for grammar goddesses and grammar novices alike. Check it out.
