Peninsula - peninsular

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These are useful words in Geography.

A peninsula is a neck of land that is 'almost an island' (the Latin paene means 'almost', and insula is 'island'.) Italy is a peninsula; so are southern Greece, and Florida. British examples include Kintyre in Scotland, the Gower in Wales, and the Dumnonian peninsula (Devon and Cornwall) in England.

A common error in English writing is to mis-spell these two words. Peninsula is a noun. Peninsular is the adjective that describes it. The two sound very alike, except in the most careful speech, and so people writing quickly can choose the wrong one. The spell-checker will not stop this mistake. You have been warned!