Take a Closer Look

Eight words about watching, looking, and noticing what others miss.

Meet each word one at a time, then take the quiz to lock them in.

1. 1 spectator noun
2. 2 inspector noun
3. 3 inspect verb
4. 4 suspect verb
5. 5 striking adjective
6. 6 subtle adjective
7. 7 markedly adverb
8. 8 vaguely adverb

Nelson's word

noun

Spectator. A noun, and I file it under the people who watch. A spectator sits in the stands, lines the parade route, or fills the seats at a play, but never steps onto the field, never joins the show. That is the whole of the job: to watch, not to do. Notice the front of the word, spect, which means to look or to watch, the same part hiding inside inspect and suspect. When you read that ten thousand spectators filled the arena, picture ten thousand pairs of eyes, all pointed the same way. State it precisely: a spectator watches, and takes no part.

A single spectator stayed in the stands long after the game ended.

Nelson's word

noun

Inspector. A noun, and one I file with pride, because an inspector keeps the records honest. An inspector is the official who examines a thing closely to check for problems: a building inspector who studies the wiring, a health inspector who checks the kitchen, a safety inspector who tests the brakes. The word carries spect, to look, and in-, meaning into, so an inspector is one who looks into things. Where a spectator merely watches, an inspector examines on purpose, with a checklist and a duty. File the difference carefully: both watch, but only one is paid to find the flaw.

The inspector examines every bridge in the county twice a year.

Vinny's word

verb

Inspect! To look at a thing closely, carefully, missing NOTHING! When the mechanics inspect the engine, they do not glance and shrug; they lean in, turn every bolt, and study every part until they are certain. That is the verb, and it is mine, a heroic patience most people skip. Look at the parts of it, in-spect: spect means to look, and in- means into, so to inspect is to look into a thing, deep, past the surface. An inspector does this for a living, but the action itself, the close and careful looking, belongs to the verb. Inspect, and you catch what a careless eye lets slide.

The mechanics inspect the engine before every long race.

Vinny's word

verb

Suspect! To believe a thing is likely true even before the full proof arrives! When the detectives suspect a trick, they do not know it yet; they feel it, they sense it, and they act. That is the verb, and it is mine, the hunch that gets a hero moving. But watch closely, because this word wears two hats. Say the detectives suspect a trick, and it is an action, a verb. Say the police questioned the main suspect, and suddenly it is a person, a noun, the very one they suspect. Same spelling, different job, and Nelson files the noun while I keep the verb. We sort those hats in Practice.

The detectives suspect a trick the moment the lights go out.

Jake's word

adjective

Striking. Oh, this one has power, and it is mine. As an adjective, striking describes a thing so noticeable it catches the eye at once, the way a single red door leaps off a gray street. A striking hat, a striking view, a striking resemblance: each one stops you where you stand. Its Frown is dull, the thing the eye slides right past. Could we be more specific than saying a painting was nice? We could call it striking, and let the reader feel it seize their attention. Same picture, sharper edges. Magnifique.

The striking red door stood out on a street of gray houses.

Jake's word

adjective

Subtle. Ah, the quiet cousin of striking, and just as much mine. As an adjective, subtle describes a thing so slight, so delicate, that it is easy to miss entirely: a subtle flavor, a subtle hint, a subtle shift in the light. Where striking shouts, subtle whispers, and only a careful eye or ear catches it. Its Frown is obvious, the thing no one could overlook. Could we be more specific than saying the change was small? We could call it subtle, which tells the reader it was there for anyone paying close attention. Magnifique.

A subtle change in her voice told him something was wrong.

Benny's word

adverb

Markedly. Now we are talking, and this one is mine, an adverb with a job to do. Markedly means in a way that is noticeably different, a change so plain that anyone would spot it. The team played markedly better; the room grew markedly quieter; the days got markedly shorter. Hear how it does not just say something changed, it says the change was clear, obvious, easy to see. Think of a mark someone leaves behind, plain to the eye. When you want your reader to know a difference was real and not imagined, reach for markedly. Make it sharper, and you have already made it better.

The team played markedly better after the halftime talk.

Benny's word

adverb

Vaguely. Here is the other side of the coin, and it belongs to me. Vaguely means in an unclear, imprecise way, the opposite of sharp and certain. You vaguely remember a face; a plan is vaguely sketched; a shape looms vaguely in the fog. When something is done vaguely, the edges are soft and the details are missing. Now, here is my coach's honesty: in your own writing, you usually want the sharp word, not the vague one. But when a memory truly is hazy, vaguely is the exact word for it, and using it on purpose is a sign you know the difference. That is the goal, every time.

She vaguely remembered the house from a summer long ago.