National Police Officer Selection Test (NPOST / Stanard & Associates POST) Spelling and Vocabulary Syllabus

Define homophones and give one example pair.

Homophones are words that sound alike but differ in spelling and meaning, e.g., their/there/they're, or to/two/too.

Distinguish the homophones "their," "there," and "they're."

Their = possessive (their car); there = a place or existence (over there); they're = contraction of "they are" (they're late).

Distinguish the homophones "your" and "you're."

Your = possessive (your book); you're = contraction of "you are" (you're right).

Distinguish the homophones "to," "too," and "two."

To = preposition/infinitive (go to work); too = also or excessively (too much, me too); two = the number 2.

Distinguish the homophones "its" and "it's."

Its = possessive (the dog wagged its tail); it's = contraction of "it is" or "it has" (it's raining).

Distinguish the homophones "principal" and "principle."

Principal = main/most important, or a school's head (the principal is your pal); principle = a rule or fundamental truth.

Distinguish the homophones "stationary" and "stationery."

Stationary = not moving (the car was stationary); stationery = writing paper and envelopes (e for envelope).

Distinguish the commonly misused pair "affect" and "effect."

Affect is usually a verb meaning to influence (the weather affects mood); effect is usually a noun meaning a result (the effect was clear). Memory aid: RAVEN - Remember Affect Verb, Effect Noun.

Distinguish the commonly misused pair "accept" and "except."

Accept = to receive or agree to (accept the offer); except = excluding/other than (everyone except him).

Distinguish the commonly misused pair "than" and "then."

Than = used for comparisons (taller than me); then = relating to time or sequence (first this, then that).

Distinguish the commonly misused pair "lose" and "loose."

Lose = a verb meaning to misplace or not win (don't lose your keys); loose = an adjective meaning not tight (loose pants).

Distinguish the commonly misused pair "advice" and "advise."

Advice = a noun, a recommendation (good advice); advise = a verb, to recommend (I advise you to wait).

Distinguish the commonly misused pair "complement" and "compliment."

Complement = something that completes or goes well with (the wine complements the meal); compliment = praise (a kind compliment).

Distinguish the commonly misused pair "farther" and "further."

Farther refers to physical distance (drove farther); further refers to degree, extent, or figurative advancement (further discussion).

Distinguish "who's" and "whose."

Who's = contraction of "who is" or "who has" (who's there?); whose = possessive (whose coat is this?).

What strategy should you use on a "select the correctly spelled word" question?

Read each option carefully, sound it out syllable by syllable, watch for doubled letters, ie/ei order, and silent-e or suffix changes, then eliminate options with obvious errors. Trust recognition of the correctly spelled familiar form.

In a "choose the correct spelling" item, why is recognizing common error patterns useful?

Wrong options usually exploit predictable mistakes - dropped double letters (ocur), swapped ie/ei (recieve), wrong suffix (-ant vs -ent), or extra/missing e. Spotting these patterns lets you eliminate distractors quickly.

Define a synonym and give an example.

A synonym is a word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another, e.g., big/large, happy/joyful, fast/quick.

Define an antonym and give an example.

An antonym is a word with the opposite meaning of another, e.g., hot/cold, increase/decrease, brave/cowardly.

What is a synonym for the word "candid"?

Candid means frank, honest, or straightforward. Synonyms: honest, frank, sincere, blunt, open.

What is an antonym for the word "diligent"?

Diligent means hardworking and careful. Antonyms: lazy, careless, negligent, idle.

Give a synonym and an antonym for the word "abundant."

Abundant means plentiful. Synonym: plentiful, ample, copious. Antonym: scarce, sparse, lacking.

What does the prefix "un-", "in-", "im-", or "dis-" generally signify, with an example of each?

They generally mean "not" or "opposite of": un- (unhappy), in- (incorrect), im- (impossible), dis- (disagree).

What does the prefix "re-" mean, and give an example?

Re- means "again" or "back": rewrite (write again), return (turn back), review (look again).

What do the prefixes "pre-" and "post-" mean?

Pre- means "before" (preview, predict, preheat); post- means "after" (postpone, postwar, postscript).

What does the Latin root "spect" mean, and give two words containing it?

"Spect" means to look or see: inspect (look into), spectator (one who watches), spectacle, respect.

What does the root "port" mean, and give two examples?

"Port" means to carry: transport (carry across), portable (able to be carried), export, import.

What does the suffix "-able"/"-ible" indicate, with an example?

It indicates capability or worthiness - "able to be": readable (able to be read), visible (able to be seen), comfortable.

What do the suffixes "-er"/"-or" and "-ist" indicate about a word?

They indicate a person who does something: -er/-or (teacher, actor, sailor), -ist (artist, scientist, dentist).

What is context-based word choice, and how do you apply it on a fill-in-the-blank vocabulary item?

It is selecting the word whose meaning best fits the surrounding sentence. Read the full sentence for clues (tone, logic, other words), predict the needed meaning, then pick the option that matches it precisely without changing the sentence's intended sense.