Misuse of "desert" for "dessert"

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This pet peeve, desert being misused for dessert, is a little different from most. That's because desert can be pronounced in more than one way, depending on how it's being used--and one of its pronunciations is exactly like dessert. No wonder people get confused!

When used as a noun, the word desert describes a place, like the Mojave Desert or the Sahara Desert.

The word dessert refers to something sweet eaten at the end of a meal.

However, when it's used as a verb, desert is pronounced just like dessert: "The soldier decided to desert his post."

Okay, so if you're referring to something you eat, it's dessert. If you're referring to a place, it's desert. If you're talking about someone leaving a place, it's desert BUT it's pronounced just like dessert. Got it? :)

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