Word Confusion: Tern vs Terne vs Turn

Posted May 27, 2021 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
4 Jan 2023

This word confusion post started as tern versus turn, until terne turned up. Well, what the heck . . . a group of three for the price of two and all are heterographs (a subset of homophone).

A tern is less simple than I had thought. I knew it as a bird and who knew it also referred to groups of three? It does make sense that a tern would also refer to a three-masted schooner *grin*.

That terne was unexpected, and fortunately quite rare. Unless you’re in roofing that uses this metal.

What took a real turn was how lengthy that turn took. It’s all that you thought this noun and verb term is.

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Tern	Terne	Turn
The Minnie G. Loud, a Tern Schooner, 1876, by Louis Roux is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons and courtesy of the National Gallery of Art.	Terne ASW is SgtRL-3‘s own work under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.	Recruits Wait Their Turn, USMC Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, is in the public domain courtesy of the US Marine Corps, via The US National Archives.
Part of Grammar:
Noun ¹, ² Plural: terns	Noun Plural: terne	Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive Plural for the noun: turns Gerund: turning Third person present verb: turns Past tense or past participle: turned Present participle: turning
A seabird related to the gulls, typically smaller and more slender, with long pointed wings and a forked tail ¹ [Family Sternidae (or Laridae)] Several genera, in particular Sterna, and many species [Rare] A set of three, especially three lottery numbers that, when drawn together, win a large prize ² A three-masted schooner	[Metallurgy; also terne metal] A lead alloy containing about 20 percent tin and often some antimony [Also terneplate] Thin sheet iron or steel coated with terne	Noun: An act of moving something in a circular direction around an axis or point A bend or curve in a road, path, river, etc. One round in a coil of rope or other material A change of direction when moving A development or change in circumstances or a course of events A time when one specified period of time ends and another begins A place where a road meets or branches off another A turning A change of the tide from ebb to flow or vice versa [the turn] The beginning of the second nine holes of a round of golf An opportunity or obligation to do something that comes successively to each of a number of people A short performance, especially one of a number given by different performers in succession A performer giving one of a number of short performances A short walk or ride [Informal] A shock A brief feeling or experience of illness The difference between the buying and selling price of stocks or other financial products A profit made from the difference between the buying and selling price of stocks or other financial products [Music] A melodic ornament consisting of the principal note with those above and below it Verb, intransitive: Move in a circular direction wholly or partly around an axis or point [With adverbial] Move (something) so that it is in a different position in relation to its surroundings or its previous position Change the position of one’s body so that one is facing in a different direction Change or cause to change direction [Of the tide] Change from flood to ebb or vice versa Move (a page) over so that it is flat against the previous or next page Change in nature, state, form, or color Become Verb, transitive: Move in a circular direction wholly or partly around an axis or point Perform (a somersault or cartwheel) Twist or sprain (an ankle) [With adverbial] Move (something) so that it is in a different position in relation to its surroundings or its previous position Aim, point, or direct (something) Move (a page) over so that it is flat against the previous or next page Fold or unfold (fabric or a piece of a garment) in the specified way Pass around (the flank or defensive lines of an army) so as to attack it from the side or rear [Archaic] Bend back (the edge of a blade) so as to make it blunt Remake (a garment or a sheet), putting the worn outer side on the inside Cause to change Cause to become [With complement or adverbial] Send or put into a specified place or condition Pass the age or time of [Of leaves] Change color in the autumn [With reference to the stomach] Make or become nauseated [With reference to milk] Make or become sour Shape (something) on a lathe Give a graceful or elegant form to Make (a profit)
Examples:
Around the rocky shores sea birds such as gulls, terns, cormorants, gannets, and puffins nested in the cliffs and dunes. “This white tern in flight reminded her of how humans have studied birds to understand aerodynamics” (Tausig). The tern population grew, reaching a height of 20,000 birds in 2009″ (Smith). There were additional prizes for winning sequences of numbers, three in a row being a tern and four a quatern. Three lemons in a row on a fruit machine could be called a tern. Built from the early 1800s on the East Coast, a tern schooner rig had three masts all the same height and didn’t carry square topsails (Schooner).	Terne was the only tin-plated stainless steel product specifically developed and manufactured for roll forming and fabricating. We plan to replace the lead with terne-coated steel. Terne plate was frequently used as a cheap lining for packing crates.	Noun: Get a safety lock requiring four turns of the key. It was difficult following the twists and turns in the passageways. He already had one turn of the hose around his shoulder. They made a left turn and picked up speed. Life has taken a turn for the better. It was the turn of the century. They were approaching the turn. We had to sail with the turn of the tide. He made the turn in one under par. It was his turn to speak. Henry had a comic turn later that night. She simply agonizes over how to describe what she does when a camera is pointed at her, saying that she feels more like a performer or a circus turn than an actress. Why don’t you take a turn around the garden? You gave us quite a turn! Tell me how you feel when you have these funny turns. Nearly all market turns show divergences between price and technical indicators such as momentum. In the Romantic era, signs were still used for simple ornaments such as trills, turns, or mordents. Verb, intransitive: The big wheel was turning. Charlie turned and looked at his friend. We turned around and headed back to the house. As the tide turned, he finally managed to bring the barge into its berth. Turn to page five for the answer. Emmeline turned pale. Verb, transitive: I turned the key in the door and crept in. The boy shot up off the ground and turned a somersault in the air. Wright turned his ankle in the first minute of the game. Turn the mould upside down. She turned her head toward me. The government has now turned its attention to primary schools. She turned a page noisily. He turned up the collar of his coat. There was still the sea, by way of which the Persians hoped to turn all mountain or isthmus defense lines. Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword. That was the sheet that Mrs Dibb wanted turned sides to middle. Potatoes are covered with sacking to keep the light from turning them green. The dogs were turned loose on the crowd. I’ve just turned forty. The chestnut leaves were turning. The smell was bad enough to turn the strongest stomach. The thunder had turned the milk. The faceplate is turned rather than cast. If I could turn a tune, I even think I should sing. She quickly turned a profit.
Derivatives:
Adjective: ternary, ternate	Noun: terne plate, terneplate	Adjective: turned, turnt Noun: turn-back, turn-on, turn-up, turnabout, turnaround, turncoat, turncock, turndown, turner, turnery, turning, turnkey, turnoff, turnout, turnspit, turnstile, turntable
Phrasal Verb
		turn against turn around turn away turn back turn down turn in turn into turn off turn on turn onto turn out turn over turn over to turn to turn up
History of the Word:
Late 17th century and of Scandinavian origin and related to the Danish terne and the Swedish tärna, both from the Old Norse therna. Late Middle English and apparently from the French terne, from the Latin terni meaning three at once, three each, from ter meaning thrice.	Mid-19th century, denoting terne plate and probably from the French terne meaning dull, tarnished.	Old English tyrnan, turnian (verb), from the Latin tornare, from tornus meaning lathe, from the Greek tornos meaning lathe, circular movement. It was probably reinforced in Middle English by the Old French turner. The Middle English is partly from the Anglo-Norman French tourn, which is partly from the verb.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Tern vs Terne vs Turn

Apple Dictionary.com

Cambridge Dictionary: tern

Dictionary.com: tern

Lexico.com: tern, turn

“Schooner Rig.” Tall Ships & Schooners. Schooner Sail. n.d. Web. 28 Apr 2021. <https://www.schoonersail.com/tall-ships-schooners/schooner-rig/>.

Smith, Quinton. “Corps of Engineers to Build Island in Malheur Lake to Lure Salmon-eating Caspian Terns Away from the Columbia River.” The Oregonian/OregonLive. 29 Aug 2011. Web. 28 Apr 2021. <https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2011/08/corps_of_engineers_to_build_is.html>.

Tausig, Heather. “Our Feathered Friends.” Travel. CNN. Updated 14 Aug 2014. Web. n.d. <https://www.cnn.com/travel/gallery/irpt-bird-watching/index.html>. Article.

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