'Tacks' are short sharp nails or drawing pins (plural); 'tax' is a compulsory payment to government or to make heavy demands.
Noun/verb. Short sharp nails with wide flat heads (thumbtacks/drawing pins). Plural/third person of 'tack': to fix with tacks, to sail at an angle, or to try a different approach.
She used tacks to pin the map to the wooden board without damaging the surface.
The yacht tacks across the wind to make progress toward its destination.
Let us try a different tack — the current approach clearly is not working.
Noun/verb. A compulsory payment collected by government. Metaphorically: a strain or heavy demand. Also: to levy taxes or to make heavy demands on someone.
The income tax rate for the highest earners was increased in last month's budget.
Running the project simultaneously with two others has taxed the team significantly.
Value-added tax is included in the displayed price in most European countries.
Common mistake
"She used tax to pin the notice" when meaning the small nails (correct: tacks). Or "The yacht tacks" is correct when sailing; "he tacks extra fees" is incorrect (correct: tacks on fees). 'Tax' and 'tacks' are perfect homophones.
Trick to remember it
'Tacks' has CK like 'stack' and 'track' — objects you stab into or follow a track. 'Tax' has X like 'extra money extracted' — the X marks the government's take.
Quick rule
Are they the small nails or the sailing/direction verb? 'Tacks'. Is it the government levy? 'Tax'.
Did you know?
'Try a different tack' comes from sailing: when wind opposes, ships zigzag (tack) to make progress. The phrase entered business language in the 19th century to mean 'try a different approach'. Britain's hated Window Tax (1696-1851) charged homeowners per window — leading to mass window-bricking, which is why many old English buildings have painted-on fake windows. 'Tax' and 'tacks' are perfect homophones, making them a rare English pair where the meaning difference is entirely invisible in speech.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The accountant confirmed that all outstanding _____ liabilities had been settled before the audit.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She used brass _____ to attach the leather panel to the wooden frame.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Are they the small nails or the sailing/direction verb? 'Tacks'. Is it the government levy? 'Tax'.
"She used tax to pin the notice" when meaning the small nails (correct: tacks). Or "The yacht tacks" is correct when sailing; "he tacks extra fees" is incorrect (correct: tacks on fees). 'Tax' and 'tacks' are perfect homophones.
'Tacks' has CK like 'stack' and 'track' — objects you stab into or follow a track. 'Tax' has X like 'extra money extracted' — the X marks the government's take.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy