There are certain homonyms that trip me up. Usually, I can tell the difference between them, but

rein and reign

is one I tend to have trouble with. So I had to come up with a mnemonic to remember the difference between them.

Rein is the leather strap attached to a horse, hence the term “rein them in.” When you pull a rein in, it’s made shorter (and it’s also the shorter one of this pair of homonyms).

Reign, the tenure of a royal leader, has a “g” in it, as does the word “king.” So that’s how I’ve begun to remember the difference.

Hope you’ve found this helpful. Look for more mnemonics in the coming weeks.