Perspicacious vs Perspicuous
perspicacious
perceptive/shrewd (a person)
perspicuous
clearly expressed (writing)
How to tell them apart
perspicaCIOUS ends like 'vivaCIOUS' and 'sagaCIOUS', a sharp PERSON who sees through things. perspiCUOUS sounds like 'con-SPICU-ous', writing so clear it's easy to SPOT and understand.
Test yourself
Fill in the blank: “Only one of these words means perceptive/shrewd (a person). That word is ______.”
Choose: perspicacious or perspicuous
Show answer
Answer: perspicacious
Perspicacious means perceptive/shrewd (a person), which matches perceptive/shrewd (a person). Perspicuous means clearly expressed (writing), so it is the wrong choice here.
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