For my final post of 2014, I am exploring the confusion between the words “rein” and “reign.”

A “rein” refers to the straps used to guide or control a horse.

A “reign” refers to a period of time dominated by one ruling power.

It can be a little tricky to keep these two separate. Both words imply a certain type of control, so I think remembering that “reign” refers to authority and also a longer period of time can be helpful in keeping the two words straight. If I’m darting into a staff meeting and need to have someone cover the desk while I’m gone, I pass the reins (short-term).

Refer to one of my favorite quick rhymes from Writer’s Digest: “Reins are for reindeer, for they are spelled the same way, but a mighty king’s reign of Gs rules the day.”

And lest you be completely confused, the other word that sounds like rein and reign is “rain” which are droplets of water that fall from the clouds.

Thank you all for reading my Grammar Hammer posts for this year. I am so grateful for all your comments and suggestions. May you have a wonderful holiday season.

Have a grammar rule you’d like to explore? Drop me a line at catherine.spicer@prnewswire.com.

Author Catherine Spicer is a manager of customer content services at PR Newswire.