Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse writers. I have found the following to be among them:
STENT / STINT
The word stent refers to a tube inserted into a blood vessel, usually an artery, to keep the vessel from becoming blocked. The word stint, when used as a noun, most often indicates a period of time spent doing a particular job or activity though the length of that time period may differ from case to case.
INCORRECT: My mother had to have heart surgery last year in order to have a stint placed in her artery.
CORRECT: My mother had to have heart surgery last year in order to have a stent placed in her artery.
INCORRECT: My husband served a stent in the Navy before returning to college.
CORRECT: My husband served a stint in the Navy before returning to college.
If you have trouble remembering which of these words is which, perhaps it might help to remember that stint includes the letter group “int” and that a job or activity you do is often one that you are “interested” in.
EXAMPLE: I surfed for a stint when I was young.
© 2017 Ann Henry, all rights reserved.