Things We Ought To Know #3

This is the third installment of a series where I point out commonly made mistakes. I have changed the title from "you ought to know" to "we ought to know," since I'm not trying to presume that I know so much more than you.

This is for those of us who try to expand our vocabulary but may lack attention to detail. Today's thing we ought to know is the difference between "climatic" and "climactic."

climatic - of or pertaining to climate.
climactic - pertaining to or coming to a climax: the climactic scene of a play.

(courtesy of Dictionary.com)

I thought up this sentence to help remember the difference: The climactic era of the climatic changes could be upon us.

Now we know.

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