Similar-sounding words  are often  the culprit of misuse in the English language. Foment and ferment are one example.

I spent the past hour searching for a quote for a phrase I wanted to use for illustrative purposes. It mentioned something about “fermenting rage”—pity I can’t find the passage with that phrase—and, of course, it jarred on me. I thought that the author and whoever edited the book would know better.

But there are authors and there are authors – not all as erudite as we would hope.  That’s why I commit to a language blog – pulling out all the word pairs, where one of the partners lands up where it should not, just like in the case of ‘fermenting rage.’

Overlap

“It was Marxism and its class basis that deepened our understanding and explained the role that racism played in conquering territory and nations, dividing workers and people, creating myths, furthering exploitation and fermenting wars – all to further the interests and power of the capitalists and their imperialist system.”

The concern is that neither seem to know the difference between ‘fomenting’ (which would be correct) and ‘fermenting’ which means something else entirely.

Fermenting is the process of grapes turning into wine, hops turning into beer, berries to gin, etc while fomenting is an activity that stirs violence/anger/resistance etc.

Let’s ask Merriam

Merriam Webster says the following:

‘“Ferment can refer literally to the process of fermentation, in which yeast converts sugar into alcohol, or it can be used figuratively to describe a state of agitation or intense activity. It is often used in relation to social, artistic, and political change. Foment means “to incite or rouse.” The words have some overlap in use, as they can both be used to express agitation and situations that can cause change or unrest.’

Cambridge Dictionary offers this:

Apprise or appraise: use the right word

Relative and relevant: word usage

A stonking good word