Commonly confused words: naval and navel

[green_grrl]

Two characters have sexily stripped off their tops. One is gently laying a line of kisses down the other from neck to … er … is it naval or navel? Using the wrong one is going to generate some confusing mental images.

Let’s look at these two words with some help from the Avengers.

Naval is an adjective that especially relates to the military branch that comprises warships, but sometimes relates to ships or shipping of any kind.

Rhodey checked out the fighter planes that were pacing the quinjet. "Those aren't Air Force. I don't exactly have pull with the Naval Air Station, but I can call someone who does."

"Sorry, Iron Man," Cap said, "but if AIM's smuggling by sea we need to report it to Namor before we take action. Our agreement is that all naval issues go through him first."

Navel is a noun that refers to the feature in the middle of the abdomen where the umbilical cord was attached. Less frequently it refers to any central point.

Natasha still bore the scar, three inches to the left of her navel, where the Winter Soldier had shot her.

Central Park, the navel of Manhattan, seemed to attract all the craziest super monsters.

Since naval is an adjective and navel is a noun, they can't be used interchangeably, even aside from their wildly different meanings. So, how to remember which one to use when? Here are some mnemonics: Naval concerns are the responsibility of sailors, all the way up to the admiral. Your navel is also called your belly button. It resides halfway between your two elbows.

Unless Giant Man wants to float some toy ships in his belly button, let's keep naval and navel well distinct!

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Resources:

Naval: merriam-webster.com | dictionary.com
Navel: merriam-webster.com | dictionary.com