I originally titled this post ‘Just ‘desserts” but I decided it would seem like I was trying to be clever.
Anyway, I expect that the misuse of either of these words is down to not knowing how many s’s to spell it with. The meanings are as follows:
Dessert: The sweet course of a meal, or
a pudding.
Desert: Wastelands or a barren area of land; to abandon somebody or something (including military duties without leave); or to get what you deserve/be treated as you deserve (e.g. ‘just deserts’).
If it is a sweet food then use two s’s. If it is any of the other options, just use the one s.
Sources:
- Oxford Dictionaries Online
- The Penguin Writer’s Manual, Martin Manser & Stephen Curtis
Hannah McCall 
YES! I live in the high desert of the western US and I cannot believe how many people get this spelling wrong. YOU DO NO LIVE IN A CAKE! YOU LIVE IN A DRY, ARID, HOT PLACE!!
Ahem. Sorry/not sorry.
xox
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Ah, this made me laugh. Thank you!
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If I was marooned on a dessert island, I would want a spoon.
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Me too. A really big spoon.
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I remember how to spell desserts because it’s stressed spelled backwards. I have little tricks like that to help me with my spelling 🙂
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Yes, that sort of memory aid is very useful 🙂 thank you for sharing it.
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