 ALTER and ALTER from espressoenglish.net ALTER, spelled with an A, is a noun. It's an elevated place, like a type of table where religious ceremonies are performed or where offerings are left for the gods or spirits. You'll often find ALTERs in churches, temples, and other religious buildings. ALTER, spelled with an E, is a verb. It's a more formal word for change. For example, art has the potential to alter our perception of the world. You can republish the article in its original form. It may not be altered. The noun form is alteration. For example, I made a few alterations to the project proposal. That means a few changes. May I suggest one alteration to the schedule for the conference? That means one change. Again, ALTER and ALTERation are a little more formal. And in casual, everyday English, we'd probably say change or changes instead. Although the spelling is different, the pronunciation of ALTER and ALTER is the same. This was a free sample from the new e-book, 600-plus Confusing English Words Explained, available at espressoenglish.net. It has more than 200 pages and over 5 hours of audio to help you master these confusing words.