Of what should a word conscious writer be aware when choosing between synonyms?
a. nuances of meaning
b. proper spelling
c. etymology
d. standards of practice

The correct answer is A. Nuances of meaning

Explanation:

In language, there are many words with similar or identical meanings that are called synonyms and are useful for writers to include a variety of words in texts and avoid unnecessary repetition. However, it is common to find nuances of meaning in synonyms which means despite two or more words have similar meanings there are slight differences in meaning and these can affect the meaning of the text. For example, the words house, home, and residence are all synonyms as they represent buildings people use to live but in the case of home this is also link to positive emotions and this difference in meaning can affect texts. Therefore, a writer needs to be aware of the nuances of meaning between synonyms while choosing between them.