Gems of My Crown ~ Apart vs. A Part

I've been seeing a whole lot of this one lately, and I'm not sure why, but we can definitely discuss it. Apart vs. A Part seems to be giving quite a few writers trouble, so let's see if we can't get this straightened out.

Apart

Apart is used as either an adjective or an adverb. It means one noun is separate, divided, or at a distance from another. It can also mean something is excluded from consideration, such as in the sentence: Apart from the car insurance, all the bills were paid. One of the easiest ways to remember the correct usage of apart is to think of it as the same as away. These two words are both singular words and have similar meanings.

A Part

A Part, on the other hand, is a noun phrase that represents a piece, component, or segment of a larger whole. Think of a part as the two-word equivalent of a piece. Another way to remember the correct usage for this word is to think of it like "a car part"--a single part. Also, a part is usually followed by the word of. 

As you can see, that little space makes more of a difference than just aesthetics! Use apart for separation and a part for inclusion, but never use these words interchangeably. You could very well leave your sentence with the opposite meaning from what you intended.