English Words That Often Get Confused

8/13/2019 English Words That Often Get Confused

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English words that often get confused

Sometimes people get words confused because they look or sound similar; some are confused because

they are rarely used or because people hear other people misusing them.

We have 110 items in the database.

idle / idol

If you are idle, you are lazy and inactive. An idolis something that is loved or worshipped. She was

my idol. I worshipped her.

illegal / illicit

Illegalmeans that something is against the law. The word illicitrefers to an action which may be

against the law or it may simply be not generally acceptable in terms of general social norms.

abdicate / abrogate

To abdicatemeans that a monarch resigns from office, e.g. The king abdicated in favour of his son.

The word abrogatemeans to end an official agreement or law.

accede / exceed

To accedeto a reuest is to agree to it; to exceedsomething is to go over!above a specific limit in

terms of such things as speed or uantity.

accept / except

"e acceptsomething when we agree to take it. The word exceptpoints out someone or something that

is different. We all agreed except for John.


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adjacent / adjoining

Adjacentmeans nearby but adjoiningmeans directly connected.

advice / advise

Advice is a noun #She gave him some good advice.$ and the second is a verb #I advise yo to.....$.

affect / effect

Affectrelates to someone or something having an influence%!is illness affected him badly.The nouneffectconcerns the resltof something. "he effect of the stoc# mar#et crash was disastros. &ess

commonly, effectis used as a verb meaning to cause something to happen "he company will effect

these changes immediately.

afflict / inflict

Something bad afflictssomeone #!e was afflicted by malaria.$. Someone inflictsthemselves or

something else onsomeone. #"he Astralians inflicted a stnning defeat on the $nglish cric#et team.$

aggravate / exacerbate

Aggravatemeans to annoy someone, probably in an on'going way not (ust one'off; exacerbatemeans

to make a situation worse.

all ready / already

We are all ready to go; in other words, all prepared. This is different from alreadyas in "hey havealready left% something has happened previously.

all right / alright

&or answers are all right 'correct(.)ontrast this with the adverb alrightwhich means things are fine

or generally *+ but perhaps not ecellent.


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altar / alter

A church or other religious building has an altar; the word altermeans to change something. She

altered the design of the jac#et.

ambiguous / ambivalent

Ambigosmeans that there are two or more possible meanings to a sentence #)elow the garage was

brning.$.Ambivalentrefers to someone who is unsure about something;!e was ambivalent abot the

proposal.

amiable / amicable

Amiable- friendly and easy going, generally used for people; amicablealso relates to easy going

relationships and describes the relationship between two people or perhaps it describes an agreement

or even disagreement. #"hey agreed to have an amicable disagreement.$

amoral / immoral

Amoralmeans that a person has no morals; immoralmeans that someone has low or poor morals.

annex / annexe

Annexis a verb #Japan annexed part of *hina before WW+.$ An annexeis a place which is ad(acent

to a larger building.

antagonist / protagonist

An antagonistis an enemy; someone you are fighting. Aprotagonistdescribes a main character in a

novel or play, or it could be used to describe someone pushing a particular social or political agenda,

or viewpoint. "hey are the main protagonists in this political battle.


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assure / insure

Assremeans to make certain yourself or to overcome someone elses uncertainty; I,d li#e to assre

yo that I am well.Insure has to do with protecting yourself again loss or damage or in(ury. I want toinsre my car.

astronomy / astrology

Astronomyis a science and it deals with observing stars and planets while astrologyis a belief that life

is influenced by the stars and planets.

atheist / agnostic

An atheistbelieves that god does not eist; an agnosticis not sure whether god eists or not.

aural / oral

The word aralrelates to what we hear and the word oralto what we say.

backward / backwards

If my son does poorly at school someone could regard him as bac#ward. The word bac#wardssimply

describes the direction of movement.!e tried to wal# bac#wards.

bale / bail

!e has many bales of hay on his farm.The word bailrelates to emptying a boat of water to stop it

sinking. Another meaning relates to the payment that someone makes to a court so that person can stay

out of prison while waiting for a case to come to court.

beside / besides

/eside relates to position; She sat beside me in the train.Besidesmeans in addition to.)esides

oranges- what other frit do yo li#e


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burned / burnt

"hen we use the verb brnin the past tense we use brned.!e can,t coo#. !e brned a chic#en last

wee#. "e use brntas an ad(ective to describe something% the brnt chic#en.

cannon / canon

A cannonis used by soldiers and it fires bullets or shells; the word canonis used in various ways to do

with )hristianity, formal rules or laws, collections of literature or a type of choral music.

canvas / canvass

*anvasis a type of strong cloth #used in &evis (eans$. To canvass votesis to approach people to

persuade them to vote for your political party; to canvass opinionsis to ask people for their view on

specific topics.

carat / carrot

*aratis a measurement for gold or diamonds; a +/carat gold watch. A carrotis a root vegetable.

censor / censure

A censor is someone who, for eample, classifies films and decides if they aere suitable for public

viewing. It can also be a verb%!is letters were censored while he was in the army. To censre

something is to criticise it officially; "he opposition censred the government over the war in Ira.

cereal /serial

*ereal is breakfast food made of things like wheat and barley. A serialoften relates to a programme

on the radio or tv which goes on for a long time and is built around a set of characters.

chord / cord

*hordrelates to music and is a combination of notes; cord is a type of thick'ish string or rope.


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cloths/ clothes

The first is pieces of cloth e.g. cleaning cloths; the second is the clothes or garments that we wear.

complement / compliment

*omplementmeans to enhance something else; to make it better by adding something suitable to it.

"hat jac#et really complements the colors of yor s#irt.

council / counsel

A council is a ruling body, committee or other group of representatives, "he *oncil for

$nvironmental *hange.council is never used as a verb.*onselis advice that we give someone else.A counsel is also a type of lawyer. counsel is used a noun or verb depending on contet.

credible / creditable

crediblemeans believable. "he story he told me was not credible.Incrediblemeans unbelievable or to

emphasise the eceptional nature of something. She is incredibly hardwor#ing.*reditablerelates to an

action that deserves credit or praise.

credulous / incredulous

A credlosperson is one who will believe anything however silly. Someone is incredlosif they see

or hear something they are unwilling or unable to believe.!e was incredlos when I told him how

mch I had won on the lottery.

crevice / crevasse

A creviceis a small to medium crack in rock; a crevasseis a large crack in an ice'sheet or glacier

which people could fall in to.

criterion / criteria

The former is singular and the latter plural because of the &atin base. "he most important criterion is

honesty. "he other criteria are less important.


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currant / current

"e eat currants #dry grapes$. )urrents are flows especially of liuids, gases and electricity. The

thermal currents carried the hot'air balloon far from home. The strong currents carried the swimmer

out to sea. The ampere is a measure of electrical current.

deduce / induce

"e dedcesomething when we work out the meaning from the evidence. "e indcesomething when

we cause something to happen; often in the passive form.I was indced into handing over the papers.

definite / definitive

A definiteanswer is one that is one taken when a decision has been made and that decision will not be

changed. A definitiveanswer is one that is #as far as we can tell$ absolutely and unchallengeably

correct. "he jdge gave a definitive jdgement in the case.

defuse / diffuse

/ombs are defsed#made safe$.2iffselight is light that is spread so that it produces a soft glow not a

hard, bright light.

dependent / dependant

)hildren are dependenton their parents; a child is therefore adependant. In other words, the former is

an ad(ective and the latter a noun.

derisive / derisory

If someone laughs or shouts in a derisiveway this is intended to hurt and to humiliate. If something is

derisory, then people may shout in this way.

desert / dessert

"e can cross a deserton a camel; we eat dessertafter our main meal.


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device / devise

A device #noun$ is an ob(ect for doing something;I have a device for saving files more ic#ly. 0evise

#verb$ relates to producing or investing something with a special purpose;I have devised a new way towin in the casino.

disc / disk

"e have discsbetween the bones of the spine, we also have music discs. 1owever, we generally talk

about a dis#when referring to computers.

discreet / discrete

She won,t say anything% she is very discreet.In other words, it is safe to tell her something; she wont

tell other people. The word discreterefers to something specific which is separate from andsignificantly different from something else in some way or other. "here are discrete departments in

or company- althogh all with the same overall objective.

disinterested / uninterested

2isinterestedmeans that a person has no specific involvement; We need a disinterested jdge to ma#e

the decision.

draft / draught

The first refers to a bank transfer or bank draft; the second relates to cold wind blowing under a door

or between windows.

dual / duel

"e talk about a road with four lanes #two in each direction$ as a dalcarriageway. A delis word to

describe a fight with guns or swords in the past. Sometimes it is used to describe what the protagonists

in a debate are doing with the sharp cut and thrust of verbal debate.

dying / dyeing

The first refers to the end of life and the second to colouring hair or cloth. "e also use the first if we

want something badly;I,m dying to go to the toilet3


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eatable / edible

If something is *+ to eat it is eatable;Is that apple eatable "e use edible to refer to something that it

is possible to eat without ill'effects.Are those berries edible

elder / older

"e use elderto pick out an individual within a family as older in comparison with others. !e,s my

elder brother. The word older is the comparative form of old;I,m ten years older than my sister.

emigrant / immigrant

2igrants are people who move from one country to another for residence #often permanent$.

3migrants leave a country and immigrants enter a country. 4or eample, the 5+ receives thousands of

immigrants each year but many people emigrate from the 5+ to Australia and elsewhere.

eminent / imminent

$minentpeople are well known and often famous for something serious like politics or science.

Something that is imminentis something that is about to happen; "he fall of the bridge is imminent.

enquiry / inquiry

In /ritish 3nglish, an eniryis something that that we make; *an I ma#e an eniry abot the price

of yor cars An iniryis something that is held by a body or group; "he *oncil is holding an

iniry into the sale of concil hoses. In American 3nglish, the usual term is inuiry rather than

enuiry.

farther / further

4arther is to do with distance;It,s farther from 4ottingham to 5ondon than it is from 6lasgow to

$dinbrgh.7rtherhas to do with, for eample, additional tasks;!e,s got frther investigations to

carry ot before he can be sre.

fictional / fictitious

The wordfictionalis used to describe, for eample, imaginary characters.It,s a fictional story abot

two people who fly to the 8oon. The wordfictitioshas to do with truth.!e came p with a fictitios

story to explain his absence.

flare / flair

Aflareis something that produces a bright light and it is often used on boats or by climbers. If

someone has aflairfor something, it means that they have a talent for doing something.!e has a flair

for msic.


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flaunt / flout

If we flaunt something we show it off in a confident way. She flanted her new clothes. The word flout

is generally to do with ignoring a rule or a law.!e floted the law and sold the watches on thepavement.

flounder / founder

"eflonderaround when we have problems and we dont know what to do sp we think about all sorts

of options. A shipfonderswhen it is overcome by the waves and sinks.

for ever / forever

These words have various meanings, typically for all time or permanently #eg. 7ood does not last

forever.or #informally$ taking a long time #as in%I have been waiting for the bs forever.;I want tostay here for ever.forever sometimes has a different meaning such as always,typically or etremely

freuently. #e.g.!e is forever ma#ing jo#esmeans that makes (okes very often, perhaps too often6

formally / formerly

The wordformallymeans officiallyor in an official way. "he bilding was formally opened by the

8ayor. The word formerly has to do with things that happened in the past.!e was formerly a ship,s

captain before he retired.

fulfil / fulfill

These are two spellings of the same word, and both are accepted. The past tense for both is flfilled.

gaol / jail

These are two spellings of the same word, and both are accepted in the 5+. The former is not used in

the 5SA.

gorilla / guerrilla

The former is a large mammal and the latter is a fighter in an informally organised army.

hangar / hanger

7lanes are kept on a large building called a hangar. A hangeris used to put clothes on, for eample, in

a cupboard.

hanged / hung

The word hangedis only used when we are referring to someone who was eecuted. The word hngis

the past tense form and past participle of the verb to hang.


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hoofs / hooves

These are two spellings of the same word, and both are accepted in the 5+.

horde / hoard

A horderelates to groups of people.!e was srronded by a horde of atograph hnters. "he 8ongol

horde swept down on the town. The word hoardrelates to a collection of hidden coins, gold or food.

illusion / delusion

Illsionsare ideas which are wrong;!e has the illsion that he,s good loo#ing. The word delsion is

used for ideas which are illogical and against all evidence, and is often linked to mental illness.

imply / infer

I implyand you infer. In other words, I hint at something and you pick up on my meaning.!e implied

that I was fat3I inferred from what he said that she was not to be trsted.

ingenious / ingenuous

The former means clever or inventive;!e invented an ingenios way to open bottles.The latter means

lacking in any false thoughts or dishonest motives.

its / it's

The word itsindicates possession;!e loo#ed at its paws.It,s- it is.

leeward / windward

The leeward side of a boat is the sheltered side; the windward side is eposed to the wind.

licence / license

"ith the noun, the former is the 5+ spelling and the latter is the 5S spelling. In the 5+ , the latter is

the verb; "he boat is licensed to carry 10 passengers.

lie / lay

If we place ourselves horizontally on the floor, then we liedown #verb tolie$. If we did this yesterday,

then we layon the floor.I lay on the floor for an hor this morning doing my relaxation exercises.

There is also the verb to laywhich refers to, for eample, layinga table.I laid the table at 9 o,cloc#.


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nutritional / nutritious

/oth are ad(ectives #describing words$ but ntritionalhas to do with broader issues of food processing

and absorption. "he ntritional impact of eating plenty of frit and vegetables is nchallengeable. Theword ntritiosdeals with whether or not foods contain the minerals and vitamins that can keep us

healthy. :ranges are far more ntritios than a hambrger.

passed / past

;assedis a verb and behaves in the normal way that verbs do. !e passed his driving test on "esday

and now he li#es to pass other cars. The wordpastrelates to time that has gone by.In the past he was

very adventros.

patient !patience" / patient !in hospital"

Its the same spelling6!e waited for an hor bt he was very patient. I was a patient in the hospital

for a wee#. "he patients will be seen by the doctor soon. She needed great patience to deal with his

annoying habits.

perfunctory / peremptory

The first word has the meaning of an action being done without any real feeling, in a casual way. !e

gave her a perfnctory #iss. The wordperemptoryhas to do with an action taken in a dictatorial, rather

unfriendly, unsympathetic manner.!e dismissed my reest with a peremptory gestre towards the

door.

plane / plain

;lanesfly. Aplainis an area of fairly flat land. Someone can be plainwhich means not very attractive

at first sight. A plane is also a carpenters tool and a mathematical term6

practice / practise

The former is the noun;!e wanted some practice every day. The latter is the verb;!e wants to

practise every day.

pray/ prey

"eprayin a church, mosue, temple or other holy place. The wordpreyrelates to the food that

animals like to eat. "he lions watched their prey bt the antelope were naware.


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principal / principle

A principal is the head of an institution, normally an educational one.!e is the principal of 8arang

"eachers, "raining *ollege .It can also be used for important people or institutions. !e is one of theprincipal condctors in this contry. If I have aprinciple, it is an important rule by which I try to

direct my life. If someone has no principles, we might say that they are nprincipled.

recipe / receipt

A recipeis something that we use as a guide when we are cooking. A receiptis something that we

collect when we purchase something in a shop.

recount / recount

"hen we reconta story we re'tell it.!e reconted his exploits in 8orocco . "hen we re'contsomething, we count it again. This happened when /ush was elected.

recover / recover

"hen we recover, we get better after an accident or illness.It too# him a month to recover after the

illness. "hen we recoversomething we cover it again.I wanted to recover my chairs and so I went

to by some material.

regal / royal

The word regalreally means royal in appearance and so could be used to refer to someone in a royal

family as well as someone who had nothing to do with royalty. She loo#ed very regal whenever she

dressed p for the theatre. The word royalis generally to do with a family with historical connections

which enable them to be described as royal. "here have been a nmber of scandals in the )ritish royal

family.

role / roll


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sceptic / septic

Ascepticis someone who does not believe most of the things that s!he is told. If you cut yourself you

must try to ensure that the cut does not become infected and turn septic.

sew / sow

"esewwith needle and cotton. "esowseeds in a field.

some time / sometime / sometimes

The wordssome timemeanfor a little while.!e wanted to stay in =an>ibar for some time. The word

sometimeis often used interchangeably but really it means at an indeterminate point in the ftre.Why don,t we meet p for a coffee sometime Sometimesmeans occasionally or from time to time. We

sometimes meet for coffee at lnch.

stationary / stationery

If you arestationary, you are not moving. Stationeryconsists of paper and envelopes and similar

office items.

story / storey

"e often read a story to children at night time. The word storey relates to the height of a building. It,s

a tenstorey office bloc#.

swap / swop

Two spellings of the same word6

swat / swot

"eswata fly when we kill it with a newspaper or something similar. "hen we swotwe work hard for

an eamination.

wave / waive

Wavesare found in the sea and sometimes in large lakes. "e also waveto someone when we see them

in the distance, perhaps at a railway station. "hen the bank waivesa payment that you are supposed to

make, it means that you will not be charged.8y ban# waived my ban# charges after I wrote a letter of

complaint.

http%!!www.waylink'english.co.uk!9page-::


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#ften$onfused %ords and %ordy &hrases

. *ften )onfused "ords

Word Definition Example

Accept (v)to receive or

approveI accept you apology.

Except (prep) other than, but Everyone except Tom is going.

Affect (v)to produce a

change

Stress affects health of

mothers.

Effect (v) to cause to happenEffect a peace treaty to endar.

Effect (n)result of someinfluence

The had little effect on itsoutcome.

Adapt (v) to changeAdapt your methods to

succeed.

Adept (ad!.) proficient, good at Tom is adept at tennis.

Adopt (v) to select, choose "ou should adopt a plan ofaction.

Aggravate (v) to ma#e orse $is fall aggravated his in!ury.

Irritate (v) to anger or annoy$is negative attitude irritatesme.

All ready prepared%e&re pac#ed and all ready togo.

Already (ad!.)before the present

time%e already did that.

Anyone(pronoun)

any person'anybody

Anyone can histle that tune.

Any onea single person orthing

hoose any one of thechocolates.

Appraise (v) decide the value$e appraised the house for theclient.

Apprise (v) to inform or notifyApprise me of the situation ithrian.

Assure (v) declare, promise I assure you e are ma#ing


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progress.

Ensure(v) ma#e certainEnsure you or# area is safe

for everyone.

Insure(v)protect byinsurance

Insure your car for the resaleprice.

eside (prep)at the side of' nextto

Sit beside me at the movie.

esides(adverb)

in addition'moreover

esides a dog e also have acat.

apital (n) city of government The capital of Texas is Austin.

apitol (n)place government

meets

The capitol in Austin isdonton.

*nly the +. S. apitol iscapitalied.

omprise (v) include, containThe +. S. is comprised of fiftystates.

omposed ofmade up of,

formed by

A float is composed of soda and

ice cream.

-arthermore distant orremote

eorgeton is farther than/fluggerville.

-urther to a greater degree

-urther consideration is needed

to decide.

0ay (v) put or place0ay the pot of ste on thetable.

0ie (v) to recline or rest 0ie don on the bed and rest.

/ersonal

(ad!.)private, individual

The diary contains my personal

thoughts.

/ersonnel (n) employeesThe company&s personnel gotraises.

/recede (v)go ahead of, bebefore

The band precedes the float onthe route.

/roceed (v)continue ith anaction

/roceed ith the staff meeting.

/rincipal

(ad!.)first in importance

A principal goal of the program

is nutrition.

/rincipal (n)person in charge ofa school

Tommy as sent to theprincipal&s office.

/rinciple (n) a basic truth, laor code 1arin&s principle of naturalselection is controversial.


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2aise (v)bring to a higherlevel

2aise the price on candy for3alentines 1ay.

2aise (n) increase in agesTim got a raise for goodperformance.

2ise (n)to extend upard

or stand

2ise hen the !udge enters the

courtroom.

Stationary(ad!.)

not moving' stillThe guard remained stationaryat his post.

Stationery riting paperSend a letter to him on thatstationery.

To (prep)in the direction of'toard

The train to oston arrives atnoon.

Too (prep) also, overly, very The shirt is too big since mydiet.

Wordy Phrases

Wordy Phrase Alternate

A considerable number of many

A number of some, several

According to our data e find

Ade4uate number of enough

Affords the opportunity allos, let

Am of the opinion thin#

Are in receipt have

Are of the same opinion agree

Arrived at the conclusion concluded

As a conse4uence because

As a means of to

As long as if

As to hether hether

As ell as and, also

ased on the fact that because

e aare of the fact that #no

oth of these both


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rief in duration brief

y means of, by virtue of by, ith

y the use of using

ame to a realiation realied

ome to an agreement agree

oncerning the matter of about, regarding

onsidering the fact that because, since

osts a total of costs

1espite the fact that although, though

1ra to your attention point out

1uring the time that hen

Extend an invitation to invite

ive an indication of describe

$as a re4uirement for re4uires, needs

$as the ability to can

In all li#elihood probably

In an effort to to

In close proximity to near, close

In con!unction5connection ith ith

In light of the fact that since, because

In many cases5instances often, usually

In no case never

In order to to

In relation to, in respect to, in regard to about, regarding

In spite of the fact that although, despite

In the absence of ithout

In the course of during

In the event that if

In the field of in

In the final analysis finally


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In the form of as

In the light of considering

In the ma!ority of instances usually

In the midst of during, amid

In the near5not too distant future soon

In the neighborhood5vicinity of in, near, close to, about

In this day and age currently

In vie of the fact of because

Inasmuch as since, because

Is aare of the fact that #nos

Is capable of can

In a position to can


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Quiz on 20 Commonly Confused Words

y 2ichard 6ord4uist,About.com uide

:. Adverse or Averse3

A recent study found that many air fresheners are high in chemicals that have been lin#ed to 77777

health effects in high doses.

>. Allude or Elude4

The young hoc#ey star as dubbed 8the phantom8 for his ability to 77777 defenders.

?. Complement or Compliment5

The malty flavor of buc#heat honey ma#es it a nice 77777 to blue cheese.

@. Device or Devise6

Amaon unveiled the 9indle, its digital:boo# reading 77777, at the end of ;B?, a Spanish photographer accompanied -idel astro and his band of revolutionaries during their7777 push to $avana.

C. $mply or $nfer%&

8The fact that some geniuses ere laughed at does not 77777 that all ho are laughed at are

geniuses.8 (arl Sagan)

D. $ncredi'le or $ncredulous%%

All births are 77777 moments, but some are more momentous than others.

:


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>=. stationary>

>?. timidity;. voracious;>

;


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dvice vs( dvise

Incorrect% EI didnt ask for your advise.E

)orrect% EI didnt ask for your advice.E

dviseis a verb. dviceis a noun. Fou can advisesomeone, but you cant advicehim.

ffect vs( Effect

Incorrect% EThe rain has a bad affecton my mood.E

)orrect% EThe rain has a bad effecton my mood.E

The one that starts with an a, affect, is a verb. This is when something is A)TIGH upon something

else. 4or eample, E"e dont know how the rising cost of pizza will affect the economy.E

Effectis a noun. Its passive, not doing anything in particular; its (ust there. 4or eample, EThe rising

cost of pizza didnt have much effect.E

Tip for remembering the difference% A is for Action6 Action - Affect.

ll )ight vs( lright

Sorry, but alrightis incorrect. Its correctly spelled as two words% ll right(

1owever, it could be argued that alrightis appropriate for dialogue. Its closer to the way it sounds.

Also, nobody should beat you up for writing alrightin an online forum or chat room.

All right9


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lternately vs( lternatively

Incorrect% Elternately, we could buy a (et instead of a helicopter.E

)orrect% Elternatively, we could buy a (et instead of a helicopter.E

lternativelyis a word you use when you refer to an option, an alternative.

lternatelyis where you do one thing after another in turn.

*ot vs( lot

lotis correct. lot, on the other hand, is G*T a real word.

Sorry, I cant even bring myself to defend alotfrom a creative writing standpoint.

ssume vs( s +oon

Incorrect% EId (ust assumekiss a wookie.E

)orrect% EId (ust as soonkiss a wookie.E

To assumemeans youre either making a supposition or taking possession of something. 3ample% EI

assumeshes kissing a wookie right now. /y the way, Im now assumingauthority over the 4alcon.E

Bare vs( Bear

Incorrect% EBarewith me.E

)orrect% EBearwith me.E

1ardly anyone chooses the wrong word if theyre talking about grizzlies or teddy bears. /ut

remember, the word bearhas multiple meanings% It can refer to the animal, or it can mean carrying aburden. "hen you ask someone to bear with you, that means youre asking them to be patient.


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Bare, on the other hand, means uncovered or naked. So when you write E/are with me,E youre really

asking your readers to get naked. 1ow embarrassing.

Ba,aar vs( Bi,arre

Incorrect% ETheres something ba,aarabout that duck.E

)orrect% ETheres something bi,arreabout that duck.E

A ba,aaris a marketplace.

Bi,arreis another word to describe something that looks weird or outlandish.

Breach vs( Breech

Incorrect% E4ailing to remove your shoes in a apanese home is a serious breechofetiuette.E

)orrect% E4ailing to remove your shoes in a apanese home is a serious breachof etiuette.E

Breechrefers to your bottom, or to something that covers your bottom, i.e. a pair of pants.

Breachrefers to an opening, a gap, or a vulnerability. It can also refer to infraction of some law or

custom.

Fou could have a breachin your breeches, but not the other way around.

$ensor vs( $ensure

Incorrect% EThe president was censored.E

)orrect% EThe president was censured.E

$ensureis a strong, often formal reprimand.


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$ensordescribes when something is suppressed or banned. It might also mean editing out things that

people find offensive, such as swearing or racial slurs. )lassic bookssuch as To +ill a 2ockingbird

and 1uckleberry 4inn have been censored by schools.

$heap vs( $heep

Incorrect% EI bought this parrot for a cheepprice.E

)orrect% EI bought this parrot for a cheapprice.E

$heepis a chirp or a peeping noise, something youd epect small birds to do.

$heapmeans something that doesnt cost much. It can have negative meanings too, like miserly,

shabby, of no value, etc.

$ite vs( +ight vs( +ite

Incorrect% EFoure a sitefor sore eyes.E

)orrect% EFoure a sightfor sore eyes.E

+ightrefers to either your vision or to something you see. 4or eample, seeing the sights around town.

+iterefers to a physical location, such as a house or a neighborhood. There are construction sites, for

eamples.

$itemeans to uote something, usually something of authority. )iting can also be a case of

mentioning supporting facts. )hristians, for eample, freuently cite the /ible as the foundation for

their beliefs.

$limactic vs( $limatic

Incorrect% E+ind of anti'climatic.E)orrect% E+ind of anti'climactic.E


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$limacticis the word you use to refer to a clima, the culmination, the high point.

$limaticrefers to the climate, or weather conditions.

$oach vs( $ouch

Incorrect% E)inderellas fairy godmother turned the pumpkin into a couch.E

)orrect% E)inderellas fairy godmother turned the pumpkin into a coach.E

A couchis a large piece of furniture you lounge around on when you watch TJ.

A coachis a horse'drawn carriage.

$ompliment vs( $omplement

Incorrect% EI complementedher on her good cooking.E

)orrect% EI complimentedher on her good cooking.E

"hen you pay someone a compliment, you are epressing admiration for something. Fou are

complimentingsomeone when you tell him he gave a great speech, or when you tell him you like his

2ickey 2ouse watch.

1owever, a complementis something that enhances or completes something else. A nice tie

complementsa suit. A dessert of pumpkin pie complementsa great turkey dinner.

$onceited vs( $oncerted

Incorrect% E"e have to make a conceitedeffort.E

)orrect% E"e have to make a concertedeffort.E

$onceitedmeans arrogant, full of yourself.


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$oncertedmeans doing something through cooperation. 2any people working together for a common

goal is a concerted effort.

$onfidant vs( $onfident

Incorrect% EIm confidantthis will work.E

)orrect% EIm confidentthis will work.E

Fou use the word confidentwhen youre trying to say that you have a strong belief in something, or

when youre feeling self'assured.

A confidant, on the other hand, is someone you confide in. Fou tell your confidant about your secretsand personal issues.

Fou (ust want to make sure youre confidentthat your confidantwill keep your secrets.

$opyright vs( $opywrite

Incorrect% E1e writes for a living. I think hes a copyrighter.E

)orrect% E1e writes for a living. I think hes a copywriter.E

$opyrightrefers to legalities and eclusive rights. If something is copyrighted, that means you cant

copy it or plagiarize it unless you want to risk getting in legal trouble.

A copywriteris someone who writes copy. )opy is written material, usually an ad of some kind.

-essert vs( -esert

Incorrect% E"e had chocolate cake for desert.E

)orrect% E"e had chocolate cake for dessert.E

-essertrefers to the scrumptious pies, cakes, and ice cream we get to eat if we finish dinner.

A desertis a dry, barren, often hot and sandy place.


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Its easy to get the two mied up, so heres how I remember the difference% 0essert comes A4T38

dinner, so its second. The word desserthas T"* Ss.

E(.( vs( (E(

The difference between 3.H. and I.3. is subtle, but lets look at their root meanings%

3.H. stands for the &atin exempli gratia, which means Efor eample.E So you might use it like this% EI

love many different kinds of desserts, e.g. apple pie or chocolate cake.E

I.3. is &atin for id est, which stands for Ethat isE or Ein other words.E So you might use it like this% E2y

favorite dessert is pie, i.e. apple pie.E

Exercise vs( Exorcise

Incorrect% E"e must exercisethe demon6E

)orrect% E"e must exorcisethe demon6E

Exerciseis what you do on a treadmill. If you eercise a demon, it probably means youre taking him

for a nice little (og.

Exorciseis when you banish or epel demons and ghosts, usually through a religious ceremony.

0air vs( 0are

Incorrect% E"hoever said life was fare9E

)orrect% E"hoever said life was fair9E


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0airrefers to being free from bias or in(ustice. It can also mean pale or light'colored.

0arerefers to the price of a ticket for transportation #such as airfare$, or it can refer to how something

worked or played out. 4or eample, E1e fared well as a pirate.E

0lair vs( 0lare

Incorrect% EThe dress had some flare.E

)orrect% EThe dress had some flair.E

0lairmeans a special talent or aptitude. It can also refer to elegance or style. Fou might have a flair

for playing the piano, for eample, or maybe that snappy tie gives your suit a certain flair.

0lareis something that fire does when it gets stronger. Fou would also use this word to describe

something that starts suddenly and violently, such as a bad argument.

0launt vs( 0lout

Incorrect% EThey flauntedthe rules.E

)orrect% EThey floutedthe rules.E

"hen you flauntsomething, that means youre showing it off. &ike a little girl parading around and

flaunting her doll to everyone she meets.

0loutis very different. It means showing disdain or scorn for something. "hile there are very few

cases where people flauntthe rules, Im sure you can name many incidents where someone flouted

the rules.

0oul vs( 0owl

Incorrect% EI suspect fowlplay.E

)orrect% EI suspect foulplay.E


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0oulmeans something very bad, filthy, or disgusting''like a foul stench. It can also refer to ill intent or

dishonesty.

0owlis a chicken. If you detect Efowl play,E that must mean the chickens are up to something.

1ear vs( 1ere

Incorrect% E1ere2 here3E

)orrect% E1ear2 hear3E

1ereis a location; it refers to wherever we happen to be right now.

1earrefers to one of your five senses, the ability to recognize sound.

7eople confuse these words. The issue mostly comes up with the phrase E1ear, hear6,E which is meant

to call attention to a speakers words. It also implies fervent agreement. It evolved from phrases like

E1ear him6E and E1ear ye6E

ts vs( t's

Incorrect% Etsmine.E

)orrect% Et'smine.E

tsis possessive. t'sis a contraction of it is. "henever you see that apostrophe, always translate it's

to it is.

Sound out the sentence in your head. If sounds dumb to say it isin the sentence, then it'sis incorrect.

*ay vs( *ie

Incorrect% EGow lieme down to sleep.E

)orrect% EGow layme down to sleep.E

*ayis used when something is being acted upon. *ieis something you do without anyone or anything

doing something to you. 3ample% EI decided to liedown on the floor.E

1eres where things get more confusing% The past tense of lieis lay. The past tense of layis laid.


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3amples%

EI laiddown the piggy bank.E

EThe piggy bank laythere yesterday.E

3ven I have a hard time keeping these words straight. 2iing up layand laidisnt likely to get youbarbecued by grouchy grammarians.

ust remember that layedis a misspelling, which means its flat out wrong no matter what6

*oose vs( *ose

Incorrect% EI (ust know Im going to loosethis race.E)orrect% EI (ust know Im going to losethis race.E

Fou cant use these spellings interchangeably% Got only are the meanings subtly different, they also

S*5G0 different. *osehas more of a K sound, while loosehas more of a hiss to it.

Me vs(

Incorrect% E/ob, /ill and meare going to the lake.E

)orrect% E/ob, /ill and are going to the lake.E

The official eplanation of vs. memakes my head hurt, so (ust follow this trick to figure out if EIE or

EmeE is correct in the sentence% 8ephrase the sentence.

&ets take E2e and /ill are going to the lakeE as an eample. Its incorrect. "hy9 Het rid of /ill from

this sentence for a minute. 0oes E2e is going to the lakeE sound right9 *f course not6 E2eE does not

agree with the structure of the sentence. Thats why E/ill and I are going to the lakeE is correct.

"hat about E/ob loves fried chicken more than I9E Foure saying that you dont love fried chicken as

much as /ob does.

1owever, if you were to say, E/ob loves fried chicken more than me,E youre implying that /ob loves

fried chicken more than he loves you. *uch.

Moot vs( Mute


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Incorrect% EThe point is mute.E)orrect% EThe point is moot.E

"hen you say something is mute, that means it cant speak. Moot, on the other hand, refers to

something that is debatable or has little practical value.

4aval vs( 4avel

Incorrect% EIt was a great navelbattle.E

)orrect% EIt was a great navalbattle.E

4avalrefers to ships, especially warships, or anything having to do with the navy.

4avelrefers to the part of your body that collects lint.

4o #ne vs( 4oone

Incorrect% E4oonevisits my website.E

)orrect% E4o onevisits my website.E

4ooneis not a word. 5nless its a result of someone typing super fast, this one baffles me. /y mushing

no onetogether like this, youre creating a word that would be pronounced Enoon'ehE or Enoon.E

&eak vs( &eek vs( &ique


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&ets begin by going over what these three words mean%

&eakmeans the highest point of something, such as the peak of a mountain.

&eekmeans to take a uick, often sneaky look at something.

&iquemeans to ecite interest, but it can also mean being irritated.

3ample% E1e piquedmy interest in the princess who lives on top of the mountain, so I decided to

climb to the peakand have a peekfor myself.E

&er +ay vs( &er +e

Incorrect% EI didnt mean that, persay.E

)orrect% EI didnt mean that, per se.E

&er seis &atin for Ein and of itself.E

&ersayis the way it sounds, but its not the correct way to spell it.

)aise vs( )ise

Incorrect% EThat noisy cheerleader could risethe dead6E

)orrect% EThat noisy cheerleader could raisethe dead6E

)aiseis the word you use when something is being acted upon. )iseis something you do on your own

without any assistance.

If the dead come to life on their own, it would be correct to say that the dead are risingfrom the

graves.


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1owever, if some necromancer #or cheerleader$ brought the dead to life, it would be correct to say that

she raisedthe dead.

/y the way, the past tense of riseis rose.

+eam vs( +eem

Incorrect% EIt (ust seamswrong.E)orrect% EIt (ust seemswrong.E

A seamis where two pieces of cloth are stitched together. It can also refer to a long, thin mark.

+eemrefers to how something looks or appears. EIt seems the elephant put on a tutu this morning.E

+ense vs( +ince

Incorrect% EI havent had a phone sense:DD.E

)orrect% EI havent had a phone since:DD.E

+enserefers to your senses, such as smell, taste, sight, and touch. It can also mean detecting

something% EI sense youre unhappy with me for not owning a phone.E

+incerefers to a time or past event. Specifically,from then till now. It can also be a substitute for the

word because. E+inceI dont have a phone, you might as well write to me more often.E

5aut vs( 5out

Incorrect% E1old it tout...E

)orrect% E1old it taut...E

5outmeans to promote or seek support for something.


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5autmeans tight or strained.

5hen vs( 5han

Incorrect% EI thought you knew better thenthat.E

)orrect% EI thought you knew better thanthat.E

7eople get these mied up all the time, driving the poor grammarians batty. These words should not be

used interchangeably. 1eres the difference%

5henrefers to a point in time, usually after something has happened or some condition is met. E4irstwe mi the flour and sugar, thenwe add the butter.E

5hanis used for comparing things, such as length, height, weight, etc. EI think this dog weighs more

thanme.E

5here vs( 5hey're vs( 5heir

7eople get these mied up all the time. &ets look at these words in their correct form%

EThe book is over there.E

EThats theirbook.E

E5hey'regetting the book.E

8emember, theiris possessive. Foure talking about who owns what.

5hey'reis a contraction. If the sentence sounds fine when you reword it with they are, you knowyoure using the right pronoun.

5hererefers to where someone or something is.

6ain vs( 6ane vs( 6ein


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Incorrect% EI saw a boy thatwas playing a video game.E

)orrect% EI saw a boy whowas playing a video game.E

Fou would use thatwhen youre referring to a thing, although its acceptable to use it when youre

referring to a group of people. 5se whowhen youre referring to a person.

%hichis a little more tricky, but its generally used for a secondary thought or clause. 4or eample,

EThe video game, whichwas bloody and violent, was popular with kids.E

%hose vs( %ho's

Incorrect% E%hosethe angry octopus guy9E

)orrect% E%ho'sthe angry octopus guy9E

%hoseis possessive. "ere talking about something that belongs to someone else. Sometimes it can

also refer to which rather than whom. 4or eample, you might ask, E%hoseangry octopus is this9E

%ho'sis a contraction. "e could transform it into who isor who has. 4or eample, the sentences

E%ho'sfeeding the angry suid9E and E%ho isfeeding the angry suid9E are both correct.

7ay vs( 7ea vs( 7eah

Incorrect% E1ow do you vote, yayor nay9E

)orrect% E1ow do you vote, yeaor nay9E

7eais an archaic word that is rarely used any more. It rhymes with Enay,E and the only time youd

really want to use it is when youre voting. *r when you want to say Eyea verilyE or something like

that.

7eahis that casual version of EyesE that we use all the time.

7ayis an eclamation of (oy or ecitement.

7our vs( 7ou're


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group in "ashington, 0.)., has learned that it takes workers an average of four months and four days

to earn enough to pay there taes. ?The group found in itLs study that taes eat up ?@ percent of all the

income in the 5nited States. @So, if workers used theyLre entire income for taes, they would not be

threw paying them until 2ay. /eing that 2ay is the first day people really work for themselves, the

study group has some advise. It would like a bill past naming 2ay MTa 4reedom 0ay.N B*n that

day, you would give yourself a brake, irregardless of how hard you worked. C4or, from 2ay on, you

would finally be youLre own boss.

:. OOOOOOO >. OOOOOOO ?. OOOOOOO @. OOOOOOO

. OOOOOOO . OOOOOOO B. OOOOOOO C. OOOOOOO

&assage B

:0id you ever daydream about writing youLre life story9 >0o you think that your life is too

dull, or you canLt right9 ?AnyoneLs life story is filled with fascinating events, and writing them down

in the best way you no can give you a sense of accomplishment and, perhaps, leave a valuable

inheritance to your family. @The first thing to do is to buy a lose'leaf notebook. 3ach page of the


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book should be titled with a significant milestone in your lifePfrom your first dog to your proudest

moment. Fou should than (ot down a few key words in the book whenever a memory comes back to

you. BThe idea is not to begin with MI was born . . .N and try to write a chronological history of your

hole life. Cust delve into your passed at random; one memory will trigger another. DIt will become

uiet easy after a while. :. OOOOOOO ?. OOOOOOO @. OOOOOOO . OOOOOOO

. OOOOOOO B. OOOOOOO C. OOOOOOO D. OOOOOOO :


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@ . "e visited St. 7aul, which is the state #capital!capitol$, and spent a weekend seeing plays and

art ehibits.

capital

capitol

. The #principal!principle$, si teachers, and five sets of parents went along as chaperones.

principal

principle

Sentence 7ractice >

: . 2ost financial planners #advice!advise$ investors to diversify.

advice

advise

> . 0iversification means that investors should not put all #their!theyre$ eggs in one basket.their

theyre

? . The #affect!effect$ of diversifying is to guard against weaknesses in one area of the investment

market.

affect

effect

@ . Investors must #continually!continuously$ assess their holdings to make sure they have the right

balance of investments.

continually

continuously

. *therwise, they may #loose!lose$ money.

loose

lose

Paragraph Practice 1

In the following questions, choose the correct word that completes the corresponding space in the paragraphbelow.

In May, many college seniors start sending their rsums to __1__ (personal/personnel)departments.Howeer, it is an __!__ (allusion/illusion)to thin" that you will be offered a #ob based simply on a rsum thersum is only one __$__ (peace/piece)of the #ob application pac"age. %ther important elements include awell&written coer letter and an effectie interiew style.


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Paragraph Practice !

In the following questions, choose the correct word that completes the corresponding space in the paragraph

below.

's the campers wandered aimlessly through the woods, they gradually became __1__(conscience/conscious) of the fact that they were lost. (he __!__ (weather/whether)conditions wereworsening, too. )inally, after they __$__ (passed/past)the same tree for the third time, one of them said, *It+stime to brea" out the cell phone and call the forest ranger.*

Paragraph Practice $

In the following questions, choose the correct word that completes the corresponding space in the paragraphbelow.

(ony oprano engages in numerous __1__ (elicit/illicit)actiities. He demands to be treated __!__(respectfully/respectiely) by the members of his mob family. Howeer, sometimes this respect __$__(alludes/eludes) him in his own home, especially when it comes to his daughter, Meadow.

All these ords cause confusion. hoose the right ord to match the definition.

>. This ord is used to describe hat one does hen one uncovers something for all to see. 7777777

bear

bare

;. This means complete. 7777777

all ready

already

@. This ord is used to describe a situation that is e4ual, right (or a place to go eat candyfloss). 7777777

fair

fayre

fare

G. This ord is used to describe hat a group of people ould be doing. 7777777


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they&re

their

there

B. The ord is used to describe something that is not tight. 7777777

loose

lose

H. This ord is used to describe hat one listens to, hen one ac#noledges a sound. 7777777

here

hear

=. This ord is used to describe something that is spo#en so one can hear it. 7777777

alloed

a loud

aloud

?. This ord is used to describe a metal that is heavy. 7777777

led

lead

. This ord is used to describe a food that is made from grain and eaten ith mil#, especially in the morning 7777777

cereal

serial

>>. This ord is used to describe the action of holding, carrying something (or a big animal that li#es honey). 7777777

bear

bare

>;. This ord is used to describe a lot of cattle. 7777777

heard

herd

>@. This ord is used to describe a payment, such as hat you give the conductor on a train. 7777777

fair

fayre

fare

>G. This ord is used to describe here something is. 7777777

they&re

their

there

>B. This means earlier than the time expected. 7777777

all ready

already

>H. This means to give someone information or instructions. 7777777

say


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tell

>=. This means to be aare of hat is around you by using your eyes. 7777777

see

atch

>?. This ord is used to describe the past tense of something you have listened to. 7777777

heard

herd

>. This ord is used to describe the act of misplacing something. 7777777

loose

lose

;. This ord is used to describe the past tense of guiding those ho folloed you, 7777777

led

lead

;;. This ord is used to describe hat a group of people on, possess 7777777

they&re

their

there

;@. This ord is used to describe hat is in front of you. 7777777

here

hear

;G. This ord is used to describe a television or radio programme or in a nespaper, etc. hich is broadcast or printed in

separate parts. 7777777

cereal

serial

;B. This ord is used to describe hat you have permission to do. 7777777

alloed

a loud

aloud

Documents

English Words That Often Get Confused