Commonly confused words

Words that look or sound alike, and how to tell them apart. 115 pages.

A

• Accept vs exceptAccept is a verb that means to take something offered or to agree to it.
• Adverse vs averseAdverse describes something bad or harmful, like adverse reactions or adverse weather.
• Advice vs adviseAdvice is a noun for helpful ideas about what someone should do.
• Affect vs effectAffect is usually a verb that means to change or influence something.
• Aisle vs isleAisle and isle sound the same. An aisle is a path between rows of seats or shelves.
• Allude vs eludeAllude means to mention something indirectly, without naming it, and is usually followed by to.
• Alone vs lonelyAlone means by yourself and usually says nothing about feelings, though feel alone means lonely.
• Alternate vs alternativeAlternate is about taking turns, as day and night alternate, or a class on alternate Mondays.
• Among vs betweenUse between for two people or things, or for the space that separates them.
• Amount vs numberUse amount for things you cannot count one by one, like water or sugar.

B

• Bare vs bearBare means not covered, empty, or only just enough, as in the bare minimum.
• Biannual vs biennialBiannual means happening twice a year. Biennial means happening once every two years.
• Bored vs boringBored usually describes how a person feels when nothing holds their interest.
• Borrow vs lendBorrow means to take something from someone for a short time and give it back later.
• Brake vs breakBrake and break sound the same. Use brake for the part that slows a vehicle, for using it, and for anything that acts like one.
• Breakdown vs break downBreakdown is one word and a noun that names a failure or a detailed list of parts.
• Breath vs breatheBreath is a noun that means the air you take in or push out.
• Bring vs takeUse bring when something moves toward the speaker or the listener.

C

• Canon vs cannonCannon, with two n's, is a big gun or a machine that shoots things out of a tube.
• Canvas vs canvassCanvas is a noun for strong cloth, like the cloth artists paint on.
• Cite vs site vs sightCite is a verb meaning to name where your facts came from, or to mention something as a reason.
• Coarse vs courseCoarse and course can sound the same. Coarse is an adjective that means rough, made of large grains, or crude.
• Complement vs complimentComplement and compliment can sound the same. A complement goes well with something and makes it complete.
• Compose vs compriseThe parts compose the whole, and the whole comprises the parts.
• Continual vs continuousContinual means happening again and again, with short breaks in between.
• Council vs counselCouncil and counsel sound the same. A council is a group of people who lead or make decisions.
• Credible vs credulousCredible describes something or someone easy to believe and trust.

D

• Definite vs definitiveDefinite means clear and certain, or firmly fixed, as in a definite date.
• Desert vs dessertA desert is a very dry place, often hot and sandy, with very little water.
• Discreet vs discreteDiscreet and discrete sound the same. Discreet means careful and quiet, so as to keep things private.
• Disinterested vs uninterestedDisinterested means fair to all sides because you have nothing to gain or lose.

E

• Economic vs economicalEconomic usually means having to do with the economy or economics, like economic growth.
• Elicit vs illicitElicit and illicit sound the same. Elicit is a verb that means to draw out a reaction or information.
• Emigrate vs immigrateEmigrate means to leave your country to live somewhere else, with the focus on leaving.
• Eminent vs imminentEminent describes a person who is well known and respected, often for important work.
• Empathy vs sympathyEmpathy is understanding how another person feels, as if you were in their place.
• Ensure vs insureEnsure means to make sure something happens. Insure means to protect against loss with insurance, so you get money if something bad happens.
• Envy vs jealousyEnvy is an unhappy wish for something another person has. Jealousy can mean that too, but it is also the fear of losing someone to a rival.
• Everyday vs every dayEveryday is one word, an adjective before a noun: ordinary, or happening daily (everyday clothes, an everyday task).
• Explicit vs implicitExplicit means said clearly and directly, with nothing left vague.

F

• Farther vs furtherFor any kind of distance, farther and further both work, though American style guides prefer farther for physical distance and British English usually says further.
• Faze vs phaseFaze and phase sound the same. Faze is a verb that means to worry or upset someone.
• Fewer vs lessUse fewer before plural nouns for things you can count, like fewer cars.
• Flair vs flareFlair and flare sound the same. Flair is a natural talent or a stylish way of doing things.
• Flaunt vs floutFlaunt means to show something off so everyone notices it. Flout means to openly ignore or show no respect for a rule or law.
• Formally vs formerlyFormally means in an official or proper way, not a casual one.
• Forward vs forewordForward usually means ahead, in the direction you are going or facing.
• Fun vs funnyFun means enjoyable, or the enjoyment itself, as in a fun day or have fun.

G

• Good vs wellGood is an adjective that describes a person or thing, as in a good singer.

H

• Hear vs listenHear means to notice a sound with your ears, even without trying.
• Heroin vs heroineHeroin, with no e at the end, is a strong illegal drug. Heroine, with an e, is a brave woman or the main female character in a story.
• Historic vs historicalHistoric means important enough to be remembered in history.
• Hoard vs hordeHoard and horde sound the same. A hoard is a hidden store of things, and to hoard is to collect and keep them.
• House vs homeA house is a building for one family to live in. Your home is the place where you live, whether a house or an apartment, and only home works in phrases like go home.

I

• Imply vs inferThe speaker implies, and the listener infers. To imply is to suggest something without saying it, and to infer is to work it out from clues.
• Ingenious vs ingenuousIngenious means very clever and inventive, like an ingenious plan.
• Its vs it'sThey sound the same, but its shows that something belongs to a thing or animal, as in its tail.

J

• Job vs workJob and work can both mean what you do to earn money, but you can count jobs.

L

• Later vs latterLater is about time and means after now or after another time.
• Lay vs lieLay needs an object: you lay something down, like a book or a towel.
• Lead vs ledLead (rhymes with need) is the base and present form: I lead the team.
• Lend vs loanLend is a verb that means to let someone use something of yours for a while.
• Literally vs figurativelyUse literally when the words are exactly true, even though they sound like a saying.
• Loath vs loatheLoath is an adjective that means unwilling, as in loath to leave.
• Login vs log inLogin is one word and a noun that means the username and password you use, or one act of signing in.
• Lose vs looseLose is a verb that means to stop having something or to not win.
• Lose vs missLose means to stop having something or to not win. Miss means to not hit or catch something, to be too late for it, or to feel sad that someone or something you care about is not with you.

M

• Make vs doUse make when you build, produce, or cook something. Use do for tasks and work, like homework.
• Mantel vs mantleMantel is a noun for the shelf above a fireplace. Mantle usually means a cloak, a role someone takes on, or the layer of Earth under the crust.
• Militate vs mitigateMilitate means to act as a force for or against a result, and it usually comes with against.
• Moral vs moraleMoral is about right and wrong, as in a moral choice or the moral of a story.
• Much vs manyUse much for things you cannot count, like water or time. Use many for things you can count, like people or books.

N

• Nauseous vs nauseatedNauseated means you feel sick to your stomach. Nauseous traditionally means causing that feeling, though most writers now say nauseating for that.

P

• Palate vs palette vs palletPalate is the roof of your mouth, and also your sense of taste.
• Passed vs pastPassed and past sound the same. Passed is a verb, the past form of pass.
• Peak vs peek vs piquePeak is the top or highest point, like a mountain peak. Peek is a quick look, or to look quickly.
• Persecute vs prosecutePersecute means to treat people cruelly again and again, often because of who they are or what they believe.
• Personal vs personnelPersonal is an adjective that means about or belonging to one person.
• Pickup vs pick upPickup is a noun, such as a light truck or the act of collecting someone or something.
• Practice vs practisePractice is the noun everywhere, and in American English it is the verb too.
• Precede vs proceedPrecede means to come or go before something else. Proceed means to go forward or go ahead, often to the next step.
• Principal vs principlePrincipal means main, or the head of a school, while principle is a basic rule or belief.

Q

• Quiet vs quiteQuiet usually describes something with little or no sound. Quite is an adverb that goes before another word to change how strong it is: completely, very in American English, or fairly in British English.

R

• Rein vs reignRein comes from the straps a rider uses to control a horse, tightened or loosened: rein in costs, give someone free rein.
• Remember vs remindRemember means you bring something back into your own mind or keep it there.
• Rise vs raiseRise means to go up on its own, like the sun, smoke, or prices.
• Rob vs stealYou rob a person or a place, like a bank or a store. You steal a thing, like money or a phone.
• Role vs rollRole is a noun for a part or job: a character an actor plays, or the part a person or thing plays in something.

S

• Say vs tellTell is usually followed by the listener, as in tell me. Say is about the words themselves, as in say hello.
• See vs look vs watchSee means to notice something with your eyes, often without trying.
• Sensual vs sensuousThe two overlap a lot. Sensual leans toward physical pleasure in the body, sometimes sexual.
• Since vs forUse since with a starting point in the past, like since 2010 or since Monday.
• Sit vs setSit means to rest on your bottom. Set means to put something down, so you sit on a chair, but you set a cup on the table.
• Speak vs talkFor conversations, speak is a little more formal and talk is the everyday word.
• Stationary vs stationeryStationary is an adjective that means not moving. Stationery is a noun for paper, envelopes, pens and other writing supplies.

T

• Taught vs tautTaught is the past form of teach, as in she taught math. Taut is an adjective that means pulled tight, like a stretched rope.
• Tenant vs tenetA tenant is a person who rents a home or other place from its owner.
• That vs whichUse which after a comma to add extra information about a thing, never that.
• Their vs there vs they'reTheir means belonging to them. There means in or at that place, and it also starts sentences like there is.
• Then vs thanThen is about time, meaning at that time or next. Than is for comparing two things, after words like more, less, or bigger.
• To vs too vs twoTo shows direction or who gets something, or comes before a verb.
• Tortuous vs torturousTortuous means full of twists and turns, like a winding road or a very complicated process.
• Trip vs journey vs travelTravel is mainly a verb, and the noun means traveling in general, so say a trip, not a travel.
• Troop vs troupeTroop is a group of soldiers, Scouts or animals, and troops usually means soldiers.

V

• Vain vs vane vs veinVain is an adjective: too proud of yourself, or useless, as in a vain attempt or in vain.

W

• Waive vs waveWaive is a verb that means to give up a right or to agree not to charge a fee.
• Wary vs wearyWary means careful because you sense danger or a trick. Weary means very tired, or tired of something that has gone on too long.
• Weather vs whetherWeather is about rain, sun, and wind outside. Whether is a joining word, often like if, that introduces a question or a choice between two things inside a sentence.
• Whet vs wetWhet is a verb that means to sharpen, so to whet your appetite or curiosity is to make it stronger.
• While vs wileWhile usually means at the same time as, or names a period of time, as in after a while.
• Who vs whom). Use whom, a formal word, for the object of a verb or a preposition (to whom, of whom).
• Whole vs holeWhole means complete, with nothing missing, as in the whole cake.
• Whose vs who'sWhose asks or tells who something belongs to, and who's is short for who is or who has.
• Win vs beatYou win a game, contest, or prize, but you beat the person or team you play against.

Y

• Your vs you'reYour means belonging to you, as in your bag. You're is short for you are, so use it only where you are would fit.