Confusing Words in English

 

                i.          Accept vs. Except

Accept (verb) - to receive

v  I accepted all my birthday gifts with gratitude.

Except (conjunction) - apart from; otherwise than; were it not true

v  When Susan travels, she packs everything except the kitchen sink.

              ii.          access vs. excess

Access (noun) - ability to enter,

v Nobody can get access to the building as it is highly protected.

Access (verb) -to enter,’

v You can easily access the stage from the rear.

Excess (noun or adjective) -amount that is more than usual or necessary.

v Here we can find excess of minerals in this valley.

             iii.          addition vs. edition

Addition and edition are both nouns. 

Addition (Noun) - added,

He added some new additions to the museum's collection.

Edition - a particular version of a book, product, newspaper, etc.,

Kindly give me the latest edition of this book.’

             iv.          advice/advise

Advice (noun) - information or guidance

v Her boss gave her excellent advice on how to further her career.

Advise (verb) - to give someone advice. 

v Her boss advised her on many different career matters.

               v.          Affect vs. Effect

Affect (verb) - to have an effect on; influence; produce a change in;

v  The dog's death affected his owners.

Effect (noun) - anything brought about by a cause or agent; result

v  The new speed limit law had little effect on the speed of the motorists.

             vi.          Among/Amongst

Among  (common in American English)

Amongst ( common in British English).

           vii.          Among/Between 

Among - expresses a collective or loose relationship of several items:

v Chester found a letter hidden among the papers on the desk. 

           Between - expresses the relationship of one thing to another

v Posey spent all day carrying messages between Chester and the other students.

         viii.          Anyway vs. Any way

Anyway ( adverb) - regardless. 

v  I don’t want to go to the party, anyway.

Any way (phrase) - any manner or method.

v  We could take any way we want to get to the party.

             ix.          Assure/Ensure/Insure 

Assure -to confirm that something will definitely happen / to remove doubt

v Posey assured Chester that no one would cheat at Bingo. 

Ensure means to guarantee or make sure of something.

v Posey took steps to ensure that no one cheated at Bingo. 

           Insure - to take out an insurance policy:

v Posey was glad the Bingo hall was insured against damage caused by rowdy Bingo players.

               x.          A Lot vs. Allot

A lot (noun phrase) -many

v  A lot of people came to the party.

Allot (verb) - to distribute, give or assign

v Fifteen minutes were allotted to each of the speakers at the conference.

             xi.          Allusion vs. Illusion

Allusion (noun) - an indirect reference

v The Austin Powers movies often make allusions to the James Bond films.

Illusion (noun) - a false idea or conception; not real, deceptive.

v The magician created the illusion that he was levitating.

           xii.          allude vs. elude

Allude (verb)- to speak of or mention something in an indirect way.

v They alluded to difficulties at their former school.’

Elude (verb) -to avoid or escape someone or something by being quick, skillful, or clever.

v I met Robin a criminal who has eluded capture

         xiii.          altogether/all together

Altogether (adverb) - completely or entirely.

Words that look and sound the same can be altogether confusing.

All together (phrase) - all in one place or all at once.

All together now, sing along with me!

.

         xiv.          base vs. bass

Base (noun)- a literal or figurative foundation or bottom.

v  

Base-(verb) -to have a particular place

v a company based in Iowa.’

Base (adjective) - not honest or good

v  

Bass (noun) - low or deep sound or voice, or to a musical instrument.

 

Bass (noun and rhymes with pass) - a kind of fish.

           xv.          Breath vs. Breathe

Breath (noun) - air taken into the lungs and then let out

v  Take a deep breath.

Breathe (verb) - to inhale and exhale

v  Just calm down and breathe.

         xvi.          bridal vs. bridle

Bridal (adjective) - things relating to a bride or wedding.

v She was looking awesome in red bridal gown.

Bridle (noun) - a device that fits on a horse's head to guide/control it.

v  

            Bridle (verb) -to react in an angry way.

v He bridled at their criticism of his methods.

       xvii.          Capital/Capitol 

Capital - uppercase letter, money, or city that is center of a state/ country

v Chester visited Brasίlia, the capital of Brazil. 

Capitol -the building where a legislature meets:

v Posey visited the cafe in the basement of the capitol after watching a bill become a law.

     xviii.          Climactic vs. Climatic

Climactic - climax-most exciting and important.

v this movie's climactic chase scene thrilled us.

Climatic - relating to climate,’

v Climatic conditions in the region make it an ideal place to grow grapes.’

         xix.          collaborate vs. corroborate

Collaborate(verb) - to work with another person or group in order to achieve or do something

v Asian and Raghav ji are collaborating on a book about dogs.

Corroborate (verb) -to support or help prove a statement, theory, etc.

v Two witnesses corroborated her story.

           xx.          Complement/Compliment 

A complement - something that completes something else. It’s often used to describe things that go well together.

v Chester’s lime green boots were a perfect complement to his jacket.

           A compliment -a nice thing to say.

v Posey received many compliments on her purple fedora.

         xxi.          currant vs. current

Currant (noun) - a small raisin or berry.

v  

Current (noun) - a continuous movement of water/ air in the same direction

v  

v for converting sunlight into electricity.’

       xxii.          Defence/Defense 

Defense - in American English. 

Defence - in British English.

     xxiii.          Desert vs. Dessert

Desert (verb) - to forsake or abandon; to leave without permission;

v  Soldiers should not desert their posts.

Desert (noun) - dry, barren, sandy region

v  The largest desert in the world is the Sahara.

Dessert (noun) - a sweet course served at the end of a meal

v  Fruit makes a healthy dessert after lunch or dinner.

     xxiv.          detract vs. distract

Detract (verb) - to reduce the strength, value, or importance of something,’

v a minor error that does not detract from the overall quality of the report.’

Distract (verb) - to stop thinking or pay attention to someone or something

v noises in the hallway that distracted the students.

       xxv.          device vs. devise

Device (noun) - an object, machine, or piece of equipment

v  

Devise (verb) -to invent or plan something difficult or complicated

v devising a new method

     xxvi.          Disinterested/Uninterested 

Disinterested – impartial.

v A panel of disinterested judges who had never met the contestants before judged the singing contest. 

Uninterested - bored or not wanting to be involved with something.

v Posey was uninterested in attending Chester’s singing class.

    xxvii.          Emigrate/Immigrate 

           Emigrate - to move away from a city or country to live somewhere else.

v Chester’s grandfather emigrated from Canada sixty years ago. 

           Immigrate means to move into a country from somewhere else.

v Posey’s sister immigrated to Ireland in 2004.

  xxviii.          E.g./i.e. 

e.g. - for example.

v I visited historical places for example Amer fort.

i.e. -that is.

v  

      xxix.          eminent vs. imminent

Eminent - successful, well-known, and respected

v an eminent physician.’

Imminent - ‘happening very soon

v awaiting their imminent arrival’ or ‘their arrival is imminent.

        xxx.          Empathy/Sympathy 

Empathy - the ability to understand another person’s feelings. 

v  

Sympathy is a feeling of sorrow for someone else’s suffering.

v  

      xxxi.          envelop vs. envelope

Envelop (verb) -to completely enclose or surround someone or something

v she enveloped the baby in the blanket.

Envelope (noun) - an enclosing cover for a letter, card, etc.

v  

    xxxii.          formally vs. formerly

Formally - things done in a serious and proper or official way

v guests were dressed formally

Formerly -at an earlier time

v a car formerly owned by my neighbor.’

  xxxiii.          forth vs. fourth

Forth (adverb) -out into notice or view

v  

Fourth (noun)number four in a series.

v arriving on the fourth of May.

Fourth (adjective) -occupying the number four position in a series

v the fourth day

Fourth (adverb) -in the fourth place

v He finished fourth in the race.

  xxxiv.          Farther/Further 

Farther - to physical distance:

v Posey can run farther than Chester. 

Further - to metaphorical distance:

v Chester is further away from finishing his project than Posey is.

    xxxv.          flare/flair

Flare (both a noun and a verb)- connected with fire

v The match flared when he struck it.

Flair is a noun that means a special aptitude or ability, or a sense of style.

v The copywriter had a flair for clever puns.

  xxxvi.          Flaunt/Flout 

Flaunt - to show off.

v Chester flaunted his stylish new outfit. 

Flout - to defy, especially in a way that shows scorn.

v Posey flouted the business-casual dress code by wearing a tiara.

xxxvii.          Gaff/Gaffe 

A gaff - a type of spear or hook with a long handle.

v Chester completed his sailor costume with a gaff borrowed from his uncle’s fishing boat

A gaffe - a faux pas or social misstep.

v Posey made a gaffe when she accidentally called Chester by the wrong name.

xxxviii.          Gray/Grey 

Gray - American English spelling. 

Grey - British English spelling.

  xxxix.          Historic/Historical 

Historic - famous, important, and influential.

v Chester visited the beach in Kitty Hawk where the Wright brothers made their historic first airplane flight. 

Historical means related to history.

v Posey donned a historical bonnet for the renaissance fair.

             xl.          hoard vs. horde

Hoard ( noun) - a large amount of something valuable that is kept hidden,

v a dragon's hoard of treasure

Hoard (verb) -to collect and hide a large amount of something valuable

v a dragon hoarding treasure.’

Horde (noun) that refers to a large group of people

v a horde of shoppers crowded the store.

           xli.          Imply/Infer 

Imply - to hint at something without saying it directly.

v Chester implied that Posey was in trouble, but he wouldn’t tell her why. 

Infer means to deduce something that hasn’t been stated directly.

v Posey inferred that Chester was nervous about something from the way he kept looking over his shoulder.

         xlii.          incredible vs. incredulous

Incredible -difficult or impossible to believe

v a movie telling an incredible story of survival,

 Incredulous -not able or willing to believe something

v people were incredulous that the child had achieved the feat.

       xliii.          Inquiry/Enquiry - a request for information. 

Inquiry -American English spelling.

Enquiry - British spelling.

       xliv.          It’s/Its 

It’s - contraction of ‘it is’:

v Posey needs to pack for her trip because it’s only two days away. 

Its (possessive pronoun) - belonging to something.

v Chester is obsessed with both the book and its author.

         xlv.          lead/Led 

Lead (noun) (rhymes with ‘bed’)- a metal.

v Posey wore a lead apron while the dentist X-rayed her teeth. 

Lead (rhymes with ‘meet’)- a position of advantage

v Our team was in the lead.

Lead (verb)- to show path

v Suraj wants to lead the group.

Led (past tense of the verb ‘lead’)- to guide or to be first.

v Chester led the way.

       xlvi.          Learned/Learnt 

Learned - American English. 

Learnt - British English.

     xlvii.          liable vs. libel

Liable (adjective) -legally responsible for something

v determining who is liable for the damage

or

-likely to be affected or harmed by something

v a condition that makes her liable to illness.

Libel (noun) and a verb. - the act of publishing a false statement that causes people to have a bad opinion of someone.

v a newspaper found guilty of libel.

Libel (verb) -to write and publish a false statement that causes people to have a bad opinion of someone

   xlviii.          Lie vs. Lay

Lie ( verb) - to recline or rest on a surface. 

v  Kim lies down to take a nap every day at 3:30 p.m.

Lay (verb) meaning to put or place.

v  Before falling asleep, Kim lays her bracelet on the table.

       xlix.          Lose vs. Loose

Lose (verb) - to become unable to find; to mislay; to fail to win or gain

v  Did you lose your glasses again?

v  How many games did your team lose last season?

Loose (adjective) - not tight; giving enough room

v  I’ve lost twenty pounds, and now these jeans are really loose.

                l.          median vs. medium

Median (noun) - a grassy or paved area that divides a highway

v  

Median (adjective) -having a value that is in the middle of a series of values arranged from smallest to largest

v the median price of homes in the area.’

Medium (adjective) - in the middle of a range of possible sizes, amounts

v a person of medium height

Medium (noun) -‘something that is sold in a medium size

I wear a medium,

                             -a particular form or system of communication

v an effective advertising medium.’

              li.          moral vs. morale

Moral (noun) - a lesson that is learned from a story or an experience.

v The moral of the story is to appreciate what you have.

Morals (plural form) - proper ideas and beliefs.

v I don't question her morals.’

Moral (adjective)- right or wrong behavior

v moral issues/standards and ‘moral conduct.’

Morale (noun)- the feelings of enthusiasm and loyalty

v employee morale was high in the wake of the project's success.’

             lii.          peace vs. piece

Peace ( noun) an end to war or fighting or to a state of calm

v a wish for world peace

Piece (noun)- a part, amount of something

v a large piece of land.

           liii.          pedal vs. peddle

Pedal ( noun) - a flat piece of metal, rubber, etc., that you push with your foot to make a machine move, work, or stop

v he bike's pedals

Pedal (verb) -to push the pedals of something.

v pedaling faster and faster.’

Peddle (verb) -to sell something usually in small amounts and often by traveling to different places

v peddling fruits and vegetables from a roadside cart.’

           liv.          personal vs. personnel

Personal (adjective) belongs to or relates to a particular person

v personal property.

Personnel ( noun) - people who work for a particular organization.

v  

             lv.          plain vs. plane

Plain (adjective) - lacks decoration, pattern, extra features, etc.

v plain paper

Plain (adverb) - truly, completely

v it's just plain wrong.

Plain (noun) - a large area of flat land without trees.

v  

Plane (noun) - an airplane or to a flat surface.

v  

           lvi.          Principal vs. Principle

Principal (noun) - a governing or presiding officer, specifically of a school; (adjective) - first in rank, authority, importance, degree, etc.

v  The student’s parents had to have a meeting with the principal.

Principle (noun) - a fundamental truth, law, doctrine, or motivating force.

v  The student’s parents thought that they had instilled stronger moral principles in their son.

         lvii.          penultimate/ultimate

penultimate - second from the last, or the last except for one in a series.

v He choked on the penultimate lap, and by the final lap you could see he was going to lose.

Ultimate  - superb, very good,

v We can’t predict the ultimate outcome of the race. 

       lviii.          perquisite/prerequisite

Perquisite (perk for short) - something addition to your normal job salary

v In addition to a great salary, he got a nice perquisite: a leased luxury car.

A prerequisite - thing that is required as a prior condition.

v A working knowledge of a foreign language was a prerequisite for the job.

           lix.          pole vs. poll

Pole (noun)- a long, straight piece of wood, metal, etc.,

                     - either end of the imaginary line around which the earth turns, the north/south pole

v  

                     -either one of the two ends of a magnet; or point on a battery.

v  

                     -either one of two opposite positions, situations

v opposite poles of an argument.

Poll (noun)- an activity in order to get information

v a magazine might ‘conduct a poll.

             lx.          pore vs. poor vs. pour

Pore ( verb) - to read or study something very carefully

v spent hours poring over the map.

Pore (noun) - a very small opening on the surface of your skin.

v  

Poor (adjective)- having little money or few possessions

v a poor person.

                             -low quality/skill

v  

Pour (verb) - flow in a steady stream from or into a container or place

v pour a cup of coffee.’

           lxi.          pray vs. prey

Pray (verb) -to speak to God to thank or to ask for something

v praying for forgiveness

Prey (noun)- an animal that is hunted or killed by another animal for food,

v the owl's prey.

         lxii.          preposition vs. proposition

Preposition – a part of speech used with a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show direction, location, or time, or to introduce an object.

v  

Proposition (noun) – something (plan/offer) presented for consideration.

v a business proposition.’

       lxiii.          quiet vs. quite

        lxiv.          Quiet (adjective) - things or people who make little or no noise

v a quiet engine’ and ‘a quiet person,’

                              -situation or event in which there is little noise

v a quiet dinner for two.’

Quiet (verb) - to make or become calmer or less noisy

v lullaby to quiet the crying baby.

Quiet (noun) - the quality or state of being quiet or calm

v the quiet of the house at midnight.’

Quite (adverb)- very

v quite tired

                           -completely or entirely

v we quite agree’

         lxv.          resume vs. résumé

Resume (verb) -to begin again after stopping

v the musicians resumed playing.’

Résumé (noun) - a short document for applying a job.

v  

       lxvi.          right vs. rite vs. write

Right (adjective)-accurate or correct

v the right answer.

Right (adverb) – used for direction

v toward the right

Right (noun) - morally good or correct

v  

                                   -morally or legally allowed to have, get, or do

v human rights.

Rite (noun) - an act that is part of a usually religious ceremony

v funeral rites.

     lxvii.          role vs. roll

Role (noun) -the character played by an actor

v scientists who had a role in finding a cure to the disease.’

Roll (verb) - turning over and over

v a ball rolling down a hill

Roll (noun) - a long piece of cloth, paper, tape, etc., to form tube or ring

v a roll of tape.

   lxviii.          Site vs. Sight

Sight (noun) - something seen, a view, field of vision

v  She was a sight for sore eyes.

Site (noun) - a piece of land considered for a specific purpose

v  The corner lot was a perfect site for the new shopping centre.

       lxix.          Stationary vs. Stationery

Stationary (adjective) - not moving or not movable; fixed or still

v  I rode the stationary bike at the gym for an hour.

Stationery (noun) - writing materials; pen, paper, envelopes, eraser etc.

v  My grandmother has given me a lot of stationery over the years.

       lxx.             statue vs. stature vs. statute

Statue - a figure of a person/ animal that is made from stone, metal, etc.

v  

Stature - level of respect for a successful person, organization, etc.

v a writer of her stature

              -a person's height

v a person of rather short stature.’

Statute -a written law that is formally created by a government

       lxxi.          Than vs. Then

Than (conjunction) - used to introduce the second element in a comparison

v  My right foot is bigger than my left foot.

Then (adverb) - at that time; next in order;

v  Take off all your clothes first. Then get in the shower.

Then (adjective) - of that time;

v  Emily drove up to New York with her then boyfriend, Nick.

Then (noun) - that time

v  Let's wait until he comes; we can decide what we want to eat then.

     lxxii.          Their vs. There vs. They’re

Their (adjective) - of, belonging to, made by, or done by them

v  They were proud of their work.

There (noun) - that place or point

v  Just put it over there.

They’re (contraction) of they + are

v  They’re going out to dinner tonight.

   lxxiii.          To vs. Too vs. Two

To (preposition) - in the direction of and reaching; as far as; to the extent of

v  I’m going to Baltimore.

Too (adverb) - in addition; as well; besides; also; more than enough; superfluously; overly; to a regrettable extent; extremely

v  I’m going to Baltimore, too.

v  I'm too busy. I can't go to Baltimore.

Two (adjective) the number 2

v  I have two jobs.

    lxxiv.          Toward/Towards – to a certain direction

Toward - American English. 

Towards - British English.

     lxxv.          Who’s/Whose 

Who’s - contraction of ‘who is’.

v Who’s calling Chester at this hour? 

Whose is a possessive adjective - that means ‘belonging to [someone].

v Chester, whose phone hadn’t stopped ringing all morning, barely ate anything for breakfast. 

v the jury found that the article libeled him.’

v  

    lxxvi.          track vs. tract

Track (noun) -a mark left on ground by a moving animal, person/ vehicle

v tire tracks

Track (verb) -to follow and try to find an animal by looking for its tracks

v hunters tracking deer

                       -to follow and find someone/ something especially by looking at evidence

v tracking the suspect.’

Tract (noun) - a system of body parts/organs that has a particular purpose,

v the digestive tract,’ or to an area of land.

  lxxvii.          Your vs. You're

Your (adjective) - belonging to you

v  Is this your dog?

You're (contraction) - you are

v  You're a great mother!

lxxviii.          waist vs. waste

Waist (noun) - middle part of your body between the hips and chest

v  

Waste (verb) -to use something valuable in a way that is not effective

trying not to waste water/money/time.

Waste (noun)- material that is left over or unwanted after something has been made, done, used, etc.

v industrial waste.

    lxxix.          wander vs. wonder

Wander (verb) -to move around without a particular purpose or direction

v wandering through the meadow.’

Wonder (noun) - feeling of  surprising, beautiful, amazing, etc.

v staring up at the monument in wonder.

   Wonder (verb)- to think about something with curiosity

v wondering about the city's history.’

      lxxx.          Who vs. Whom

Who (subject pronoun) - what or which person or persons;

v  Who is going to the party with you?

Who (used to introduce a relative clause) for a person or persons

v  I don’t know who was standing there.

Whom (object pronoun) - what or which person or persons; the person or persons that, or a person that (used to introduce a relative clause)

v  With whom are you going to the party?