250 Often Confused Words
Below is a list of more than 250 words that speakers and writers of English often confuse. They are called false cognates because they sound or are written so similarly that they are often confused. Even if you are an excellent writer, you should read through this list; otherwise, how will you know if you are confusing any words? We will soon have a quiz that will help you check your knowledge of the most common false English cognates.
| • A • | |
| WORDS | DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES |
| a lot allot |
A lot is two words meaning "much": A lot of bologna was left over from the party. |
| a while awhile |
A while is two words meaning "a short period of time": I will meet you in a while. |
| a an and |
A is an indefinite article to be used before nouns beginning with a consonant: a photograph, a tree, a horse. |
| An is to be used before nouns beginning with a vowel (or vowel sound): an apple, an hour, an elephant. | |
| And is a conjunction used between nouns in a list: A blanket and picnic basket are needed for the afternoon. | |
| accede exceed |
Accede means "to agree or allow": Hiram Cheaply finally acceded to accepting the presidency of the company. |
| Exceed means "to go beyond, to surpass": The amount of alcohol in his blood exceeded the previous record. | |
| accept except |
Accept means "to take willingly": Miss Deeds accepted the cup of hot tea even without a saucer. |
| Except is a preposition meaning "excluding": Everyone was disappointed with the party except Ida Goodtime. | |
| adapt adept adopt |
Adapt means "to adjust": Minnie Miles quickly adapted to living away from home. |
| Adept means "skilled": Lucille is adept at speaking languages. | |
| Adopt means to "accept as your own": It was difficult to adopt only one puppy from the animal shelter. | |
| adverse averse |
Adverse means "unfavorable, hostile": Those driving in adverse winter conditions may be putting themselves at risk. |
| Averse means "unwilling or repelled": She was immediately averse to the idea. | |
| advice advise |
Advice is a noun meaning "an opinion given with the intention of helping": My mother still gives me advice even though I'm 40 years old. |
| Advise is a verb meaning "to give counsel or advice": The meteorologist advised listeners to stay indoors because of the extremely cold temperatures. | |
| affect effect |
Affect is most often used as a verb meaning "to influence": The president's speech affected his views of the upcoming election. |
| The verb effect means "to cause": Batting her eyes so flirtatiously effected a strong desire in Rathbone to embrace Mirabelle. | |
| aid aide |
Aid is help or assistance given: Every Christmas the community gives aid to those less fortunate. |
| An aide is a person who helps: Frieda Gogh worked five years as a teacher's aide. | |
| airs heirs |
Airs refers to snobbish and artificial behavior: Portia Radclyffe put on airs at the fine dinner party just because she had a few diamonds. |
| Heirs are people who, because they are family, will inherit an estate or title. | |
| all right alright |
All right is a phrase meaning "everything is right": Is all right here? |
| Alright is a single word meaning "OK": Is everything alright here? | |
| all together altogether |
All together is applied to people or things that are being treated as a whole: We always had fun when we were all together. To double check this usage, try separating the two words: We all had fun when were together. |
| Altogether is an adverb that means "completely or totally": Using a flashlight in bed is an altogether new approach to reading. | |
| all ways always |
All ways means "by every means or method": Dirk tried all ways to navigate the storm. |
| Always means "forever": Sue St. Marie always responded calmly during emergency situations. | |
| allude elude |
Allude means "to suggest indirectly": Leticia can't speak to her husband without alluding to his affair with Martha Snodgrass. |
| Elude means "to dodge or escape": Serious relationships always seemed to elude him. | |
| allusion illusion |
An allusion is a subtle reference or hint: Rita Book made an allusion to the most recent novel she read in our conversation yesterday. |
| An illusion is a deception, mirage, or a wild idea: The teacher said she had no illusions about how much work teaching demands. | |
| almost most |
Almost means "nearly all": Almost all my friends have graduated from college by now. |
| Most is superlative of more, meaning "the greatest or to the highest degree": Chuck is the most computer savvy guy I know, or Chuck cooked a most delicious supper. | |
| aloud allowed |
Aloud means "speaking so that someone else can hear you": Read this paragraph aloud. |
| Allowed means "having permission": His boss allowed him to take the weekend off. | |
| already, all ready | Already is an adverb that indicates an action is completed by a certain time: Herschel had already finished that whole pie. |
| All ready means "everything is completely prepared": The children were all ready and bundled up warmly to go caroling on the snowy evening. | |
| alternately alternatively |
Alternately means "taking turns": We paddled alternately so neither of us would get too tired. |
| Alternatively means "as an option": Instead of going by train, we could have gone alternatively by car. | |
| ambiguous ambivalent |
Ambiguous is describes a phrase or act with more than one meaning, or one that is unclear: The ending of the short story is ambiguous; we don't know if he died or continue his journey. |
| Ambivalent means "uncertainty and having conflicting attitudes and feelings": He was ambivalent as to which candidate to vote for. | |
| amiable amicable |
Amiable refers to a person who is friendly, good-natured, and pleasant: Susan was very amiable and liked immediately. |
| Amicable means "friendly and peaceable", and is used to describe agreements or relationships between groups or people: After years of disagreement, the two countries came to an amicable agreement. | |
| among between |
Among is used for three or more: Shirley had to choose among three universities she might attend. |
| Between is used for two things: I couldn't decide between blue and green. | |
| amoral immoral |
Amoral means "having no principles at all, good or bad": Percy is totally amoral; he is either helping others or helping himself at their expense. |
| Immoral means "bad, lacking good principles": Everything his brother does harms others whether it benefits him or not. | |
| amount number |
Amount is used with uncountable and abstract nouns: a large amount of money, amount of work, amount of happiness or amount of dirt. |
| Number is used with countable and concrete plural expressions: a number of people, a number of attempts, a number of novels, a number of trials. | |
| amused bemused |
Amused is when something is entertaining: The children were amused by watching the kittens play. |
| Bemused means "bewildered" or "lost in thought": George was bemused by the unexpected ending to the movie. | |
| annual annul |
Annual means "yearly": We must pay an annual tax. |
| Annul means "to make void or invalid": They want to annul the marriage. | |
| any one anyone |
Any one means "any one person": Any one of you may go, but not all of you. |
| Anyone means "anybody, any person at all": Anyone can chew gum and walk at the same time. | |
| anyway anywhere nowhere anyways anywheres nowheres |
Anyway, anywhere, and nowhere are the correct forms. |
| apart a part |
Apart is an adverb meaning "in pieces": My plan for my vacation fell apart. |
| A part is a noun meaning "one section of": A part of my heart left when he did. | |
| appraise apprise |
Appraise is to assess or estimate the worth of: to appraise a diamond. |
| Apprise is to inform or notify: the officer apprised us of our rights. | |
| arcane archaic |
Arcane refers to things known and understood by few people: Amanda Lynn teaches arcane theories of modern music at the college. |
| Archaic refers to things very, very old and outdated: The Oxford English Dictionary contains many words that are archaic. | |
| as like |
As may be used as a conjunction that introduce dependent clauses: George talks as his father does. Informally, it may also be used as a preposition in comparative constructions like: Jean-Claude is as forgetful as me (or as I am). |
| Like is a preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun: George looks like his mother. It may also be used as an adjective meaning "similar": George and I have like minds. | |
| ascent assent |
Ascent is an upward movement: Leo's ascent to the presidency of the company came slowly. |
| Assent means "to agree to": Greta could not begin the project unless management assented. | |
| ascetic aesthetic |
An ascetic is a person who renounces all material comforts, often for religious devotion: the young man lead his ascetic lifestyle despite his parents' plans for him. It can also be used as an adjective: Ethan Asia led an ascetic lifestyle. |
| Aesthetic refers to the philosophy of beauty or the pleasing qualities of something: The statuette Leander created was lacking in aesthetic qualities. | |
| ascribe describe |
Ascribe means "to attribute to": She ascribed her feelings of jealousy to insecurity. |
| Describe means "to show what something is by drawing a picture with words": Describe in detail what the man looked like. | |
| aspersion dispersion |
Aspersion is slander, a damaging remark: The campaign was filled with one aspersion after another. |
| Dispersion is the act of scattering: The dispersion of seeds was irregular because he sowed the seeds by hand. | |
| assent ascent |
See ascent, assent. |
| assistance assistants |
Assistance is help or aid: the nurses gave assistance to the patients. |
| Assistants are more than one assistant, a person who gives help: the emergency room assistants were ready to help anyone who came through the door. (See also patience and patients.) | |
| assure ensure insure |
Assure means "to guarantee": He assured her it was a quality item. |
| Ensure means "to make sure by double checking": The custodian ensured the doors to the school were locked at night. | |
| Insure means "to provide insurance": It is wise to insure your house against flood, fire, or theft. | |
| auger augur |
An auger is a tool used for digging holes: If you want to ice fish, you need to first drill a hole in the ice with an auger. |
| Augur means "to predict, forecast": Leroy's inheritance augured happiness for him in the future. | |
| • B • | |
| WORDS | DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES |
| bad badly |
Bad is an adjective used after verbs like am, feel, is, seem, and become: They felt bad. (Using badly here would mean that their skill at feeling is poor). |
| Badly is an adverb used after other verbs: They played badly. Badly can also mean "greatly": They needed food badly. | |
| baited bated |
Baited usually refers to traps: Baiting deer in order to hunt them is illegal in most states. |
| Bated is seldom used but means "reduced, abated": Jessica bated her pace to let her running mate catch up. | |
| bare bear |
Bare means "naked": Walking in grass with bare feet is refreshing. |
| Bear is the animal, and also means "to carry": Sherman must bear the burden of flunking math twice. | |
| bazaar bizarre |
Bazaar is an exhibition, market, or fair: The Saturday morning bazaar is worth seeing even if you buy nothing. |
| Bizarre means "weird and unworldly": Barry told us a bizarre story last night. | |
| belief believe |
Belief is a noun: He had strong beliefs. |
| Believe is a verb: She believes she can do anything. | |
| beside besides |
Beside means "next to": Place the dishes beside the sink. |
| Besides is an adverb or preposition that means "also, additionally": I would enjoy going on a vacation besides. | |
| better had better |
Had better is the correct form, used when giving advice that hints at an undesirable consequence if not followed: You had better go to the doctor. Don't leave out have. |
| between among |
See among, between. |
| biannual biennial |
Biannual is twice in one year: My trip to the dentist is a biannual event. |
| Biennial means "every two years": These flowers are biennial; they bloom every two years. | |
| bimonthly semimonthly |
Bimonthly means "every two months": We order from the co-op bimonthly. |
| Semimonthly means "twice a month (biweekly)": We have our house cleaned semimonthly. | |
| blithe lithe |
Blithe, an adjective, means "lighthearted and carefree": A blithe mood overcomes us in the spring. |
| Lithe is also an adjective but it means "flexible, graceful, and supple": The lithe movements of the yoga instructor impressed us all. | |
| blonde blond |
Blonde describes women: Brunettes have just as much fun as blondes (blonde women). |
| Blond describes men: Sean was not a natural blond. This distinction is not necessary though: blond is now generally accepted for both men and women. | |
| board bored |
Board means a few things. One is "a long sheet of wood": Hiram had to cut the board to make the shelves. It also means "a committee": The board of directors met to decide the fate of the school. Lastly, it can mean "to get onto": She boarded the ship. |
| Bored means "not interested": She is bored by the dry lecture. | |
| bore boar boor |
A bore is a boring or tiresome person or thing: Jasper is such a bore when he talks about his cats! |
| A boar is a male pig: Wild boars abound in this forest. | |
| A boor is an unrefined, vulgar person: What a boor Guy was to get drunk at the wedding and embarrass everyone. | |
| born borne |
Born is newly coming into life: A child was born at 12:01 New Year's day. |
| Borne means "carried": All gossip is borne by an ill wind. | |
| borrow lend loan |
Borrow is to receive something from someone temporarily: to borrow a book and then return it. |
| Lend is a verb that mean "to temporarily give something to someone": Henry will lend (or loan) Francine a book. | |
| Loan is a noun: a bank loan. Loan is often used in American English as a verb meaning "to lend": Loan me a book, please. | |
| braise braze |
Braise means "to cook (usually meat) slowly in liquid": Braised meat is usually tender. |
| To braze is to solder or create with metals such as bronze: Shirley brazed a statue of a famous Civil War leader. | |
| brake break |
Brake means "to stop": You should brake slowly on ice. |
| Break means "to smash": To break a mirror brings seven years of worse luck than you are having now. | |
| breath breathe |
Breath is a noun meaning "the air pulled into the lungs": Take a deep breath and relax. |
| Breathe, with an E on the end, is a verb: Just breathe deeply and calm down. | |
| bridal bridle |
Bridal has to do a bride and her wedding: June May threw her bridal bouquet to the screaming crowd of single women. |
| A bridle is a halter or restraint, such as a horse bridle: Old Frosty didn't like the bridle over his head. | |
| by buy bye |
By is a preposition meaning "next to": Park the car by the house. |
| Buy means "purchase": Grandpa buys an ice cream cone every Sunday afternoon. | |
| Bye means "farewell or good-bye": Bye, now; I'll see you later. | |
| • C • | |
| WORDS | DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES |
| can't hardly | This expression is a nonstandard double negative (hardly is considered negative), so avoid it. It is better to say can hardly: I can hardly hear you over the noise of the party! Hardly. |
| canvas canvass |
Canvas is cloth or fabric: a canvas bag to bring to the beach. |
| Canvass means "to conduct a survey or examine thoroughly", or "to seek votes": She canvassed all the stores before she found the right dress. | |
| capital capitol |
A capital is where the seat of government is: The capital of the United States is Washington DC. Capital can also mean "wealth" or "a large letter". |
| The Capitol (usually capitalized) is the actual building in which the government and legislature meets: We will travel to the Capitol this weekend. | |
| censor sensor censure |
Censor is to prohibit free expression: The principal censored all references to smoking in school publications. |
| A sensor is something that interprets stimulation: The lights are turned on by a movement sensor. | |
| Censure is rebuke, harsh criticism: Morty Skustin was severely censured for putting the frog in the water cooler. | |
| cite site sight |
Cite means "to quote or mention": He cited a famous theorist in his speech. |
| Site is a noun meaning "a place": At which site will we stage the party? | |
| Sight is a noun meaning "view": The sight of the New York City skyline is spectacular. | |
| climactic climatic |
Climactic refers to the peak: Wendell sneezed right at the climactic moment of a movie. |
| Climatic refers to the climate and weather: New Monia is known for its dramatic climatic changes. | |
| coarse course |
Coarse is an adjective meaning "rough, big-grained, not fine": We need to use coarse sandpaper to remove the paint from this wood. |
| Course is a noun referring to a direction (the course of a ship) or a series of lectures on one subject (a history course in college): The poetry course Stu deBaker took in colldge changed the course of his life. | |
| collaborate corroborate |
Collaborate means "to work together": Collaborate with the people on your team. |
| Corroborate means "to support with evidence" or "prove true": The testimony was corroborated with evidence of his innocence. | |
| complement compliment |
Complement means "to supplement" or "make complete": Their two personalities complement each other. |
| Compliment means "to praise or congratulate": She received a compliment on her sense of fashion. | |
| compose comprise |
Compose means to "make up" and is often used in the passive voice: The class is composed of students of several nationalities. |
| Comprise means "have, consist of, or include": Students of several nationalities comprise the class. A rule to remember would be that the whole comprises its parts, and the parts compose the whole. | |
| concurrent consecutive |
Concurrent simultaneous or happening at the same time as something else: concurrent blizzards in three different states. |
| Consecutive means "successive or one after another": The state had three consecutive blizzards that month. | |
| conform confirm |
Conform means "to be similar to": Some schools conform their students by using uniforms. |
| Confirm is to make sure or double check: to confirm a flight reservation. | |
| congenial congenital |
Congenial describes something likeable, suitable to taste: They enjoy the congenial surroundings in their home. |
| Congenital refers to a condition present at birth because of heredity: Raymond has a congenital heart defect. | |
| connote denote |
Connote means to "imply or suggest": 'Home' connotes warmth and safety. |
| Denote means to "indicate specifically, to mean": 'Home' denotes the place where you live. | |
| conscience conscious |
Conscience is the feeling or knowledge of right and wrong: My conscience wouldn't allow me to compete with someone so much weaker than me. |
| Conscious refers to being awake and aware: Molly Coddle was still conscious after banging her head on the headboard. | |
| continual continuous |
Continual means "repeated with breaks in between": We need continual rain throughout the summer for crops to grow. |
| Continuous means "without stopping": The continuous drumming of the rain on the windows put Herman to sleep. | |
| convince persuade |
Convince is to cause another to feel sure or believe something to be true: Well, Argyle Greenpasture has convinced me that aliens do exist. |
| Persuade is to talk someone into doing something: Percy persuaded me to help him wash his car. | |
| co-operation corporation |
Co-operation means "working together": I would like to thank you for your cooperation with us on the project. |
| A corporation is a large company: Presidents of large corporations receive tens of millions of dollars in salary. | |
| corps core corpse |
Corps (pronounced 'core') is an organization of people dedicated to a single goal: Lucinda joined the Peace Corps after college. |
| A core is the center of a fruit containing seeds: Bartholomew eats apples, core and all. | |
| A corpse is a dead body: The corpse of Danny's dog was lovingly laid to rest in the back yard. | |
| correspondence correspondents |
Correspondence is agreement or written communication such as letters or news articles: Phil and Rachel continued their correspondence for years. |
| Correspondents are those who write this communication: Rhoda Lott has lived abroad as a news correspondent for several years. | |
| could not care less | This expression is often confusing for English language learners. It is always used with a negative and means that you really don't care at all: Since she was sick, Mona could not care less about doing her homework, or Mona could not care less which color sweater she wore. |
| council counsel consul |
A council is a group of people called together to meet on an issue: The school board council meets every Thursday evening. |
| Counsel is advice: I always go to Clyde for counsel on the tough decision in my life. | |
| A consul is a diplomat appointed to protect the citizens and commercial interests of one country in another: If you need help starting a business in France, talk to the US consul in Paris. | |
| creak creek |
Creak can be the noun or verb for a squeak or groan: The creak of the floorboards alerted Nell that Bernard was sneaking up on her. |
| A creek is a small stream: The kids loved to play in the creek on a hot summer day. | |
| credible creditable |
Credible means "believable or reliable": There is no credible evidence that it was I who broke the lamp. |
| Creditable means "worthy of praise or respect": I couldn't have broken the lamp because I have a creditable alibi. | |
| criteria criterion |
Criterion is singular: There is only one criterion for this job. |
| Criteria is plural: Several criteria need to be met in order for us to move forward. | |
| custom costume |
A custom is a cultural tradition: It is a custom in Japan to remove your shoes when entering a home. |
| A costume is the outfit worn to represent a particular time, event, or culture: What is your costume for Halloween going to be? | |
| • D • | |
| WORDS | DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES |
| dairy diary |
A dairy is a farm where milk and milk products are produced: Madeleine grew up on a dairy and knows how to churn butter. |
| A diary is the daily journal kept: Rhoda Book writes in her diary for two hours every night. | |
| deduction induction |
Deduction is drawing a general principle from particular facts or instances: I've seen hundreds of robins and they all have red breasts. (General principle-all robins have red breasts. ) |
| Induction is the explanation of particular facts or instances from a general principle: That bird must be a robin because it has a red breast. (General principle-all robins have red breasts. ) | |
| denote connote |
See connote, denote. |
| describe ascribe |
See ascribe, describe. |
| desert dessert |
Desert means "to abandon" (and can also be a noun, meaning "a wasteland"): Cooley deserted his family when they all got tattoos and lip piercings. |
| Dessert is the sweet course of a meal: The whole family wanted to have cake for dessert. | |
| device devise |
A device is an instrument used to perform a task: This device will peel apples for you. |
| Devise is to create or invent: They will devise a scheme to continue the business. | |
| diary dairy |
See dairy, diary. |
| divers diverse |
Divers means "several": You can take that statement in divers ways. |
| Diverse means "different or varied": There are many diverse cultures in the world. | |
| different from different than |
Different from is the standard usage when comparing two things: Suzie's sweater is different from Mary's. Don't say, "Different than something else." |
| discreet discrete |
Discreet means "modest and prudent": Please be discreet about the surprise party, we don't want her to find out. |
| Discrete means "separate and distinct": Even though they were married, they kept their money in two discrete accounts. | |
| disinterested uninterested |
Disinterested is an adjective that means "unbiased or impartial": Since she had nothing at stake, she was a disinterested party in the matter. |
| Uninterested means "not interested": Anita Job was just uninterested in the offer. | |
| dispersion aspersion |
See aspersion, dispersion. |
| • E • | |
| WORDS | DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES |
| e. g. i. e. |
e. g. is a Latin abbreviation meaning "for example": Lucille doesn't like fruit, e.g. pears, apples, grapes, and bananas. |
| i. e. is a Latin abbreviation meaning "that is (to say)": Myrtle had to leave the room, i.e. she had to go to the bathroom. | |
| each other one another |
Use each other when only two objects are involved: The twins love each other. |
| Use one another in referring to more than two objects: The triplets all love one another. | |
| each every |
These are singular distributive pronouns; use them with a singular verb. Each refers to a single individual in a group: Each of us voted differently. |
| Every refers to all the members of a group inclusively: Every one of us voted the same. | |
| effect affect |
See affect, effect. |
| elicit illicit |
Elicit is a verb that means "to draw out": The teacher had trouble eliciting responses from the students. |
| Illicit is an adjective meaning "illegal or illegitimate": Illicit drugs or illicit behavior may help you enter jail. | |
| elude allude |
See allude, elude. |
| emigrant immigrant |
An emigrant is a person who leaves his native country to settle in another: The emigrants left everything behind in search of something more. |
| An immigrant refers is person who moves to a new country: Many immigrants settle in this country every year. | |
| emigrate immigrate |
Emigrate from means "to leave one's country": Frances emigrated to the US. |
| Immigrate to means "to settle in another country": Her family immigrated to the US four generations ago. | |
| eminent emanant imminent |
Eminent means "of high rank, outstanding, or prestigious": An eminent author came to read at the university. |
| Emanant means "sending or issuing forth": Emanant thoughts like those should be kept to yourself. | |
| Imminent means "close to happening or near": Everyone waited anxiously for an imminent storm predicted to arrive shortly. | |
| enervate innervate |
Innervate means "to supply with nerves or vitality": The therapist innervated the shoulders with massage. |
| Enervate is to weaken or destroy the vitality of: The negative attitude enervated her enthusiasm. | |
| entomology etymology |
Entomology refers to the study of insects: Donald couldn't be afraid of bugs if he wanted to get a degree in entomology. |
| Etymology is the study of the history of words and where they come from: The etymology of mortify goes back to Latin mortuus "dead". is nice. | |
| etc. | Etc. is Latin for et cetera and means "and so on": You need to bring plates, knives, forks, spoons, etc. to the table. It is a good idea, however, to just finish the list, not letting it end with etc. But if you must, use a phrase like "and so on", "and so forth". |
| ethereal ephemeral |
Ethereal describes something that is light, airy, and intangible: Ethereal clouds hovered above; Everything in the ballroom looked ethereal. |
| Ephemeral refers to anything lasting for a short period: Truth can be an ephemeral thing; A creek can be ephemeral if it disappears in the middle of summer. | |
| everyone every one |
Everyone means "each person": Everyone in the room must leave immediately. |
| Every one refers to each thing or person individually: Felice put every one of the eggs in the basket. | |
| exceed accede |
See accede, exceed. |
| except accept |
See accept, except. |
| explicit implicit |
Explicit means "clear and direct": Please give me explicit directions. |
| Implicit means "indirectly, with some parts understood": They implicitly agreed to never talk on the subject again. | |
| • F • | |
| WORDS | DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES |
| fair fare |
A fair is an exhibition of farm produce usually with a collection of rides and attractions: Every year our family goes to the state fair. |
| A fare is the fee you pay to ride public transportation: The fare to ride the bus is affordable in our town. | |
| farther further |
Farther has to do with distance: How much farther is it to Poughkeepsie? |
| Further means "additional" or "more": Please give me further information about the best route to Poughkeepsie. | |
| faze phase |
Faze is to distress or disturb: The scrutiny of the media didn't faze Sharon. |
| A phase is a period of development or a period of time in a cycle of events: Stuart went through a phase when all he did was eat hot dogs. | |
| few less |
Few is used when talking about things that can be counted: Lureen has a few ideas; also a few keys, few clouds, few values, few diseases. |
| Less is used when talking about things that can't be counted: Lureen shows less perseverance than we expected; also less distance, less pollution, less rain. | |
| figuratively literally |
Figuratively refers to metaphoric speech, not realistic or exact: To say, "Horace died laughing," is to speak figuratively. |
| Literally refers to realistic or exact speech: If Horace literally died laughing, he must be buried (but it was not such a bad way to go). | |
| flammable inflammable |
These two words both mean "easily set on fire": a highly flammable/inflammable substance. However, flammable is now used as a warning to avoid misinterpreting the prefix in- as negation. |
| flare flair |
Flare is to increase greatly, burn brightly, or something that provides a bright flame: The fire in the grill flared brightly when Eva tossed gasoline on it. |
| Flair refers to a sense of style or a talent: Dutch Masters has a flair for entertaining a group of men. | |
| flaunt flout |
To flaunt means "to show off": Maud Lynn Dresser likes to flaunt her jewels at parties. |
| To flout means "to show scorn or contempt for": Larry flouts the speed limit in every state when it suits his schedule. | |
| forbear forebear |
Forbear means "to refrain from": The children simply could not forbear laughing in the library. |
| A forebear is an ancestor or forefather: Our forebears who founded this country centuries ago. | |
| foreword forward |
A foreword is a short introduction at the beginning of a book usually written by someone other than the author: The foreword of the book explains how its thesis fits in with current thinking. |
| Forward is an adverb indicating movement ahead or toward the front: Priscilla moves forward slowly in the line at the grocery store. | |
| forth fourth |
Forth means "forward, from this point": Barry moved forth without looking back. |
| Fourth indicates an object that comes between No. 3 and No. 5: Dustin Moppet just finished cleaning the fourth floor. | |
| foul fowl |
Foul can means "offensive, rotten, or unfavorable": Foul language, foul meat, and foul weather are unacceptable at a picnic. |
| Fowl refers to birds, especially domestic ones: Chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys are considered fowl. | |
| found founded |
Found is the past tense of find: I found my glasses only after I had stepped on them! |
| Founded is past tense of the verb found, meaning "to set up or establish": My ancestors were the ones who founded this country. | |
| founder flounder |
Founder means "to run aground": The boat foundered on a shoal in the storm. |
| Flounder means "to move clumsily, with difficulty" or "to blunder": Gladys Friday is floundering in college. | |
| • G • | |
| WORDS | DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES |
| gibe gybe jibe |
Gibe means "to taunt, jeer, make fun of": His classmates gibed Billy Earl for wearing his underwear over his clothes. |
| Gybe means "to swing a fore-and-aft sail from one side of a sailboat to the other to change course": When the wind shifted, Felix gybed when he should have tacked. | |
| Jibe refers to being in agreement: Our views on everything from baseball to Socrates seem to jibe. | |
| gorilla guerrilla |
A gorilla is a large ape: Gorillas live in the African tropical forest. |
| A guerrilla is a member of irregular military that uses surprise attacks on its enemy: Guerrilla warfare uses tactics such as espionage, sabotage, and ambush. | |
| • H • | |
| WORDS | DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES |
| hail hale |
Hail means "to greet or to come from": She hails from California. Hail also means "balls of ice": Hail damaged the crops. |
| Hale means "sound or healthy": Minnie Miles is hale and hearty enough to run five miles daily. | |
| hanged hung |
Hanged is past tense of hang in the sense of executing someone by using a rope around the neck: Outlaws in the Old West were hanged when they could be caught. |
| Hung is the past tense of hang, but is used for things: Lyda Cain's son never hung up his clothes. Just remember hanged is used for people (Yuck!), and hung is used for other things. | |
| hardly | This is a word used in a negative sense meaning "barely": Lyle could hardly keep his eyes open at the lecture by Rhoda Book. |
| herd heard |
A herd is a group of animals: Nonnie saw a herd of cows in the pasture. |
| Heard is the past tense of hear: Zelda heard the bells ringing for the glorious leader who had recently died. | |
| here hear |
Here refers to the place where you are: You should come here more often. |
| Hear is to listen with the ears: Am I speaking loud enough for you to hear me? | |
| heroin heroine |
Heroin is an illicit drug: Heroin is a very addicting substance. |
| A heroine is a female hero in real life or in a story: Marge was treated like a heroine when she delivered the baby in a cab. | |
| historic historical |
Historic refers to something in history that was important: The summit was a historic meeting between the countries. |
| Historical refers to anything in general history: The whole class had to dress in historical costumes for the play. | |
| hoard horde |
Hoard means "to collect and keep for oneself": Squirrels hoard acorns during the winter. |
| A horde is a large group: Hordes of people go Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving. | |
| hole whole |
A hole is a gap or space: A moth made a hole in my sweater. |
| Whole means "complete": Stu Beef ate the whole pizza himself! | |
| home hone |
Home in is the correct phrase here is when referring to getting closer to a goal or target: The missile homed in electronically on the target. |
| Hone means "to sharpen": Denise made a resolution to hone her piano playing skills. | |
| • I • | |
| WORDS | DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES |
| i. e. e. g. |
See e. g., i. e. |
| illicit elicit |
See elicit, illicit. |
| illusion allusion |
See allusion, illusion. |
| immemorial immortal immoral |
Immemorial refers to that which is beyond time, ancient: These artifacts have been here since time immemorial. |
| Immortal describes things that live forever: The way Randolph drives, he must think that he is immortal. | |
| Immoral means "not nice, unethical, bad": Stealing is immoral. | |
| immoral amoral |
See amoral, immoral. |
| immigrant emigrant |
See emigrant, immigrant. |
| immigrate emigrate |
See emigrate, immigrate. |
| imminent eminent, emanant |
See eminent. |
| implicate, imply | Implicate means "to closely link or connect": The blood on his hands implicated him in the murder. |
| Imply means "to point to, or suggest indirectly": The victim's friend implied he thought he knew who the murderer was. | |
| implicit explicit |
See explicit, implicit. |
| imply infer |
Imply means "to suggest indirectly": Her hesitation implied that her answer was no. |
| Infer means "to draw a conclusion from known facts": He inferred that the answer was no from her hesitation. | |
| in regard to as regards |
Both of these mean "referring to", but use one or the other: In regard to your proposal I have an idea, or: As regards your proposal, I have an idea. NOT in regards to! |
| inchoate incoherent |
Inchoate describes something in an early stage of development, and that is incomplete: Lucy's plan remained inchoate and was developed no further. |
| Incoherent describes something that is lacking connection or order: Some even thought that Lucy's plan was just a few incoherent thoughts that didn't hang together. | |
| incredible incredulous |
Incredible means "astonishing or difficult to grasp": The incredible power of a tornado attracts storm chasers. |
| Incredulous means "skeptical and disbelieving": She was incredulous about Fred's interpretation of the event. | |
| induction deduction |
See deduction, induction. |
| innervate enervate |
See enervate, innervate. |
| insure ensure assure |
See assure, ensure, insure. |
| intolerable intolerant |
Intolerable refers to something unbearable: The heat during the summer of 2005 was intolerable. |
| Intolerant refers to a person who is unable to accept differences in opinion, habit, or belief: Maybelle is intolerant of anyone who chews with their mouth open. | |
| irregardless regardless |
Regardless is the correct word to use, meaning "without regard": The young man left regardless of the warnings. |
| Irregardless is a double negative that should be avoided. | |
| its it's |
Its is the possessive form of it, like hers, his, and theirs: The dog licked its foot after stepping in maple syrup. |
| It's is short for 'it is', a contraction of those two words: "Well, I guess it's [it is] time to wash the dog again." | |
| • J • | |
| WORDS | DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES |
| jibe gibe gybe |
See gibe, gybe, jibe. |
| • K • | |
| WORDS | DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES |
| kind of sort of |
Avoid these expressions in the sense of "somewhat", "rather" or "a little" (especially avoid reducing them to kinda and sorta). The pace of the baseball game was rather [not kind of] slow. |
| knew new |
Knew is the past tense of know: She knew what she wanted to say but couldn't say it. |
| New means "never used": I ordered a new custom car from the factory today. | |
| • L • | |
| WORDS | DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES |
| latent patent |
Latent means "present but not visible or active": Just because I'm not in bed doesn't mean that I don't have a latent virus. |
| Patent means "visible, active, or obvious": The claim that I pinched Marilyn's tush is a patent lie! | |
| later latter |
Later means "afterward": Come later than seven o'clock. |
| Latter means "the last of two things mentioned": If I have to choose between brains or beauty, I'll take the latter. | |
| lay lie |
Lay is a transitive verb, which means it takes an object. It means "to set or put down flat": Gwendolyn laid child in the crib, or Lay a book on the table, please. Its forms are lay, lays, laid, has laid, and is laying. |
| Lie is an intransitive verb, so it does not take an object. It means "to rest supine or remain in a certain place": I have to lie down because I'm not feeling well, or I like to lie in the grass for hours. Its forms are lie, lies, lay, has lain, and is lying. | |
| lead led |
Lead can be a verb meaning "to guide, be in charge of": Greg will lead a group this afternoon. It can also be a noun meaning "a type of metallic element": Use a lead pencil to fill in your answer sheet. |
| Led is the past tense of lead: Greg led the group this afternoon. | |
| lend loan borrow |
Lend is a verb that mean "to temporarily give something to someone": Lucy will lend or loan Chuck her books any day. |
| A loan is a noun meaning something borrowed: Most people get a bank loan to buy a house. Loan is also used in American English as a verb meaning "to lend". | |