|
Confusables
|
Meanings
|
|
to agree to
receive or do
not including |
|
|
unfavourable,
harmful
strongly disliking; opposed |
|
|
recommendations
about what to do
to recommend something |
|
|
to change or
make a difference to
a result; to bring about a result |
|
|
a passage
between rows of seats
an island |
|
|
all in one
place, all at once
completely; on the whole |
|
|
moving or
extending horizontally on
referring to something of great length |
|
|
out loud
permitted |
|
|
a sacred
table in a church
to change |
|
|
not concerned
with right or wrong
not following accepted moral standards |
|
|
to assess
to inform someone |
|
|
agreement,
approval
the action of rising or climbing up |
|
|
relating to
the ears or hearing
relating to the mouth; spoken |
|
|
pleasantly
warm
foolish, crazy |
|
|
naked; to
uncover
to carry; to put up with |
|
|
in phrase
'with bated breath', i.e. in great suspense
with bait attached or inserted |
|
|
a Middle
Eastern market
strange |
|
|
a bunk in a
ship, train, etc.
the emergence of a baby from the womb |
|
|
having
started life
carried |
|
|
a branch of a
tree
to bend the head; the front of a ship |
|
|
a device for
stopping a vehicle; to stop a vehicle
to separate into pieces; a pause |
|
|
to break
through, or break a rule; a gap
the back part of a gun barrel |
|
|
to raise a
subject for discussion
a piece of jewellery |
|
|
a type of
strong cloth
to seek people’s votes |
|
|
to criticize
strongly
to ban parts of a book or film; a person who does this |
|
|
a grass
producing an edible grain; a breakfast food made from grains
happening in a series |
|
|
a group of
musical notes
a length of string; a cord-like body part |
|
|
forming a
climax
relating to climate |
|
|
rough
a direction; a school subject; part of a meal |
|
|
smug and
self-satisfied
willing to please |
|
|
to add to so
as to improve; an addition that improves something
to praise or express approval; an admiring remark |
|
|
a group of
people who manage or advise
advice; to advise |
|
|
a signal for
action; a wooden rod
a line of people or vehicles |
|
|
to keep
something in check; a control or limit
(in British English) the stone edge of a pavement |
|
|
a dried grape
happening now; a flow of water, air, or electricity |
|
|
to make a
situation less tense
to spread over a wide area |
|
|
a waterless,
empty area; to abandon someone
the sweet course of a meal |
|
|
careful not
to attract attention
separate and distinct |
|
|
impartial
not interested |
|
|
a current of
air
a first version of a piece of writing |
|
|
an even score
at the end of a game
a sliding storage compartment |
|
|
having two
parts
a fight or contest between two people |
|
|
to draw out a
reply or reaction
not allowed by law or rules |
|
|
to make
certain that something will happen
to provide compensation if a person dies or property is damaged |
|
|
to cover or
surround
a paper container for a letter |
|
|
physical
activity; to do physical activity
to drive out an evil spirit |
|
|
a young deer;
light brown
a mythical being, part man, part goat |
|
|
to display
ostentatiously
to disregard a rule |
|
|
to move
clumsily; to have difficulty doing something
to fail |
|
|
to refrain
an ancestor |
|
|
an
introduction to a book
onwards, ahead |
|
|
to turn to
ice
a decoration along a wall |
|
|
gruesome,
revolting
a type of bear |
|
|
a store
a large crowd of people |
|
|
to suggest
indirectly
to draw a conclusion |
|
|
reluctant,
unwilling
to hate |
|
|
to unfasten;
to set free
to be deprived of; to be unable to find |
|
|
a measuring
device
a metric unit; rhythm in verse |
|
|
to be a
powerful factor against
to make less severe |
|
|
the roof of
the mouth
a board for mixing colours |
|
|
a
foot-operated lever
to sell goods |
|
|
a long,
slender piece of wood
voting in an election |
|
|
to flow or
cause to flow
a tiny opening; to study something closely |
|
|
the use of an
idea or method; the work or business of a doctor, dentist, etc.
to do something repeatedly to gain skill; to do something regularly |
|
|
to authorize
use of medicine; to order authoritatively
to officially forbid something |
|
|
most
important; the head of a school
a fundamental rule or belief |
|
|
a person
inclined to doubt
infected with bacteria |
|
|
the ability
to see
a location |
|
|
not moving
writing materials |
|
|
a level of a
building
a tale or account |
|
|
to arouse
interest
to make more attractive |
|
|
full of
twists; complex
full of pain or suffering |
|
|
a ring-shaped
arrangement of flowers etc.
to surround or encircle |
|
|
a wooden
crosspiece for harnessing a pair of oxen
the yellow center of an egg |
###########################################
Accept vs. Except
Accept (verb) - to receive
·
I
accepted all my birthday gifts with gratitude.
Except (conjunction) -
apart from; otherwise than; were it not true
·
When
Susan travels, she packs everything except the kitchen sink.
Affect vs. Effect
Affect (verb) - to have an
effect on; influence; produce a change in; to stir the emotions
·
The
dog's death affected his owners.
Effect (noun) - anything
brought about by a cause or agent; result
·
The
new speed limit law had little effect on the speed of the motorists.
All Intensive Purposes
vs. All Intents and Purposes
"All intensive
purpose" is an incorrect use of the phrase "all intents and
purposes."
"All intents and
purposes" is a phrase that means "for all practical purposes" or
"under most usual situations."
·
For
all intents and purpose, she planned to buy the refrigerator but still wanted
to check the reviews.
A Lot vs. Allot
A lot (noun phrase) -many
·
A
lot of people came to the party.
*"A lot" is
always two separate words. "Alot" is not a real word.
Allot (verb) - to distribute,
give or assign
·
Fifteen
minutes were allotted to each of the speakers at the conference.
Allusion vs. Illusion
Allusion (noun) - an
indirect reference
·
The Austin
Powers movies often make allusions to the James Bond films.
Illusion (noun) - a false
idea or conception; belief or opinion not in accord with the facts; an unreal,
deceptive, or misleading appearance or image
·
The
magician created the illusion that he was levitating.
Awhile vs. A While
Awhile (adverb) - for a
while; for a short time
·
The
guests planned to stay awhile.
A while (noun) - for a
short time; when while is used as the object of the preposition (for a while)
then the "a" is separated from the "while"
·
The
guests planned to stay for a while.
Bad vs. Badly
Bad (adjective) - not good
·
Your
feet smell bad.
Badly (adverb) - not well;
in a bad manner; harmfully; incorrectly; wickedly; unpleasantly
·
Charlotte
plays tennis very badly.
·
The
people involved in the accident were badly hurt.
*Here, a note. Adjectives generally
describe nouns, so even if you use the word “bad” following a verb in a
sentence, if it’s meant to describe the thing itself, then use the adjective.
“Bad” here means the same as “rotten,” “rancid” or “stinky,” all of which are
adjectives. If you can replace “bad” with another adjective and still have a
sentence that makes sense, then you know that “bad” was the correct choice. Adverbs often describe the manner in which
something is done. To say, “your feet smell badly” is to say that your feet are
inhaling through the nose and perceiving odors, and that they’re going about it
all wrong.
Borrow vs. Lend
Borrow (verb) - to take or
accept something for a short time with the intention of returning it to its
rightful owner
·
May
I borrow a pencil, please?
Lend (verb) - to give
something for a short time with the intention of getting it back
·
Would
you please lend me a pencil?
Breath vs. Breathe
Breath (noun) - air taken
into the lungs and then let out
·
Take
a deep breath.
Breathe (verb) - to inhale
and exhale
·
Just
calm down and breathe.
Butt Naked vs. Buck Naked
Butt Naked is a phrase that
means to be without clothes.
·
The
baby tore off his diaper and ran around the house butt naked.
Buck Naked is a phrase that
also means to be naked and without clothing.
·
The
baby tore off his diaper and ran around the house buck naked.
*Note - Neither of these
phrases is incorrect. The term buck naked may derive from the term buckskin,
that which hides are fashioned. However, neither term has much etymological
backing for one being more correct than another.
Cache vs. Cash
Cache (noun) - a safe place
to store supplies; anything stored or hidden in such a place
·
The
hikers found a cache with some cash and jewels.
Cash (noun) - money, coins,
bills; currency
·
ATM
machines dispense cash.
Chomp at the Bit vs.
Champ at the Bit
Chomp at the bit - an over
used and incorrect form of "champing at the bit"
Champ at the bit (idiom) -
ready or anxious; eager to be going or moving along.
·
The
kids were champing at the bit to see the newest Harry Potter movie.
Complement vs. Compliment
Complement (noun) - that
which completes or brings to perfection; (verb) - to make complete
·
Red
wine is a nice complement to a steak dinner.
Compliment (noun) -
something said in admiration, praise, or flattery; (verb) - to pay a compliment
to; congratulate
·
She
gave me a nice compliment when she said I looked thin.
Comprise vs. Compose
Comprise (verb)
- to include; to contain; to consist of; to be composed of
·
The
state of North Carolina comprises 100 counties.
Compose (verb) - to form in
combination; make up; constitute
·
One
hundred counties compose the state of North Carolina.
Desert vs. Dessert
Desert (verb) - to forsake
or abandon; to leave without permission; to fail when needed
·
Soldiers
should not desert their posts.
Desert (noun) - dry,
barren, sandy region
·
The
largest desert in the world is the Sahara.
Dessert (noun) - a sweet
course served at the end of a meal
·
Fruit
makes a healthy dessert after lunch or dinner.
Done vs. Did
Done (adjective) -
completed; sufficiently cooked; socially acceptable
Done (verb) - the past
participle of do
·
After
an hour, the roast was done.
Did (verb) - past tense of
do
·
The
children did not want to leave the playground.
Elicit vs. Illicit
Elicit (verb) - to draw
forth; evoke
·
The
teacher elicited answers from the students.
Illicit (adjective) -
unlawful; illegal
·
The
teacher discovered illicit drugs in a student’s desk.
Fair to Midland vs. Fair
to Middling
Fair to midland - an
incorrect use of the phrase "fair to middling"
Fair to middling (phrase) -
something that is moderate to average in quality
·
The
temperature was fair to middling today.
Had Bought vs. Had
Boughten
Had Bought (verb) - the
past perfect tense of the verb buy
·
The
teacher had bought Christmas presents for all of students early in the year.
Had Boughten - incorrect
usage of the past perfect tense
Hone vs. Home
Hone (verb) - to sharpen;
to yearn or long for; to grumble or moan
·
Practicing
the piano daily is a good way to hone your skills.
Home (noun) - dwelling;
place where a person lives
·
After
the long drive, we were all ready to be home and asleep.
Idiosyncrasy vs.
Idiosyncracy
Idiosyncrasy (noun) - any
personal peculiarity or mannerism; individual reaction to food or drug.
·
Twins
have idiosyncrasies, which often help to distinguish one from the other.
Idiosyncracy is a
misspelling of idiosyncrasy.
Imitated vs. Intimated
Imitated (verb) - past
tense of the verb imitate, which means to seek to follow the example of;
impersonate; mimic
·
The
toddler imitated the dog by crawling on hands and knees and barking.
Intimated (verb) - to make
known indirectly; to hint or imply
·
The
pirate intimated that he knew where the treasure was buried.
In a Sense vs. In Essence
In a sense (idiom) - in a
way; in one way of looking at it
·
In
a sense, computers have been a boon to society.
In essence (idiom) - by
nature; essentially
·
The
cat is, in essence, quiet and timid.
In One Foul Swoop vs. In
One Fell Swoop
In one foul swoop - an
incorrect use of the phrase "in one fell swoop"
In one fell swoop - a
phrase meaning "all at once"
·
In
one fell swoop, the toy was demolished by the child.
Its vs. It’s
Its (possessive pronoun) -
of, belonging to, made by, or done by it
·
The
dog will only eat its food when I am also eating.
It’s (contraction) of it + is
·
It’s
a very strange dog.
I Could Of vs. I Could
Have
I could of - an incorrect
use of the verb phrase could have; when written as a contraction
"could've" sounds like "could of."
I could have - is the past
perfect tense of the verb could
·
I
could have gone to the play, but I had to study that night
I Should of vs. I Should
Have
I should of - an incorrect
use of the verb phrase should have; when written as a contraction
"should've" sounds like "should of."
I should have - is the past
perfect tense of the verb should
·
I
should have gone to the play instead of study because I failed my test anyway.
I Would Of vs. I Would
Have
I would of - an incorrect
use of the verb phrase would have; when written as a contraction
"would've" sounds like "would of."
I would have - is the past
perfect tense of the verb would
·
I
would have gone to the play except my car wouldn't start.
Lead vs. Led
Lead (noun) - a heavy,
soft, malleable, bluish-gray metallic chemical element used in batteries and in
numerous alloys and compounds
·
I
think it was Mrs. White in the billiard room with the lead pipe.
Led (verb) - past tense and
past participle of the verb "to lead"
·
The
two coaches have each led their teams to numerous championships.
Lose vs. Loose
Lose (verb) - to become
unable to find; to mislay; to fail to win or gain
·
Did
you lose your glasses again?
·
How
many games did your team lose last season?
Loose (adjective) - not
tight; giving enough room
·
I’ve
lost twenty pounds, and now these jeans are really loose.
More/Most Importantly vs.
More/Most Important
More/most importantly - a
phrase used often in writing to show emphasis; however, many grammarians insist
that this is not correct usage. The adverbial ending of -ly is not needed.
More/most important - this
phrase should be used instead
·
The
most important part of story is the ending.
Passed vs. Past
Passed (verb) - past tense
of the verb "to pass"
·
I
think we passed the store. Let’s turn around and go back.
Past (adjective) - of a
former time; bygone; (noun) - the time that has gone by; days, months, or years
gone by
·
In
the past, I’ve gotten lost a lot, but this time I know where we are.
Precede vs. Proceed
Precede (verb) - to be,
come, or go before in time, place, order, rank, or importance
·
The
election of a new president precedes his inauguration.
Proceed (verb) - to advance
or go on, especially after stopping
·
After
your first assignment has been completed and approved, you may proceed to the
second one.
Principal vs. Principle
Principal (noun) - a
governing or presiding officer, specifically of a school; (adjective) - first
in rank, authority, importance, degree, etc.
·
The
student’s parents had to have a meeting with the principal.
Principle (noun) - a fundamental
truth, law, doctrine, or motivating force, upon which others are based
·
The
student’s parents thought that they had instilled stronger moral principles in
their son.
Seen vs. Saw
Seen (verb) - past
participle of the verb see; must be used with the verbs has, have, or had
·
I
have seen the movie three times.
·
*Note:
I seen the movie three times is not correct though it is commonly used in
spoken language.
Saw (verb) - past tense of
the verb see
·
I
saw the movie yesterday.
Sell vs. Sale
Sell (verb) - to give up,
deliver or exchange for money
·
People
who move often sell unwanted items instead of packing them.
Sale (noun) - the act of
selling; the work, department, etc. of selling
·
After
Christmas sales always bring in the bargain shoppers.
Site vs. Sight
Sight (noun) - something
seen, a view, field of vision
·
She
was a sight for sore eyes.
Site (noun) - a piece of
land considered for a specific purpose
·
The
corner lot was a perfect site for the new shopping center.
Spitting Image vs. Spirit
and Image
"Spitting image"
is a phrase that means exactly like. The first known use in writing of this
phrase was in 1901.
·
Karen
is the spitting image of her mother.
"Spirit and
Image" - There is some speculation that the "spit" in the phrase
"spitting image" came from the word "spirit" in the phrase
"spirit and image." However, there is no etymological basis for this
belief since the phrase "spirit and image" used in reference to an
exact likeness is not found in writing. The terms "spit," "spit
and image," and "dead spit" have all been found to refer to a
likeness since the 1800's.
Stationary vs. Stationery
Stationary (adjective) -
not moving or not movable; fixed or still
·
I
rode the stationary bike at the gym for an hour.
Stationery (noun) - writing
materials; specifically, paper and envelopes used for letters
·
My
grandmother has given me a lot of stationery over the years. I think she wants
me to use it to write her.
Taut vs Taunt
Taut (adjective) - tightly
stretched; showing strain; tidy or well-disciplined
·
The
taut rope held the luggage to the roof.
Taunt (verb) - to reproach
in scornful or sarcastic language; to drive or provoke
·
The
home team taunted the visitors with cheers every time the visiting team made an
error.
Than vs. Then
Than (conjunction) - used
to introduce the second element in a comparison
·
My
right foot is bigger than my left foot.
Then (adverb) - at that
time; next in order; (adjective) - of that time; (noun) - that time
·
Take
off all your clothes first. Then get in the shower.
·
Emily
drove up to New York with her then boyfriend, Nick.
·
Let's
wait until we're hungry; we can decide what we want to eat then.
Their vs. There vs.
They’re
Their (adjective)
- of, belonging to, made by, or done by them
·
They
were proud of their work.
There (noun) - that place
or point
·
Just
put it over there.
They’re (contraction) of
they + are
·
They’re
going out to dinner tonight.
To vs. Too vs. Two
To (preposition) - in the
direction of and reaching; as far as; to the extent of
·
I’m
going to Baltimore.
Too (adverb) - in addition;
as well; besides; also; more than enough; superfluously; overly; to a
regrettable extent; extremely
·
I’m
going to Baltimore, too.
·
I'm
too busy. I can't go to Baltimore.
Two (adjective) the number
2
·
I
have two jobs.
Your vs. You're
Your (adjective) -
belonging to you
·
Is
this your dog?
You're (contraction) - you
are
·
You're
a great mother!
Who vs. Whom
Who (subject pronoun) -
what or which person or persons; the person or persons that, or a person that
(used to introduce a relative clause)
·
Who
is going to the party with you?
Whom (object pronoun) -
what or which person or persons; the person or persons that, or a person that
(used to introduce a relative clause)
·
With
whom are you going to the party?
Read more at http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/commonly-confused-words.html#4YCsj5eQ5okBVQSI.99
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