Words Often Confused

Words Often Confused

Study this list in order to avoid common errors in word choice.

A
accent to emphasize
ascent climb
assent to agree to something

accept to receive
except with the exception of

access right or ability to enter
excess amount left over

adapt to adjust
adopt to take as one's own

addition part added
edition publication

advice counsel or information
advise to give advice

affect to act upon or influence
effect result; to bring about

allude to refer indirectly
elude to evade

allusion indirect reference
illusion misleading image

anecdote brief story
antidote remedy for poison

ante- prior to or earlier than
anti- opposite or against

assure to give confidence to
ensure to make certain

aural relating to hearing
oral relating to the mouth, spoken

B
base bottom
bass fish; deep voice

born produced by birth
borne carried

brake to slow or stop
break to knock into pieces

breadth width
breath breathed air
breathe to draw in air

C
capital city as government center
capitol state legislature building
Capitol U.S. Congress building

cite to quote
sight spectacle, view
site piece of land; set of Web pages

complement to complete
compliment to praise

conscience moral awareness
conscious mentally awake

consul diplomatic official
council administrative body
counsel lawyer; to give advice

credible believable
creditable worthy of praise

currant raisinlike fruit
current stream; used at the moment

D
decent good or satisfactory
descent downward movement
dissent difference of opinion

decree official order
degree extent or scope

desert dry barren region
dessert sweet food ending a meal

detract to disparage or reduce
distract to draw attention away

device specialized tool
devise to invent, to plot

E
edition See addition

effect See affect

eligible entitled; desirable
illegible not readable

elude See allude

eminent prominent
imminent ready to happen

ensure See assure

envelop to surround
envelope letter container

except See accept

excess See access

F
formally in a formal manner
formerly at an earlier time

forth forward, onward
fourth 4th

G
gorilla large manlike ape
guerrilla irregular warrior

H
hardy bold, robust
hearty jolly; vigorous

hoard hidden treasure
horde throng

I
illegible See eligible

imminent See eminent

imply hint, indicate
infer conclude, deduce

incredible unbelievable
incredulous astonished

inherent intrinsic
inherit to receive from an ancestor

install to set up for use
instill to impart gradually

it's it is; it has
its belonging to it

J
No entries for J

K
No entries for K

L
lay to put or set down
lie to rest horizontally

lead to guide; heavy metal
led guided

liable obligated by law
libel to defame; false publication

loose unattached
lose to fail to win

M
medal commemorative metal piece
meddle to interfere

miner mine worker
minor young person; unimportant

moral ethical; lesson
morale emotional attitude

N
No entries for N

O
oral See aural

P
passed past tense of "pass"
past previous; beyond

peace tranquility
piece portion

pear fruit
peer one's equal; to look intently
pier dock

pedal foot lever
peddle to sell

perpetrate to be guilty of
perpetuate to make perpetual

persecute to harass
prosecute to bring legal action

personal private, individual
personnel group of employees

plain ordinary
plane airplane; flat surface

pole long piece of wood or metal
poll sampling of opinion

pray to ask earnestly
prey victim

precede to go or come before
proceed to advance or continue

preposition part of speech
proposition proposal

principal main; chief person
principle basic rule

propose to plan or intend
purpose goal, intention

Q
quiet noiseless
quite rather

R
rain water falling in drops
reign to govern
rein strap for controlling a horse

raise to lift, to increase
raze to destroy or tear down

respectfully with respect
respectively in order

resume to take up again
résumé life summary

right correct
rite ceremonial act

role part, function
roll to turn over

S
sight See cite

site See cite

sit to lie, rest
set to put

stationary not moving
stationery writing material

statue piece of sculpture
stature height; status
statute law

T
tack course of action
tact sensitivity

than in comparison with
then at that time

their belonging to them
there in that place
they're they are

thorough complete
through into and out of

to toward
too also, very
two 2

U
No entries for U

V
No entries for V

W
waist middle of the body
waste scrap, garbage

waive to give up voluntarily
wave to motion with the hand

weather atmospheric state
whether if

were past form of "be"
we're we are
where at what place

who's who is; who has
whose of whom

X
No entries for X

Y
your belonging to you
you're you are

Z
No entries for Z