48 Commonly Confused Words and Meanings in English

48 Commonly Confused Words and Meanings in English

accept: Receive
except: Leave out

adverse: unfavourable or harmful
adverse: strongly disliking or opposed to

advice: Guidance or recommendations
advise: To offer suggestions about best

affect: Influence
effect: Result

allowed: Permitted
aloud: Clearly heard

allude; Make indirect reference
elude; Escape from something

ate: Past tense of
eat: Eight The number

aural: Relating to ears or hearing
oral: Relates to the mouth or spoken word

bare: Naked or to uncover
bear: To carry or put up with something

born: having started a life
borne: carried

bough: Branch of a tree
bow: front of a ship or to bend the head

break: Smash, split
brake: Stopping device

by: Preposition
buy: Purchase

capital: City, wealth
capitol: Building

canvas: Strong type of cloth
canvass: Seek someone’s vote

climatic: relating to climate
climactic: creating a climax

coarse: Rough
course: Way or path

currant: Dried grape
current: Happening now

disinterested: Impartial
uninterested: Not interested

dual: Having two parts
duel: Contest between two participants

emigrate: leave one country or region to settle in another
immigrate: enter another country reside there

ensure: Guarantee
insure: financial liability

farther: Physical distance
further: Abstract idea

fewer: is used with nouns that can be counted
less: is used with nouns that cannot be counted

for: Preposition
four: The number

forth: Forward
fourth: Comes after third

hear: Perceive
here: In this place

illicit: not allowed by law or against rules
elicit: draw out a reply or reaction

immoral: not following moral standarts
amoral: unconcerned with right or wrong

infer: draw a conclusion from
imply: indirectly suggest something

loathe: to hate someone or something
loath: reluctant or unwilling

loose: Free
lose: Misplace

palate: Roof of the mouth
palette: Board for mixing colours

peace: Absence of war
piece: Part, portion

plain: Simple
plane: Flat surface

pole: Long, slender piece of wood
poll: Vote in an election

principle: Rule
principal: Chief person

quiet: silent
quite: Really, positively

serial: happening in a series
cereal: breakfast food or edible grain

sight: Ability to see
site: Location or place

storey: Level of a building
story: Tale or account

stationary: Not moving
stationery: Writing paper

than: comparison
then: At that time

to: In the direction of
too: Also

tortuous: Complex of full or twists
torturous: Suffering of full or pain

two: the number two
too: also

weak: poor, low, faint, thin, lean
week: Seven days

weather: Atmospheric conditions
whether: If, in case

which: what one
witch: sorceress

who: subject
whom: object