In this day and age of autocorrect and spell checks, there is a tendency for even the sharpest amongst us to assume our work is flawless. What we don’t realize is that auto correct and spell checks only check the spelling and there is no intelligent bot embedded in any software or devices (so far) to identify the logical accuracy of sentences we construct.
In the English language, there are a handful of words that might sound the same but whose meanings are polar opposites. This can be a costly mistake to have in any official communication.
To make sure you are more aware of these words, here is our collection of the most commonly confused English words.
Accept/Except:
Accept (verb) – to agree to receive or take something.
For example: ‘Do you accept credit cards?’
Except (preposition, conjunction) – excluding or not including
For example: ‘The dog never listened to anyone except his owner.‘
Advice/Advise:
Advice (noun) – to give tips or recommendations in a particular situation
For example: ‘The President had plenty of advice during the election campaign.‘
Advise (verb) – to tell someone what you think they should do in a particular situation
For example: ‘The tour guide advised the tourists to explore the local markets to soak in the local culture.‘
Affect/Effect:
Affect (verb) – to influence or make a difference to
For example: ‘The injury will affect his performance in the marathon.‘
Effect (noun) – a result or an influence
For example: ‘The mother’s voice had a calming effect on the newborn.‘
Aisle/Isle:
Aisle – a long narrow passage between rows of seats
For example: ‘Some passengers prefer the seats closest to the aisle.‘
Isle – an island
For example: ‘The Caribbean Isles have the most magnificent beaches.‘
All together/Altogether:
All together – all in one place, in a group, all at once
For example: ‘The last time we were all together was 2 years back‘
Altogether – entirely, all told, or on the whole
For example: ‘Altogether, I have 15 pairs of shoes.‘
Along/A long:
Along – a preposition that means beside or parallel to
For example: ‘We walked along the riverbank.‘
A long – a phrase used to define the length of an object or a time
For example: ‘It is a long time until Friday.‘
Aloud/Allowed:
Aloud – an adjective that refers to something said that can be heard by anyone who is near enough
For example: ‘I have a bad habit of speaking my thoughts aloud.‘
Allowed – an adjective that means having permission to do something
For example: ‘You are allowed to go to the dance.‘
Assent/Ascent:
Assent – a noun that means agreement
For example: ‘We need to reach assent on how to do this project.‘
Ascent – a noun that refers to going up or advancing from an original position
For example: ‘I watched the balloon’s ascent into the sky.‘
Bare/Bear:
Bare – an adjective that means without cover or clothing
For example: ‘He wore bright green swimming trunks, and his chest was bare.‘
Bear – a verb that means to hold up, support, or tolerate, and it is also a noun that refers to an animal
For example: ‘The grizzly bear cannot bear to be without her cubs.‘
Berth/Birth:
Berth – a noun that means a space adequate for a ship to move, dock, or anchor
For example: ‘Move toward the berth so we can dock and get the passengers off the ship.‘
Birth – a noun that means the process by which mammals enter the world
For example: ‘The horse gave birth to a small bay filly.‘
Born/Borne:
Born – an adjective that refers to the process by which a living creature enters the world
For example: ‘When were you born?‘
Borne – an adjective that refers to something that is carried by something else
For example: ‘I contracted mosquito-borne malaria while in Uganda.‘
Brake/Break:
Brake – a noun that means a device that is used to stop a vehicle in motion
For example: ‘Push the brake if you want to stop.‘
Break – a noun that means a pause
For example: ‘Go for your break so you can have a coffee.‘
Cereal/Serial:
Cereal – a noun that refers to a breakfast food
For example: ‘My favorite cereal is Frosted Wheat.‘
Serial – a noun that means a series of something, such as a show or a book
For example: ‘Charles Dickens is the author of the serial novel The Pickwick Papers.‘
Chord/Cord:
Chord – a noun that means a sound made by an instrument when multiple pitches are played together
For example: ‘I need to strum an E chord on my guitar.‘
Cord – a noun that means multiple threads of thin material woven together
For example: ‘The cord connecting the phone to the wall is covered in a protective plastic layer.‘
Complement/Compliment:
Complement – a noun or verb, referring to something that matches or enhances
For example: ‘The pillow he bought was a complement to the couch‘
Compliment – a noun or verb and refers to an expression of praise
For example: ‘She complimented her friend on her excellent taste.‘
Council/Counsel:
Council – a noun that means an assembly of persons
For example: ‘The city council makes decisions about what’s best for the town.‘
Counsel – a verb or a noun meaning to give advice
For example: ‘He asked her to counsel him.‘
Cue/Queue:
Cue – a noun that means a signal that should initiate some sort of reaction
For example: ‘Wait for the cue to say your lines.‘
Queue – a noun that is used to describe a line of cars or people
For example: ‘There was a long queue of cars waiting for the train to pass.‘
Curb/Kerb:
Curb – a verb that means to keep something in check; a control or limit
For example: ‘You really need to curb your spending.‘
Kerb – a noun referring to the stone edge of a pavement
For example: ‘The cyclist slipped-off the edge of the kerb on to the street.‘
Currant/Current:
Currant – a noun that refers to a dried fruit, specifically a dried grape
For example: ‘You can buy currants in bulk at the store.‘
Current – an adjective that means up to date or most recent
For example: ‘What is your current situation at home?‘
Defuse/Diffuse:
Defuse – a verb that means to remove pressure from a tense situation
For example: ‘Maybe your mother can defuse the situation with your sister.‘
Diffuse – a verb that means to disperse within a space
For example: ‘The drink powder will diffuse in the water.‘
Desert/Dessert:
Desert – a noun that means a dry, arid region
For example: ‘The Sahara is the largest desert in the world.‘
Dessert – the sweet food eaten at the end of a meal
For example: ‘Chocolate ice cream is undoubtedly my favorite dessert food.‘
Discreet/Discrete:
Discreet – an adjective meaning judicious or showing prudence
For example: ‘He made sure to be discreet when talking to the press.‘
Discrete – an adjective meaning separate or distinct
For example: ‘Her business had five discrete functions.‘
Dual/Duel:
Dual – an adjective that means made up of two parts
For example: ‘Bleach and chlorine make up the dual power in this laundry cleaning product.‘
Duel – a noun that means a battle with someone, either in a fight or a contest
For example: ‘Sir Michael, my good man, I challenge you to a duel‘
Elicit/Illicit:
Elicit – a verb meaning to draw out
For example: ‘The officer tried to elicit the truth from the suspect.‘
Illicit – an adjective meaning illegal
For example: ‘He seemed to have no information about the illicit drug ring.‘
Emigrate/Immigrate:
Emigrate – a verb that means to leave one country to live in another
For example: ‘The family emigrated from the UK.‘
Immigrate – a verb that means to move to another country
For example: ‘The family immigrated to Canada 20 years ago.‘
Envelop/Envelope:
Envelop – a verb meaning to wrap up or to cover entirely
For example: ‘She was grateful that her cloak was big enough to envelop her.‘
Envelope – a noun that means a flat paper container
For example: ‘She mailed her letter in a small white envelope.‘
Foreword/Forward:
Foreword – a noun that means the section at the beginning of a book that introduces the content
For example: ‘I want to write a foreword to my memoir, but it can’t be too revealing.‘
Forward – a directional adverb that means coming up or up ahead
For example: ‘Move your chair forward so you’re closer to the stage.‘
Hoard/Horde:
Hoard – a noun that means a supply or a verb that means to accumulate
For example: ‘After collecting acorns all summer, the squirrel had gathered quite a hoard.‘
Horde – a noun that means a large group
For example: ‘A horde of people gathered around the celebrity, asking for photos and autographs.‘
Imply/Infer:
Imply – a verb that means to indicate or suggest without being specific
For example: ‘I didn’t mean to imply that I don’t care about you.‘
Infer – a verb that means to guess or speculate
For example: ‘From his hunched posture and pronounced frown, she inferred that he was feeling very disappointed.‘
Loose/Lose:
Loose – an adjective used to describe something that doesn’t fit tightly
For example: ‘I bought this skirt when I was overweight, and now it is too loose.‘
Lose – a verb that means to misplace something
For example: ‘I always lose my keys when I put them in this giant purse.‘
Pedal/Peddle:
Pedal – a noun meaning a lever that is worked by the foot
For example: ‘She pedaled her bike faster to get away from him, but her foot slipped off the pedal‘
Peddle – a verb meaning to sell something door to door
For example: ‘To earn money, the man decided to peddle his wares on the street.‘
Pole/Poll:
Pole – a noun that refers to a long, cylinder-shaped object
For example: ‘The pole sticking out of the ground was made of metal.‘
Poll – a survey or an election
For example: ‘I’m taking a poll: do you prefer white or whole wheat bread?‘
Pour/Pore:
Pour – a verb that describes a way to make a non-solid material flow from one container to another
For example: ‘Please pour me some more tea.‘
Pore – a noun that means a small hole or opening
For example: ‘You have pores in your skin that are too small to see.‘
Practice/Practise:
Practice – a noun that refers to the use of something, such as an idea, theory, or process
For example: ‘Brushing twice a day is a healthy practice.‘
Practise – a verb meaning to repeat in the hopes of improvement over time
For example: ‘I practice the piano every day.‘
Principal/Principle:
Principal – a noun meaning chief or head. It can also be an adjective meaning highest in rank
For example: ‘The principal of the middle school was strict but kind.‘
Principle – a noun meaning a rule, law, or characteristic
For example: ‘Students must follow the basic principles of good behavior.‘
Govind Nair
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