{"id":92,"date":"2017-05-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-13T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/log.cudoo.com\/2018\/03\/11\/commonly-confused-words-in-the-english-language\/"},"modified":"2022-10-12T15:45:43","modified_gmt":"2022-10-12T11:45:43","slug":"commonly-confused-words-in-english-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/commonly-confused-words-in-english-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Commonly Confused Words in the English Language"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

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.
\nTo make sure you are more aware of these words, here is our collection of the most commonly confused English words.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Accept\/Except:<\/span><\/p>\n

Accept <\/strong>(verb)\u00a0– to agree to receive or take something.<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Do you <\/span>accept<\/em><\/strong> credit cards?’<\/span><\/p>\n

Except<\/strong> (preposition, conjunction) – \u00a0excluding or not including<\/span><\/p>\n

For example: ‘The dog never listened to anyone except<\/em><\/strong> his owner.‘<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Advice\/Advise:<\/h2>\n

Advice<\/strong>\u00a0(noun) – to give tips or recommendations in a particular situation<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The President had plenty of advice<\/em><\/strong> during the election campaign.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Advise<\/strong> (verb) – to tell someone what you think they should do in a particular situation<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The tour guide advised<\/strong><\/em> the tourists to explore the local markets to soak in the local culture.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Affect\/Effect:<\/h2>\n

Affect<\/strong> (verb) – to influence or make a difference to<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The injury will affect<\/strong><\/em> his performance in the marathon.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Effect<\/strong> (noun) –\u00a0a result or an influence<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The mother\u2019s voice had a calming effect<\/strong><\/em> on the newborn.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Aisle\/Isle:<\/h2>\n

Aisle<\/strong>\u00a0– a long narrow passage between rows of seats<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Some passengers prefer the seats closest to the aisle<\/strong><\/em>.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Isle<\/strong>\u00a0– an island<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The Caribbean Isles<\/strong><\/em> have the most magnificent beaches.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

All together\/Altogether:<\/h2>\n

All together<\/strong>\u00a0– all in one place, in a group, all at once<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The last time we were all together<\/strong><\/em> was 2 years back‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Altogether<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0entirely, all told, or on the whole<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Altogether<\/strong><\/em>, I have 15 pairs of shoes.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Along\/A long:<\/h2>\n

Along<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0a preposition that means beside or parallel to<\/p>\n

For example: ‘We walked along<\/strong><\/em> the riverbank.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

A long<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0a phrase used to define the length of an object or a time<\/p>\n

For example: ‘It is a long<\/strong><\/em> time until Friday.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Aloud\/Allowed:<\/h2>\n

Aloud<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0an adjective that refers to something said that can be heard by anyone who is near enough<\/p>\n

For example: ‘I have a bad habit of speaking my thoughts aloud<\/strong><\/em>.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Allowed<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0an adjective that means having permission to do something<\/p>\n

For example: ‘You are allowed<\/strong><\/em> to go to the dance.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Assent\/Ascent:<\/h2>\n

Assent<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0a noun that means agreement<\/p>\n

For example: ‘We need to reach assent<\/strong><\/em> on how to do this project.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Ascent<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0a noun that refers to going up or advancing from an original position<\/p>\n

For example: ‘I watched the balloon’s ascent<\/strong><\/em> into the sky.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Bare\/Bear:<\/h2>\n

Bare<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0an adjective that means without cover or clothing<\/p>\n

For example: ‘He wore bright green swimming trunks, and his chest was bare<\/em><\/strong>.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Bear<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0a verb that means to hold up, support, or tolerate, and it is also a noun that refers to an animal<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The grizzly bear<\/strong><\/em> cannot bear<\/em><\/strong> to be without her cubs.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Berth\/Birth:<\/h2>\n

Berth<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means a space adequate for a ship to move, dock, or anchor<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Move toward the berth<\/strong><\/em> so we can dock and get the passengers off the ship.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Birth<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means the process by which mammals enter the world<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The horse gave birth<\/strong><\/em> to a small bay filly.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Born\/Borne:<\/h2>\n

Born<\/strong> –\u00a0an adjective that refers to the process by which a living creature enters the world<\/span><\/p>\n

For example: ‘When were you born<\/strong><\/em>?‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Borne<\/strong> –\u00a0an adjective that refers to something that is carried by something else<\/p>\n

For example: ‘I contracted mosquito-borne<\/strong><\/em> malaria while in Uganda.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Brake\/Break:<\/h2>\n

Brake<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means a device that is used to stop a vehicle in motion<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Push the brake<\/strong><\/em> if you want to stop.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Break<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means a pause<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Go for your break<\/strong><\/em> so you can have a coffee.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Cereal\/Serial:<\/h2>\n

Cereal<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that refers to a breakfast food<\/p>\n

For example: ‘My favorite cereal<\/strong><\/em> is Frosted Wheat.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Serial<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means a series of something, such as a show or a book<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Charles Dickens is the author of the serial<\/strong><\/em> novel The Pickwick Papers<\/em>.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Chord\/Cord:<\/h2>\n

Chord<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means a sound made by an instrument when multiple pitches are played together<\/p>\n

For example: ‘I need to strum an E<\/em> chord<\/strong><\/em> on my guitar.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Cord<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means multiple threads of thin material woven together<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The cord<\/strong><\/em> connecting the phone to the wall is covered in a protective plastic layer.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Complement\/Compliment:<\/h2>\n

Complement<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun or verb, referring to something that matches or enhances<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The pillow he bought was a complement<\/strong><\/em> to the couch‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Compliment<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun or verb and refers to an expression of praise<\/p>\n

For example: ‘She complimented<\/strong><\/em> her friend on her excellent taste.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Council\/Counsel:<\/h2>\n

Council<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means an assembly of persons<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The city council<\/strong><\/em> makes decisions about what’s best for the town.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Counsel<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb or a noun meaning to give advice<\/p>\n

For example: ‘He asked her to counsel<\/strong><\/em> him.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Cue\/Queue:<\/h2>\n

Cue<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means a signal that should initiate some sort of reaction<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Wait for the cue<\/strong><\/em> to say your lines.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Queue<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that is used to describe a line of cars or people<\/p>\n

For example: ‘There was a long queue<\/strong><\/em> of cars waiting for the train to pass.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Curb\/Kerb:<\/h2>\n

Curb<\/strong> – a verb that means to keep something in check; a control or limit<\/p>\n

For example: ‘You really need to curb <\/strong><\/em><\/span>your spending.<\/span>‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Kerb<\/strong> – a noun referring to the stone edge of a pavement<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The cyclist slipped-off the edge of the kerb<\/strong><\/em> on to the street.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Currant\/Current:<\/h2>\n

Currant<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that refers to a dried fruit, specifically a dried grape<\/p>\n

For example: ‘You can buy currants<\/strong><\/em> in bulk at the store.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Current<\/strong> –\u00a0an adjective that means up to date or most recent<\/p>\n

For example: ‘What is your current<\/strong><\/em> situation at home?‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Defuse\/Diffuse:<\/h2>\n

Defuse<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb that means to remove pressure from a tense situation<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Maybe your mother can defuse<\/strong><\/em> the situation with your sister.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Diffuse<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb that means to disperse within a space<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The drink powder will diffuse<\/strong><\/em> in the water.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Desert\/Dessert:<\/h2>\n

Desert<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means a dry, arid region<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The Sahara is the largest desert<\/strong><\/em> in the world.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Dessert<\/strong> – the sweet food\u00a0eaten at the end of a meal<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Chocolate ice cream is undoubtedly my favorite dessert<\/strong><\/em> food.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Discreet\/Discrete:<\/h2>\n

Discreet<\/strong> –\u00a0an adjective meaning judicious or showing prudence<\/p>\n

For example: ‘He made sure to be discreet<\/strong><\/em> when talking to the press.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Discrete<\/strong> –\u00a0an adjective meaning separate or distinct<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Her business had five discrete<\/strong><\/em> functions.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Dual\/Duel:<\/h2>\n

Dual<\/strong> –\u00a0an adjective that means made up of two parts<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Bleach and chlorine make up the dual<\/strong><\/em> power in this laundry cleaning product.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Duel<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means a battle with someone, either in a fight or a contest<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Sir Michael, my good man, I challenge you to a duel<\/strong><\/em>‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Elicit\/Illicit:<\/h2>\n

Elicit<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb meaning to draw out<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The officer tried to elicit<\/strong><\/em> the truth from the suspect.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Illicit<\/strong> –\u00a0an adjective meaning illegal<\/p>\n

For example: ‘He seemed to have no information about the illicit<\/strong><\/em> drug ring.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Emigrate<\/strong>\/Immigrate<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

Emigrate<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb that means to leave one country to live in another<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The family emigrated<\/strong><\/em> from the UK.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Immigrate<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb that means to move to another country<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The family immigrated<\/strong><\/em> to Canada 20 years ago.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Envelop<\/strong>\/Envelope<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

Envelop<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb meaning to wrap up or to cover entirely<\/p>\n

For example: ‘She was grateful that her cloak was big enough to envelop<\/strong><\/em> her.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Envelope<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means a flat paper container<\/p>\n

For example: ‘She mailed her letter in a small white envelope<\/strong><\/em>.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Foreword<\/strong>\/Forward<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

Foreword<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means the section at the beginning of a book that introduces the content<\/p>\n

For example: ‘I want to write a foreword<\/strong><\/em> to my memoir, but it can’t be too revealing.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Forward<\/strong> –\u00a0a directional adverb that means coming up or up ahead<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Move your chair forward<\/strong><\/em> so you’re closer to the stage.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoard<\/strong>\/Horde<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

Hoard<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means a supply or a verb that means to accumulate<\/p>\n

For example: ‘After collecting acorns all summer, the squirrel had gathered quite a hoard<\/strong><\/em>.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Horde<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means a large group<\/p>\n

For example: ‘A horde<\/strong><\/em> of people gathered around the celebrity, asking for photos and autographs.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Imply<\/strong>\/Infer<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

Imply<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb that means to indicate or suggest without being specific<\/p>\n

For example: ‘I didn’t mean to imply<\/strong><\/em> that I don’t care about you.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Infer<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb that means to guess or speculate<\/p>\n

For example: ‘From his hunched posture and pronounced frown, she inferred<\/strong><\/em> that he was feeling very disappointed.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Loose<\/strong>\/Lose<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

Loose<\/strong> –\u00a0an adjective used to describe something that doesn’t fit tightly<\/p>\n

For example: ‘I bought this skirt when I was overweight, and now it is too loose<\/strong><\/em>.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Lose<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb that means to misplace something<\/p>\n

For example: ‘I always lose<\/strong><\/em> my keys when I put them in this giant purse.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Pedal<\/strong>\/Peddle<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

Pedal<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun meaning a lever that is worked by the foot<\/p>\n

For example: ‘She pedaled<\/strong><\/em> her bike faster to get away from him, but her foot slipped off the pedal‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Peddle<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb meaning to sell something door to door<\/p>\n

For example: ‘To earn money, the man decided to peddle<\/strong><\/em> his wares on the street.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Pole<\/strong>\/Poll<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

Pole<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that refers to a long, cylinder-shaped object<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The pole<\/strong><\/em> sticking out of the ground was made of metal.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Poll<\/strong> – a survey or an election<\/p>\n

For example: ‘I’m taking a poll<\/strong><\/em>: do you prefer white or whole wheat bread?‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Pour<\/strong>\/Pore<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

Pour<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb that describes a way to make a non-solid material flow from one container to another<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Please pour<\/strong><\/em> me some more tea.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Pore<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that means a small hole or opening<\/p>\n

For example: ‘You have pores<\/strong><\/em> in your skin that are too small to see.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Practice<\/strong>\/Practise<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

Practice<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun that refers to the use of something, such as an idea, theory, or process<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Brushing twice a day is a healthy practice<\/strong><\/em>.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Practise<\/strong> –\u00a0a verb meaning to repeat in the hopes of improvement over time<\/p>\n

For example: ‘I practice<\/strong><\/em> the piano every day.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Principal<\/strong>\/Principle<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

Principal<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun meaning chief or head. It can also be an adjective meaning highest in rank<\/p>\n

For example: ‘The principal<\/strong><\/em> of the middle school was strict but kind.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Principle<\/strong> –\u00a0a noun meaning a rule, law, or characteristic<\/p>\n

For example: ‘Students must follow the basic principles<\/strong><\/em> of good behavior.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u2019t 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) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":458,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[822,5816,5814,5820,5821,367,1537,4842,5815,5818,5813,5822,2682,359,684,5819,74,257,255,5817],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7647,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92\/revisions\/7647"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=92"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}