Commonly Confused
Words
Words that sound alike or
nearly alike but have different meanings often cause writers trouble.
Here are a few of the most common pairs with correct definitions and
examples:
- ACCEPT-to receive
He accepts defeat well.
EXCEPT-to take or leave out
Please take all the books off the shelf except for the red one.
- AFFECT-to influence
Lack of sleep affects the quality of your work.
EFFECT-n., result, v., to accomplish
The subtle effect of the lighting made the room look ominous.
Can the university effect such a change without disrupting classes?
- A LOT (two words)-many.
ALOT (one word)-Not the correct form.
- ALLUSION-an indirect reference
The professor made an allusion to Virginia Woolf's work.
ILLUSION-a false perception of reality
They saw a mirage: that is a type of illusion one sees in the
desert.
- ALL READY-prepared
Dinner was all ready when the guests arrived.
ALREADY-by this time
The turkey was already burned when the guests arrived.
- ALTOGETHER-entirely
Altogether, I thought that the student's presentation was well
planned.
ALL TOGETHER-gathered, with everything in one place
We were all together at the family reunion last spring.
- ASCENT- climb
The plane's ascent made my ears pop.
ASSENT-agreement
The martian assented to undergo experiments.
- BREATH-noun, air inhaled or exhaled
You could see his breath in the cold air.
BREATHE-verb, to inhale or exhale
If you don't breathe, then you are dead.
- CAPITAL-seat of government. Also financial
resources.
The capital of Virginia is Richmond.
The firm had enough capital to build the new plant.
CAPITOL-the actual building in which the legislative body meets
The governor announced his resignation in a speech given at the
capitol today.
- CITE-to quote or document
I cited ten quotes from the same author in my paper.
SIGHT-vision
The sight of the American flag arouses different emotions in
different parts of the world.
SITE-position or place
The new office building was built on the site of a cemetary.
- COMPLEMENT-noun, something that completes;
verb, to complete
A nice dry white wine complements a seafood entree.
COMPLIMENT-noun, praise; verb, to praise
The professor complimented Betty on her proper use of a comma.
- CONSCIENCE-sense of right and wrong
The student's conscience kept him from cheating on the exam.
CONSCIOUS-awake
I was conscious when the burglar entered the house.
- COUNCIL-a group that consults or advises
The men and women on the council voted in favor of an outdoor
concert in their town.
COUNSEL-to advise
The parole officer counseled the convict before he was released.
- ELICIT-to draw or bring out
The teacher elicited the correct response from the student.
ILLICIT-illegal
The Columbian drug lord was arrested for his illicit activities.
- EMINENT-famous, respected
The eminent podiatrist won the Physician of the Year award.
IMMANENT-inherent or intrinsic
The meaning of the poem was immanent, and not easily recognized.
IMMINENT-ready to take place
A fight between my sister and me is imminent from the moment I enter
my house.
- ITS-of or belonging to it
The baby will scream as soon as its mother walks out of the room.
IT'S-contraction for it is
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
- LEAD-noun, a type of metal
Is that pipe made of lead?
LED-verb, past tense of the verb "to lead"
She led the campers on an over-night hike.
- LIE-to lie down (a person or animal. hint:
people can tell lies)
I have a headache, so I'm going to lie down for a while.
(also lying, lay, has/have lain--The dog has lain in the shade
all day; yesterday, the dog lay there for twelve hours).
LAY-to lay an object down.
"Lay down that gun, Bubba!" The sheriff demanded.
The town lay at the foot of the mountain.
(also laying, laid, has/have laid--At that point, Bubba laid the
gun on the ground).
- PASSED-verb, past tense of "to pass,"
to have moved
The tornado passed through the city quickly, but it caused great
damage.
PAST-belonging to a former time or place
Who was the past president of Microsquish Computers?
Go past the fire station and turn right.
- PRECEDE-to come before
Pre-writing precedes the rough draft of good papers.
PROCEED-to go forward
He proceeded to pass back the failing grades on the exam.
- PRINCIPAL-adjective, most important; noun, a
person who has authority
The principal ingredient in chocolate chip cookies is chocolate
chips.
The principal of the school does the announcements each morning.
PRINCIPLE-a general or fundamental truth
The study was based on the principle of gravity.
- QUOTE-verb, to cite
I would like to quote Dickens in my next paper.
QUOTATION-noun, the act of citing
The book of famous quotations inspired us all.
- STATIONARY-standing still
The accident was my fault because I ran into a stationary object.
STATIONERY-writing paper
My mother bought me stationery that was on recycled paper.
- SUPPOSED TO-correct form for "to be
obligated to" or "presumed to" NOT "suppose
to"
SUPPOSE-to guess or make a conjecture
Do you suppose we will get to the airport on time? When is
our plane supposed to arrive? We are supposed to check
our bags before we board, but I suppose we could do that at
the curb and save time.
- THAN-use with comparisons
I would rather go out to eat than eat at the dining hall.
THEN-at that time, or next
I studied for my exam for seven hours, and then I went to bed.
- THEIR-possessive form of they
Their house is at the end of the block.
THERE-indicates location (hint: think of "here and there")
There goes my chance of winning the lottery!
THEY'RE-contraction for "they are"
They're in Europe for the summer--again!
- THROUGH-by means of; finished; into or out of
He plowed right through the other team's defensive line.
THREW-past tense of throw
She threw away his love love letters.
THOROUGH-careful or complete
John thoroughly cleaned his room; there was not even a speck of dust
when he finished.
THOUGH-however; nevertheless
He's really a sweetheart though he looks tough on the outside.
THRU-abbreviated slang for through; not appropriate in standard
writing
We're thru for the day!
- TO-toward
I went to the University of Richmond.
TOO-also, or excessively
He drank too many screwdrivers and was unable to drive home.
TWO-a number
Only two students did not turn in the assignment.
- WHO-pronoun, referring to a person or persons
Jane wondered how Jack, who is so smart, could be having
difficulties in Calculus.
WHICH-pronoun, replacing a singular or plural thing(s);not used to
refer to persons
Which section of history did you get into?
THAT-used to refer to things or a group or class of people
I lost the book that I bought last week.
- WHO-used as a subject or as a subject
complement (see above)
John is the man who can get the job done.
WHOM-used as an object
Whom did Sarah choose as her replacement?
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