Confusing words - part 3

Contents
1. ABILITY / CAPACITY_______________________________________________3
2. ADAPT / ADOPT__________________________________________________3
3. ALLOWED / ALOUD________________________________________________3
4. AMUSE / ENJOY / ENTERTAIN________________________________________3
5. APPRECIABLE / APPRECIATIVE_______________________________________3
6. BACK / BACKSIDE_________________________________________________3
7. BEAN / BEEN / BIN________________________________________________3
8. BOAR / BORE____________________________________________________4
9. CANCEL / DELAY / PUT OFF_________________________________________4
10. CELL / SELL______________________________________________________4
11. CHOICE / CHOSE / CHOOSE_________________________________________4
12. COMFORTABLE / CONVENIENT_______________________________________4
13. CONFIDANT / CONFIDENT__________________________________________4
14. COUNTY / COUNTRY_______________________________________________5
15. DECENT / DESCEND / DESCENT / DISSENT_____________________________5
16. DEVICE / DEVISE_________________________________________________5
17. EARN / GAIN / WIN________________________________________________5
18. EMIGRATE / IMMIGRATE____________________________________________5
19. EXPERIENCE / EXPERIMENT_________________________________________5
20. FARTHER / FURTHER_______________________________________________6
21. FLEA / FLEE______________________________________________________6
22. HAIR / HARE_____________________________________________________6
23. HISTORIC / HISTORICAL___________________________________________6
24. IMPLY / INFER____________________________________________________6
25. INTO / ONTO_____________________________________________________6
26. KNEW / NEW_____________________________________________________6
27. LICENCE / LICENSE_______________________________________________6
28. MASTERFUL / MASTERLY___________________________________________7
29. MORALE / MORALS________________________________________________7
30. OF COURSE / OFF COURSE__________________________________________7
31. OPPORTUNITY / OPTION / POSSIBILITY________________________________7
32. PEAK / PEEK_____________________________________________________7
33. PRACTICABLE / PRACTICAL_________________________________________7
34. PRINCIPAL / PRINCIPLE____________________________________________7
35. REGRETFUL / REGRETTABLE_________________________________________8
36. SAIL / SALE_____________________________________________________8
37. SENSIBLE / SENSITIVE_____________________________________________8
38. SOME TIME / SOMETIME___________________________________________8
39. TESTAMENT / TESTIMONY__________________________________________8
40. WEAK / WEEK____________________________________________________8

1 / 10
Choose the correct word from the following pairs:
1. ABILITY / CAPACITY
1. The health center serves all patients, regardless of their __________ to pay.
2. He has a great __________ for remembering facts.
3. It takes hard work and natural __________ to make it as a professional
athlete.
4. With her speaking skills, she has the __________ to fill the auditorium to its
__________.

2. ADAPT / ADOPT
1. We had to __________ our plans to fit Jack’s timetable.
2. I think it’s time to __________ a different strategy in my dealings with him.
3. There is no English equivalent for ‘bon appetit’ so we have __________ the
French expression.
4. It took me a while to __________ to the new job.

3. ALLOWED / ALOUD
1. He read her letter __________ to the rest of the family.
2. She __________ that she might have been too suspicious.
3. “What did you say?” “Oh, nothing, I was just thinking __________.”
4. You’re not __________ to talk during the exam.

4. AMUSE / ENJOY / ENTERTAIN

1. I want to travel because I ______________ meeting people and seeing new
places.
2. We ______________ ourselves by watching the passers-by. (s. past)
3. I’ve brought an article from yesterday’s paper that I thought might
______________ you.
4. We hired a magician to ______________ the children.
5. Time passes quickly when you’re ______________ yourself.
6. The crowd was ______________ with a display of aerobatics.

5. APPRECIABLE / APPRECIATIVE
1. There was an _______________ drop in temperature last night.
2. It’s nice to have an _______________ audience.
3. My little donation will not make an _______________ difference.
4. I’m very _______________ of all the support you’ve given me.

6. BACK / BACKSIDE
1. Do not write anything on the ___________ of your answer book.
2. He jotted her name down on the ___________ of an envelope.
3. After cycling for the whole day, my ___________ was very sore.
4. She lay on the grass and the stiff dry grass prickled the ___________ of her
legs.

2 / 10
7. BEAN / BEEN / BIN
1. She had _______ craving a _______ burrito all week.
2. Shall I _______ these old shoes?
3. She doesn’t have a _______, but she’s set on marrying him..
4. These plastic cups has _______ used - please throw them in the _______.

8. BOAR / BORE
1. He used a drill to _______ a hole in the wall.
2. Do they also serve wild _______ meat in that restaurant?
3. A dead _______ has been found on the side of the road.
4. When his wife _______ him a child he could not hide his delight.

9. CANCEL / DELAY / PUT OFF

1. Can we ____________ the meeting until tomorrow, please? I’m very busy
today.
2. The original orders were ____________ and I was given fresh instructions.
3. The plane was ____________ by an hour due to a blizzard.
4. The concert has been ____________ owing to lack of support.
5. We are ____________ our trip until January because of the hurricane.
6. The coach was ____________ for about five hours.

10. CELL / SELL

1. He was desperate for some money, so he decided to ________ his ________
phone.
2. In an interview, you have to ________ yourself to the employer.
3. My brother is in a prison ________ now because he always tries to ________
stolen goods.
4. All living things are made up of ________.

11. CHOICE / CHOSE / CHOOSE

1. John had to make a _________ last week. He _________ to stay at home
instead of going to Barcelona. Everyone said his _________ was a good one.
2. You need to _________ a colour of paint for the walls.
3. I had the most expensive dish on the menu - a _________ fillet of fish.
4. Katie _________ to stay away from work that day.
5. There’s not much to _________ between the two methods.

12. COMFORTABLE / CONVENIENT

1. I’m not ______________ with the idea of leaving her on her own.
2. My new flat is just around the corner from my office, which is very
______________.
3. I find it ______________ to be able to do my banking online.
4. Are you ______________ or shall I turn the heat down?

13. CONFIDANT / CONFIDENT

1. Are you _____________ that enough people will attend the event?

3 / 10
2. She is a _____________ and practised speaker who always impresses her
audience.
3. My mother has always been my _____________. I can talk to her about
everything.
4. Colonel House was a friend and _____________ of President Woodrow Wilson.

14. COUNTY / COUNTRY

1. Scandinavia consists of four ____________: Sweden, Norway, Denmark and
Finland.
2. A ____________ usually consists of several tows and the rural areas that
surround them.
3. It’s often quicker to travel across ____________ and avoid the major roads
completely.
4. He is living now in his mother’s home ____________ of Oxfordshire.

15. DECENT / DESCEND / DESCENT / DISSENT

1. She ____________ the sweeping staircase into the crowd of photographers
and journalists. (s.past)
2. All I need is a roof over my head and a ____________ meal.
3. We weren’t prepared for the ____________ of thousands of journalists on the
town.
4. Anyone wishing to ____________ from the motion should now raise their
hand.
5. Sam was a ____________ man. Everyone liked how kind he was.
6. Last year John made a ____________ from Mount Kilimanjaro. When he got
home there was much ____________ from the university students about air
pollution.

16. DEVICE / DEVISE

1. The cartoon characters Snoopy and Charlie Brown were __________ by
Charles M. Schultz.
2. We have a __________ that switches the lights on at a preset time in the
evening.
3. The umbrella was ingeniously __________ to fold up into your pocket.
4. A trademark can be a powerful marketing __________.

17. EARN / GAIN / WIN

1. I’ve _________ five pounds since I stopped exercising.
2. How much do you _________, if you don’t mind me asking?
3. What do you hope to _________ from the course?
4. He _________ the award for best actor, and deservedly so.
5. It’s been a tough six months and I feel I’ve _________ a few weeks off.
6. She would do anything to _________ his love.

4 / 10
18. EMIGRATE / IMMIGRATE
1. Millions of Germans _____________ from Europe to America in the 19th
century.
2. He _____________ with his parents in 1895 and grew up on Long Island.
3. New Zealanders who _____________ to Australia raise the IQ of both
countries.
4. People say there’s no quality of life in Russia, and everyone wants to
_____________.

19. EXPERIENCE / EXPERIMENT

1. His ______________ in Germany were rather depressing.
2. They did a number of ______________ last week.
3. I'm afraid I don't have much sales ______________.
4. Don't worry it's just an ______________. I'm not going to keep my beard.

20. FARTHER / FURTHER

1. For __________ information, please ring 075-6720290.
2. The __________ I go, the more I miss my home.
3. He could see a small boat on the __________ shore.
4. Before you look at your programme, let me explain a little __________.

21. FLEA / FLEE

1. They saw a _______ on the bed so they decided to _______ the motel room.
2. We’d _______ if there were anywhere to _______ to.
3. Every year thousands of people _______ the big cities in search of the rural
idyll.
4. Go the a _______ market and haggle.

22. HAIR / HARE

1. A _______ is larger than a rabbit. It has longer ears and legs.
2. My flatmate has been getting in my _______ a lot recently.
3. This woman was dancing in the road and singing very loudly - I thought she was
mad as a March _______.
4. He had lost his _______ by the time he was 30.

23. HISTORIC / HISTORICAL

1. Is it a _____________ fact that Washington slept in this house?
2. Many important _____________ documents were destroyed when the library
was bombed.
3. She’s an avid reader of _____________ novels.
4. Modernizing _____________ buildings can often do more harm than good.

24. IMPLY / INFER

1. I ___________ from her expression that she wanted to leave.
2. I’m not ___________ anything about your cooking, but could we eat out
tonight?
3. What can be ___________ from the Minister’s remarks?
5 / 10
4. The speaker or writer ___________ something, and the listener or reader
___________ it.

25. INTO / ONTO

1. She is putting the cups _______ the tray.
2. She puts a capsule _______ the coffee machine.
3. The child jumped _______ his bike and left.
4. Mike dove off the bridge _______ the river.

26. KNEW / NEW

1. Maria _______ that Nelson’s car wasn’t _______.
2. She’s _______ to the job so you can’t expect her to know everything yet.
3. She _______ that the _______ movie was due to come out this weekend.
4. Tom was a good musician. He _______ how to play classical guitar music.

27. LICENCE / LICENSE

1. This restaurant is ___________ to sell alcohol.
2. As parents they allowed their children very little ___________.
3. He was copped for driving without a ___________ last week.
4. Edward didn’t have a fishing ___________ - the council had decided not to
___________ anyone new this year to conserve stocks.

28. MASTERFUL / MASTERLY

1. By your ____________ speech I can tell you are an expert on teaching
students.
2. He has a deep, ____________ voice.
3. She gave a ____________ performance as Kate in ‘The Taming of the Shrew’.
4. Once she became a prosecutor, she quickly established herself as a
____________ trial lawyer.

29. MORAL / MORALE

1. A couple of victories would improve the team’s _________ enormously.
2. It’s her _________ obligation to tell the police what she knows.
3. How on earth can you say that? Do you have no _________ values?
4. There have been a lot of job losses recently so _________ is fairly low.

30. OF COURSE / OFF COURSE

1. The Second World War ended, _____________, in 1945.
2. The ship is _____________ and may strike the reef!
3. “Where did you get the money? Did you steal it?” “_____________ not. My
mother gave it to me.”
4. The project is _____________ and won’t be finished on time.

31. OPPORTUNITY / OPTION / POSSIBILITY

1. I was never given the ______________ of going to college.
2. The best ______________ would be to cancel the trip altogether.
3. This walk provides the ______________ of seeing some beautiful countryside.

6 / 10
4. Is there any ______________ that you could pick me up from the station?
5. They didn’t leave him much ______________ - either he paid or they’d beat
him up.
6. It’s not likely to happen but I wouldn’t rule out the ______________.

32. PEAK / PEEK

1. If I’m passing by I might take a _______ at the new premises.
2. He seems to have reached the _______ of his tennis career.
3. Close your eyes. Don’t _______. I’ve got a surprise for you.
4. Don’t go there in the _______ season - it’ll be hot and crowded.

33. PRACTICABLE / PRACTICAL

1. She is ______________ and buys only what she can afford.
2. The troops will be brought home as soon as ______________.
3. It’s simply not ______________ to divide the work between so many people.
4. It is not ______________ to complete the tunnel before the end of the year.
5. I tend to wear clothes that are ______________ rather than fashionable.

34. PRINCIPAL / PRINCIPLE

1. He refused to give me any more money as a matter of _____________.
2. Schools try to teach children a set of _____________.
3. A small school with just three teachers and the _____________ is just what
we need.
4. He can’t give up teaching, it’s his _____________ source of income.

35. REGRETFUL / REGRETTABLE

1. It is most ______________ that Mr Johnson has decided to resign.
2. I’m ______________ that our relation ended this way.
3. Your choice of friends is most ______________.
4. We are not ______________ about leaving this town.

36. SAIL / SALE

1. After ten house under _______, they reached dry land.
2. The building company gets commission on each house _______.
3. The yacht’s owner couldn’t afford to replace its _______, so he had to put it on
_______.
4. You can’t expect to just _______ through without doing any work.

37. SENSIBLE / SENSITIVE

1. I am very ____________ to cold. I prefer warm temperatures.
2. Of course what you say is right. Any ____________ person would agree with
you.
3. This seems to be a ____________ way of dealing with the problem.
4. Her reply showed that she was very ____________ to criticism.

38. SOME TIME / SOMETIME

1. We really should meet ____________ soon to discuss the details.

7 / 10
2. I don’t know when I’ll do it - but I will do it ____________.
3. I knew I had met her ____________, but I couldn’t remember when.
4. They went out together for ____________.

39. TESTAMENT / TESTIMONY

1. Some doubts have been expressed about his ____________.
2. The detail of her wildlife paintings is a ____________ to her powers of
observation.
3. The reports are ____________ to the many hours of research completed by
this committee.
4. This article will give clear instructions for making a last will and
____________.

40. WEAK / WEEK

1. We’re usually too tired to go out during the _______.
2. He was a _______ king surrounded by corrupt advisers.
3. The athlete had been training so hard, she felt _______ by the end of the
_______.
4. He gave the _______est of excuses when asked why he was late.

8 / 10
Key
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 ability capacity ability ability,
capacity

2 adapt adopt adopted adapt

3 aloud allowed aloud allowed
4 enjoy amused amuse entertain enjoying entertained
5 appreciable appreciative appreciable appreciative
6 backside back backside back
7 been, bean bin bean been, bin
8 bore boar boar bore
9 put off cancelled delayed cancelled putting delayed
off
10 sell, cell sell cell, sell cells
11 choice, choose choice chose choose
chose,
choice
12 comfortable convenient convenient comfortable
13 confident confident confidante confidant
14 countries county country county
15 descended decent descent dissent decent descent,
dissent
16 devised device devised device
17 gained earn gain won earned win
18 emigrated immigrated immigrate emigrate
19 experiences experiments experience experiment
20 further farther farther further
21 flea, flee flee, flee flee flea
22 hare hair hare hair
23 historic historical historical historic
24 inferred implying inferred implies,
infers
25 onto into onto into
26 knew, new new knew, new knew
27 licensed licence licence licence,
license
28 masterly masterful masterly masterful
29 morale moral moral morale
30 of course off course Of course off course
31 opportunity option opportunity possibility option possibility
32 peek peak peek peak
33 practical practicable practical practicable practical
34 principle principles principal principal
35 regrettable regretful regrettable regretful
36 sail sale sail, sale sail
37 sensitive sensible sensible sensitive
38 sometime some time sometime some time
39 testimony testament testimony testament
40 week weak weak, week weak
9 / 10
10 / 10