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Confusing Words Part-1

This document provides examples of confusing word pairs and provides their meanings to distinguish between them. It lists over 100 pairs of words that are commonly confused and defines each word to clarify the difference. The word pairs cover a wide range of parts of speech including verbs, nouns, adjectives, and more.

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261 views

Confusing Words Part-1

This document provides examples of confusing word pairs and provides their meanings to distinguish between them. It lists over 100 pairs of words that are commonly confused and defines each word to clarify the difference. The word pairs cover a wide range of parts of speech including verbs, nouns, adjectives, and more.

Uploaded by

a_j_sanyal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Confusing Words: Part-1

Word Meaning

air what we breathe


err make a mistake
heir one who inherits something

accept to agree; to receive


except but, with the exception of

find discover
fined penalized

brake stop
break separate into pieces

ascent (noun) movement upward


assent enthusiastic agreement; to agree
consent agreement

ad advertisement
add to perform addition
ades fruit drinks
aides people who help; assistants
AIDS acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
aids helps, assists

adverse unfortunate; strongly opposed


averse having repugnance (refers to people)

advice (noun) recommendation


advise (verb) the act of giving a recommendation

affect verb affect when you mean to influence rather than to cause.
effect Use effect when you mean result.
ail to be ill; to cause pain or distress
ale malt beverage more bitter than beer

aisle passageway
I'll contraction for I will
Isle a small island

all entire, everything


awl a tool

allowed gave permission to


aloud aid out loud; spoken

all ready means all are ready


already refers to time

all together refers to a group; all of us or all of them together


altogether entirely

altar pedestal, usually religious


alter to modify

allude to refer indirectly


elude avoid capture
illude mislead

allusion an indirect mention of something


illusion false perception

ambiguous to have more than one meaning


ambivalent to have mixed feelings

amicable friendly (refers to things, not people)


amiable friendly (refers to people)

among involves three or more


between involves just two

amount used for things not countable


number used for things that can be counted

ant a bug
aunt the sister of a parent
ante a bet placed before playing
auntie affectionate term for a parent?s sister

anxious to have anxiety or worry


eager excited

any more something additional or further


anymore any longer, nowadays

appraise to put a value on something


apprise to notify

arc arch, crescent, half moon


ark a vessel or a refuge

assistance help
assistants people who help

assumption an idea not based on evidence


presumption an idea based on evidence

assure to promise or say with confidence


ensure to make sure something will/won't happen
insure to issue an insurance policy

ate past tense of eat


eight the number after seven

aural having to do with hearing


oral having to do with the mouth

awed in a state of amazement


odd unusual; opposite of even when referring to numbers

bald having no hair


bawled cried

ball a sphere
bawl to cry or wail loudly

band a group, sometimes a group of musicians


banned forbidden

bare naked, unconcealed, plain


bear the animal

base the bottom; vulgar


bass low vocal or instrumental range

based be dependent or supported


baste to moisten; to criticize or lash out at

bases headquarters
basis foundation

be to exist or live
bee insect

beach sandy area with water


beech type of tree with smooth, gray bark

beat to strike violently


beet defeat

beau boyfriend
bough branch of a tree
bow part of a set with arrows
bow boat front, a male's form of curtsy

Because and since can be used almost interchangeably although


because vs. since because always indicates cause and effect and since is used for a
relationship or time.

Been form of be used with has or have


Bin container

Bell chime or alarm


Belle beautiful or charming woman

Berth a boat dock


Birth being born

Better of higher quality


Bettor someone who places bets

Biannual twice a year


Biennial every two years
Semiannual twice a year

Bite to use one?s teeth to tear food


Byte computer term for eight bits of information

Billed charged a fee


Build construct

blew past tense of blow


blue the color

bloc a group united for a particular purpose


block city street

boar male pig


bore someone or something not interesting

board piece of wood


bored uninterested

boarder someone who pays for room and food


border perimeter; boundary

bode predict
bowed bent
bold daring
bowled to have gone bowling

bolder more daring


boulder a large rock

boos sounds made by disapproving audience


booze alcohol

boy male child


buoy a naval beacon or marker

bread a food
bred past tense of breed

brewed fermented
brood mull over

brews ferments
bruise a black-and-blue mark

bridal relating to brides


bridle a harness

bring you bring something towards


take you take something away

broach to raise a topic


brooch a bauble

brows the hairs in the arch above the eyes


browse search for, peruse

but except
butt bottom; joke object; to ram

buy purchase, acquire


by near, next to
bye short for goodbye
cache hidden stash
cash money

calendar chart of days and months


colander sieve to drain off liquids

can able to
may permission to

cannon large, mounted gun


canon rule, commandment

canvas to poll; a poll


awning cloth, tarp
canvass

capital statehouse
assets; essential; main
city
capitol

carat unit of weight in gemstones


caret a proofreading mark to show insertion
carrot edible root
karat a unit for measuring the fineness of gold

cast group of actors; to throw


caste a social class, a rigid system of social distinctions

cay a small, low island


key a small, low island;
quay wharf, dock, pier

cede to surrender
seed reproductive germ

cell prison room; basic structural unit of an organism


sell to exchange for money
censor disallow; person who disallows
censure to disapprove of; criticize strongly
sensor a device that measures heat, light, etc.

cent a penny
scent a smell, aroma
sent transmitted

cereal breakfast food


serial a series or array

chance accident
chants chorus, melody

chased went after


chaste pure, virginal

chews how one eats food with teeth


choose to pick

childish immature
childlike innocent

Chile a country in South America


Chili a type of pepper; a dish with peppers in it
Chilly cold, brisk

Choral having to do with a chorus or a choir


Chorale a hymn; a group of singers specializing in church music
Coral material that makes up reefs; orange color
Corral a horse pen; to confine

chord three or more musical tones sounded simultaneously


cord a rope or strand of flexible material
cored removed the center of something

chute an inclined shaft


shoot to discharge from a weapon; a stem
cite to assert; to quote from; to subpoena
sight vision, the power to see
site a location or position

classic important; fundamental


classical having to do with Greek or Roman antiquity

clause in grammar, a group of words containing a subject and verb


claws a contract

click a sound
clique a group

climactic having to do with the climax


climatic having to do with the climate

close to shut
clothes apparel

coarse rough, lacking in fineness of texture


course a class; a path

colonel an officer in the military


kernel a seed

complement completing part of an order


compliment praise

confidant someone confided in


confident certain, sure

connote to suggest, imply


denote to be a sign of

core center or crucial part


corps trained group
corpse dead body
cosign to sign along with
cosine a trigonometry term

council a group of people meeting for a purpose


counsel advise; advice, an attorney

creak a sound
creek a stream

crews many groups


cruise a trip or vacation by sea

criteria plural of criterion


criterion a standard for evaluating or testing something

cue a hint; a stimulus


queue a line of people waiting

currant type of small berry


current up to date

curser someone who swears or wishes misfortune on another


cursor a blinking symbol indicating position on a computer screen

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