Commonly confused words
Take a look at these two sentences – one of them contains a mistake:
I poured over book after book.
We pored over the catalogues.
Are you uncertain which one is right? There are a lot of words in English that look or sound alike
but have very different meanings, such as pore and pour or flaunt and flout. It’s easy to get
them confused and most electronic spellcheckers won’t be much help in this type of situation:
they can tell you if a word has been spelled wrongly but they can’t generally flag up the misuse
of a correctly spelled word.
Here’s a quick-reference list of pairs of words that regularly cause people problems. The words
follow the accepted British English spelling. Some of them do have alternative American
spellings and you will find these at the main dictionary entry on this website.
Word 1
accept
adverse
advice
affect
aisle
all together
Meaning
to agree to receive or do
unfavourable, harmful
recommendations about what to do
to change or make a difference to
a passage between rows of seats
all in one place, all at once
along
moving or extending horizontally on a long
aloud
altar
out loud
a sacred table in a church
allowed
alter
amoral
not concerned with right or wrong
immoral
appraise
to assess
apprise
assent
agreement, approval
ascent
aural
balmy
bare
oral
barmy
bear
baited
with bait attached or inserted
bazaar
relating to the ears or hearing
pleasantly warm
naked; to uncover
in phrase 'with bated breath', i.e. in
great suspense
a Middle Eastern market
Meaning
not including
strongly disliking; opposed
to recommend something
a result; to bring about a result
an island
completely; on the whole
referring to something of great
length
permitted
to change
not following accepted moral
standards
to inform someone
the action of rising or climbing
up
relating to the mouth; spoken
foolish, crazy
to carry; to put up with
bizarre
berth
a bunk in a ship, train, etc.
birth
born
having started life
borne
bough
a branch of a tree
bow
brake
a device for stopping a vehicle; to
break
strange
the emergence of a baby from
the womb
carried
to bend the head; the front of a
ship
to separate into pieces; a pause
bated
Word 2
except
averse
advise
effect
isle
altogether
broach
canvas
stop a vehicle
to break through, or break a rule; a
gap
to raise a subject for discussion
a type of strong cloth
censure
to criticize strongly
censor
cereal
a grass producing an edible grain; a
breakfast food made from grains
serial
chord
a group of musical notes
cord
climactic
forming a climax
coarse
rough
breach
breech
the back part of a gun barrel
brooch
canvass
a piece of jewellery
to seek people’s votes
to ban parts of a book or film; a
person who does this
a length of string; a cord-like
body part
climatic
relating to climate
a direction; a school subject;
course
part of a meal
complaisant willing to please
to praise or express approval; an
compliment
admiring remark
complacent smug and self-satisfied
to add to so as to improve; an
complement
addition that improves something
a group of people who manage or
council
counsel
advise
cue
a signal for action; a wooden rod
queue
to keep something in check; a control
curb
kerb
or limit
currant
a dried grape
defuse
to make a situation less tense
a waterless, empty area; to abandon
desert
someone
discreet
careful not to attract attention
disinterested impartial
draught
a current of air
draw
an even score at the end of a game
dual
having two parts
elicit
to draw out a reply or reaction
ensure
to make certain that something will
happen
envelop
exercise
to cover or surround
physical activity; to do physical
activity
happening in a series
advice; to advise
diffuse
a line of people or vehicles
(in British English) the stone
edge of a pavement
happening now; a flow of water,
air, or electricity
to spread over a wide area
dessert
the sweet course of a meal
current
discrete
separate and distinct
uninterested not interested
a first version of a piece of
draft
writing
drawer
a sliding storage compartment
a fight or contest between two
duel
people
illicit
not allowed by law or rules
to provide compensation if a
insure
person dies or property is
damaged
envelope
a paper container for a letter
exorcise
to drive out an evil spirit
fawn
a young deer; light brown
faun
flaunt
to display ostentatiously
to move clumsily; to have difficulty
doing something
flout
a mythical being, part man, part
goat
to disregard a rule
founder
to fail
flounder
forbear
foreword
freeze
grisly
hoard
imply
loath
to refrain
an introduction to a book
to turn to ice
gruesome, revolting
a store
to suggest indirectly
reluctant, unwilling
forebear
forward
frieze
grizzly
horde
infer
loathe
loose
to unfasten; to set free
lose
meter
militate
palate
pedal
pole
a measuring device
to be a powerful factor against
the roof of the mouth
a foot-operated lever
a long, slender piece of wood
metre
mitigate
palette
peddle
poll
pour
to flow or cause to flow
pore
practice
prescribe
principal
sceptic
sight
stationary
storey
titillate
tortuous
wreath
the use of an idea or method; the
work or business of a doctor, dentist,
etc.
to authorize use of medicine; to order
authoritatively
most important; the head of a school
a person inclined to doubt
the ability to see
not moving
a level of a building
to arouse interest
full of twists; complex
a ring-shaped arrangement of flowers
etc.
practise
an ancestor
onwards, ahead
a decoration along a wall
a type of bear
a large crowd of people
to draw a conclusion
to hate
to be deprived of; to be unable
to find
a metric unit; rhythm in verse
to make less severe
a board for mixing colours
to sell goods
voting in an election
a tiny opening; to study
something closely
to do something repeatedly to
gain skill; to do something
regularly
proscribe
to officially forbid something
principle
septic
site
stationery
story
titivate
torturous
a fundamental rule or belief
infected with bacteria
a location
writing materials
a tale or account
to make more attractive
full of pain or suffering
wreathe
to surround or encircle
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/commonly-confused-words