McKenzie Rock
L.4.1g correctly use frequently confused words
Grade Level: High School
There are lots of words people spell wrong because they are
homonyms  2 words that sound alike but are spelled differently
& have different meanings.
-What’s the difference between Capital and Capitol?
Capital- wealth in the form of money or property
Capitol- refers to the building in which a legislative assembly meets
Examples:


The dome of the United States Capitol may be the most famous manmade landmark in America.
Juneau is the capital of Alaska.
-What’s the difference between Compliment and Complement?
Compliment- an expression of respect, affection, or admiration
Complement- things that go together: salt and pepper are complements. You’ll
talk about complements in economics class. When the price of one complement
goes up, the demand for its complement will go down. This means if the price of
peanut butter goes up, the demand for peanut butter and for jelly will go down.
Complement also means the whole amount, or a perfect amount.
Examples:


His complimentary attitude impressed the girls.
We had full complement of pots and pans to make Thanksgiving dinner.
McKenzie Rock
-What’s the difference between Conscience and Conscious?
Conscience- the sense of what is right and wrong
Conscious- being aware or deliberate
Examples:


Robert’s conscience made him feel guilty for helping his friend.
I am always conscious of my faults.
What’s the difference between Forth and Fourth?
Forth- onward in time, place, or order
Fourth- an ordinal number, between third and fifth
Examples:


He got fourth place in the spelling bee.
He was so nervous that he kept walking back and forth from the
window to the door.
What’s the difference between Passed and Past?
Passed- is past tense
Past-time before the present
Examples:


She passed the exam with distinction.
The cop car flew past her.
McKenzie Rock
What’s the difference between Stationary and Stationery?
Stationary- not moving, or still
Stationery- means writing
Examples:


We had to wait patiently in a stationary position for the Ozone to
open.
You can save 25% on all office stationery.
What’s the difference between whose and who’s?
This is ALL you have to remember when it comes to these commonly
confused words:
Who’s = Who + is and nothing else. If you don’t mean who is, don’t use
who’s. Easy!
Your Turn!
Which is correct?
A.)
B.)
C.)
D.)
The capital of Illinois is Chicago.
The capitol of Indiana is Indianapolis.
The dome of the United States Capital may be the most famous
man-made landmark in America
A capitol letter is used at the beginning of a sentence.
Which is correct?
A.)
B.)
C.)
D.)
Ketchup and mustard compliment each other.
She gave him a compliment on his suite.
The complement she gave his was really nice.
We had full compliment of pots and pans to make Thanksgiving
dinner
McKenzie Rock
Which is correct?
A.)
B.)
C.)
D.)
Be very conscious when walking the street.
Whatever she may do, itll be on her conscience.
Robert’s conscious made him feel guilty for helping his friend.
I am always conscience of my faults.
Which is correct?
A.)
B.)
C.)
D.)
He got fourth place in the spelling bee.
He got forth place in the spelling bee.
He got forth place in the spelling bee.
Forth place is the worst place you could over be in
Which is correct?
A.)
B.)
C.)
D.)
Elizabeth passed her drivers test.
She had past her on the freeway.
She past the exam with flying colors.
The cop flew passed her.
Which is correct?
A.)
B.)
C.)
D.)
We had to wait patiently in a stationery position for the Ozone to
open.
We had to wait patiently in a stationary position for the Ozone to
open.
You can save 25% on all office stationary.
You need to be in a stationery position, please.
Which is correct?
A.)
Whose house are we going too?
B.)
Who’s that?
C.)
Those letters belong to whose?
D.)
Who’s dog just ran across the street?