Cerritos College Court Reporting Program
Prepared by Professor Sherry Perkins
The "Sound-Alikes" Words often confused and misused
accept (to take)
except (but)
access (entrance)
excess (too much)
addition (adding)
edition (printing)
adapt (to adjust to or modify)
adept (skilled)
adopt (to take and follow as one’s own)
affect (influence)
effect (outcome)
aid (to help or assist; assistance)
aide (a person who assists another)
all ready (completely ready)
already (previously)
all ways (in every way)
always (forever)
Any one (any one person or thing in a group)
Anyone (any person)
Any way (any method)
Anyway (in any case)
Assistance (help or aid)
Assistants (people who aid or help a superior)
Attendance (being present or attending)
Attendants (one who attends with or to others)
A while (an adjective-noun combination meaning “a short time”)
Awhile (used as an adverb meaning “for a short time”)
bare (uncovered, empty, plain, or mere)
bear (to support, carry, or bring forth)
brake (stop)
break (split)
533550592
Cerritos College Court Reporting Program
Prepared by Professor Sherry Perkins
capital (money, state)
capitol (government building only)
cent (a coin known as a “penny”)
scent (a distinctive smell or odor)
sent (the past tense and past participle of send)
choose (to select or make a choice)
chose (past tense of “choose”)
chews
cite (say)
site (location)
sight (to see or take aim; a view or spectacle)
close
clothes
cloths
complement (complete)
compliment (praise)
coarse (rough texture)
course (a particular direction or route; part of a meal; a unit or learning)
conscience (the faculty of knowing right from wrong)
conscious (aware or mentally awake)
council (a governing body)
counsel (to give advice; advice)
dew (drops of moisture)
do (to perform or bring about)
due (immediately payable)
device (gadget)
devise (to invent)
envelop (to wrap, surround, or conceal)
envelope (a container for a letter)
every day (each day)
everyday (ordinary)
every one (each person or thing in a group [always followed by “of”)
533550592
Cerritos College Court Reporting Program
Prepared by Professor Sherry Perkins
everyone (all people in a group)
farther (a greater distance)
further (additional; to help forward)
formally (well-dressed)
formerly (previously)
forth (ahead)
fourth (after third)
hear (to perceive by the ear)
here (in this place or at this point)
hole (an opening or open place)
whole (complete; entire)
Incidence (occurrence)
Incidents (events or episodes)
it's (it is)
its (possession)
Knew
New
Know
No
Knows
Nose
Later (after the proper time)
Latter (the second thing of two things mentioned)
Lain
Lane
Lead
Led
Lean (to rest against; to be inclined toward; not fat)
Lien (a legal right or claim to property)
Leased (rented property for a specified time period)
Least (smallest; slightest; lowest)
533550592
Cerritos College Court Reporting Program
Prepared by Professor Sherry Perkins
Lets
Let’s
Loan (something given for a borrower’s temporary use)
Lone
loose (untied)
lose (misplace)
Mail
Male
May be (a helping and a main verb)
Maybe ( an adverb meaning “perhaps)
Ms.
Mrs.
Miss
Mr.
Of
Off
One
Won
Pair (two of a kind; made of two corresponding parts)
Pare (to reduce in size or trim)
Pear ( a fruit)
Patience (calm perseverance)
Patients (people undergoing medical treatment)
Pass
passed (went by)
past (previous)
peace (quiet; truce)
piece (portion)
personal (private)
personnel (workers)
Pitcher
Picture
533550592
Cerritos College Court Reporting Program
Prepared by Professor Sherry Perkins
Plain
Plane
Plead
Pled
Precedence
Precedents
Presidents
Preceding (going before)
Proceeding (going forward or continuing)
Presence (condition of being present)
Presents (gifts or things given)
Principal (N. a capital sum; a school official – an adj. Highest in importance)
Principle (an accepted rule of action; a basic truth or belief)
quiet (silence)
quite (very)
quit
Race
Raise (to lift something up, increase in amount, gather together, or bring into existence)
Read
Red
Residence (a place where one lives)
Residents (people who live in a place)
Right
Write
Road
Rode
stationary (fixed)
stationery (office supplies)
than (by comparison)
then (later)
their (possession)
533550592
Cerritos College Court Reporting Program
Prepared by Professor Sherry Perkins
there (in that place)
To
Too
Two
weather (climate)
whether (if)
who's (who is)
whose (possession)
your (possession)
you're (you are)
533550592