Commonly Confused Words1 (59)
Accept v.
to receive
Except prep.
excluding, other than
I will accept all of the packages except that one.
Note: Except is also a verb meaning “to exclude.” Please except that item from the list.
Amoral adj.
neither moral nor immoral or not caring about moral judgments
Immoral adj.
morally wrong
Until recently, most business courses were taught from an amoral perspective.
Murder is immoral.
Affect v.
to influence or to touch the emotions
Effect n.
(usually a noun) result
The drug did not affect the disease, and it had several adverse side effects.
Note: Effect can also be a verb meaning “to bring about.” Only the president can effect
such a dramatic change.
All ready adj
completely prepared
Already adv.
Susan was all ready for the concert, but her friends had already left.
previously
All together adv. in a group
Altogether adv. wholly, thoroughly
We were not altogether certain that we could bring the family all together for the reunion.
Allude v.
to refer to
Do you know what he alluded to?
The suspect eluded capture.
Elude v.
to avoid, to escape
Allusion n.
an indirect reference
Did you catch my allusion to Shakespeare?
Mirrors give the room an illusion of depth.
Illusion n.
misconception or false impression
Amount n.
used with quantities that cannot be counted
This recipe calls for a large amount of sugar.
We have a large number of toads in our garden.
Number n.
used with quantities that can be counted
Among prep.
used with three or more
The prize was divided among several contestants.
You have a choice between carrots and beans.
Between prep.
used with two
Assure v.
to state with confidence
Ensure v.
make certain
Insure v.
make certain or to protect against loss
Marlon assured me that he would vote for my ticket.
I ensured (or insured) that Vincent had his tickets before I left home.
Bing insured her car against theft.
Beside prep.
at the side of, next to
Besides prep.
except
Annie Oakley slept with her gun beside her bed.
No one besides Terrie can have that ice cream. I’m not hungry; besides, I don’t like ice cream.
Breath n.
air inhaled or exhaled
My young niece loves to see her breath in the cold air..
He could not breathe well because he had a cold.
Breathe v.
or in addition to
to inhale or exhale
Bring v.
use when an object is being transported toward you
Take v.
use take when an object is being moved away
Please bring me a glass of water.
Please take these flowers to Mr. Scott.
Can aux. v.
ability
May aux. v.
My daughter can swim very well, but she may not go into the pool alone.
permission
Definitions and examples are taken from Diana Hacker’s Rules for Writers: A Brief Handbook and Hodges’ Harbrace
Handbook.
1
Capital n.
a governing city or wealth or resources
adj.
first in importance
Capitol n.
building where lawmakers meet
The capitol has undergone extensive renovations.
Benny needs a great deal of capital to buy the restaurant.
Murder is a capital offense.
The residents of the state capital protested the development plans.
Censor v.
to remove or suppress material considered objectionable
Censure v.
to criticize severely
The library’s new policy of censoring controversial books has been censured by the media.
Cite v.
to quote as an authority or example
Site n.
a particular place
Sight n.
a view or the ability to see
Be sure to cite your sources in your paper.
The president visited the disaster site.
What a tragic sight!
Coarse adj.
crude or rough in texture
Course n.
The coarse weave of the wall hanging gave it a three dimensional quality.
I plan to take a course in car repair this summer.
a path, a playing field or a unit of study
Conscience n.
moral principals
Let your conscience be your guide.
Were you conscious of his love for you?
aware or alert
Conscious adj.
Continual adj.
repeated regularly and frequently
Continuous adj. extended or prolonged without interruption
She grew weary of the continual telephone calls. The broken siren made a continuous wail.
Comprise v.
to contain
The collection comprises many volumes.
That collection is composed of medieval manuscripts.
Compose v.
to make up
Council n.
a deliberative body (councilor is a member of such a body)
Counsel v.
to give advice or
n.
lawyer (counselor is one who gives advice)
The councilors met to draft the council’s position paper.
The pastor offered wise counsel to the troubled teenager.
Sonny has been accused of a crime, but he does not have legal counsel.
Disinterested adj. impartial, objective
Uninterested adj. not interested
We sought the advice of a disinterested counselor to help us solve our problem.
He was uninterested in anyone’s opinion but his own.
Elicit v.
to bring out, evoke
Illicit adj.
unlawful
The reporter was unable to elicit any information from the police about illicit drug traffic.
Eminent adj.
outstanding, distinguished
We met an eminent professor of Greek history.
The announcement is imminent.
Imminent adj.
about to happen
Explicit adj.
expressed directly or precisely
I gave him explicit instructions not to go swimming.
My mother’s silence indicated her implicit approval.
Implicit adj.
expressed indirectly, implied
Eventually adv. at an unspecified time in the future
Ultimately adv. the furthest possible extent or greatest extreme
The baby will eventually stop crying.
His behavior was ultimately immoral.
Farther adv.
describes distance
Further adv.
quantity or degree or used as a synonym for additional
Chicago is farther from Miami that I thought.
You extended the curfew further than you should have.
Fewer adj.
refers to people or objects that can be counted
Less adj.
refers to general amounts
Fewer people are living in the city.
Please put less sugar in my tea.
Good adj.
Adjective
Well adv.
adverb
He had a good time.
He dances well.
Note: Well in the sense of in good health may be used as a subject complement
interchangeably with good in such expressions as “Pedro doesn’t feel well (or good).
Idea n.
a thought
Writers often struggle for ideas.
Sarah is trying to maintain her ideal weight.
Ideal n., adj.
goal
Imply v.
to suggest without actually stating
Infer v.
to draw a conclusion based on evidence
John implied that he knew all bout computers, but the interviewer inferred that John was inexperienced.
Its pron.
possessive pronoun
The dog licked its wound whenever its owner walked into the room.
It’s a perfect day to walk the twenty-mile trail.
It’s v.
contraction for it is
Lay v.
to put or place something
Please lay the pillow in the floor because my dog likes to lie on it.
Lie v.
to rest or recline
Lead n.
type of metal (also a verb meaning to conduct pronounced “lēd”)
Led v.
past tense of the verb lead
After we led Joe to the old fountain, he asked us to lead him to some lead to use for repair.
Loose adj.
not securely fastened
Did you lose your only loose pair of work pants?
Lose v.
to misplace or to not win
Nauseous adj.
causing nausea
Maybe adv.
adverb meaning “possibly”
May be v.
verb phrase which means “in some degree likely”
Maybe the sun will shine tomorrow.
Tomorrow may be a brighter day.
Nauseated adj.
suffering from nausea
I felt nauseated after being exposed to the nauseous fumes.
Passed v.
past tense of the verb pass
Past n., adj.
belonging to a former time
adv., prep. beyond a time or place
Mother passed me another slice of cake.
Our past president spoke past midnight.
Precede v.
to come before
Proceed v.
to go forward
As we proceeded up the mountain path, we noticed fresh tracks in the mud, evidence that a group of hikers had preceded us.
Prejudice n.
a prejudgment, and opinion without basis
Prejudiced adj.
biased
Prejudice against Mexicans was common in our border town, but my family wasn’t prejudiced.
Principal n.
most important or head of a school or sum of money
Principle n.
a basic truth or law
The principal expelled her for three principal reasons.
The principal of the loan will be paid in ten years.
We believe in the principle of equal justice for all.
Set v.
to put
She set the dough in a warm corner of the kitchen.
The cat sat in the warmest part of the room.
Sit v.
Sometime adv.
at an indefinite or unstated time
Some time adj.
the adjective some modifying the noun time; a period of time
Sometimes adv. now and then
I’ll see you sometime soon.
I haven’t lived there for some time.
to be seated
Sometimes I run into him at the library.
Than conj.
used in comparisons
That pizza is more than I can eat.
Tom laughed, and then we recognized him.
Then adv.
denotes time
There adv.
specifies place
Their pron.
possessive pronoun
They’re
contraction of they are
Sylvia is lying there unconscious.
Fred and Jane finally washed their car.
They’re later than usual today.
Note: There is also an expletive. There are two plums left.
Threw v.
past tense of throw
Through prep.
by way of, by means of or finished
Thorough adj.
careful or complete
Though conj.
despite the fact that or granting that
Though the teacher was very thorough in her search for the person who threw the ball through the window, the culprit was
never found.
To prep
in the direction of or on, against
Too adv.
in addition, also
Two n.
number , one more than one
Too many of your shots slice to the left, but the last two were right on the mark.
Where adv.
at, in, or to what situation
conj.
at what or which place
Were v.
past second singular, past plural, or past subjunctive of the verb be
Where were you going at three in the morning?
She lives where the winters are mild.
Who pron.
subject or subject complement in a clause
Who gave the money to whom?
Whom pron.
object
Who pron.
refers to persons
Which pron., adj. refers to things
That pron., adj. generally refers to things but may refer to groups of people
Fans wondered how an old man who walked with a limp could play football.
The team that (or which) scores the most points in this game will win the tournament.
Weather n.
state of the atmosphere
Whether conj.
We wondered whether the weather would clear up in time for our picnic.
Whose pron.
indicates possession
Who’s ready for more popcorn?
Whose coat is this?
Who’s
Your pron.
You’re v.
possessive pronoun
Is that your new motorcycle?
You’re on the list of finalists.
v.
a choice between alternatives
contraction of who is
contraction of you are