alwahatech - Frequently Confused Words

Peace Be Upon You

Frequently Confused Words

The word pairs listed below are often confused, either because their pronunciations are similar or because there is only a shade of difference in their meanings

accelerate, exhilarate
accelerate: to move faster
exhilarate: to invigorate

accept, except
accept: to receive
except: to exclude

adapt, adopt
adapt: to change in response to a situation or circumstance
adopt: to take on or make something one’s own

adhere, cohere
adhere: to stick to or by something
cohere: to stick two or more things together

adverse, averse
adverse: antagonistic
averse: disinclined

advice, advise
advice: an opinion about how to deal with a problem or situation
advise: to offer such an opinion

affect, effect
affect: to have an influence on; an emotion, sensation, or feeling
effect: to bring about; a result, outcome, or consequence

aggravate, irritate
aggravate: to make worse
irritate: to annoy

allusion, delusion, illusion
allusion: an indirect reference
delusion: a false belief
illusion: a misperception of reality

amoral, immoral
amoral: neither moral nor immoral
immoral: not moral

anxious, eager
anxious: worried
eager: impatiently expectant

arbitrate, mediate
arbitrate: to make a judgment in a dispute
mediate: to settle a dispute by helping the parties reach a decision

ascribe, subscribe
ascribe: to credit to a specific cause
subscribe: to endorse or approve something

assume, presume
assume: to take for granted without any evidence
presume: to take for granted without evidence to the contrary

assure, ensure, insure
assure: to remove doubt (used with reference to a person or animal)
ensure: to make certain
insure: to make certain, or to guarantee against risk

avocation, vocation
avocation: a hobby
vocation: a profession or calling

avoid, evade
avoid: to stay clear of
evade: to elude

beside, besides
beside: next to
besides: in addition

biannual, biennial
biannual: twice a year
biennial: every two years

blatant, flagrant
blatant: conspicuously offensive
flagrant: extremely offensive or reprehensible

burglary, robbery
burglary: breaking into a building with the intent to steal
robbery: taking property from a person by threat or force

childish, childlike
childish: immature
childlike: innocent

compose, comprise
compose: to constitute
comprise: to be composed of

continual, continuous
continual: recurring frequently
continuous: continuing without interruption

credible, credulous
credible: capable of being believed
credulous: capable of believing

definite, definitive
definite: clearly defined
definitive: authoritative

denote, connote
denote: to indicate
connote: to suggest

discover, invent
discover: to find something that already exists
invent: to create something new

disinterested, uninterested
disinterested: neither interested nor not interested
uninterested: not interested

distrust, mistrust
distrust: to have a lack of confidence
mistrust: to regard with suspicion

effective, efficient
effective: producing or having a desired effect
efficient: working properly and in an economic manner

emigrate, immigrate, migrate
emigrate: to leave a place
immigrate: to go to a place
migrate: to move from one place to another

eminent, imminent
eminent: prominent
imminent: impending

evoke, invoke
evoke: to call to mind
invoke: to call on for assistance

explicit, implicit
explicit: directly stated or indicated
implicit: implied

feasible, possible
feasible: capable of happening
possible: capable of happening under the right conditions

flammable, inflammable
flammable: capable of burning
inflammable: capable of burning

flaunt, flout
flaunt: to exhibit ostentatiously
flout: to scorn

flounder, founder
flounder: to move clumsily
founder: to fail or collapse

fortuitous, fortunate
fortuitous: happening by chance
fortunate: lucky

gender, sex
gender: femaleness or maleness in a social context
sex: femaleness or maleness in a biological context

hung, hanged
hung: suspended
hanged: executed by hanging

healthy, healthful
healthy: having good health
healthful: conducive to good health

historic, historical
historic: having an influence on history
historical: relating to past events or the study of history

illegible, unreadable
illegible: indecipherable
unreadable: not able to be read for any reason

imply, infer
imply: to suggest
infer: to surmise

in behalf of, on behalf of
in behalf of: for the benefit of
on behalf of: on the part of

incredible, incredulous
incredible: unbelievable
incredulous: unbelieving

ingenious, ingenuous
ingenious: inventive
ingenuous: naively candid

learn, teach
learn: to gain knowledge
teach: to pass on knowledge to another person

libel, slander
libel: a false, malicious statement in writing
slander: a false, malicious statement in speech

moral, morale
moral: virtuous
morale: frame of mind

nauseated, nauseous
nauseated: afflicted with nausea
nauseous: causing nausea

obligate, oblige
obligate: to bind
oblige: to make indebted

occasional, periodic
occasional: occurring from time to time
periodic: occurring at regular intervals

oral, verbal
oral: relating to speech
verbal: relating to words

persistent, insistent
persistent: unwilling to give up
insistent: unyielding

prescribe, proscribe
prescribe: to establish a rule
proscribe: to prohibit

query, inquiry
query: a question
inquiry: an investigation

quote, quotation
quote: to repeat another’s words
quotation: quoted words

rare, scarce
rare: uncommon
scarce: in short supply

rebut, refute
rebut: to argue against
refute: to disprove

regrettably, regretfully
regrettably: deserving of regret
regretfully: with regret

rend, render
rend: to tear into pieces
render: to give or make available

repel, repulse
repel: to inspire disgust or aversion in
repulse: to drive back or away

seasonable, seasonal
seasonable: appropriate to a season
seasonal: occurring during a season

sensual, sensuous
sensual: relating to physical (especially sexual) pleasure
sensuous: relating to sensory experience

stamp, stomp
stamp: to trample, put one's foot down forcibly
stomp: to trample

venal, venial
venal: corruptible
venial: easily forgiven

wreak, wreck
wreak: to cause
wreck: to destroy