Commonly Confused Words: A Quick-Reference Guide, Exercises of Grammar and Composition

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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 bu as pore and pour or flaunt and flout. It’s easy to get them confused and most electronic spellchecker situation: they can tell you if a word has been spelled wrongly but they can’t generally flag up the mi Here’s a quick-reference list of pairs of words that regularly cause people problems. The words follo Some of them do have alternative American spellings and you will find these at the main dictionary Word 1 Meaning Word 2 Meaning accept to agree to receive or do except not including adverse unfavourable, harmful averse strongly disliking; opposed advice recommendations about what to do advise to recommend something affect to change or make a difference to effect a result; to bring about a result aisle a passage between rows of seats isle an island all together all in one place, all at once altogether completely; on the whole along moving or extending horizontally on a long referring to something of great length aloud out loud allowed permitted altar a sacred table in a church alter to change amoral not concerned with right or wrong immoral not following accepted moral standards appraise to assess apprise to inform someone assent agreement, approval ascent the action of rising or climbing up aural relating to the ears or hearing oral relating to the mouth; spoken balmy pleasantly warm barmy foolish, crazy bare naked; to uncover bear to carry; to put up with

bated in phrase 'with bated breath', i.e. in great suspense baited with bait attached or inserted bazaar a Middle Eastern market bizarre strange berth a bunk in a ship, train, etc. birth the emergence of a baby from the womb born having started life borne carried bough a branch of a tree bow to bend the head; the front of a ship brake a device for stopping a vehicle; to stop a vehicle break to separate into pieces; a pause breach to break through, or break a rule; a gap breech the back part of a gun barrel broach to raise a subject for discussion brooch a piece of jewellery canvas a type of strong cloth canvass to seek people’s votes censure to criticize strongly censor to ban parts of a book or film; a person who does this cereal a grass producing an edible grain; a breakfast food made from grains serial happening in a series chord a group of musical notes cord a length of string; a cord-like body part climactic forming a climax climatic relating to climate coarse rough course a direction; a school subject; part of a meal complacent smug and self- satisfied complaisant willing to please complement to add to so as to improve; an addition that improves something compliment to praise or express approval; an admiring remark council a group of people who manage or advise counsel advice; to advise cue a signal for action; a wooden rod queue a line of people or vehicles curb to keep something kerb (in British English) the

in check; a control or limit stone edge of a pavement currant a dried grape current happening now; a flow of water, air, or electricity defuse to make a situation less tense diffuse to spread over a wide area desert a waterless, empty area; to abandon someone dessert the sweet course of a meal discreet careful not to attract attention discrete separate and distinct disinterested impartial uninterested not interested draught a current of air draft a first version of a piece of writing draw an even score at the end of a game drawer a sliding storage compartment dual having two parts duel a fight or contest between two people elicit to draw out a reply or reaction illicit not allowed by law or rules ensure to make certain that something will happen insure to provide compensation if a person dies or property is damaged envelop to cover or surround envelope a paper container for a letter exercise physical activity; to do physical activity exorcise to drive out an evil spirit fawn a young deer; light brown faun a mythical being, part man, part goat flaunt to display ostentatiously flout to disregard a rule flounder to move clumsily; to have difficulty doing something founder to fail forbear to refrain forebear an ancestor foreword an introduction to a book forward onwards, ahead freeze to turn to ice frieze a decoration along a wall grisly gruesome, revolting grizzly a type of bear hoard a store horde a large crowd of people imply to suggest indirectly infer to draw a conclusion

loath reluctant, unwilling loathe to hate loose to unfasten; to set free lose to be deprived of; to be unable to find meter a measuring device metre a metric unit; rhythm in verse militate to be a powerful factor against mitigate to make less severe palate the roof of the mouth palette a board for mixing colours pedal a foot-operated lever peddle to sell goods pole a long, slender piece of wood poll voting in an election pour to flow or cause to flow pore a tiny opening; to study something closely practice the use of an idea or method; the work or business of a doctor, dentist, etc. practise to do something repeatedly to gain skill; to do something regularly prescribe to authorize use of medicine; to order authoritatively proscribe to officially forbid something principal most important; the head of a school principle a fundamental rule or belief sceptic a person inclined to doubt septic infected with bacteria sight the ability to see site a location stationary not moving stationery writing materials storey a level of a building story a tale or account titillate to arouse interest titivate to make more attractive tortuous full of twists; complex torturous full of pain or suffering wreath a ring-shaped arrangement of flowers etc. wreathe to surround or encircle