Words Often Confused
Study this list in order to avoid common errors in word choice.
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A
|
| accent |
to emphasize |
| ascent |
climb |
| assent |
to agree to something |
| |
| accept |
to receive |
| except |
with the exception of
|
| |
| access |
right or ability to enter |
| excess |
amount left over
|
| |
| adapt |
to adjust |
| adopt |
to take as one's own
|
| |
| addition |
part added |
| edition |
publication |
| |
| advice |
counsel or information |
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advise |
to give advice
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| |
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affect |
to act upon or influence |
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effect |
result; to bring about
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| |
|
allude |
to refer indirectly |
|
elude |
to evade
|
| |
| allusion |
indirect reference |
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illusion |
misleading image |
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|
| |
| anecdote |
brief story |
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antidote |
remedy for poison |
|
|
| |
| ante- |
prior to or earlier than |
|
anti- |
opposite or against
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| |
| assure |
to give confidence to |
|
ensure |
to make certain
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| |
| aural |
relating to hearing |
|
oral |
relating to the mouth, spoken |
B
|
| |
| base |
bottom |
|
bass |
fish; deep voice
|
| |
| born |
produced by birth |
|
borne |
carried
|
| |
| brake |
to slow or stop |
|
break |
to knock into pieces
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| |
| breadth |
width |
|
breath |
breathed air |
|
breathe |
to draw in air |
C
|
| capital |
city as government center |
|
capitol |
state legislature building |
|
Capitol |
U.S. Congress building
|
| |
| cite |
to quote |
|
sight |
spectacle, view |
|
site |
piece of land; set of Web pages
|
| |
| complement |
to complete |
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compliment |
to praise
|
| |
| conscience |
moral awareness |
|
conscious |
mentally awake
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| |
| consul |
diplomatic official |
|
council |
administrative body |
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counsel |
lawyer; to give advice
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| |
| credible |
believable |
|
creditable |
worthy of praise
|
| |
| currant |
raisinlike fruit |
|
current |
stream; used at the moment
|
D
|
|
decent |
good or satisfactory |
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descent |
downward movement |
|
dissent |
difference of opinion
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| |
| decree |
official order |
|
degree |
extent or scope
|
| |
| desert |
dry barren region |
|
dessert |
sweet food ending a meal
|
| |
| detract |
to disparage or reduce |
|
distract |
to draw attention away
|
| |
| device |
specialized tool |
|
devise |
to invent, to plot |
E
|
| edition |
See addition |
| |
| effect |
See affect |
| |
| eligible |
entitled; desirable |
|
illegible |
not readable
|
| |
| elude |
See allude |
| |
| eminent |
prominent |
|
imminent |
ready to happen
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| |
| ensure |
See assure |
| |
| envelop |
to surround |
|
envelope |
letter container |
| |
| except |
See accept |
| |
| excess |
See access |
F
|
| |
|
formally |
in a formal manner |
|
formerly |
at an earlier time
|
| |
| forth |
forward, onward |
|
fourth |
4th |
G
|
| gorilla |
large manlike ape |
|
guerrilla |
irregular warrior |
H
|
| hardy |
bold, robust |
|
hearty |
jolly; vigorous
|
| |
| hoard |
hidden treasure |
|
horde |
throng |
I
|
| illegible |
See eligible |
| |
| imminent |
See eminent |
| |
| imply |
hint, indicate |
|
infer |
conclude, deduce
|
| |
| incredible |
unbelievable |
|
incredulous |
astonished
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| |
| inherent |
intrinsic |
|
inherit |
to receive from an ancestor
|
| |
| install |
to set up for use |
|
instill |
to impart gradually
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| |
| it's |
it is; it has |
|
its |
belonging to it |
J
|
| No entries for J |
K
|
| No entries for K |
L
|
| lay |
to put or set down |
|
lie |
to rest horizontally
|
| |
| lead |
to guide; heavy metal |
|
led |
guided
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| |
| liable |
obligated by law |
|
libel |
to defame; false publication
|
| |
| loose |
unattached |
|
lose |
to fail to win |
M
|
| medal |
commemorative metal piece |
|
meddle |
to interfere
|
| |
| miner |
mine worker |
|
minor |
young person; unimportant
|
| |
| moral |
ethical; lesson |
|
morale |
emotional attitude |
N
|
| No entries for N |
O
|
| oral |
See aural |
| |
P
|
| passed |
past tense of "pass" |
|
past |
previous; beyond
|
| |
| peace |
tranquility |
|
piece |
portion
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| |
| pear |
fruit |
|
peer |
one's equal; to look intently |
|
pier |
dock
|
| |
| pedal |
foot lever |
|
peddle |
to sell
|
| |
| perpetrate |
to be guilty of |
|
perpetuate |
to make perpetual
|
| |
| persecute |
to harass |
|
prosecute |
to bring legal action
|
| |
| personal |
private, individual |
|
personnel |
group of employees
|
| |
| plain |
ordinary |
|
plane |
airplane; flat surface
|
| |
| pole |
long piece of wood or metal |
|
poll |
sampling of opinion
|
| |
| pray |
to ask earnestly |
|
prey |
victim
|
| |
| precede |
to go or come before |
|
proceed |
to advance or continue
|
| |
| preposition |
part of speech |
|
proposition |
proposal
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| |
| principal |
main; chief person |
|
principle |
basic rule
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| |
| propose |
to plan or intend |
|
purpose |
goal, intention |
Q
|
| quiet |
noiseless |
|
quite |
rather |
R
|
|
rain |
water falling in drops |
|
reign |
to govern |
|
rein |
strap for controlling a horse
|
| |
| raise |
to lift, to increase |
|
raze |
to destroy or tear down
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| |
| respectfully |
with respect |
|
respectively |
in order
|
| |
| resume |
to take up again |
|
résumé |
life summary
|
| |
| right |
correct |
|
rite |
ceremonial act
|
| |
| role |
part, function |
|
roll |
to turn over |
S
|
| sight |
See cite |
| |
| site |
See cite |
| |
| sit |
to lie, rest |
|
set |
to put
|
| |
| stationary |
not moving |
|
stationery |
writing material
|
| |
| statue |
piece of sculpture |
|
stature |
height; status |
|
statute |
law |
T
|
| tack |
course of action |
|
tact |
sensitivity
|
| |
| than |
in comparison with |
|
then |
at that time
|
| |
| their |
belonging to them |
|
there |
in that place |
|
they're |
they are
|
| |
| thorough |
complete |
| through |
into and out of
|
| |
| to |
toward |
|
too |
also, very |
|
two |
2 |
U
|
| No entries for U |
V
|
| No entries for V |
W
|
|
waist |
middle of the body |
|
waste |
scrap, garbage
|
| |
| waive |
to give up voluntarily |
|
wave |
to motion with the hand
|
| |
| weather |
atmospheric state |
|
whether |
if
|
| |
| were |
past form of "be" |
|
we're |
we are |
|
where |
at what place
|
| |
| who's |
who is; who has |
|
whose |
of whom |
X
|
| No entries for X |
Y
|
| your |
belonging to you |
|
you're |
you are |
Z |
| No entries for Z |
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