English is filled with plenty of words that sound similar but convey completely different meanings, and it’s easy to mix up these terms when speaking or writing. Here’s a list of 101 of the most commonly confused words in the English language. Want more information about the differences between these words? Click on the links below to learn all about these word pairs.
Accept vs. Except
Accept (verb): Consent to receive or undertake (something offered). “She accepted the birthday gift.”
Except (preposition): Not including; other than. “He didn’t bring anything except for the gift.”
Advice vs. Advise
Advice (noun): Guidance or recommendations offered with regard to prudent future action. “My sister took my financial advice.”
Advise (verb): Offer suggestions about the best course of action. “I advised against investing in Beanie Babies.”
Affect vs. Effect
Affect (verb): Have an effect on; make a difference to. “His dog was affected by the illness that went around the doggie daycare.”
Effect (noun): A change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause. “But a new medication had a positive effect on her health.”
Allude vs. Elude
Allude (verb): Suggest or call attention to indirectly; hint at. “The boss alluded to a pay raise.”
Elude (verb): Evade or escape from. “But management eluded the subject of bonuses when it came up.”
Allusion vs. Illusion
Allusion (noun): An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference. “The magician made an allusion to Shakespeare during his act.”
Illusion (noun): A thing that is or is likely to be wrongly perceived or interpreted by the senses. “His clever tricks were all an illusion.”
Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure
Assure (verb): Tell someone something positively or confidently to dispel any doubts they may have. “I assure you the venue is very safe.”
Ensure (verb): Make certain that (something) shall occur or be the case. “The managers ensure all rules and guidelines are followed.”
Insure (verb): Arrange for compensation in the event of damage to or loss of property. “If anything happens, the company is insured against any losses.”
Base vs. Bass
Base (noun): The lowest part or edge of something, especially the part on which it rests or is supported. “The music stand was supported at its base.”
Bass (noun): Denoting the member of a family of instruments that is the lowest in pitch. “The musician played the bass clarinet.”
Breath vs. Breathe
Breath (noun): The air taken into or expelled from the lungs. “He held his breath.”
Breathe (verb): Take air into the lungs and then expel it, especially as a regular physiological process. “Humans cannot breathe underwater.”
Buy vs. By
Buy (verb): Obtain in exchange for payment. “Jim went to buy a new car.”
By (preposition): Indicating location of a physical object beside a place or object. “He parked the car by the house.”
Capital vs. Capitol
Capital (noun): The most important city or town of a country or region, usually its seat of government and administrative center. “We visited Montpelier, the capital of Vermont, on vacation.”
Capitol (noun): A building housing a legislative assembly. “Our family took a tour of the Vermont State House, the state capitol in Montpelier.”
Complement vs. Compliment
Complement (noun): A thing that completes or brings to perfection. “My pink scarf is a wonderful complement to my green dress.”
Compliment (noun): A polite expression of praise or admiration. “My date gave me a compliment on my green dress.”
Conscience vs. Conscious
Conscience (noun): An inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behavior. “Her conscience told her to check on the patient one last time before heading home.”
Conscious (adjective): Aware of and responding to one's surroundings; awake. “She saw he was conscious and chatting with family.”
Council vs. Counsel
Council (noun): An advisory, deliberative, or legislative body of people formally constituted and meeting regularly. “The city council voted against the proposal.”
Counsel (verb): Give advice to (someone). “They counseled the mayor on several changes they wanted to see.”
Desert vs. Dessert
Desert (verb): Abandon (a person, cause, or organization) in a way considered disloyal or treacherous. “The waiter deserted the table for over 30 minutes.”
Dessert (noun): The sweet course eaten at the end of a meal. “Finally, he appeared with dessert in hand.”
Device vs. Devise
Device (noun): A thing made or adapted for a particular purpose, especially a piece of mechanical or electronic equipment. “Her daughter uses the device day and night.”
Devise (verb): Plan or invent (a complex procedure, system, or mechanism) by careful thought. “But she devised a plan for cutting her child’s cell phone usage.”
Disinterested vs. Uninterested
Disinterested (adjective): Not influenced by considerations of personal advantage. “My banker must give me disinterested advice.”
Uninterested (adjective): Not interested in or concerned about something or someone. “She’s uninterested in pressuring me to open a checking account.”
Eminent vs. Immanent vs. Imminent
Eminent (adjective): (Of a person) Famous and respected within a particular sphere or profession. “My mother is an eminent scientist.”
Immanent (adjective): Existing or operating within; inherent. “Knowledge is immanent in her life.”
Imminent (adjective): About to happen. “Her promotion to department chair is imminent.”
Envelop vs. Envelope
Envelop (verb): Wrap up, cover, or surround completely. “I have to completely envelop myself in a coat, hat, scarf, and gloves before walking to the mailbox.”
Envelope (noun): A flat paper container with a sealable flap, used to enclose a letter or document. “Inside the box were several envelopes and a small package.”
Farther vs. Further
Farther (adverb): Describes a tangible distance. “Go three blocks farther, and you will see the house.”
Further (adverb): Describes a figurative distance. “The house is just a little bit further.”
Gaff vs. Gaffe
Gaff (noun): A stick with a hook or barbed spear, for landing large fish. “He caught the flounder with his gaff.”
Gaffe (noun): An unintentional act or remark causing embarrassment to its originator; a blunder. “But he called it a cod, which was an embarrassing gaffe.”
Gorilla vs. Guerilla
Gorilla (noun): A powerfully built great ape with a large head and short neck, found in the forests of central Africa. It is the largest living primate. “The gorillas lived in the jungle.”
Guerilla (noun): A member of a small independent group taking part in irregular fighting, typically against larger regular forces. “Luckily, they did not come across the armed guerillas."
Historic vs. Historical
Historic (adjective): Famous or important in history, or potentially so. "Gettysburg was a historic Civil War battle."
Historical (adjective): Of or concerning history; concerning past events. "Many historical figures have commemorated the event."
Hoard vs. Horde
Hoard (verb): Amass (money or valued objects) and hide or store away. "He hoarded money under his mattress."
Horde (noun): (Mainly derogatory) A large group of people. "Then the horde of thieves found his cash.”
Imply vs. Infer
Imply (verb): Strongly suggest the truth or existence of (something not expressly stated). "She implied we were going to the mall."
Infer (verb): Deduce or conclude (information) from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements. "Since the car wouldn’t start, I inferred this wasn’t true."
Its vs. It's
Its (possessive determiner): Belonging to or associated with a thing previously mentioned or easily identified. "The cat is in its bed."
It’s (contraction): Contraction of “it is.” "It’s still sleeping."
Lay vs. Lie
Lay (verb): Put down, especially gently or carefully. "Can you lay the book on the desk?"
Lie (verb): Be in or assume a horizontal or resting position on a supporting surface. "I need to lie down and rest."
Loose vs. Lose
Loose (adjective): Not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached. "This screw is loose."
Lose (verb): Be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something). "We will lose the handle if it falls off."
Median vs. Medium
Median (adjective): Lying at the midpoint of a frequency distribution. "The median household income is $50,000 in Springfield."
Medium (adjective): About halfway between two extremes of size or another quality; average. "You could buy a medium-sized house."
Moral vs. Morale
Moral (adjective): Concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character. "He felt a moral obligation to help others improve their self-esteem."
Morale (noun): The confidence, enthusiasm, and discipline of a person or group at a particular time. "That’s why he wanted to improve morale at work.”
New vs. Knew
New (adjective): Not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time. "Do you like my new hat?"
Knew (verb tense): Be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information. "You knew I planned to buy it."
No vs. Know
No (determiner): Not any. "No onions are in this casserole."
Know (verb): Be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information. "You know how much I hate onions."
Passed vs. Past
Passed (verb tense): Move or cause to move in a specified direction: "I passed the ball to my cousin."
Past (preposition): To or on the further side of. "Later, he rode his bike past my house."
Pedal vs. Peddle
Pedal (verb): Move by working the pedals of a bicycle. "The child pedaled her bike down the street."
Peddle (verb): Try to sell (something, especially small goods) by going from house to house or place. "She was peddling cookies to people in the neighborhood."
Personal vs. Personnel
Personal (adjective): Of, affecting, or belonging to a particular person rather than to anyone else. "The co-workers had a personal relationship."
Personnel (noun): People employed in an organization or engaged in an organized undertaking such as military service. "The information ended up in their personnel file."
Plain vs. Plane
Plain (adjective): Not decorated or elaborate; simple or ordinary in character. "She wore plain pants."
Plane (noun): A flat or level surface of a material object. "When she took them off, she laid them on the plane of the ironing board."
Pole vs. Poll
Pole (noun): A long, slender, rounded piece of wood or metal, typically used with one end placed in the ground as a support for something. "They hoisted the flag up the pole."
Poll (noun): (Often the polls) The process of voting in an election. "It was time to go to the polls to vote."
Principal vs. Principle
Principal (noun): The most important or senior person in an organization or group; the head of a school, college, or other educational institution. "We visited the principal’s office."
Principle (noun): A rule or belief governing one's personal behavior. "She explained the principles of the school to us."
Raise vs. Rise
Raise (verb): Lift or move to a higher position or level. "Every morning, they raised the blinds."
Rise (verb): Move from a lower position to a higher one; come or go up. "The sun would rise over the pond."
Resume vs. Résumé
Resume (verb): Begin again or continue after a pause or interruption. "After taking a break to finish her degree, she was ready to resume looking for a job.”
Résumé (noun): A brief account of a person's education, qualifications, and previous occupations, typically sent with a job application; a CV. "She prepared a résumé to explain her experience."
Stationary vs. Stationery
Stationary (adjective): Not moving or not intended to be moved. "The man sat completely still and stationary."
Stationery (noun): Writing and other office materials. "He was considering what to write on his stationery."
Statue vs. Stature vs. Statute
Statue (noun): A carved or cast figure of a person or animal, especially one that is life-size or larger. "The statue was moved to a new spot in the museum."
Stature (noun): A person’s natural height. "It had an impressive stature."
Statute (noun): A written law passed by a legislative body. "The historical art was protected by local statute."
Than vs. Then
Than (conjunction): Used to introduce the second element in a comparison. "He is running faster than he ran last year."
Then (adverb): At that time; at the time in question. "Then he wasn’t training as consistently."
Their vs. They're vs. There
Their (possessive determiner): Belonging to or associated with the people or things previously mentioned or easily identified. "They just moved into their new home."
They’re (contraction): Contraction of “they are.” "They’re throwing a housewarming party."
There (adverb): In, at, or to that place or position. "There will be lots of people in attendance.”
To vs. Too vs. Two
To (preposition): Expressing motion in the direction of (a particular location). "We’re going to that party after practice.”
Too (adverb): In addition; also. "Are you going, too?"
Two (number): Equivalent to the sum of one and one; one less than three; 2. "We can drive in two cars."
Waist vs. Waste
Waist (noun): The part of the human body below the ribs and above the hips, often narrower than the areas above and below. "The pants didn’t fit his waist and would need alterations."
Waste (verb): Use or expend carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose. "He hated to waste any food."
Who's vs. Whose
Who’s (contraction): Contraction of “who is.” "Who’s going to the baseball game?”
Whose (pronoun): Belonging to or associated with which person. "Whose glove is this?”
Who vs. Whom
Who (interrogative pronoun): What or which person or people. "I wonder who will be at the party?"
Whom (pronoun): Used instead of “who” as the object of a verb or preposition. "Whom did they invite?"
Your vs. You're
Your (possessive determiner): Belonging to or associated with the person or people that the speaker is addressing. "Your study habits are excellent."
You’re (contraction): Contraction of “you are.” "You’re taking a test this week."
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