Below are ten commonly confused word pairs beginning with the letters I-L

1. illicit / elicit
Illicit is an adjective meaning, “not allowed by law or social conventions.” Elicit is a verb meaning, “to draw out a reply or reaction.”

2. imply / infer
Increasing numbers of speakers ignore the distinction between these words, but it remains a useful one. Imply is “to suggest indirectly.” Infer is “to draw a conclusion.”

3. it’s / its
Despite the hundreds, perhaps thousands of explanations to be found on the Web regarding the difference between these two spellings, the mistake of writing it’s for its remains the most common written error of them all.

It’s is the contracted form of the words it and is. Its is the possessive adjective that corresponds to his and their:

Max has dyed his hair red.
The children have passed their exams.
The cat has paint on its tail.

4. jibe / jive
The most common error with this pair is to use jive, a word that derives from musical terminology, in a context that calls for jibe, a word that means, “to agree with.” Here are two correct uses of the word jibe:

His interpretation of the law doesn’t jibe with mine.
Your explanation does not jibe with the facts.

5. loath / loathe
Loath (pronounced with an unvoiced th like the one in thin) is an adjective originally meaning hostile, angry, or spiteful. In modern usage it means averse, disinclined, reluctant, or unwilling, as in this New York Times headline:” Inquiry Goes To Committee That May Be Loath to Act.” A variant spelling is loth.

Loathe (pronounced with a voiced th like the one in this) is a verb meaning “to feel strong aversion for” as in the title of a TED topic: “Why Do So Many People Loathe Their Jobs?”

Note: TED is a nonprofit organization that sponsors and broadcasts lectures on various social issues. The name is an acronym formed from the words Technology, Entertainment, and Design.

Credit: DWT