| Are you guilty of confusing these English Words? by hercatonchires(m): 4:24pm On May 22, 2017 |
Commonly confused English words
Some people are mindful of their spoken grammar, while some are more concerned about writing. On the other hand, some are actually mindful of their grammar generally i.e both spoken and written.
You could get away with some blunders when speaking, but when you write, you get exposed.
In English language, we have words that have the same pronunciation, spellings but different meaning. We also have some with different spellings, the same pronunciation and different meanings.
They are categorised as;
Homograph: A word spelt same as another regardless of pronunciation.
Homophone: A word pronounced the same as another word but differs in spelling or meaning.
Homonym: A word that both sounds and is spelt the same as another but has a different meaning.
In our daily use of English, we encounter homonyms, homophones, and homographs and they can be very confusing. I have taken time to compile a list of words that are commonly confused for each other/one another as the case may be.
They include but not limited to the following:
Altogether: Completely; on the whole
All together: All in one place; all at once
Advice: Recommendations about what to do
Advise: To recommend something
Afford: Rich enough; to be able, bear, incur
Avoid: Keep away; abstain
Altar: Sacred table in church
Alter: To change; Edit
Appraise: To assess
Apprise: To inform someone
Adverse: Unfavourable; Harmful
Averse: Strong disliking
Assent: Agreement; approval
Ascent: The action of rising or climbing up
Accent: Manner of speaking or pronunciation
Aural: Relating to the ears or hearing
Oral: Relating to the mouth or spoken
Bear: To carry; to put up with
Bare: Naked; uncovered
Bazaar: Selling articles that are exotic
Bizarre: Strange
Borrow: To take and use (something that belongs to someone else) for a period of time before returning it; to RECEIVE temporarily
e.g. I borrowed his book; no one borrows in our family
Lend: To give something to someone to be used for a period of time and then returned; to GIVE temporarily
e.g. Lend me your book; no one lends money to our family
Born: Having started life
Borne: Carried
Brake: A device for stopping a vehicle
Break: To separate into pieces; a pause
Breach: Breakthrough or break a rule
Breech: The back part of a gun barrel
Canvas: A type of strong cloth
Canvass: To seek people’s votes
Centre: British spelling of “Center” Middle portion of something
Center: American spelling of “Centre”
Compliment: Praise; congratulation
Complement: Complete; make whole
Complacent: Smug and self satisfied
Complaisant: Willing to please
Contempt: Scorn; disdain; open disrespect or wilful disobedience
Content: satisfied
Contend: Debate; struggle
Convince: Make someone believe by using logic, argument or evidence
Confuse: Mistake one thing for another; mix-up; to disorder
Council: A group of people who advise or manage
Counsel: Advice; to advise
Corps: An organised group of people united by a common purpose.
Corpse: Dead body
I remember seeing a post on social media. A prospective corps member wrote;
“I thank God for making me be among the YOUTH CORPSE”  
Obviously, she meant something else. If she had spoken the words other than writing, she might have gone away with it.
Cue: Signal for action; a wooden rod
Queue: A line of vehicles or people
Defuse: To make a situation less tense
Diffuse: To spread over a wide area
Desert: Waterless, empty area; to abandon someone
Dessert: The sweet course of a meal
Discreet: Careful not to attract attention, privacy, secrecy, quiet
Discrete: Separate and distinct
Dual: Having two parts
Duel: A fight between two people, a contest
Illicit: Invalid, not approved by law
Elicit: To draw out a reply or reaction
Exercise: Physical activity; to do
Exorcise: T drive out an evil spirit
Loath: Reluctant; unwilling
Loathe: To hate; despise
Loose: To unfasten; set free
Lose: To be unable to find; misplace
Meter: A measuring device
Metre: A metric unit
Sight: Ability to see
Site: A location
Cite: To quote; repeat from a book or word(s) of another
Stationery: Writing material
Stationary: Not moving
Story: A tale; sequence of events
Storey: Level of a building
Aloud: Out loud
Allowed: Permitted
Censor: Review in order to remove
Censure: Criticize; condemn; Reprimand
Order: Arrangement, sequence
Other: Alien; different; second
Live: To be alive; to have life
Leave: Depart; Exit
Reign: Exercise of sovereign power; period during which a monarch rules
Rain: Any matter moving or falling; water falling from a cloud
Live: Seen or heard from a broadcast as it happens
Life: the period during which one is alive
Acre: A unit of surface area {equivalent to about 4,046.86 square metres}
Hectare: A unit of surface area {10,000 square metres or approximately 2.5 acres}
Aisle: A passage between rows of seats
Isle: An island
Sibling: A person who shares same parents
Offspring: Children
Pour: Cause something to flow; to dispense from a container
Pore: Study meticulously; meditate/reflect
These: Plural of “This”
This: {pronoun} Singular form. The thing that is closest to you or that is being shown to you
In order: You use "in order to" when you describe an action, and the goal of this action.
e.g.
"I hid all of the aliens' corpse in the basement in order to avoid questions."
In other: You use "in other words" when you wish to point out some of the implications of the previous phrase or simply rephrase it.
e.g.
"Unfortunately, my wife went to clean the basement on Friday. In other words, Busted!"
References: Google, Merriam-Webster's dictionary, The English dictionary (Livio) (extracted from http://wiktionary.org)
No one knows it all. With much practice, we are bound to get better.
|
| Re: Are you guilty of confusing these English Words? by hercatonchires(m): 12:03am On May 23, 2017 |
cc bigwilliams4u hercatonchires:
Commonly confused English words
Some people are mindful of their spoken grammar, while some are more concerned about writing. On the other hand, some are actually mindful of their grammar generally i.e both spoken and written.
You could get away with some blunders when speaking, but when you write, you get exposed.
In English language, we have words that have the same pronunciation, spellings but different meaning. We also have some with different spellings, the same pronunciation and different meanings.
They are categorised as;
Homograph: A word spelt same as another regardless of pronunciation.
Homophone: A word pronounced the same as another word but differs in spelling or meaning.
Homonym: A word that both sounds and is spelt the same as another but has a different meaning.
In our daily use of English, we encounter homonyms, homophones, and homographs and they can be very confusing. I have taken time to compile a list of words that are commonly confused for each other/one another as the case may be.
They include but not limited to the following:
Altogether: Completely; on the whole
All together: All in one place; all at once
Advice: Recommendations about what to do
Advise: To recommend something
Afford: Rich enough; to be able, bear, incur
Avoid: Keep away; abstain
Altar: Sacred table in church
Alter: To change; Edit
Appraise: To assess
Apprise: To inform someone
Adverse: Unfavourable; Harmful
Averse: Strong disliking
Assent: Agreement; approval
Ascent: The action of rising or climbing up
Accent: Manner of speaking or pronunciation
Aural: Relating to the ears or hearing
Oral: Relating to the mouth or spoken
Bear: To carry; to put up with
Bare: Naked; uncovered
Bazaar: Selling articles that are exotic
Bizarre: Strange
Borrow: To take and use (something that belongs to someone else) for a period of time before returning it; to RECEIVE temporarily
e.g. I borrowed his book; no one borrows in our family
Lend: To give something to someone to be used for a period of time and then returned; to GIVE temporarily
e.g. Lend me your book; no one lends money to our family
Born: Having started life
Borne: Carried
Brake: A device for stopping a vehicle
Break: To separate into pieces; a pause
Breach: Breakthrough or break a rule
Breech: The back part of a gun barrel
Canvas: A type of strong cloth
Canvass: To seek people’s votes
Centre: British spelling of “Center” Middle portion of something
Center: American spelling of “Centre”
Compliment: Praise; congratulation
Complement: Complete; make whole
Complacent: Smug and self satisfied
Complaisant: Willing to please
Contempt: Scorn; disdain; open disrespect or wilful disobedience
Content: satisfied
Contend: Debate; struggle
Convince: Make someone believe by using logic, argument or evidence
Confuse: Mistake one thing for another; mix-up; to disorder
Council: A group of people who advise or manage
Counsel: Advice; to advise
Corps: An organised group of people united by a common purpose.
Corpse: Dead body
I remember seeing a post on social media. A prospective corps member wrote;
“I thank God for making me be among the YOUTH CORPSE”
Obviously, she meant something else. If she had spoken the words other than writing, she might have gone away with it.
Cue: Signal for action; a wooden rod
Queue: A line of vehicles or people
Defuse: To make a situation less tense
Diffuse: To spread over a wide area
Desert: Waterless, empty area; to abandon someone
Dessert: The sweet course of a meal
Discreet: Careful not to attract attention, privacy, secrecy, quiet
Discrete: Separate and distinct
Dual: Having two parts
Duel: A fight between two people, a contest
Illicit: Invalid, not approved by law
Elicit: To draw out a reply or reaction
Exercise: Physical activity; to do
Exorcise: T drive out an evil spirit
Loath: Reluctant; unwilling
Loathe: To hate; despise
Loose: To unfasten; set free
Lose: To be unable to find; misplace
Meter: A measuring device
Metre: A metric unit
Sight: Ability to see
Site: A location
Cite: To quote; repeat from a book or word(s) of another
Stationery: Writing material
Stationary: Not moving
Story: A tale; sequence of events
Storey: Level of a building
Aloud: Out loud
Allowed: Permitted
Censor: Review in order to remove
Censure: Criticize; condemn; Reprimand
Order: Arrangement, sequence
Other: Alien; different; second
Live: To be alive; to have life
Leave: Depart; Exit
Reign: Exercise of sovereign power; period during which a monarch rules
Rain: Any matter moving or falling; water falling from a cloud
Live: Seen or heard from a broadcast as it happens
Life: the period during which one is alive
Acre: A unit of surface area {equivalent to about 4,046.86 square metres}
Hectare: A unit of surface area {10,000 square metres or approximately 2.5 acres}
Aisle: A passage between rows of seats
Isle: An island
Sibling: A person who shares same parents
Offspring: Children
Pour: Cause something to flow; to dispense from a container
Pore: Study meticulously; meditate/reflect
These: Plural of “This”
This: {pronoun} Singular form. The thing that is closest to you or that is being shown to you
In order: You use "in order to" when you describe an action, and the goal of this action.
e.g.
"I hid all of the aliens' corpse in the basement in order to avoid questions."
In other: You use "in other words" when you wish to point out some of the implications of the previous phrase or simply rephrase it.
e.g.
"Unfortunately, my wife went to clean the basement on Friday. In other words, Busted!"
References: Google, Merriam-Webster's dictionary, The English dictionary (Livio) (extracted from http://wiktionary.org)
No one knows it all. With much practice, we are bound to get better.
|
| Re: Are you guilty of confusing these English Words? by hercatonchires(m): 9:58am On Jun 05, 2017 |
hercatonchires:
Commonly confused English words
Some people are mindful of their spoken grammar, while some are more concerned about writing. On the other hand, some are actually mindful of their grammar generally i.e both spoken and written.
You could get away with some blunders when speaking, but when you write, you get exposed.
In English language, we have words that have the same pronunciation, spellings but different meaning. We also have some with different spellings, the same pronunciation and different meanings.
They are categorised as;
Homograph: A word spelt same as another regardless of pronunciation.
Homophone: A word pronounced the same as another word but differs in spelling or meaning.
Homonym: A word that both sounds and is spelt the same as another but has a different meaning.
In our daily use of English, we encounter homonyms, homophones, and homographs and they can be very confusing. I have taken time to compile a list of words that are commonly confused for each other/one another as the case may be.
They include but not limited to the following:
Altogether: Completely; on the whole
All together: All in one place; all at once
Advice: Recommendations about what to do
Advise: To recommend something
Afford: Rich enough; to be able, bear, incur
Avoid: Keep away; abstain
Altar: Sacred table in church
Alter: To change; Edit
Appraise: To assess
Apprise: To inform someone
Adverse: Unfavourable; Harmful
Averse: Strong disliking
Assent: Agreement; approval
Ascent: The action of rising or climbing up
Accent: Manner of speaking or pronunciation
Aural: Relating to the ears or hearing
Oral: Relating to the mouth or spoken
Bear: To carry; to put up with
Bare: Naked; uncovered
Bazaar: Selling articles that are exotic
Bizarre: Strange
Borrow: To take and use (something that belongs to someone else) for a period of time before returning it; to RECEIVE temporarily
e.g. I borrowed his book; no one borrows in our family
Lend: To give something to someone to be used for a period of time and then returned; to GIVE temporarily
e.g. Lend me your book; no one lends money to our family
Born: Having started life
Borne: Carried
Brake: A device for stopping a vehicle
Break: To separate into pieces; a pause
Breach: Breakthrough or break a rule
Breech: The back part of a gun barrel
Canvas: A type of strong cloth
Canvass: To seek people’s votes
Centre: British spelling of “Center” Middle portion of something
Center: American spelling of “Centre”
Compliment: Praise; congratulation
Complement: Complete; make whole
Complacent: Smug and self satisfied
Complaisant: Willing to please
Contempt: Scorn; disdain; open disrespect or wilful disobedience
Content: satisfied
Contend: Debate; struggle
Convince: Make someone believe by using logic, argument or evidence
Confuse: Mistake one thing for another; mix-up; to disorder
Council: A group of people who advise or manage
Counsel: Advice; to advise
Corps: An organised group of people united by a common purpose.
Corpse: Dead body
I remember seeing a post on social media. A prospective corps member wrote;
“I thank God for making me be among the YOUTH CORPSE”
Obviously, she meant something else. If she had spoken the words other than writing, she might have gone away with it.
Cue: Signal for action; a wooden rod
Queue: A line of vehicles or people
Defuse: To make a situation less tense
Diffuse: To spread over a wide area
Desert: Waterless, empty area; to abandon someone
Dessert: The sweet course of a meal
Discreet: Careful not to attract attention, privacy, secrecy, quiet
Discrete: Separate and distinct
Dual: Having two parts
Duel: A fight between two people, a contest
Illicit: Invalid, not approved by law
Elicit: To draw out a reply or reaction
Exercise: Physical activity; to do
Exorcise: T drive out an evil spirit
Loath: Reluctant; unwilling
Loathe: To hate; despise
Loose: To unfasten; set free
Lose: To be unable to find; misplace
Meter: A measuring device
Metre: A metric unit
Sight: Ability to see
Site: A location
Cite: To quote; repeat from a book or word(s) of another
Stationery: Writing material
Stationary: Not moving
Story: A tale; sequence of events
Storey: Level of a building
Aloud: Out loud
Allowed: Permitted
Censor: Review in order to remove
Censure: Criticize; condemn; Reprimand
Order: Arrangement, sequence
Other: Alien; different; second
Live: To be alive; to have life
Leave: Depart; Exit
Reign: Exercise of sovereign power; period during which a monarch rules
Rain: Any matter moving or falling; water falling from a cloud
Live: Seen or heard from a broadcast as it happens
Life: the period during which one is alive
Acre: A unit of surface area {equivalent to about 4,046.86 square metres}
Hectare: A unit of surface area {10,000 square metres or approximately 2.5 acres}
Aisle: A passage between rows of seats
Isle: An island
Sibling: A person who shares same parents
Offspring: Children
Pour: Cause something to flow; to dispense from a container
Pore: Study meticulously; meditate/reflect
These: Plural of “This”
This: {pronoun} Singular form. The thing that is closest to you or that is being shown to you
In order: You use "in order to" when you describe an action, and the goal of this action.
e.g.
"I hid all of the aliens' corpse in the basement in order to avoid questions."
In other: You use "in other words" when you wish to point out some of the implications of the previous phrase or simply rephrase it.
e.g.
"Unfortunately, my wife went to clean the basement on Friday. In other words, Busted!"
References: Google, Merriam-Webster's dictionary, The English dictionary (Livio) (extracted from http://wiktionary.org)
No one knows it all. With much practice, we are bound to be better.
cc lalasticlala, Mynd44
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