₦airaland Forum

English Language has a lot of words that can easily confuse the speaker, and lots of people make these mistakes while speaking, chatting or posting comments without realising it. Below are some of the commonly confused words English speakers use in their everyday conversations:

(1)advice (noun): recommendations about what to do
advise (verb): to recommend something

(2)aisle: a passage between rows of seats
isle: an island

(3)stationary: not moving
stationery: writing materials

(4)palate: the roof of the mouth
palette: a board for mixing colours

(5)assent: agreement, approval
ascent: the action of rising or climbing up

(6)principal: most important; the head of a school
principle: a fundamental rule or belief

(7)canvas: a type of strong cloth
canvass: to seek people’s votes

( chord: a group of musical notes
cord: a length of string; a cord-like body part

(9)complement: to add to so as to improve; an addition that improves something
compliment: to praise or express approval; an admiring remark

(10)council: a group of people who manage or advise
counsel: advice; to advise

(11)defuse: to make a situation less tense
diffuse: to spread over a wide area

(12)discreet: careful not to attract attention
discrete: separate and distinct

(13)disinterested: impartial
uninterested: not interested

(14)envelop: to cover or surround
envelope: a paper container for a letter

(15)forbear: to refrain
forebear: an ancestor

(16)foreword: an introduction to a book
forward: onwards, ahead

(17)hoard: a store
horde: a large crowd of people

(18)loath: reluctant, unwilling
loathe: to hate

(19)loose: to unfasten; to set free
lose: to be deprived of; to be unable to find

(20)meter: a measuring device
metre: a metric unit; rhythm in verse

(21) their (adjective): of, belonging to,made by, or done by them. They did their home work.
there (noun): that place or point. Put it there.

Which of them have you been using wrongly?

Source: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/commonly-confused-words

I still can't tell the difference between
1. bubu: Nigeria's skeletal structure in power
And mumu: a political leader in Nigeria

...

Ok

�

How about Lifeless president.

Thank you for the clarification.

Ok

That Advice and Advise is still confusing lol. I'll probably misuse them for the rest of my life.

People won't comment here now since its not politics or yeyebrities...

Where is that guy called GrammarNazi? Who only knows how to correct people's mistakes on nairaland without creating an Informative post as this......



Thumbs up OP

The number one is not there. BORROW

Jh0wsef:
..

Bet why nau? Ftc, stc, ttc... Na only you?

Rubbish!

Thank you for this post. Very insightful

This is one of the reasons why reading is important no matter your age or class. For second language users of English language like Nigerians and since it's our formal language, it's only more beneficial if we improve daily in the usage of the language especially the written language. At the same time, I'd never relegate my mother's tongue. No language is as beautiful as my own language.

Good job!

Thanks

Jh0wsef:
I still can't tell the difference between
1. bubu: Nigeria's skeletal structure in power
And mumu: a political leader in Nigeria

LMAO

Everything

The number 16th above was what failed me in a spelling bee five years ago,i was asked to spell foreword and instead "foreword" i spelt "forward"...sentence was made with the word for clarification before i spelt but i failed it woefully....

Nice piece but centre and center.. Tot one is American while the other is British

what abt sex

For me, it's "been" and "being". All of a sudden (unlike before) I just started to mix them up. Interestingly, I understand it but I have to choose them carefully

Silentscreamer:
English Language has a lot of words that can easily confuse the speaker, and lots of people make these mistakes while speaking, chatting or posting comments without realising it. Below are some of the commonly confused words English speakers use in their everyday conversations:

(1)advice (noun): recommendations about what to do
advise (verb): to recommend something

(2)aisle: a passage between rows of seats
isle: an island

(3)stationary: not moving
stationery: writing materials

(4)palate: the roof of the mouth
palette: a board for mixing colours

(5)assent: agreement, approval
ascent: the action of rising or climbing up

(6)principal: most important; the head of a school
principle: a fundamental rule or belief

(7)canvas: a type of strong cloth
canvass: to seek people’s votes

( chord: a group of musical notes
cord: a length of string; a cord-like body part

(9)complement: to add to so as to improve; an addition that improves something
compliment: to praise or express approval; an admiring remark

(10)council: a group of people who manage or advise
counsel: advice; to advise

(11)defuse: to make a situation less tense
diffuse: to spread over a wide area

(12)discreet: careful not to attract attention
discrete: separate and distinct

(13)disinterested: impartial
uninterested: not interested

(14)envelop: to cover or surround
envelope: a paper container for a letter

(15)forbear: to refrain
forebear: an ancestor

(16)foreword: an introduction to a book
forward: onwards, ahead

(17)hoard: a store
horde: a large crowd of people

(18)loath: reluctant, unwilling
loathe: to hate

(19)loose: to unfasten; to set free
lose: to be deprived of; to be unable to find

(20)meter: a measuring device
metre: a metric unit; rhythm in verse

(21) their (adjective): of, belonging to,made by, or done by them. They did their home work.
there (noun): that place or point. Put it there.

Which of them have you been using wrongly?

Source: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/commonly-confused-words

About the most educative, accurate and make sense post I've read on NL in a long time. No sentiments, yeyebrity nor vanity. Well done, OP

Op, please include being and been.

And pls advise Nigerians that it’s I’m or I am and not am! Foolish people !!!

Meanwhile, Op try change ur DP. U b like bush baby

Confuse and convince


Archive and achieve


Provision


Deliberate

Welcome sir.. Abbreviation has done more damage to use of English amongs 9ja youth.

I wise to study law as my second degree but to write o level again ehn dey fear mi.. English and Literature dey fear me oo..