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Commonly confused words
3/10/2015 Commonly confused words - Oxford Dictionaries
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/commonly-confused-words 5/13
Take a look at these two sentences one of them contains a mistake:
I poured over book after book.
We pored over the catalogues.
Are you uncertain which one is right? There are a lot of words in English that look or sound alike but have very different
meanings, such as pore and pour or flaunt and flout. Its easy to get them confused and most electronic spellcheckers
wont be much help in this type of situation: they can tell you if a word has been spelled wrongly but they cant generally
flag up the misuse of a correctly spelled word.
Heres a quick-reference list of pairs of words that regularly cause people problems. The words follow the accepted
British English spelling. Some of them do have alternative American spellings and you will find these at the main
dictionary entry on this website.
Word 1 Meaning Word 2 Meaning
accept to agree to receive or do except not including
adverse unfavourable, harmful averse strongly disliking; opposed
advice recommendations about what to do advise to recommend something
affect to change or make a difference to effect a result; to bring about a result
aisle a passage between rows of seats isle an island
all together all in one place, all at once altogether completely; on the whole
along moving or extending horizontally on a long referring to something of great length
aloud out loud allowed permitted
altar a sacred table in a church alter to change
amoral not concerned with right or wrong immoral not following accepted moral standards
appraise to assess apprise to inform someone
assent agreement, approval ascent the action of rising or climbing up
aural relating to the ears or hearing oral relating to the mouth; spoken
balmy pleasantly warm barmy foolish, crazy
bare naked; to uncover bear to carry; to put up with
bated in phrase 'with bated breath', i.e. in great suspense baited with bait attached or inserted
bazaar a Middle Eastern market bizarre strange
berth a bunk in a ship, train, etc. birth the emergence of a baby from the womb
born having started life borne carried
bough a branch of a tree bow to bend the head; the front of a ship
brake a device for stopping a vehicle; to stop a vehicle break to separate into pieces; a pause
breach to break through, or break a rule; a gap breech the back part of a gun barrel
broach to raise a subject for discussion brooch a piece of jewellery
canvas a type of strong cloth canvass to seek peoples votes
censure to criticize strongly censorto ban parts of a book or film; a person
who does this
cereala grass producing an edible grain; a breakfast food
made from grainsserial happening in a series
3/10/2015 Commonly confused words - Oxford Dictionaries
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/commonly-confused-words 6/13
chord a group of musical notes cord a length of string; a cord-like body part
climactic forming a climax climatic relating to climate
coarse rough coursea direction; a school subject; part of a
meal
complacent smug and self-satisfied complaisant willing to please
complementto add to so as to improve; an addition that
improves somethingcompliment
to praise or express approval; an
admiring remark
council a group of people who manage or advise counsel advice; to advise
cue a signal for action; a wooden rod queue a line of people or vehicles
curb to keep something in check; a control or limit kerb(in British English) the stone edge of a
pavement
currant a dried grape currenthappening now; a flow of water, air, or
electricity
defuse to make a situation less tense diffuse to spread over a wide area
desert a waterless, empty area; to abandon someone dessert the sweet course of a meal
discreet careful not to attract attention discrete separate and distinct
disinterested impartial uninterested not interested
draught a current of air draft a first version of a piece of writing
draw an even score at the end of a game drawer a sliding storage compartment
dual having two parts duel a fight or contest between two people
elicit to draw out a reply or reaction illicit not allowed by law or rules
ensure to make certain that something will happen insureto provide compensation if a person dies
or property is damaged
envelop to cover or surround envelope a paper container for a letter
exercise physical activity; to do physical activity exorcise to drive out an evil spirit
fawn a young deer; light brown faun a mythical being, part man, part goat
flaunt to display ostentatiously flout to disregard a rule
flounder to move clumsily; to have difficulty doing something founder to fail
forbear to refrain forebear an ancestor
foreword an introduction to a book forward onwards, ahead
freeze to turn to ice frieze a decoration along a wall
grisly gruesome, revolting grizzly a type of bear
hoard a store horde a large crowd of people
imply to suggest indirectly infer to draw a conclusion
loath reluctant, unwilling loathe to hate
loose to unfasten; to set free lose to be deprived of; to be unable to find
meter a measuring device metre a metric unit; rhythm in verse
militate to be a powerful factor against mitigate to make less severe
palate the roof of the mouth palette a board for mixing colours
pedal a foot-operated lever peddle to sell goods
3/10/2015 Commonly confused words - Oxford Dictionaries
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/commonly-confused-words 7/13
pole a long, slender piece of wood poll voting in an election
pour to flow or cause to flow porea tiny opening; to study something
closely
practicethe use of an idea or method; the work or business
of a doctor, dentist, etc.practise
to do something repeatedly to gain skill;
to do something regularly
prescribeto authorize use of medicine; to order
authoritativelyproscribe to officially forbid something
principal most important; the head of a school principle a fundamental rule or belief
sceptic a person inclined to doubt septic infected with bacteria
sight the ability to see site a location
stationary not moving stationery writing materials
storey a level of a building story a tale or account
titillate to arouse interest titivate to make more attractive
tortuous full of twists; complex torturous full of pain or suffering
wreath a ring-shaped arrangement of flowers etc. wreathe to surround or encircle
Back to usage.
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Usage
A historic event or an historic event?
Adverse or averse?
Affect or effect?
All right or alright?
Allude or elude?
Alternate or alternative?
Among or amongst?
Amoral or immoral?
Assume or presume?
Appraise or apprise?
Bare or bear?
Between you and me
Bored by, of, or with?
Bring or take?
British and American terms
Can or may?
Cannot or can not?
Censure or censor?
Cite, site, or sight?
3/10/2015 Commonly confused words - Oxford Dictionaries
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Climactic or climatic?
Commonly confused words
Complement or compliment?
Continual or continuous?
Could of or could have?
Denote or connote?
Dialect
Different from, than, or to?
Diffuse or defuse?
Discreet or discrete?
Disinterested or uninterested?
Elicit or illicit?
Enquire or inquire?
Ensure or insure?
Especially or specially?
Farther or further?
Flair or flare?
Flaunt or flout?
Formal language
Grizzly or grisly?
He or she versus they
Historic or historical?
Hopefully
I or me?
i.e. or e.g.?
Imply or infer?
Informal language
Irregardless
Its or its?
Laid or lain?
Learnt or learned?
Less or fewer?
Like
Literally
Literary language
Loose or lose?
May or might?
Neither and nor
Old-fashioned language
Onto or on to?
Phenomenon or phenomena?
Principal or principle?
Shall or will?
Slang
Standard English
Thankfully
That or which?
Themselves or 'themself?
3/10/2015 Commonly confused words - Oxford Dictionaries
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These or those?
To or too?
Who or whom?
Tortuous or torturous?
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