Check out this list of commonly confused words in speaking and writing.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS – English is a rich and expressive language, and here are some tricky words you might encounter along the way.
One of the challenges in learning is the words that we are often confused about in using in speaking and writing. English is large, literally, and some words look and/or sound very much like another word. Previously, we learned about homographs and homophones. These two are the two categories of homonym, which is “one of two or more words spelled and pronounced alike but different in meaning.”
Some of the most confused words also include Who vs Whom vs Whose and the proper use of “I” and “me.”
Here are other words often confused by many:
| Advice means guidance | Advise means to recommend or counsel |
| All Together refers to people or things gathered in one place | Altogether means entirely or wholly |
| Lie means to recline or rest on a surface | Lay means to put or place |
| Lose means to misplace | Loose means slack, moveable, or weak |
| Anyway means regardless | Any way means any manner or method |
| That is used when the phrase or clause that follows it is necessary in the sentence | Which is used when the phrase or clause that follows it is not necessary. |
| Affect means to influence | Effect means result |
| Cite means to mention or quote | Site means a particular place |
| Discreet means tactful or prudent self-restraint | Discrete means distinct or separate |
| Eminent means prominent or outstanding | Imminent means impending |
| Formally means in a formal way | Formerly means at an earlier time |
| Ingenious means extremely clever | Ingenuous means straightforward, candid |
| Mantel is a shelf above a fireplace | Mantle refers to a cloak or royal robes of state as a symbol of authority or responsibility |
| Rational means having or exercising the ability to reason | Rationale is an explanation or basic reason |
| Stationary means remaining in one place | Stationery refers to writing materials |
| Fair means free from bias | Fare refers to the money charged for a journey on public transport |
Other confusing word pairs are:
- Accept vs. Except
- Allusion vs. Illusion
- Appraise vs. Apprise
- Capital vs. Capitol
- Climactic vs. Climatic
- Complement vs. Compliment
- Compose vs. Comprise
- Elicit vs. Illicit
- Emigrate vs. Immigrate
- Ensure vs. Insure
- Farther vs. Further
- Imitated vs. Intimated
- Its vs. It’s
- Passed vs. Past
- Set vs. Sit