W4: Use the right word.
Below are 157 of the most commonly confused words.
This list does not include every possible misused word!
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accept – to take willingly. do not confuse with except. affect - to influence, to cause a change. Do not confuse with effect. aggravate--to make worse. Do not confuse with irritate. agree to--give consent or approval agree with--to have the same opinion allowed - permitted. Do not confuse with aloud. allusion – a reference to a story, play, or poem. Do not confuse with illusion. aloud - out loud. do not confuse with allowed. amount of--use with quantities that cannot be counted. Do not confuse with number of. anxious --worrying;
nervous. Do not confuse with eager,
which means can't wait; want to get at
it. Band – a group of musicians; don’t confuse with banned. bare - naked, exposed, uncovered barely--hardly, scarcely barley-- a grain barrow – a type of
grave; don’t confuse with borrow. bear-1 a heavy, carnivorous mammal 2-to put up with, to suffer brake - part of a vehicle that stops it break – 1 to smash, crack or split 2 – time off bread – to make sandwiches with bred – to bring up colts, puppies, etc. buy – purchase by – near, who did it, bye - goodbye censor--to prevent from being published, sold, and read. censure--to correct with stern words. cereal – 1 grain 2 breakfast food. don’t confuse with serial cite --to refer to. do not confuse with site or sight. climactic--having to do with the climax of the story. climatic--having to do with long-term weather conditions. close-to shut. clothes-what people wear. cloths-the plural of cloth. coarse--rough. Do not confuse with course. collage - art made of small pictures put together college -- a university or academy complement--goes with. compliment--flattery; a kind word. conscience--that little spark within that guides us. conscious--awake. course--path or
direction; a curriculum. Used in the phrase, “of course.” Do not
confuse with coarse. |
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crowd- many people crowed- what the rooster did defiantly – done with disrespect for authority definitely – without a doubt desert – wasteland, wilderness dessert – an after-dinner sweet dew – wetness on the ground in the morning dint – a dent, impression, or dimple die, died, dying--the end of life die, died, dieing –to use a tool called a die dye, dyed, dyeing--to color or stain do – the simplest verb of action - do it! does - a form of “do” – I do, he does. dose - a measurement of medicine or poison. due – caused by due to the weather effect - the result of a change; a special effect. do not confuse with affect. ensure--to take precaution. do not confuse with insure. except - excluding; everything but this. do not confuse with accept. exited, exiting--having left, leaving excited, exciting--stirred up emotionally fair – 1 equal, unbiased 2 blonde, pale 3 a place to show livestock fare – a price to pay: taxi fare farther – beyond; do not confuse with further. fewer – use with quantities that can be counted. Do not confuse with less. further – additional, more, added; do not confuse with farther. go, goes – does not
mean said. haft - a handle of a
knife or sword hopefully--done with hope; cannot be replaced with I hope that… idol--a statue of a god or goddess idle--not doing work illusion--a deceptive sight. Do not confuse with allusion. imminent --about to happen. Do not confuse with eminent. impact--1 to collide at high speed; 2 a dental condition. insure--to take out a policy against disaster, or death; not the same as ensure. kind of--this means a type of, as in "a hammerhead is a kind of shark.” This phrase does not mean a little or somewhat. lay--done to something: the hen lays an egg, has laid an egg, is laying an egg. do not confuse with lie. lead--a dull, gray metal known for being heavy and poisonous led --to be guided. less --use with quantities that cannot be counted. Do not confuse with fewer. liable--legally responsible. Do not confuse with likely. |
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lie –it just lies there, is just lying there, has merely lain there all year. do not confuse with lay. literally--actually happened. Don’t write, "He was literally dead with fatigue" unless the character is no longer breathing. loose - something that is not tied down or caged: the dog is loose. lose - to misplace: don’t lose this money. lot - either a place to park a car or a place to build a house. many - use with amounts that can be counted; use much with amounts that can’t. miners – diggers for ore minors – underage people or players on a lesser league minuet - a musical piece. minute - usually a measurement of time; but can also mean tiny much—use with amounts that can’t be counted; use many with amounts that can. paid – gave out money passed - to go ahead of. past - already happened. patients – under the care of a doctor patience – ability to wait payed – gave out rope pier--a dock or wharf peer--those people that are one's equals pole –
an upright rod Pole -
a person from poll - a gathering of opinions poses--he poses for the camera. possess--to own posses—those groups the sheriff rounds up when he chases villains. precede--what came before. Do not confuse with proceed. principal - the primarily important part; authority in a school. principle - a guideline of life; a code or standard to be met. proceed --go ahead. do not confuse with precede. quiet – without noise quite – just so quote --(verb). quotation --(noun). reticules – purses with drawstrings ridicules – makes fun of ridiculous – absurd, outrageous right – 1 correct 2 opposite of left 3 legal freedoms rite – a ceremony or ritual role – a part to play, a position roll – to revolve or turn over
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sacred - holy scared – frightened scarred
– having scars serial – one after another. Don’t confuse with cereal. set--done with the hands. Don’t confuse with sit. sight – vision. Do not confuse with site or cite. sit--done with the butt. Don’t confuse with set. site--a place. Do not confuse with cite or sight. sort of--this means a type of, as in "what sort of dessert do you plan to make?" This phrase does not mean a little or somewhat. steel – a metal steal – taking what doesn’t belong to you Steelers – a football team or steel-workers summery – like summer summary – shortened version that sums up sure and --slangy; avoid writing, "be sure and do it." Instead, write, "be sure to do it. " through – he went through the tunnel. threw – he threw the ball. wander – to roam; to move about without a destination; don’t confuse with wonder waste-- to destroy without using waist --the middle of the body way – 1 a path or course 2 a method or process this word never means excessively, extremely, tremendously, awfully, immensely, extremely, etc. weather - rain, snow, or sun. Do not confuse with whether. where – this word must always refer to a place. whether - depending on. Do not confuse with weather. which – which one? who's –who is here? whose –whose car is here? witch – enchantress; an evil or ill-tempered person; don’t confuse with which. write – to draw letters on paper. don’t confuse with rite or right wonder – speculate, consider, contemplate, or reflect on; don’t confuse with wander. vane--shows the direction of the wind vain—1 conceited; obsessed with self vain— 2 without reason or without success. vein—1 carries blood 2 an underground “stream” of ore |
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17 b) Choose Words Carefully |
a) Choose correctly between a, an, and the. |
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b) Do not confuse adjectives and adverbs. |
He treats his men badly, not bad. She does that very well not very good. |
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17 c) Choose the usual preposition |
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Incorrect example |
Correct examples |
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anxious of |
anxious about |
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bored of |
bored with bored by |
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center around |
center on, in or upon |
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on |
Confused about |
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different than |
different from |
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than |
prefer this to that |
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show respect of people |
show respect to people |
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be respectful to things |
be respectful of things |
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superior than |
superior to |
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What is your view on this topic |
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View of the landscape |
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surprised of |
Surprised by |