W4: Use the right word.

Below are 157 of the most commonly confused words.

This list does not include every possible misused word!

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 allot – to ration or give out 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.

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 fallow – to let alone for awhile, especially a field. Do no confuse with follow. 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.

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 Poland 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

sacred - holy scared – frightened scarred – having scars sense – the 5 senses (sight, hearing, etc.) or common sense. Don’t confuse with since. 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.  Since – from that time on. Don’t confuse with sense. 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, tremendously, 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

17 b) Choose Words Carefully	a) Choose correctly between a, an, and the.
	b) Do not confuse adjectives and adverbs.	He treats his men badly, not bad.  She does that very well not very good.

17 c) Choose the usual preposition
	Incorrect example	Correct examples
	anxious of	anxious about
	bored of	bored with bored by
	center around	center on, in or upon
	on	Confused about
	different than	different from
	than	prefer this to that
	show respect of people	show respect to people
	be respectful to things	be respectful of things
	superior than	superior to
		What is your view on this topic
		View of the landscape
	surprised of	Surprised by