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. |
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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 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. |
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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 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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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 |