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Commonly Confused Words

Word pairs that trip writers up, with a quick way to tell them apart.

63 cardsGrades 6–8, Grades 9–12#commonly confused#usage

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63 cards
  • affect / effectPair
    Affect is usually a verb (to influence); effect is usually a noun (a result)
  • accept / exceptPair
    Accept means to receive; except means leaving out
  • advice / advisePair
    Advice is a noun; advise is a verb
  • all ready / alreadyPair
    All ready means fully prepared; already means by now
  • all together / altogetherPair
    All together means as a group; altogether means completely
  • allusion / illusionPair
    An allusion is a reference; an illusion is a false appearance
  • among / betweenPair
    Among for three or more; between for two
  • amount / numberPair
    Amount for what cannot be counted; number for what can
  • beside / besidesPair
    Beside means next to; besides means in addition
  • breath / breathePair
    Breath is a noun; breathe is a verb
  • capital / capitolPair
    Capital is a city or money; capitol is a government building
  • choose / chosePair
    Choose is present; chose is past
  • cloth / clothePair
    Cloth is a noun; clothe is a verb
  • complement / complimentPair
    Complement completes; compliment praises
  • conscience / consciousPair
    Conscience is your inner sense of right; conscious means awake or aware
  • council / counselPair
    Council is a group; counsel is advice
  • desert / dessertPair
    Desert is dry land; dessert is a sweet course
  • elicit / illicitPair
    Elicit means draw out; illicit means unlawful
  • eminent / imminentPair
    Eminent means famous; imminent means about to happen
  • farther / furtherPair
    Farther for distance; further for degree or extent
  • fewer / lessPair
    Fewer for countable things; less for amounts
  • good / wellPair
    Good is an adjective; well is usually an adverb
  • hear / herePair
    Hear with your ears; here is a place
  • its / it'sPair
    Its shows ownership; it's means it is
  • lay / liePair
    Lay means to place; lie means to rest
  • lead / ledPair
    Lead (rhymes with bead) is present; led is past
  • loose / losePair
    Loose means not tight; lose means to misplace
  • passed / pastPair
    Passed is a verb; past is a time or position
  • peace / piecePair
    Peace is calm; piece is a part
  • principal / principlePair
    Principal is a school head or main; principle is a rule
  • quiet / quitePair
    Quiet means silent; quite means very
  • raise / risePair
    Raise needs an object; rise does not
  • stationary / stationeryPair
    Stationary means still; stationery is writing paper
  • than / thenPair
    Than compares; then is about time
  • their / there / they'rePair
    Ownership; place; they are
  • to / too / twoPair
    Toward; also; the number 2
  • weather / whetherPair
    Weather is the sky; whether is a choice
  • who's / whosePair
    Who's means who is; whose shows ownership
  • your / you'rePair
    Ownership; you are
  • bring / takePair
    Bring comes toward; take goes away
  • borrow / lendPair
    Borrow means to receive; lend means to give
  • can / mayPair
    Can is ability; may is permission
  • compose / comprisePair
    Compose means to make up; comprise means to include
  • continuous / continualPair
    Continuous never stops; continual stops and starts
  • disinterested / uninterestedPair
    Disinterested means neutral; uninterested means not caring
  • e.g. / i.e.Pair
    e.g. means for example; i.e. means that is
  • emigrate / immigratePair
    Emigrate means leave a country; immigrate means enter a new one
  • ensure / insurePair
    Ensure means make certain; insure relates to insurance
  • formally / formerlyPair
    Formally means properly; formerly means before
  • historic / historicalPair
    Historic is important in history; historical relates to history
  • imply / inferPair
    Imply is to suggest; infer is to figure out
  • lightning / lighteningPair
    Lightning is the flash; lightening is making lighter
  • literally / figurativelyPair
    Literally means exactly; figuratively means in a symbolic way
  • precede / proceedPair
    Precede is to come before; proceed is to go forward
  • stake / steakPair
    A stake is a post; a steak is meat
  • than / thatPair
    Than compares; that points out
  • weak / weekPair
    Not strong; seven days
  • which / witchPair
    Which asks; witch uses magic
  • wander / wonderPair
    Wander means roam; wonder means ask in your mind
  • whole / holePair
    All; a gap
  • write / rightPair
    Compose; correct
  • sight / site / citePair
    Vision; location; quote a source
  • elude / alludePair
    Elude means escape; allude means refer to

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