Grammar Mistakes : CONFUSING WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

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GRAMMAR MISTAKES > Attraction > ALONE (usage) > AND relative > Broken Construction > Difficult Words > Double Negative > Each, Every, Either, Neither (usage) > First Personal Pronoun > Ellipses > Loose Participles > NONE (usage) > ONE (usage) > ONLY (usage) > Past Tense > Prespositions > Pronouns > Redundancies > Sequence of Person > Split Infinitive > Tenses > A or AN? > AM COME or HAVE COME? > BETWEEN or AMONG? > EACH OTHER or ONE ANOTHER? > EAT or ATE? > FLEE or FLY? > FURTHER or FARTHER? > IN or INTO? > LAY or LIE? > LESS or FEWER? > NEITHER or NOR? > OTHER or ANOTHER? > RISE or RAISE? > SAYS or SAID? > SUMMON or SUMMONS? > THAT or SO? > THESE or THOSE? > THIS MUCH or THUS MUCH? > THROUGH or THROUGHOUT? > UNDENIABLE or UNEXCEPTIONABLE? > VOCATION or AVOCATION? > WAS or WERE?

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CONFUSING WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Writers frequently mistake words for one another because they look or sound similar. Careless pronunciation will account for such confused spellings as accept, except; affect, effect; while careless attention will lead to such misused homonyms as right for rite, manner for manor. The following list contains some of the most confusing words in the English language:

accede —
exceed —
accept —
except —
access —
excess —
addition —
edition —
adherence —
adherents —
advice —
advise —
affect —
effect —
aisle —
isle —
alley —
ally —
allusive —
elusive —
illusive —
altar —
alter —
angel —
angle —
apposite —
opposite —
assay —
essay —
essay —
assistance —
assistants —
bail —
bale —
baron —
barren —
berth —
birth —
born —
borne —
bourn —
bridal —
bridle —
canvas —
canvass —
carat —
caret —
carrot —
cast —
caste —
cease —
seize —
celery —
salary —
capital —
capitol —
censer —
censor —
cereal —
serial —
chaise —
chase —
choler —
collar —
color —
chord —
cite —
sight —
site —
coarse —
course —
collision —
collusion —
command —
commend —
complacent —
complaisant —
complement —
compliment —
confidant —
confident —
confidant —
consul —
council —
counsel —
core —
corps —
corpse —
corporal —
corporeal —
correspondence —
correspondents —
correspondent —
costume —
custom —
councilor —
counselor —
courtesy —
curtsy —
cricket —
critic —
critique —
currant —
current —
cymbal —
symbol —
dairy —
diary —
decease —
disease —
desert —
desert —
dessert —
device —
devise —
divers —
diverse —
dose —
doze —
elicit —
illicit —
elision —
illusion —
elude —
illude —
emerge —
immerge —
emigrant —
immigrant —
emigrate —
immigrate —
eminent —
imminent —
envelop —
envelope —
eruption —
irruption —
exercise —
exorcise —
extant —
extent —
faint —
feint —
fisher —
fissure —
formally —
formerly —
fort —
forte —
forth —
fourth —
gamble —
gambol —
gaol —
goal —
genius —
genus —
gored —
gourd —
gorilla —
guerrilla —
grisly —
grizzly —
higher —
hire —
hoarse —
horse —
idle —
idol —
idyl —
impostor —
imposture —
incite —
insight —
indict —
indite —
ingenious —
ingenuous —
knight —
night —
later —
latter —
lead —
lead —
led —
least —
lest —
lightening —
lightning —
lineament —
liniment —
literal —
littoral —
load —
lode —
loose —
lose —
magnate —
magnet —
maize —
maze —
marshal —
martial —
mean —
mien —
medal —
metal —
meddle —
miner —
minor —
monetary —
monitory —
morning —
mourning —
naval —
navel —
odor —
order —
one —
won —
oracle —
auricle —
ordinance —
ordnance —
palate —
palette —
pallet —
pastor —
pasture —
patience —
patients —
peace —
piece —
peak —
pique —
pedal —
peddle —
pendant (noun) —
pendent (adj.) —
persecution —
prosecution —
physic —
physique —
pillar —
pillow —
plain —
plane —
plaintiff —
plaintive —
poplar —
popular —
populace —
populous —
precede —
proceed —
precedence —
precedents —
preposition —
proposition —
presence —
presents —
principal —
principle —
profit —
prophet —
prophecy —
prophesy —
quiet —
quite —
reck —
wreck —
reek —
wreak —
relic —
relict —
respectfully —
respectively —
reveal —
revel —
right —
rite —
write —
ring —
wring —
satire —
satyr —
sculptor —
sculpture —
series —
serious —
shoulder —
soldier —
sleight —
slight —
son —
sun —
spacious —
specious —
stationary —
stationery —
statue —
stature —
statute —
straight —
strait —
subtile —
subtle —
suit —
suite —
surplice —
surplus —
tenor —
tenure —
their —
there —
title —
tittle —
to —
too —
two —
ton —
tun —
track —
tract —
trail —
trial —
treaties —
treatise —
venal —
venial —
veracity —
voracity —
vial —
viol —
virtu —
virtue —
weak —
week —
weigh —
whey —
wet —
whet —
while —
wile —
whine —
wine —
white —
wight —
whither —
wither —
with —
withe —
woman —
women

to attain; assent; agree
to surpass; excel
to receive
to exclude; not including
an admission; increase
more than enough
an increase.
the copies of a book
attachment
followers; partisans.
counsel.
to give counsel
to influence; assume.
to accomplish; result (n).
a passage in a church. isle
an island.
a narrow way in a city.
an associate.
making allusion.
baffling.
unreal.
a raised structure for sacrifice.
to change.
a supernatural being.
a corner.
suitable; well adapted to.
facing; contrary.
to test as metals.
to attempt.
a trial; a treatise.
help; succor.
those who help.
surety.
a bundle.
a rank of nobility.
unfruitful; sterile.
a boxlike sleeping place
act of being born
given birth to.
carried; endured.
a bound; goal.
a wedding; nuptial
a head harness; check.
coarse cloth.
to examine; solicit.
a unit of weight; a twenty-fourth part
a mark of omission (a).
a garden vegetable.
throw.
social class.
to stop.
to grasp.
a plant.
wages.
a top of a column; chief town; also excellent
a state house.
an incense pan.
an inspector; critic
grain.
relating to a series.
a kind of carriage
to hunt;
anger.
band for the neck.
hue.
in geometry and music cord; a string.
to summon.
vision; a view.
a situation.
not fine
passage.
a clashing.
a deceit; fraud.
order; rule.
to praise.
self-satisfied; affable.
courteous.
that which completes.
praise.
(Jem. confidante) a bosom fnend.
sure; trustful; also
a best friend; one to whom secrets or private matters are disclosed
Roman chief magistrate; also agent of a country residing abroad.
an assembly for consultation.
an adviser; advice.
central part.
a body of troops.
a dead body.
pertaining to the body.
bodily; having a body.
letter writing.
latter writers.
letter writer. corespondent
dress; apparel
usage.
a member of a council.
an adviser; a counsel; barrister.
a favor; politeness.
an obeisance.
an insect
a faultfinder; a connoisseur
a criticism of a work.
a small fruit.
a stream; now passing.
a musical instrument.
an emblem; sign.
a place where milk is made into butter.
a daily record.
death.
an illness; sickness.
a barren region
a reward or punishment;
last course of dinner
a design.
to invent.
various; sundry.
different; unlike
a measured quantity of medicine.
a light sleep
to draw out.
unlawful
suppression of a vowel or syllable.
a deceptive appearance
to escape
to deceive; mock.
to rise out of.
to plunge into.
one who removes from one country to another.
one who removes »n/oonecountryfrom another.
to go from one's country for residence.
to come into a country for residence.
distinguished; high in rank.
threatening; at hand.
to cover by folding.
an inclosing cover.
a breaking or bursting out.
a breaking or bursting into.
to train by use.
to expel evil spirits
in existence; not destroyed
space; compass.
weak; also to swoon.
a pretense.
one who fishes.
a cleft; crack.
in a formal manner.
in time past; heretofore.
a fortified place.
strong point.
out.
next after third.
to play for money; wager.
to skip about.
prison.
the winning post; aim.
a good or evil spirit; talent.
a group; a kind.
wounded with horns.
a certain plant and its fruit.
a large ape.
an irregular soldier.
horrible.
somewhat gray.
more elevated. hire
to employ a person
having a rough voice.
A large hoofed mammal.
inactive.
an image for worship.
a pastoral poem.
a cheat
a deception; fraud.
to stir up.
discernment
to accuse formally.
to compose.
skillful to contrive; inventive.
open; candid.
a lady's champion.
opposite of day.
comparative of late.
more recent.
guide.
a heavy metal.
past tense of lead.
smallest.
for fear that.
making lighter; flashing.
an electric flash.
a feature; an outline.
an oily composition for the skin.
real; not figurative.
relating to the seashore.
a burden.
a vein of ore.
not fastened or confined.
to mislay; not to win.
a noble or grandee.
the loadstone.
Indian corn.
a labyrinth.
to arrange; also an officer.
warlike.
middle point; also to intend.
appearance. medal
an engraved piece of
for reward
to interfere.
one who mines
less; also one under age.
relating to money.
giving admonition.
the first part of the day.
grieving; lamenting.
pertaining to a navy.
the center mark of the abdomen.
smell.
method.
a single unit.
gained.
inspired reply; revelation; prophet.
the external ear.
a law; regulation.
cannon; artillery.
the roof of the mouth.
a painter's color board.
a small humble bed.
a shepherd; clergyman.
land under grass for cattle.
calm endurance.
sick persons.
calm.
morsel.
the pointed top.
wounded pride.
a foot key; treadle.
to sell in a small way.
a hanging ornament.
suspended; hanging.
state of being injured.
act of prosecuting.
a medicine; purge.
the natural physical structure.
a column; support.
a cushion.
clear; simple; also level ground.
a flat surface.
complainant in a lawsuit.
sad; mournful.
a tree
well-liked
the common people
thickly peopled.
to go before.
to go forward.
a going before.
previous cases; authoritative examples.
a part of speech: particle.
that which is proposed.
the being present; also mien.
things presented.
chief; head; money at interest.
a rule; tenet; truth.
gain.
one who prophesies.
a prediction.
to predict; foretell.
still.
altogether.
to care
ruin.
steam; smoke.
inflict.
remains.
a widow or widower.
with respect
severally
to lay bare or open.
to enjoy with freedom.
proper.
ceremony.
inscribe.
circle.
twist..
lampoon; sarcasm.
sylvan deity.
an artist in sculpture.
the art of carving stone
a succession of things.
grave; deeply impressed
part of the body
an enlisted man.
a trick.
slender; also an indignity
a male descendant
a luminary
having ample space
showy; plausible
fixed; not moving
writing materials
a carved image
natural height
a law.
direct; not crooked
narrow.
thin; not dense; delicate
sly; cunning; discerning.
a set or outfit; petition.
a retinue; set of rooms.
an outer linen robe
an excess.
a course; also high male voice.
conditions of holding real estate.
possessive of they.
yonder.
a heading; epithet; appellation; claim
a particle.
opposite of from; sign of the infinitive.
also.
twice one.
a large weight.
a large cask
the traces left; a road
a region; expanse; essay.
path; also to drag.
attempt.
agreements
a formal composition
purchasable
excusable; not heinous
truthfulness
ravenousness.
a small bottle.
a musical instrument.
objects of art.
moral excellence; efficacy
feeble.
seven days
to ascertain the weight of.
the watery part of milk
moistened; to make moist.
to sharpen; stimulate
a space of time.
a sly artifice: stratagem
a plaintive nasal sound; also to complain.
fermented grape juice
a color
a creature; man.
to what place.
to fade; dry up.
a preposition
a flexible twig
singular
plural.

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