Words Often Confused - Part 1

 Words Often Confused (Part 1)

There are plenty of English words that confuse us because they look similar and sound similar. Sometimes two words have only one difference in spelling but they have quite different meanings or a different grammatical function.

1.    Affect / Effect

Affect (verb)- to have an impact on

‘Affect’ is basically used as a verb.

Mary was greatly affected by her father’s death.

Effect (noun)- a result

Use of ‘Effect’ as a noun is more common than as a verb.

His death had a terrible effect on her.

2.    Loose / Lose

Loose (adjective)- not fixed

Sarah’s hair hung loose about her shoulders.

Lose (verb) – to be unable to find; have something or somebody taken away; not to win

I have lost my keys.

He expected to lose the election.

3.    Principal/ Principle

Principal (noun / adjective)- dean; amount of money; main (adjective)

The college principal was a popular person.

Principle (noun)- a moral rule; theory

Eating meat is against his principle.

4.    Practice / Practise

Practice (noun / verb)- action (noun)

She has decided to put her new ideas into practice.

They will practise for their big game on Friday.

In American English ‘practice’ is accepted as a verb. 

Practise (verb)- do an activity

Ann must practise her music for the exam.

5.    Stationary / Stationery

Stationary (adjective)- not moving

He told me not to get off the bus until it is stationary.

Stationery (noun) – materials for writing for using in an office

I am going to bury a ruler from the stationery store.

6.    Advice / Advice

Advice (noun)- suggestion

John promised to follow his teacher’s advice.

Advise (verb)- offer suggestions

I would strongly suggest you to use the dictionary.

7.    Raise / Rise

Raise (verb / noun) – move something upwards; increase (noun)

Please, raise your hand if you want something.

Rise (verb / noun) – to come or go upwards; increase (noun)

Price seem to rise every year. 

Raise is a transitive verb.

Rise is an intransitive verb.

8.    Diary / Dairy

Diary (noun) – a book in which you can write your experience

He’ll write a note of his next meeting in his diary.

Dairy (noun / adjective)- a place for keeping milk and making butter and cheese; a company that sells milk products

Butter, cheese and milk are all dairy products.

9.    Goal/ Gaol

Goal (noun) – a frame with a net into which players must kick or hit the ball to score a point

Tom scored a goal in the football match.

Gaol (noun)- jail

The judge sent him to goal for five years.

10. Later / Latter

Later (adjective / adverb)- coming after something else; near the end of a period of time; at a time of future (adverb)

He arranged to see her later (adverb) in the day.

She found happiness in her later (adjective) years.

Latter (adjective) – used to the second of two things or people mentioned; nearer to the end of time than the beginning

He chose the latter option.

‘Latter’ can’t be used as an adverb.

11. Sensible/ Sensitive

Sensible (adjective) – able to make good judgement based on reason

She was sensible enough to carry an umbrella during the monsoon period.

Sensitive (adjective)- able to understand other people or their feelings

Her experience made her sensitive to other people’s troubles.

A sensitive person is reasonable.

A sensitive person may understand other’s feeling or be easily upset.

12. Borrow / Lend

Borrow (verb)- to take something that belongs to somebody else

Can I borrow your pen?

Lend (verb)- to give something to somebody

My friend has returned the book I lent him.

13. Say / Speak

Say (verb / noun) – to express thoughts through words; used in direct and indirect speech

What did you say to her?

She said that she would be back soon.

Speak (verb) – to talk to somebody about something; used in one -way communication and in formal situations; to talk about the language ability of a person

He has spoken to the manager about it.

He can speak English.

14. Die/ Kill

Die (verb)- stop living

Her father died last week.

Kill (verb)- make somebody / something die

She tried to kill herself with sleeping pills.

 ‘Die’ is chiefly used as an intransitive verb and ‘Kill’ as transitive.

15. Rob/ Steal

Rob (verb)- to steal money from a person or place (focuses on the place or person from which the thing is taken)

A group of boys robbed a local post office. 

Steal (verb)- to take something form a person, shop, etc. (focuses on the thing is taken)

He stole my bag.

16. Expect / Wait

Expect (verb)- believe that something will happen

People are expecting an increase in food prices this month.

Wait (verb)- let time pass because we are expecting that something is going to happen

The structure ‘wait+ for’ is very common.  – Don’t worry, I will wait for you.

17. Interesting / Interested

Interesting (adjective)- used to show the effect which something has on a person or thing

Watching soccer is interesting.

Interested (adjective)- used to describe a person’s feeling

I am not interested in sports.