It's easy to confuse words that are similar in sound, spelling, or meaning. But with a bit of review it's also easy to clear up such confusions. Visit our newly expanded Index of Commonly Confused Words.
Here you will find some commonly confused words, arranged alphabetically:
- a, an, and
Use the indefinite articles a and an before nouns: a before a noun that begins with a consonant sound (a doctor, a horse, a university); an before a noun that begins with a vowel sound (an envelope, an hour, an umbrella). And is a conjunction: use it to join words, phrases, and clauses.
Examples:
A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain.
Practice:
(a) Writing is just having ______ sheet of paper, ______ pen, ______ not a shadow of ______ idea what you are going to say.
(b) ______ good coach is ______ understanding tyrant ______ a hard-headed friend. - accept, except, expect
Accept is a verb that means "to take in." The preposition except means "other than." The verb expect means to "depend on" or "await."
Examples:
Everyone except the elves accepted the wage offer. We expect to return to work soon.
Practice:
(a) Because nobody _____ Shrek would _____ your excuse, I _____ an apology.
(b) I _____ you to pay the rent by Friday, and I'll _____ no more excuses. - advice, advise
The noun advice means "guidance. The verb advise means to "recommend" or "counsel."
Examples:
Em's father advised her not to see Sam. She should have followed his advice.
Practice:
(a) _____ after injury is like medicine after death.
(b) I _____ you to mind your own business. - affect, effect
Affect is usually a verb meaning "to influence." Effect is usually a noun meaning "result." When used as a verb, effect means "to cause."
NOTE: If you're in a professional field related to psychology or psychiatry, you are probably familiar with a special use of affect (pronounced with the accent on the first syllable) as a noun meaning "an expressed or observed emotional response." However, this technical term seldom appears in everyday (non-technical) writing.
Examples:
Peace is a natural effect of trade. War affects trade in various ways.
Practice:
(a) Scientists continue to study the _____ of sweeteners on humans.
(b) Controversies over sweeteners have not seriously _____ the sales of diet soft drinks. - aggravate, irritate
Aggravate is a verb that means "to make worse." The verb irritate means "to annoy."
Examples:
Many of the government's actions aggravate rather than alleviate the stresses on families. Government interference can be extremely irritating to ordinary citizens.
Practice:
(a) I try to be patient with Charles, but his loud laugh ______ me.
(b) Since grief only ______ your loss, grieve not for what is past. - all ready, already
The phrase all ready means "completely prepared." Already is an adverb meaning "previously" or "by this time."
Examples:
Our bags have already been inspected. We are all ready to board the plane.
Practice:
(a) The ballplayers have _____ taken batting practice.
(b) The players are _____ to start the game. - all together, altogether
The phrase all together refers to people or things gathered in one place. The adverb altogether means "entirely" or "wholly."
Examples:
When fifty Elvis impersonators appeared all together at Windsor Palace, the queen observed that this was "altogether inappropriate."
Practice:
(a) The clowns stood ______ at the front of the chapel.
(b) Despite their painted smiles, the clowns' sorrow was ______ clear. - allusion, illusion
The noun allusion means an indirect reference to a person, event, or thing. Illusion is a noun that means "false impression."
Examples:
The president spoke of "hills to climb" and seeing "the valley below," biblical allusions to Israel's escape from slavery. Some listeners felt that his hopeful message was based, unfortunately, on an illusion.
Practice:
(a) A pleasant ______ is better than a harsh reality.
(b) The mayor's remark "Ich bin ein Springfielder" was an ______ to President John Kennedy's famous speech in West Berlin. - a lot (much, many)
Spell a lot as two words, not one. In formal writing (such as essays and exams), avoid a lot in favor of much or many.
Examples:
A lot of students finished the exam early. (informal)
Many students finished the exam early. (formal)
Practice:
(a) Professor Legree received _____ of complaints. (informal)
(b) Professor Legree received _____ complaints. (formal)
- amount, number
Use amount to refer to a quantity. Use number to refer to people or things that can be counted.
Examples:
An enormous amount of energy was exerted by a small number of people.
Practice:
(a) Expect a certain _____ of madness when you marry someone with pets.
(b) A great _____ of pets can drive you mad.
- anyone, any one
The indefinite pronoun anyone refers to people but not to particular individuals. Any one is an adjective phrase that refers to specific but unidentified things or individuals. (A similar distinction applies to anybody and any body, nobody and no body.)
Examples:
The enemy is anyone who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on. Any one of your buddies, if he's careless enough, could turn out to be your enemy.
Practice:
(a) Does ______ know who first said, "You can't trust anybody over 30"?
(b) If ______ of the 25 barons should die, the remaining barons shall choose a replacement.
CONTINUED: Choosing the Correct Word (B-E)
ANSWERS TO PRACTICE EXERCISES (A)
- (a) a, a, and, an; (b) a, an, and
- (a) except, accept, expect; (b) expect, accept
- (a) Advice; (b) advise
- (a) effects; (b) affected
- (a) irritates; (b) aggravates
- (a) already; (b) all ready
- (a) all together; (b) altogether
- (a) illusion; (b) allusion
- (a) a lot; (b) many
- (a) amount; (b) number
- (a) anyone; (b) any one
Commonly Confused Words:
