Home Grammar Usage A Look At Some Commonly Confused Words

A Look At Some Commonly Confused Words

Take a look at these two sentences – one of them contains a mistake:

I poured over book after book.

We pored over the catalogues.

Are you uncertain which one is right? There are a lot of words in English that look or sound alike but have very different meanings, such as pore and pour or flaunt and flout. It’s easy to get them confused and most electronic spellcheckers won’t be much help in this type of situation: they can tell you if a word has been spelled wrongly but they can’t generally flag up the misuse of a correctly spelled word.

Here’s a quick-reference list of pairs of words that regularly cause people problems. The words follow the accepted British English spelling. Some of them do have alternative American spellings and you will find these at the main dictionary entry on this website.

*Confusables*	*Meanings*
accept except	to agree to receive or do not including
adverse averse	unfavourable, harmful strongly disliking; opposed
advice advise	recommendations about what to do to recommend something
affect effect	to change or make a difference to a result; to bring about a result
aisle isle	a passage between rows of seats an island
all together altogether	all in one place, all at once completely; on the whole
along a long	moving or extending horizontally on referring to something of great length
aloud allowed	out loud permitted
altar alter	a sacred table in a church to change
amoral immoral	not concerned with right or wrong not following accepted moral standards
appraise apprise	to assess to inform someone
assent ascent	agreement, approval the action of rising or climbing up
aural oral	relating to the ears or hearing relating to the mouth; spoken
balmy barmy	pleasantly warm foolish, crazy
bare bear	naked; to uncover to carry; to put up with
bated baited	in phrase 'with bated breath', i.e. in great suspense with bait attached or inserted
bazaar bizarre	a Middle Eastern market strange
berth birth	a bunk in a ship, train, etc. the emergence of a baby from the womb
born borne	having started life carried
bough bow	a branch of a tree to bend the head; the front of a ship
brake break	a device for stopping a vehicle; to stop a vehicle to separate into pieces; a pause
breach breech	to break through, or break a rule; a gap the back part of a gun barrel
broach brooch	to raise a subject for discussion a piece of jewellery
canvas canvass	a type of strong cloth to seek people’s votes
censure censor	to criticize strongly to ban parts of a book or film; a person who does this
cereal serial	a grass producing an edible grain; a breakfast food made from grains happening in a series
chord cord	a group of musical notes a length of string; a cord-like body part
climactic climatic	forming a climax relating to climate
coarse course	rough a direction; a school subject; part of a meal
complacent complaisant	smug and self-satisfied willing to please
complement compliment	to add to so as to improve; an addition that improves something to praise or express approval; an admiring remark
council counsel	a group of people who manage or advise advice; to advise
cue queue	a signal for action; a wooden rod a line of people or vehicles
curb kerb	to keep something in check; a control or limit (in British English) the stone edge of a pavement
currant current	a dried grape happening now; a flow of water, air, or electricity
defuse diffuse	to make a situation less tense to spread over a wide area
desert dessert	a waterless, empty area; to abandon someone the sweet course of a meal
discreet discrete	careful not to attract attention separate and distinct
disinterested uninterested	impartial not interested
draught draft	a current of air a first version of a piece of writing
draw drawer	an even score at the end of a game a sliding storage compartment
dual duel	having two parts a fight or contest between two people
elicit illicit	to draw out a reply or reaction not allowed by law or rules
ensure insure	to make certain that something will happen to provide compensation if a person dies or property is damaged
envelop envelope	to cover or surround a paper container for a letter
exercise exorcise	physical activity; to do physical activity to drive out an evil spirit
fawn faun	a young deer; light brown a mythical being, part man, part goat
flaunt flout	to display ostentatiously to disregard a rule
flounder founder	to move clumsily; to have difficulty doing something to fail
forbear forebear	to refrain an ancestor
foreword forward	an introduction to a book onwards, ahead
freeze frieze	to turn to ice a decoration along a wall
grisly grizzly	gruesome, revolting a type of bear
hoard horde	a store a large crowd of people
imply infer	to suggest indirectly to draw a conclusion
loath loathe	reluctant, unwilling to hate
loose lose	to unfasten; to set free to be deprived of; to be unable to find
meter metre	a measuring device a metric unit; rhythm in verse
militate mitigate	to be a powerful factor against to make less severe
palate palette	the roof of the mouth a board for mixing colours
pedal peddle	a foot-operated lever to sell goods
pole poll	a long, slender piece of wood voting in an election
pour pore	to flow or cause to flow a tiny opening; to study something closely
practice practise	the use of an idea or method; the work or business of a doctor, dentist, etc. to do something repeatedly to gain skill; to do something regularly
prescribe proscribe	to authorize use of medicine; to order authoritatively to officially forbid something
principal principle	most important; the head of a school a fundamental rule or belief
sceptic septic	a person inclined to doubt infected with bacteria
sight site	the ability to see a location
stationary stationery	not moving writing materials
storey story	a level of a building a tale or account
titillate titivate	to arouse interest to make more attractive
tortuous torturous	full of twists; complex full of pain or suffering
wreath wreathe	a ring-shaped arrangement of flowers etc. to surround or encircle
yoke yolk	a wooden crosspiece for harnessing a pair of oxen the yellow center of an egg