50 Commonly Confused Word Pairs with Sentences
Accept / Except
I accept your apology.
Everyone is invited except John.
Affect / Effect
The weather can affect your mood.
The new law had a positive effect.
Advice / Advise
She gave me good advice.
I advise you to study well.
Allusion / Illusion
The poem makes an allusion to Shakespeare.
The magician created an illusion.
Aloud / Allowed
She read the book aloud.
Phones are not allowed in class.
Assure / Ensure
I assure you, everything is fine.
Please ensure the door is locked.
Capital / Capitol
Paris is the capital of France.
The meeting was held in the Capitol building.
Complement / Compliment
This wine complements the meal well.
She received a compliment on her dress.
Principal / Principle
The school principal is very strict.
Honesty is an important principle.
Stationary / Stationery
The car remained stationary at the red light.
I bought some new stationery for school.
Their / There / Theyre
Their house is big.
The book is over there.
Theyre going to the park.
To / Too / Two
I am going to the store.
She is too tired to go out.
I have two brothers.
Your / Youre
Is this your pen?
Youre doing great!
Whos / Whose
Whos coming to the party?
Whose bag is this?
Lose / Loose
Dont lose your keys.
My shoe is loose.
Than / Then
She is taller than me.
First study, then play.
Fewer / Less
He has fewer books than her.
There is less water in the bottle.
Rise / Raise
The sun rises in the east.
Please raise your hand.
Emigrate / Immigrate
She emigrated from India.
He immigrated to Canada.
Elicit / Illicit
The speech elicited cheers.
They were caught with illicit drugs.
Farther / Further
New York is farther than Boston.
Lets discuss this further.
Historic / Historical
This is a historic event.
The museum has historical artifacts.
Imply / Infer
His words imply he is unhappy.
I can infer that he is sad.
Among / Between
She sat among her friends.
The choice is between two options.
Beside / Besides
She stood beside him.
Besides English, she speaks French.
Cite / Site / Sight
Please cite your sources.
This is the construction site.
The sunset is a beautiful sight.
Dual / Duel
He has dual citizenship.
The knights fought a duel.
Eminent / Imminent
She is an eminent scientist.
A storm is imminent.
Hoard / Horde
He has a hoard of old coins.
A horde of fans surrounded the star.
Ensure / Insure
I will ensure that you are safe.
Please insure your car.
Respectfully / Respectively
He spoke respectfully to the teacher.
John and Lisa, aged 25 and 30, respectively.
Aisle / Isle
She walked down the wedding aisle.
The ship docked near the isle.
Moral / Morale
The story has a strong moral lesson.
The teams morale was high.
Conscious / Conscience
She was conscious after the accident.
His conscience made him confess.
Cue / Queue
Thats your cue to enter.
They stood in a queue for tickets.
Desert / Dessert
The desert is very hot.
I love chocolate dessert.
Personal / Personnel
This is my personal opinion.
The company has skilled personnel.
Wander / Wonder
He likes to wander in the park.
I wonder what will happen next.
Born / Borne
He was born in June.
The pain was borne bravely.
Canvas / Canvass
The artist painted on a canvas.
Politicians canvass for votes.
Die / Dye
Plants die without water.
She used red dye for her dress.
Access / Excess
I have access to the library.
Eating in excess is unhealthy.
Adapt / Adopt
He had to adapt to new rules.
They decided to adopt a child.
Brake / Break
Use the brake to stop the car.
Dont break the glass.
Climactic / Climatic
The movies climactic scene was thrilling.
The climatic conditions were harsh.
Persecute / Prosecute
They were persecuted for their beliefs.
The lawyer decided to prosecute him.
Envelop / Envelope
Dark clouds envelop the sky.
He put the letter in an envelope.
Precede / Proceed
The introduction precedes the main topic.
Please proceed with the presentation.
