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. Its easy to get them confused and most electronic spellcheckers wont be much help in this type of situation: they can tell you if a word has been spelled wrongly but they cant generally flag up the misuse of a correctly spelled word. Heres 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. Word 1 accept adverse advice affect aisle all together along aloud altar amoral appraise assent aural balmy bare bated bazaar berth born bough brake breach broach canvas censure cereal chord Meaning to agree to receive or do unfavourable, harmful recommendations about what to do to change or make a difference to a passage between rows of seats all in one place, all at once moving or extending horizontally on out loud a sacred table in a church not concerned with right or wrong to assess agreement, approval relating to the ears or hearing pleasantly warm naked; to uncover in phrase 'with batedbreath', i.e. in great suspense a Middle Eastern market a bunk in a ship, train, etc. having started life a branch of a tree a device for stopping a vehicle; to stop a vehicle to break through, or break a rule; a gap to raise a subject for discussion a type of strong cloth to criticize strongly Word 2 except averse advise effect isle altogether a long allowed alter immoral apprise ascent oral barmy bear baited bizarre birth borne bow break breech brooch canvass censor Meaning not including strongly disliking; opposed to recommend something a result; to bring about a result an island completely; on the whole referring to something of great length permitted to change not following accepted moral standards to inform someone the action of rising or climbing up relating to the mouth; spoken foolish, crazy to carry; to put up with with bait attached or inserted strange the emergence of a baby from the womb carried to bend the head; the front of a ship to separate into pieces; a pause the back part of a gun barrel a piece of jewellery to seek peoples votes to ban parts of a book or film; a person who does this happening in a series a length of string; a cord-like body part
a grass producing an edible grain; serial a breakfast food made from grains a group of musical notes cord
climactic coarse complacent complement council cue curb currant defuse desert
forming a climax rough smug and self-satisfied to add to so as to improve; an addition that improves something a group of people who manage or advise a signal for action; a wooden rod to keep something in check; a control or limit a dried grape
climatic course complaisant compliment counsel queue kerb current diffuse dessert discrete uninterested draft drawer duel illicit insure envelope exorcise faun flout founder forebear forward frieze grizzly horde infer loathe lose metre mitigate palette peddle poll pore practise
relating to climate a direction; a school subject; part of a meal willing to please to praise or express approval; an admiring remark advice; to advise a line of people or vehicles (in British English) the stone edge of a pavement happening now; a flow of water, air, or electricity to spread over a wide area the sweet course of a meal separate and distinct not interested a first version of a piece of writing a sliding storage compartment a fight or contest between two people not allowed by law or rules to provide compensation if a person dies or property is damaged a paper container for a letter to drive out an evil spirit a mythical being, part man, part goat to disregard a rule to fail an ancestor onwards, ahead a decoration along a wall a type of bear a large crowd of people to draw a conclusion to hate to be deprived of; to be unable to find a metric unit; rhythm in verse to make less severe a board for mixing colours to sell goods voting in an election a tiny opening; to study something closely to do something repeatedly to gain skill; to do something regularly to officially forbid something a fundamental rule or belief infected with bacteria a location writing materials a tale or account
to make a situation less tense a waterless, empty area; to abandon someone discreet careful not to attract attention disinterested impartial draught a current of air draw an even score at the end of a game dual having two parts elicit to draw out a reply or reaction ensure to make certain that something will happen envelop to cover or surround exercise physical activity; to do physical activity fawn a young deer; light brown flaunt to display ostentatiously flounder to move clumsily; to have difficulty doing something forbear to refrain foreword an introduction to a book freeze to turn to ice grisly gruesome, revolting hoard a store imply to suggest indirectly loath reluctant, unwilling loose to unfasten; to set free meter a measuring device militate to be a powerful factor against palate the roof of the mouth pedal a foot-operated lever pole a long, slender piece of wood pour to flow or cause to flow practice the use of an idea or method; the work or business of a doctor, dentist, etc. prescribe to authorize use of medicine; to order authoritatively principal most important; the head of a school sceptic a person inclined to doubt sight the ability to see stationary not moving storey a level of a building
proscribe principle septic site stationery story
titillate tortuous wreath
to arouse interest full of twists; complex a ring-shaped arrangement of flowers etc.
titivate torturous wreathe
to make more attractive full of pain or suffering to surround or encircle
