WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED
ACCEPT AND EXCEPT
Accept Except
• Verb • Preposition
• means to receive or agree • means aside from or
to excluding
Eg: I accept your gift. Eg: I like all sports except
football.
AFFECT AND EFFECT
Affect Effect
• Verb • Noun or verb
• means to make a • Means a change/cause
difference to something to happen
Eg: The reforms affect us Eg: The rain had a good
all. effect on the farm crops.
LOOSE AND LOSE
Loose Lose
• Adjective • Verb
• means not firmly fixed • means to fail to win/to be
• Eg: The rope was tied in a unable to find
loose knot Eg: I would rather lose
money than trust.
ELICIT AND ILLICIT
Elicit Illicit
• Verb • Adjective
• means evoke or draw out • means illegal
Eg: The police enquiries Eg: The illicit sale of drugs
failed to elicit any is a problem in our cities
information
PERSONAL AND PERSONNEL
Personal Personnel
• Adjective • Noun
• means related to/private • means a body of persons
Eg: That is my personal usually employed
belief. • Eg: All personnel are
being given the day off.
QUITE AND QUIET
Quite Quiet
• adverb • Adjective
• means to the greatest • means making less
extent; noise, calm
Eg: I can see it quite clearly. Eg: He loves to hike in the
quiet countryside
IT’S AND ITS
It’s ITS
• short form of it is or it has • Possessive pronoun
Eg: It’s a six! Eg: The dog wags its tail.
P R I N C I PA L A N D P R I N C I P L E
Principal Principle
• Noun/Adjective • Noun
• means first or highest in • a fundamental, primary,
rank/chief or general law or truth
Eg: The principal of the Eg: The country is run
school is very strict. on socialist principles.
A D V E R S E A N D AV E R S E
ADVERSE AVERSE
refers to something opposing – it goes against what you describes people, and it means the person is not
want, and is often unfavorable, harmful or challenging. willing to do something:
Eg: Heavy rain, high winds, or icy roads are adverse Eg: If your parents want everything to stay the
weather conditions for driving. same, they are averse to change.
AMONG AND BETWEEN
Among Between
Among is used when the items are part of a group, or are not Between” is used for 2 items and “among” for 3 or
specifically named (in this case, they MUST be 3 or more) more.
Eg: The negotiations between Brazil, Argentina, and Chile are Between is used when naming distinct,
going well. individual items (can be 2, 3, or more)
Eg: The negotiations between Brazil, Argentina,
and Chile are going well.
AMOUNT AND NUMBER
Amount Number
Use amount with uncountable nouns – things that cannot be Use number with countable nouns – words that can be
separated or counted. counted and made plural:
Eg: There’s a significant amount of traffic in the late afternoon. Eg: A number of my friends are teachers.
I have a huge amount of work to do this week. I have a huge number of tasks to do this week.
APPRAISE ANDAPPRISE
Appraise Apprise
The verb appraise means to evaluate, especially in an official The verb apprise means to inform or notify. You can
way in which a grade will be given or the value of something apprise (someone) of (some news).
determined:
Eg: The President has been apprised of the latest
Eg: The teachers will appraise the students’ presentations. developments in the crisis.
Managers often appraise their employees once per year. Please keep me apprised of this situation.
BESIDE AND BESIDES
Beside Besides
Beside is a preposition of location – it means “next to” or “on Besides is an adverb that means “in addition
the side of.” to”
Eg: There’s a printer beside the computer. Eg: Besides losing his job, his car also got
stolen last week.
CAREER AND CARRIER
Career Carrier
Career- means one’s occupation or profession or Carrier- an object or a person which is used to
work which someone does in life. carry someone or something.
Eg: Career building is important in everyone’s life. Eg: There are many people who act as carriers
at pilgrimage sites to move people from lower
ground to upper ground.
ADVICE AND ADVISE
Advice Advise
Advice- it is a noun. Is a verb. It refers to the way advice is given.
Eg: Students should follow the advice of their Eg: Teachers are advising their students on
teachers. their careers.
B R E AT H A N D B R E AT H E
Breath Breathe
breath (n) = air that a person inhales and breathe (v) = to inhale and exhale air
exhales. Eg: My doctor told me to breathe in, so I
Eg: How long can you hold your breath under took a deep breath.
water?
ALLUDE AND ELUDE
Allude Elude
Is a verb that means "to speak of or mention A verb that most often means "to avoid or
something or someone in an indirect way” escape someone or something by being
Eg: She alluded to some health problems, quick, skilful, or clever.
without being specific. Eg: She managed to elude the police by
disappearing into the crowd
C L I M A C T I C A N D C L I M AT I C
Climactic Climatic
Is related to the word climax; it means "most It means "of or relating to climate”.
exciting and important”. Eg: The climatic conditions in France is
Eg: The climactic scene of the movie is mind conducive to growing olives.
blowing.
DEVICE AND DEVISE
Device Devise
A noun that most often refers to an object, A verb that means "to invent or plan
machine, or piece of equipment that has been something difficult or complicated”.
made for some special purpose. Eg: The scientists are devising a plan for
Eg: She has some of the latest electrical devices converting sunlight into electricity.
in her house.
EMINENT AND IMMINENT
Eminent Imminent
Means “successful, well-known, and respected”. Means "happening very soon”.
Eg: She is an eminent lecturer of Astrophysics. Eg: We are awaiting their imminent
arrival.
HOARD AND HORDE
Hoard Horde
a noun to refer to a large amount of something a noun that refers to a large group of
valuable that is kept hidden. people.
Eg: People started to hoard food during the Eg: A horde of tourists entered the
pandemic. museum.
S TAT I O N A R Y A N D S TAT I O N E R Y
Stationary Stationery
an adjective meaning "not moving" or "not a noun that refers to materials (such as
changing”. paper, pens, and ink) used for writing or
Eg: The train has been stationary for a while typing.
now. Eg: I like collecting colourful stationery.
A N Y WA Y A N D A N Y WA Y
Anyway Any way
an adverb meaning regardless. a phrase meaning any manner or method.
Eg; She will anyway go to the market, so no Eg: We could take any way we want to get
point in stopping her. to the party.
YOUR AND YOU’RE
Your You’re
a pronoun that is second - person possessive. a contraction that means you are.
Eg: Is this your book? Eg: You’re going to win the game.
COMPLIMENT AND COMPLEMENT
Compliment Complement
A noun that means an expression of praise, A noun that refers to someone or
admiration, or respect. something that completes, enhances, or
Eg: I complimented her on winning the works well with someone or something
competition. else.
Eg: The shirt perfectly complements the colo u
r of your eyes.
CITE AND SIGHT
Cite Sight
A verb that means to mention or refer to A noun that means location.
something as evidence to support an idea or Eg: This is the site of my new house.
opinion.
Eg She cited the Journal of Atmospheric
Sciences in her paper.
W E AT H E R A N D W H E T H E R
Weather Whether
A noun that refers to the state of the A conjunction that introduces two or more
atmosphere at a particular time and place. possibilities, choices, or alternatives.
Eg: Please check the weather in Germany Eg: I wasn’t sure whether you like roses or
before y o u plan your travel. lilies.
LED AND LEAD
Led Lead
Led is the past tense of the verb "to lead" which Lead is a soft metal element.
means to guide. Eg: Consuming lead can be fatal.
Eg: She led the way to the museum.
EXERCISE 1
1. There's a _________ (lose, loose) tooth in my mouth!
2. The _______ (affect, effect) of the new medicine was immediate.
3. I would like to _________ (complement, compliment) you on your outfit.
4. Please _________ (cite/sight) your sources when writing your research
paper.
5. The _________ (weather/whether) will determine if we can go camping
tomorrow.
6. Don’t ___________ (loose/lose) your hope, even when times seem tough.
