The following list of commonly confused words should be extremely useful for anybody writing in English. It has been compiled by Oxford Dictionaries, and can be found at
http://www.askoxford.com/betterwriting/classicerrors/confused/DO NOT CONFUSE
adoptive with
adopted: children are
adopted, but parents are
adoptive.
adverse, 'unfavourable, bad', with
averse, which means 'strongly disliking or opposed to', as in
I am not averse to helping out.affect and
effect:
affect means 'make a difference to', whereas
effect means 'a result' or 'bring about (a result)'.
ambiguous with
ambivalent:
ambiguous primarily means 'having more than one meaning, open to different interpretations', while
ambivalent means 'having mixed feelings'.
amoral with
immoral:
amoral means 'not concerned with morality', while
immoral means 'not conforming to accepted standards of morality'.
appraise with
apprise:
appraise means 'assess', while
apprise means 'inform'.
augur, 'be a sign of (a likely outcome)', with
auger (a tool used for boring).
censure with
censor:
censure means 'express strong disapproval of', whereas
censor means 'suppress unacceptable parts of (a book, film, etc.)'.
climactic, 'forming a climax', with
climatic, which means 'relating to climate'.
complacent, 'smug and self-satisfied', with
complaisant, which means 'willing to please'.
complement, 'a thing that enhances something by contributing extra features', with
compliment, which means 'an expression of praise' or 'politely congratulate'.
continuous and
continual:
continuous primarily means 'without interruption', and can refer to space as well as time, as in
the cliffs form a continuous line along the coast;
continual, on the other hand, typically means 'happening frequently, with intervals between', as in
the bus service has been disrupted by continual breakdowns.
council, an administrative or advisory body, with
counsel, advice or guidance.
councillor with
counsellor: a
councillor is a member of a council, whereas a
counsellor is someone who gives guidance on personal or psychological problems.
credible with
creditable:
credible means 'believable, convincing', whereas
creditable means 'deserving acknowledgement and praise'.
definite ('certain, sure') with
definitive, which means 'decisive and with authority'.
defuse, 'remove the fuse from (an explosive device)' or 'reduce the danger or tension in (a difficult situation)', with
diffuse, which means 'spread over a wide area'.
desert (a waterless area) with
dessert (the sweet course)!
discreet, 'careful not to attract attention or give offence', with
discrete, which means 'separate, distinct'.
draft and
draught. In British English
draft means 'a preliminary version' or 'an order to pay a sum', whereas a
draught is a current of air or an act of drinking; in North American English the spelling
draft is used for all senses. The verb is usually spelled
draft.
draw, which is primarily a verb, with
drawer meaning 'sliding storage compartment'.
egoism and
egotism: it is
egotism, not
egoism, that means 'excessive conceit or self-absorption';
egoism is a less common and more technical word, for an ethical theory that treats self-interest as the foundation of morality.
envelop with
envelope:
envelop without an
e at the end means 'wrap up, cover, or surround completely', whereas an
envelope with an
e is a paper container used to enclose a letter or document.
exceptionable ('open to objection; causing disapproval or offence') with
exceptional ('not typical' or 'unusually good').
fawn with
faun: a
fawn is a young deer, and a light brown colour; a
faun is a Roman deity that is part man, part goat.
flaunt with
flout;
flaunt means 'display ostentatiously', while
flout means 'openly disregard (a rule)'.
flounder with
founder:
flounder generally means 'have trouble doing or understanding something, be confused', while
founder means 'fail or come to nothing'.
forego and
forgo:
forego means 'precede', but is also a less common spelling for
forgo, 'go without'.
grisly with
grizzly, as in
grizzly bear:
grisly means 'causing horror or revulsion', whereas
grizzly is from the same root as
grizzled and refers to the bear's white-tipped fur.
hoard with
horde: a
hoard is a store of something valuable;
horde is a disparaging term for a large group of people.
imply and
infer.
Imply is used with a speaker as its subject, as in
he implied that the General was a traitor, and indicates that the speaker is suggesting something though not making an explicit statement.
Infer is used in sentences such as
we inferred from his words that the General was a traitor, and indicates that something in the speaker's words enabled the listeners to deduce that the man was a traitor.
the possessive
its (as in
turn the camera on its side) with the contraction
it's (short for either
it is or
it has, as in
it's my fault;
it's been a hot day).
loath ('reluctant; unwilling') with
loathe, 'dislike greatly'.
loose with
lose: as a verb
loose means 'unfasten or set free', while
lose means 'cease to have' or 'become unable to find'.
luxuriant, 'rich and profuse in growth', with
luxurious, which means 'characterized by luxury; very comfortable and extravagant'.
marital, 'of marriage', with
martial, 'of war'!
militate, which is used in the form
militate against to mean 'be an important factor in preventing', with
mitigate, which means 'make (something bad) less severe'.
naturism (nudism) and
naturist (a nudist) with
naturalism and
naturalist:
naturalism is an artistic or literary approach or style; a
naturalist is an expert in natural history, or an exponent of naturalism.
officious, 'asserting authority or interfering in an annoyingly domineering way', with
official, which means 'relating to an authority or public body' and 'having the approval or authorization of such a body'.
ordinance, 'an authoritative order', with
ordnance, which means 'guns' or 'munitions'.
palate and
palette: the
palate is the roof of the mouth; a
palette, on the other hand, is an artist's board for mixing colours.
pedal and
peddle.
Pedal is a noun denoting a foot-operated lever; as a verb it means 'move by means of pedals'.
Peddle is a verb meaning 'sell (goods)'. The associated noun from
pedal is
pedaller (<ge>US</ge>
pedaler), and the noun from
peddle is
pedlar or
peddler.
perquisite and
prerequisite: a
perquisite is a special right or privilege enjoyed as a result of one's position
; prerequisite is something that is required as a prior condition for something else;
prerequisite can also be an adjective, meaning 'required as a prior condition'.
perspicuous, 'expressing things clearly', with
perspicacious, which means 'having a ready understanding of things'.
principal, 'first in order of importance; main', with
principle, which is a noun meaning chiefly 'a basis of a system of thought or belief'.
proscribe with
prescribe:
proscribe is a rather formal word meaning 'condemn or forbid', whereas
prescribe means either 'issue a medical prescription' or 'recommend with authority'.
regretful, 'feeling or showing regret', with
regrettable, which means 'giving rise to regret; undesirable'.
shear, 'cut the wool off (a sheep)', with
sheer, which as a verb means 'swerve or change course quickly' or 'avoid an unpleasant topic', and as an adjective means 'nothing but; absolute', 'perpendicular', or '(of a fabric) very thin'.
stationary and
stationery:
stationary is an adjective with the sense 'not moving or changing', whereas
stationery is a noun meaning 'paper and other writing materials'.
story and
storey: a
story is a tale or account, while a
storey is a floor of a building. In North America the spelling
story is sometimes used for
storey.
titillate and
titivate:
titillate means 'excite', whereas
titivate means 'adorn or smarten up'.
tortuous, 'full of twists and turns' or 'excessively lengthy and complex', with
torturous, which means 'characterized by pain or suffering'.
turbid and
turgid:
turbid is generally used in reference to a liquid and means 'cloudy or opaque';
turgid tends to mean 'tediously pompous' or, in reference to a river, 'swollen, overflowing'.
unexceptionable, 'that cannot be taken exception to, inoffensive', with
unexceptional, 'not exceptional; ordinary'.
unsociable with
unsocial and
antisocial:
unsociable means 'not enjoying the company of or engaging in activities with others';
unsocial usually means 'socially inconvenient' and typically refers to the hours of work of a job;
antisocial means 'contrary to accepted social customs and therefore annoying'.
venal ('susceptible to bribery; corruptible') with
venial, which is used in Christian theology in reference to sin (a
venial sin, unlike a
mortal sin, is not regarded as depriving the soul of divine grace).
who's with
whose;
who's is a contraction of
who is or
who has, while
whose is used in questions such as
whose is this? and
whose turn is it?wreath and
wreathe:
wreath with no
e at the end means 'arrangement of flowers', while
wreathe with an
e is a verb meaning 'envelop, surround, or encircle'.
