Affect or effect? Principal or principle? Stationary or stationery? Learn the meanings, spellings and memory tricks that stop the most common word mix-ups.
Is it affect or effect? Principal or principle? Stationary or stationery? Confused words are among the most common causes of mistakes in essays, emails and examinations, and spell-checkers do not catch them, because each wrong word is still a real word.
This guide explains why words are confused, the main types of confusion, and how to tell each pair apart. Its main part gives 212 words in three groups (sound-alike words, look-alike words and confusions of usage), each with its meaning and an example sentence. It also includes memory tricks, a spot-the-error table, key points, ten practice questions and a teacher activity.
It builds on Parts of Speech and connects with Common Errors in English, Singular and Plural Nouns and Idioms in English. Spelling in this guide follows British English.
Words become confused because they sound the same, look similar or have related meanings. Many came into English from different languages and ended up sounding alike, and some are separated only by a single letter.
| Type of confusion | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Homophones | Words that sound the same but differ in spelling and meaning | meat / meet, peace / piece, their / there |
| Near-homophones | Words that sound almost the same | accept / except, affect / effect, quiet / quite |
| Look-alikes | Words that look alike but have different meanings | adapt / adopt, emigrate / immigrate, eminent / imminent |
| Homographs | Words with the same spelling but different meanings or sounds | lead (a metal) and lead (to guide) |
| Usage confusions | Words with related meanings used in different ways | lend / borrow, fewer / less, between / among |
| Word | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| accept | to receive willingly (verb) | She accepted the invitation. |
| except | apart from; not including | Everyone except Ali was present. |
| advice | a recommendation (noun) | He gave me useful advice. |
| advise | to recommend (verb) | I advise you to revise early. |
| affect | to influence (verb) | Noise can affect concentration. |
| effect | a result (noun) | The medicine had a quick effect. |
| allowed | permitted | Phones are not allowed in the hall. |
| aloud | in a voice that can be heard | She read the poem aloud. |
| altar | a table used in worship | Flowers covered the altar. |
| alter | to change | The tailor will alter the dress. |
| bare | uncovered; empty | The room was bare. |
| bear | to carry or tolerate; an animal | I cannot bear the noise. |
| berth | a bed on a ship or train; a place for a ship | He booked a lower berth. |
| birth | the start of life | The birth of her son was a joy. |
| brake | a device for stopping | Press the brake slowly. |
| break | to damage; a pause | Take a short break. |
| cereal | a grain food | She eats cereal for breakfast. |
| serial | happening in a series | The serial killer story was a TV drama. |
| cite | to quote as evidence | Cite your sources in the essay. |
| sight | the ability to see | His sight is excellent. |
| site | a place where something happens | The building site was closed. |
| coarse | rough | The coarse cloth scratched his skin. |
| course | a route; a class | He joined a cookery course. |
| complement | something that completes | Rice is a perfect complement to curry. |
| compliment | an expression of praise | She paid him a compliment. |
| council | a group that governs | The city council met on Monday. |
| counsel | advice; to advise | The lawyer gave sound counsel. |
| dessert | a sweet course after a meal | We ate ice cream for dessert. |
| desert | a dry, sandy region; to abandon | Camels cross the desert. |
| dual | having two parts | The car has dual controls. |
| duel | a fight between two people | The two knights fought a duel. |
| fair | just; a gathering with games | The referee was fair. |
| fare | the price of a journey | The bus fare has risen. |
| flour | powder made from grain | Mix the flour with water. |
| flower | the colourful part of a plant | A red flower bloomed. |
| foreword | an introduction to a book | The foreword was written by the author's friend. |
| forward | towards the front | Please step forward. |
| grate | to shred; a metal frame | Grate the cheese. |
| great | very good or large | It was a great victory. |
| heal | to become well | The wound will heal soon. |
| heel | the back part of the foot | The shoe hurt her heel. |
| hole | an opening | A hole appeared in the road. |
| whole | complete | He ate the whole cake. |
| knew | past tense of know | She knew the answer. |
| new | recently made | He bought a new bag. |
| meat | animal flesh eaten as food | We do not eat meat on Fridays. |
| meet | to come together | Let us meet at noon. |
| pair | two things together | A pair of shoes lay by the door. |
| pear | a fruit | The pear was sweet. |
| passed | went by; succeeded in | He passed the exam. |
| past | time before now; beyond | We walked past the school. |
| peace | calm; absence of war | The country enjoyed peace. |
| piece | a part of something | Give me a piece of cake. |
| plain | simple; a flat area | She wore a plain dress. |
| plane | an aircraft; a flat surface | The plane landed late. |
| practice | a noun: repeated exercise (British) | Daily practice improves skill. |
| practise | a verb: to do repeatedly (British) | She practises the piano daily. |
| principal | head of a school; main | The principal addressed the students. |
| principle | a rule or belief | Honesty is a principle he lives by. |
| quiet | silent | The library is quiet. |
| quite | fairly or completely | The task was quite easy. |
| role | a part played | She played the leading role. |
| roll | to turn over and over; a small loaf | The ball began to roll. |
| scene | a place where something happens; part of a play | The police reached the scene. |
| seen | past participle of see | I have seen that film. |
| stationary | not moving | The car was stationary. |
| stationery | paper, pens and envelopes | The shop sells school stationery. |
| steal | to take without permission | Do not steal. |
| steel | a strong metal | The bridge is made of steel. |
| storey | a floor of a building | The building has five storeys. |
| story | a tale | He told a funny story. |
| tail | the rear part of an animal | The dog wagged its tail. |
| tale | a story | It is a tale of courage. |
| waist | the middle of the body | The belt fits his waist. |
| waste | to use badly; rubbish | Do not waste time. |
| wait | to stay until something happens | Please wait here. |
| weight | how heavy something is | The weight of the bag was ten kilos. |
| weak | not strong | The tea was weak. |
| week | seven days | We meet every week. |
| weather | conditions of the air | The weather is warm. |
| whether | if | I do not know whether she will come. |
| which | asks about a choice | Which book do you want? |
| witch | a woman with magic powers | The witch rode a broom. |
| whose | belonging to whom | Whose bag is this? |
| who's | who is or who has | Who's coming to the party? |
| your | belonging to you | Is this your pen? |
| you're | you are | You're late. |
| its | belonging to it | The dog hurt its paw. |
| it's | it is or it has | It's raining. |
| their | belonging to them | Their house is near. |
| there | in that place | Put the book there. |
| they're | they are | They're my cousins. |
| to | towards; used before a verb | I went to school. |
| too | also; more than needed | It is too hot. |
| two | the number 2 | I have two sisters. |
| led | past tense of lead | She led the team. |
| lead | a metal; to guide | Lead is a heavy metal. |
| Word | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| adapt | to change to suit new conditions | Plants adapt to the climate. |
| adopt | to take up or accept as one's own | They adopted a child. |
| amoral | having no sense of right and wrong | An amoral ruler ignores ethics. |
| immoral | against accepted moral standards | Cheating is immoral. |
| ascent | a climb upward | The ascent took three hours. |
| assent | agreement | The committee gave its assent. |
| beside | next to | She sat beside her friend. |
| besides | in addition | Besides, it is late. |
| canvas | strong cloth | The tent is made of canvas. |
| canvass | to ask for votes or opinions | They canvassed the town. |
| childish | silly, like a child (negative) | Stop this childish behaviour. |
| childlike | innocent, like a child (positive) | He had a childlike wonder. |
| climatic | related to climate | Climatic change affects farming. |
| climactic | forming a climax | The climactic scene ended the film. |
| confidant | a person you trust with secrets | She was her mother's confidant. |
| confident | sure of yourself | He felt confident before the test. |
| conscience | the sense of right and wrong | His conscience troubled him. |
| conscious | awake or aware | The patient was conscious. |
| continual | happening repeatedly, with breaks | Continual interruptions annoyed her. |
| continuous | going on without a break | A continuous noise filled the room. |
| credible | believable | The witness seemed credible. |
| credulous | too ready to believe | A credulous buyer believed the claim. |
| detract | to take away value from | Noise detracts from the performance. |
| distract | to draw attention away | Do not distract the driver. |
| disinterested | impartial | A disinterested judge decided the case. |
| uninterested | not interested | He is uninterested in sport. |
| elicit | to draw out a response | The question elicited a quick answer. |
| illicit | illegal or forbidden | Illicit trade harms the economy. |
| eminent | famous and respected | An eminent scientist spoke. |
| imminent | about to happen | A storm is imminent. |
| emigrate | to leave a country to live elsewhere | They emigrated to Canada. |
| immigrate | to come to live in a new country | Many immigrate for work. |
| envelop | to wrap or surround (verb) | Mist began to envelop the hills. |
| envelope | a paper cover for a letter | He sealed the envelope. |
| formally | in a formal way | She dressed formally. |
| formerly | in the past | He was formerly a pilot. |
| historic | important in history | It was a historic victory. |
| historical | related to history | She reads historical novels. |
| imply | to suggest without saying | His silence implies agreement. |
| infer | to conclude from evidence | I infer that you are tired. |
| ingenious | clever and inventive | An ingenious plan saved the day. |
| ingenuous | innocent and open | His ingenuous smile won hearts. |
| loath | unwilling (adjective) | He was loath to leave. |
| loathe | to hate (verb) | I loathe cruelty. |
| luxuriant | growing thickly | The garden was luxuriant. |
| luxurious | very comfortable and expensive | They stayed in a luxurious hotel. |
| moral | concerning right and wrong; a lesson | The moral of the story is clear. |
| morale | confidence and spirit | Team morale was high. |
| precede | to come before | Day precedes night. |
| proceed | to go on | Please proceed to the hall. |
| persecute | to treat cruelly because of beliefs | Rulers persecuted the minority. |
| prosecute | to take legal action against | The state will prosecute the thief. |
| personal | private | It is a personal matter. |
| personnel | the staff of an organisation | Hospital personnel worked all night. |
| regretful | feeling sorry | He was regretful about his words. |
| regrettable | causing regret | It was a regrettable mistake. |
| respectively | in the order mentioned | Ali and Sara are ten and twelve respectively. |
| respectfully | in a respectful way | She spoke respectfully. |
| sensible | showing good sense | A sensible choice. |
| sensitive | easily hurt or affected | She is sensitive to criticism. |
| urban | related to a city | Urban areas are crowded. |
| urbane | polite and refined | An urbane host greeted us. |
| compose | to make up or write | She composed a song. |
| comprise | to consist of | The set comprises ten books. |
| discreet | careful not to cause embarrassment | Be discreet about the news. |
| discrete | separate and distinct | There are three discrete groups. |
| flaunt | to show off | He flaunts his wealth. |
| flout | to disobey openly | Drivers who flout the law pay fines. |
| fortunate | lucky | We were fortunate to win. |
| fortuitous | happening by chance | A fortuitous meeting led to a job. |
| lightening | making lighter | Lightening the load helped. |
| lightning | a flash in a storm | Lightning struck the tree. |
| naval | related to a navy | A naval ship arrived. |
| navel | the belly button | A baby's navel heals fast. |
| oral | spoken | The oral test is on Monday. |
| aural | related to hearing | The aural test needs headphones. |
| rain | water falling from the sky | Heavy rain fell. |
| reign | a period of rule | The king's reign was long. |
| rein | a strap to control a horse | He pulled the rein. |
| tenant | a person who rents a home | The tenant paid the rent. |
| tenet | a principle or belief | Honesty is a tenet of the club. |
| troop | a group of soldiers | A troop of soldiers marched by. |
| troupe | a group of performers | A dance troupe visited the school. |
| vain | conceited; without success | His efforts were in vain. |
| vane | a wind indicator | The vane turned in the wind. |
| vein | a blood vessel | Blood flows in a vein. |
| wave | to move the hand; a surge of water | A wave hit the shore. |
| waive | to give up a right | The school waived the fee. |
| yoke | a wooden frame for oxen | The oxen wore a yoke. |
| yolk | the yellow of an egg | Separate the yolk from the white. |
| Word | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| lend | to give for a short time (verb) | Please lend me a pen. |
| borrow | to take for a short time | May I borrow your pen? |
| amount | used with uncountable nouns | A large amount of water. |
| number | used with countable nouns | A large number of students. |
| fewer | used with countable nouns | Fewer mistakes this time. |
| less | used with uncountable nouns | Less sugar, please. |
| between | used for two people or things | Divide it between the two boys. |
| among | used for three or more | Divide it among the students. |
| lay | to put something down (needs an object) | Lay the book on the desk. |
| lie | to rest in a flat position | Lie down for a while. |
| than | used in comparisons | She is taller than I am. |
| then | at that time; next | We ate, then we left. |
| as | used for roles and in comparisons | He works as a teacher. |
| like | similar to | He looks like his father. |
| each other | used for two people | The twins help each other. |
| one another | used for three or more | The students respected one another. |
| i.e. | that is (explains) | Bring a pen, i.e. a blue one. |
| e.g. | for example | Bring stationery, e.g. pens. |
| hanged | executed by hanging | The prisoner was hanged. |
| hung | suspended (a picture, coat) | She hung the picture. |
| insure | to protect with insurance | Insure the house. |
| ensure | to make certain | Ensure the door is locked. |
| assure | to promise; to remove doubt | I assure you it is safe. |
| may | permission or possibility | May I come in? |
| can | ability | She can swim. |
| Pair | Memory trick |
|---|---|
| principal / principle | The principal is your pal; a principle is a rule. |
| stationary / stationery | Stationery has an e, as in envelope; stationary has an a, as in stand. |
| desert / dessert | Dessert has two s's, because you want a second helping. |
| affect / effect | Affect is an action (a verb); effect is the end result (a noun). |
| complement / compliment | A complement completes; a compliment is kind, like I like praise. |
| advice / advise | Advice is a noun, like ice; advise is a verb, like wise. |
| practice / practise | In British English, the noun has c, like advice; the verb has s, like advise. |
| their / there | There has here inside it, so it points to a place. |
| loose / lose | Loose has a loose extra o; lose has lost one o. |
| weather / whether | Weather has eat in it, and the weather has an effect on how we eat; whether asks a choice, like which. |
| to / too / two | Too has too many o's; two is a number and has a w, like twin. |
Each sentence below contains a confused word. The right-hand columns give the correction and the reason.
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The weather will effect our plans. | The weather will affect our plans. | Affect is the verb. |
| She gave me good advise. | She gave me good advice. | Advice is the noun. |
| I need some new stationary. | I need some new stationery. | Stationery means paper and pens. |
| The principle of the school spoke first. | The principal of the school spoke first. | Principal means head. |
| Their going to arrive late. | They're going to arrive late. | Use they're for they are. |
| Its a lovely day. | It's a lovely day. | Use it's for it is. |
| Who's book is this? | Whose book is this? | Whose shows belonging. |
| I will loose my keys. | I will lose my keys. | Lose is the verb. |
| Can you borrow me a pen? | Can you lend me a pen? | You lend to others and borrow from others. |
| There were less students. | There were fewer students. | Students can be counted. |
| The amount of students grew. | The number of students grew. | Students can be counted. |
| He is taller then me. | He is taller than me. | Use than in comparisons. |
| She was an eminent danger. | She was in imminent danger. | Imminent means about to happen. |
| They flaunt the rules. | They flout the rules. | Flout means to disobey. |
| He was suppose to come. | He was supposed to come. | Use the past participle. |
| I could of won. | I could have won. | Use have, not of. |
| The affects were severe. | The effects were severe. | Effects is the noun. |
| I am quiet sure. | I am quite sure. | Quite means fairly or completely. |
| She practiced the piano (British). | She practised the piano. | British verb: practise. |
| Lay down for a rest. | Lie down for a rest. | Lie needs no object. |
Activity: write ten sentences with the confused word missing, such as The ___ of the school gave a speech, and ask students to choose between two words and say why. Then ask them to write their own sentences for three pairs and to read them aloud to a partner, who decides whether the right word was used.
Please note: this guide uses British spelling. Some pairs differ between British and American English, for example practice / practise and storey / story, and some words are used differently in informal speech.
10 questions. Select an answer for each, then submit to see your score instantly.