Words Similar Pronunciation (Confusing Words)
Word | Meaning |
---|---|
air | what we breathe |
err | make a mistake |
heir | one who inherits something |
accept | to agree; to receive |
except | but, with the exception of |
find | discover |
fined | penalized |
brake | stop |
break | separate into pieces |
ascent (noun) | movement upward |
assent | enthusiastic agreement; to agree |
consent | agreement |
add | to perform addition |
ades | fruit drinks |
aides | people who help; assistants |
AIDS | acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome |
aids | helps, assists |
adverse | unfortunate; strongly opposed |
averse | having repugnance (refers to people) |
advice (noun) | recommendation |
advise (verb) | the act of giving a recommendation |
affect | verb affect when you mean to influence rather than to cause. |
effect | Use effect when you mean result. |
ail | to be ill; to cause pain or distress |
ale | malt beverage more bitter than beer |
aisle | passageway |
I'll | contraction for I will |
Isle | a small island |
all | entire, everything |
awl | a tool |
allowed | gave permission to |
aloud | aid out loud; spoken |
all ready | means all are ready |
already | refers to time |
all together | refers to a group; all of us or all of them together |
altogether | entirely |
altar | pedestal, usually religious |
alter | to modify |
allude | to refer indirectly |
elude | avoid capture |
illude | mislead |
allusion | an indirect mention of something |
illusion | false perception |
ambiguous | to have more than one meaning |
ambivalent | to have mixed feelings |
amicable | friendly (refers to things, not people) |
amiable | friendly (refers to people) |
among | involves three or more |
between | involves just two |
amount | used for things not countable |
number | used for things that can be counted |
Word | Meaning |
ant | a bug |
aunt | the sister of a parent |
ante | a bet placed before playing |
auntie | affectionate term for a parent?s sister |
anxious | to have anxiety or worry |
eager | excited |
any more | something additional or further |
anymore | any longer, nowadays |
appraise | to put a value on something |
apprise | to notify |
arc | arch, crescent, half moon |
ark | a vessel or a refuge |
assistance | help |
assistants | people who help |
assumption | an idea not based on evidence |
presumption | an idea based on evidence |
assure | to promise or say with confidence |
ensure | to make sure something will/won't happen |
insure | to issue an insurance policy |
ate | past tense of eat |
eight | the number after seven |
aural | having to do with hearing |
oral | having to do with the mouth |
awed | in a state of amazement |
odd | unusual; opposite of even when referring to numbers |
bald | having no hair |
bawled | cried |
ball | a sphere |
bawl | to cry or wail loudly |
band | a group, sometimes a group of musicians |
banned | forbidden |
Word | Meaning |
---|---|
bare | naked, unconcealed, plain |
bear | the animal |
base | the bottom; vulgar |
bass | low vocal or instrumental range |
based | be dependent or supported |
baste | to moisten; to criticize or lash out at |
bases | headquarters |
basis | foundation |
Word | Meaning |
be | to exist or live |
bee | insect |
beach | sandy area with water |
beech | type of tree with smooth, gray bark |
beau | boyfriend |
bough | branch of a tree |
bow | part of a set with arrows |
bow | boat front, a male's form of curtsy |
because vs. since | Because and since can be used almost interchangeably although because always indicates cause and effect and since is used for a relationship or time. |
Been | form of be used with has or have |
Bin | container |
Bell | chime or alarm |
Belle | beautiful or charming woman |
Berth | a boat dock |
Birth | being born |
Better | of higher quality |
Bettor | someone who places bets |
Biannual | twice a year |
Biennial | every two years |
Semiannual | twice a year |
Bite | to use one?s teeth to tear food |
Byte | computer term for eight bits of information |
Billed | charged a fee |
Build | construct |
blew | past tense of blow |
blue | the color |
bloc | a group united for a particular purpose |
block | city street |
boar | male pig |
bore | someone or something not interesting |
board | piece of wood |
bored | uninterested |
boarder | someone who pays for room and food |
border | perimeter; boundary |
bode | predict |
bowed | bent |
bold | daring |
bowled | to have gone bowling |
bolder | more daring |
boulder | a large rock |
boos | sounds made by disapproving audience |
booze | alcohol |
boy | male child |
buoy | a naval beacon or marker |
bread | a food |
bred | past tense of breed |
brewed | fermented |
brood | mull over |
brews | ferments |
bruise | a black-and-blue mark |
bridal | relating to brides |
bridle | a harness |
bring | you bring something towards |
take | you take something away |
broach | to raise a topic |
brooch | a bauble |
brows | the hairs in the arch above the eyes |
browse | search for, peruse |
but | except |
butt | bottom; joke object; to ram |
buy | purchase, acquire |
by | near, next to |
bye | short for goodbye |
cache | hidden stash |
cash | money |
calendar | chart of days and months |
colander | sieve to drain off liquids |
can | able to |
may | permission to |
cannon | large, mounted gun |
canon | rule, commandment |
carat | unit of weight in gemstones |
caret | a proofreading mark to show insertion |
carrot | edible root |
karat | a unit for measuring the fineness of gold |
cast | group of actors; to throw |
caste | a social class, a rigid system of social distinctions |
cay | a small, low island |
key | a small, low island; |
quay | wharf, dock, pier |
cede | to surrender |
seed | reproductive germ |
cell | prison room; basic structural unit of an organism |
sell | to exchange for money |
censor | disallow; person who disallows |
censure | to disapprove of; criticize strongly |
sensor | a device that measures heat, light, etc. |
cent | a penny |
scent | a smell, aroma |
sent | transmitted |
cereal | breakfast food |
serial | a series or array |
chance | accident |
chants | chorus, melody |
chased | went after |
chaste | pure, virginal |
chews | how one eats food with teeth |
choose | to pick |
childish | immature |
childlike | innocent |
Chile | a country in South America |
Chili | a type of pepper; a dish with peppers in it |
Chilly | cold, brisk |
Choral | having to do with a chorus or a choir |
Chorale | a hymn; a group of singers specializing in church music |
Coral | material that makes up reefs; orange color |
Corral | a horse pen; to confine |
chord | three or more musical tones sounded simultaneously |
cord | a rope or strand of flexible material |
cored | removed the center of something |
chute | an inclined shaft |
shoot | to discharge from a weapon; a stem |
cite | to assert; to quote from; to subpoena |
sight | vision, the power to see |
site | a location or position |
classic | important; fundamental |
classical | having to do with Greek or Roman antiquity |
clause | in grammar, a group of words containing a subject and verb |
claws | a contract |
click | a sound |
clique | a group |
climactic | having to do with the climax |
climatic | having to do with the climate |
close | to shut |
clothes | apparel |
coarse | rough, lacking in fineness of texture |
course | a class; a path |
colonel | an officer in the military |
kernel | a seed |
complement | completing part of an order |
compliment | praise |
confidant | someone confided in |
confident | certain, sure |
connote | to suggest, imply |
denote | to be a sign of |
core | center or crucial part |
corps | trained group |
corpse | dead body |
cosign | to sign along with |
cosine | a trigonometry term |
council | a group of people meeting for a purpose |
counsel | advise; advice, an attorney |
creak | a sound |
creek | a stream |
crews | many groups |
cruise | a trip or vacation by sea |
criteria | plural of criterion |
criterion | a standard for evaluating or testing something |
cue | a hint; a stimulus |
queue | a line of people waiting |
currant | type of small berry |
current | up to date |
curser | someone who swears or wishes misfortune on another |
cursor | a blinking symbol indicating position on a computer screen |
dam | a barrier obstructing the flow of liquid |
damn | a swear word or curse |
dammed | blocked from flowing |
damned | doomed |
days | twenty-four-hour periods of time |
daze | to stun or overwhelm |
dear | affectionate term |
deer | the animal |
desert | a desolate area; to abandon |
dessert | extra s for sugary treat |
desperate | lost all hope, in despair |
disparate | entirely dissimilar |
dew | condensation in the morning |
do | to take action |
due | owed by a certain date |
die | to cease to live; the singular of dice |
dye | to stain or color using an agent |
discreet | careful, confidential |
discrete | individual, distinct |
discussed | talked over |
disgust | repulsion |
does | female deer |
does | a form of to do |
doughs | unbaked loaves of bread |
doze | to sleep |
dual | two-fold |
duel | fight |
elicit | evoke, extract, draw out |
illicit | illegal |
elusive | difficult to describe, evasive |
illusive | plausible or possible; deceptive |
emigrate | to exit one country in order to live in another country |
immigrate | to enter a new country to live |
empathy | understand another's feelings |
sympathy | to feel compassion or sadness for another |
epic | saga |
epoch | a period of time, an age |
every day | each day |
everyday | ordinary |
facts | objective data |
fax | short for facsimile; technology that sends images by phone |
faint | to go unconscious |
feint | pretense |
fair (adjective, noun) | impartial; an exhibition |
fare | payment or expense for travel |
fairy | imaginary being possessing magical powers |
ferry | type of boat |
farther | refers to physical distance only |
further | to a greater extent |
faux | fake, imitation |
foe | enemy, opponent |
faze | to perturb or fluster |
phase | a period or situation |
feat | an extraordinary act or accomplishment |
feet | twelve-inch increments; appendages at end of legs |
feted | "celebrated, honored noxious, gross " |
fetid | |
fir | type of tree |
fur | hairy coat of an animal |
flair | style |
flare | erupt |
flea | insect |
flee | to run away |
flew | past tense of fly, to have moved through the air with wings |
flu | a virus |
flue | part of a chimney |
floe | sheet of floating ice |
flow | pour, proceed, spew |
flour | grain |
flower | the bloom of a plant |
for | preposition |
fore | ahead |
four | the number after three |
forego | to go in front of, precede |
forgo | to do without |
foreword | introduction to a book written by someone other than the |
forward | opposite of backward |
fort | a military fortification |
forte | someone?s strong point, talent |
forth | forward |
fourth | number after third |
foul | offensive, disgusting |
fowl | certain birds |
frees | releases |
freeze | to make cold |
frieze | a decorative band on the wall |
gait | a manner of walking or stepping, stride |
gate | barrier |
gilt | gold-covered |
guilt | blame |
gored | stabbed with a horn or tusk |
gourd | hard-shelled fruit |
gorilla | largest of the apes |
guerrilla | soldier using surprise raids; irregular tactics |
graft | attach; acquisition of money dishonestly |
graphed | diagrammed |
grate | a cover or partition of parallel or crossed bars |
great | excellent |
grill | method of cooking; barbecuing |
grille | an openwork barrier for a gate |
groan | a low, mournful sound of pain or grief |
grown | to have increased in size |
guessed | conjectured, offered an opinion |
guest | company, honoree |
guise | appearance or assumed appearance |
guys | men |
hair | what grows on one?s head and body |
hare | rabbit |
hall | passageway or large room |
haul | to pull, drag, or lower |
halve | divide into two |
have | to possess |
hangar | shed or shelter for housing airplanes |
hanger | something to hang a garment on in the closet |
haut/haute | high-class, fancy as in haute couture |
hoe | flat-bladed gardening tool |
hay | dried grass |
hey | interjection used to call attention |
heal | to alleviate or cure |
heel | back part of the foot; scoundrel |
hear | to listen |
here | in this spot |
heard | listened |
herd | a flock of animals |
heroin | a narcotic derived from morphine |
heroine | female admired for courage or ability |
hi | a greeting, informal for hello |
high | elevated |
higher | more elevated |
hire | to pay for services |
him | pronoun referring to male person or animal |
hymn | song in praise of religious deity |
hoard | stockpile, amass |
horde | a large group, crowd |
hoarse | cracked voice |
horse | animal |
hoes | flat-bladed gardening tools |
hose | a flexible tube for conveying liquid |
hole | an opening |
whole | entire, complete |
holy | religious |
wholly | entirely, completely |
hostel | boarding house or inexpensive lodging |
hostile | antagonistic |
hour | sixty minutes |
our | possessive pronoun |
idle | not active; unemployed |
idol | someone admired |
idyll or idyl | interlude, breathing space; romance, fairy tale |
imply | to indicate without being explicit |
infer | to conclude from evidence |
in | preposition; inside |
inn | small hotel |
inc. | abbreviation for incorporated |
ink | fluid in pens |
incredible | to be without guilt |
innocents | people who are without guilt |
knew | past tense of know, to have understood |
new | opposite of old |
knight | a soldier in the Middle Ages |
night | period between sunset and sunrise |
knot | interlacing of cord or rope |
not | used to express negation |
know | understand, comprehend |
no | a negative to express dissent |
knows | understands |
nose | part of the body one smells with |
lacks | is deficient in |
lax | slack, easy-going |
ladder | the thing with rungs that you climb |
latter | the second of two |
lain | past participle of lie as in lie down |
lane | narrow road or passage |
Lead | a metal element |
led | guided, past tense of to lead |
leak | unintended discharge of liquid or gas |
leek | type of onion |
lean | to incline |
lien | a claim on property to secure debt payment |
leased | rented |
least | smallest in size or amount |
lessen | to make less |
lesson | a unit to be learned or studied |
lie | a falsehood; present tense of lie down |
lye | a caustic substance |
lightening | to make lighter |
lightning | a brilliant electric spark in the sky |
loan | something lent for temporary use |
lone | only, solitary |
loose | opposite of tightV |
lose | opposite of win; misplace |
Mach | ratio with the speed of sound |
mock | artificial; ridicule |
made | created |
maid | cleaning lady |
correspondence | |
male | masculine; opposite of female |
main | primary, chief, leading |
mane | long hair on the back of a horse or lion |
maize | corn |
maze | labyrinth |
mall | plaza, focal point |
maul | abuse, claw |
manner | behavior |
manor | palatial residence |
marquee | canopy, shelter; projection over a theater entrance |
marquis | aristocrat, nobleman |
marry | to wed |
merry | cheerful |
marshal | assemble; a judge |
martial | militant, aggressive |
meat | animal flesh used for food |
meet (verb, noun) | to connect, touch; an event |
mete | administer, allot |
medal | decoration, badge |
meddle | to interfere unwontedly |
metal | earth element |
mettle | boldness |
mind (noun, verb) | intelligence; obey |
mined | excavated to extract ores |
miner | one who excavates to extract ores |
minor | someone under legal age; small |
missed | failed to hit |
mist | fog, fine spray |
moan | lament; sound of suffering |
mown | cut grass |
mode | method, manner |
mowed | to have cut grass |
mood | an emotional state |
mooed | the sound a cow made |
moose | an animal |
mousse | type of dessert |
morning | start of the day, between night and afternoon |
mourning | sorrow over someone's death |
muscle | fibrous tissue |
mussel | edible marine bivalve |
mustard | yellow condiment |
mustered | assembled, gathered |
naval | pertaining to ships |
navel | belly button, umbilicus |
none | not one, not any |
nun | female member of a religious order |
oar | a blade for rowing |
or | conjunction |
ore | metal-bearing mineral or rock |
one | single unit |
won | past tense of win |
ordinance | a law |
ordnance | military weapons and ammunition |
overdo | to do to excess |
overdue | past due |
packed | past tense of pack |
pact | an agreement or treaty |
pail | bucket |
pale | lacking color |
pain | physical or emotional suffering |
pane | a plate of glass or panel |
pair | two of something |
pare | to remove or peel |
pear | type of fruit |
palate | roof of the mouth; taste |
pallet | a low, portable platform |
palette | a range of colors; a board to hold and mix colors |
passed | past tense of pass |
past | the time before the present |
patience | willingness to wait |
patients | people under medical care |
pause | a temporary stop |
paws | animal feet |
peace | calm |
piece | a portion of something |
peak | top of a mountain |
peek | glance furtively |
pique | to wound someone's pride or to excite interest |
pealed | rang bells |
peeled | removed a layer |
pedal | foot-operated lever |
peddle | to sell, hawk, or dispense |
peer | person who is an equal |
pier | a structure extending out over water |
perpetrate | to commit, as in a crime |
perpetuate | to prolong or sustain |
pi | 3.1416, the ratio of the circumference of a circle |
pie | baked food filled with fruit or meat |
pistil | female organ of a flower |
pistol | type of gun |
plain | not fancy; evident; simple; treeless area of land |
plane | a flat or level surface; short for airplane |
pleas | cries for help; appeals |
please | a polite word; to satisfy |
plum | a type of fruit |
plumb | perpendicular |
pole | a long, cylindrical piece of wood or metal |
poll | a collection of opinions; survey |
pore | small hole |
pour | to send liquid flowing |
praise | express approval |
prays | makes requests to God |
preys | hunts for food; victimizes |
precedence | priority |
precedents | examples, criteria |
presidents | chief executives |
presence | appearance, being present |
presents (noun, verb) | gifts; offers |
pries | looks closely; wedges open |
prize | award or reward |
principal | head of school; chief; of first importance |
principle | fundamental belief |
profit | gain |
prophet | predictor, seer |
pros | professionals, experts |
prose | literature |
quarts | units of liquid measure (four quarts to a gallon) |
quartz | a mineral |
rain | water that falls in drops from the sky |
reign | rule, administration |
rein | bit, harness |
raise | lift up |
raze | flatten, tear down completely |
rap (noun, verb) | a type of music; to strike sharply |
wrap | to enclose in a covering |
rapped | struck sharply fascinated |
rapt | enclosed in a covering |
wrapped | |
read | present and past tenses of to comprehend writing |
red | a color |
real | actual, authentic |
reel | stumble, falter |
recede | to move back, withdraw |
reseed | to seed again |
reek | to smell bad |
wreak | to cause trouble wreak havoc |
rest | relax |
wrest | take from |
retch | vomit |
wretch | lowly being, scoundrel |
review | survey |
revue | a satirical show |
right | correct; opposite of left |
rite | ritual, ceremony |
write | to compose letters or words |
ring | sound of a bell; jewelry worn around a finger |
wring | to twist |
road | street, path, highway |
rode | past tense of ride |
rowed | past tense of row |
roe | fish eggs |
row | aisle |
role | part in a play or film |
roll | a bun; to rotate |
roomer | one who rents a room |
rumor | innuendo, gossip |
root | base of a plant |
rout | defeat |
route | path |
rot | decay, decompose |
wrought | accomplished |
rote | by memory, formula |
wrote | past tense of write |
rude | impolite, unmannerly |
rued | regretted, repented |
rye | seed from a grain |
wry | mocking, ironic, droll |
sacks | large bags |
sax | saxophone |
saver | one who saves |
savor | to appreciate a taste |
scene | a view, a setting |
seen | to have viewed with eyes |
sea | a body of salt water |
see | to view with eyes |
seam | line formed by pieces of fabric sewn together |
seem | appear |
sear | scorch, burn, or char |
seer | one who sees (as in the future) |
sere | withered, dry |
seas | bodies of salt water |
sees | views with eyes |
seize | to grab hold of |
serf | slave |
surf | breaking waves; to ride a surfboard |
set | one sets a thing |
sit | one sits oneself |
sew | to stitch |
so | in the manner indicated |
sow | to scatter or plant seed |
sewer | a conduit for carrying off waste |
suer | one who sues |
shear | to cut |
sheer | transparent |
shoe | foot attire |
shoo | interjection used to scare away an animal |
sic | a Latin term used to indicate that something written is intentionally |
sick | ill |
sics | attacks |
six | a number |
sign | an indication |
sine | a trigonometry term |
sink | to submerge; where you wash utensils |
synch or sync | to synchronize, to coincide or match up |
slay | kill |
sleigh | snow vehicle, sled |
sleight | cunning, skill |
slight | slender, of little substance |
slew | past tense of slay |
slough | swamp |
soar | to fly at great height |
sore | in pain |
soared | flew at great height |
sword | a bladed weapon |
sole | bottom of foot; lone |
soul | the spiritual part of humans |
some | a certain unspecified number |
sum | the total from adding numbers |
son | male offspring |
sun | star that is the central body of the solar system |
sonny | diminutive of son |
sunny | lit or warmed by the sun; cheerful |
spade | digging tool |
spayed | to have removed the ovaries of an animal |
staid | solemn, serious |
stayed | remained, waited |
stair | step |
stare | to look without blinking |
stake | a pole |
steak | cut of meat |
stationary | in one place |
stationery | writing paper |
steal | rob |
steel | iron alloy; determined |
step (verb, noun) | moving by lifting the foot; degree |
steppe | vast grasslands |
stile | turnstile, passageway |
style | fashion |
straight | not curved or bent |
strait | narrow passage of water connecting two bodies of water |
succor | relief, assistance |
sucker | fool |
suede | leather finished with a soft, napped surface |
swayed | past tense of sway; persuaded |
suite | a connected series of rooms |
sweet | opposite of sour |
summary | an abstract or brief account |
summery | of the summer |
sundae | ice cream with syrup |
Sunday | day of the week |
tacks | short nails |
tax | percent of earnings paid to the government |
tail | hindmost animal appendage |
tale | story |
tare | allowance for the weight of packaging |
tear (verb) | rip, pull apart |
tear (noun) | salt water coming from eyes when sad |
tier | row or layer |
taught | past tense of teach |
taut | tightly stretched |
tea | a beverage |
tee | a peg from which a golf ball is hit |
team | group playing on the same side in a game |
teem | swarm |
tense | nervous strain |
tents | portable shelters used for camping |
than | used for comparison |
then | indicates time, answers when |
their | possessive pronoun |
there | location |
they're | contraction for they are |
threw | past tense of throw |
through | in one end and out the other |
throes | agonizing struggles |
throws | tosses, hurls |
throne | royal seat or office |
thrown | was tossed |
thyme | herb of the mint family |
time | past, present, future sequences of events |
ticks | parasites; sounds of a clock |
tics | facial twitches |
tide | ebb and flow of the ocean |
tied | past tense of tie |
to | in the direction of, toward; used with the infinitive form of verbs |
too | also, to an extensive degree |
two | the number after one |
toad | similar to a frog |
toed | having a toe |
towed | pulled, hauled |
told | said |
tolled | sounded a bell |
tort | a breach of contract |
torte | a rich cake made with little or no flour |
tracked | followed |
tract | an extended area of land; a political or religious pamphlet |
troop | a body of soldiers |
troupe | a group of traveling performers |
vain | excessively concerned about one's appearance |
vane | a blade moved by wind as in weather vane |
vein | blood vessel |
vary | to change or alter |
very | extremely |
verses | lines of poetry |
versus | as compared to another choice; against |
vial | small container for holding liquids |
vile | repulsive, depraved |
vice | bad habit; immoral practice |
vise | device used to hold an object firmly |
wade | to walk through water |
weighed | to have put on a scale |
wail | mournful cry |
whale | marine mammal |
waist | narrowest part of the human torso (usually) |
waste | to squander or spend uselessly |
wait | to be available or ready |
weight | quantity of heaviness or mass |
waiver | a relinquishment of some right |
waver | to feel indecisive; vary |
warn | to notify |
worn | carried on the body; deteriorated |
warrantee | person who is given a written guarantee |
warranty | written guarantee |
way | direction |
weigh | to measure mass |
weak | lacking strength |
week | seven days starting with Sunday |
wear | to carry on the body |
where | in what place? |
weather | state of the atmosphere in a location |
whether | if |
weave | to interlace thread or yarn to make a fabric |
we've | contraction for we have |
were | past tense of are |
we're | contraction for we are |
wheeled | moved on wheels |
wield | to exercise power; to handle a weapon effectively |
which | what one? |
witch | sorceress |
while | during or in the time that |
wile | a trick to fool, trap, or entice |
whine | complaining cry |
wine | fermented grape juice that becomes an alcoholic beverage |
whined | past tense of whine, complained |
wind | air current |
wined | to supply with wine |
whirled | spun rapidly |
world | planet Earth |
whorled | shaped like a coil |
who's | contraction for who is |
whose | possessive case of who |
wont (adjective, noun) | accustomed; habit |
won't | contraction for will not |
wood | tree trunk material |
would | expressing an intention |
yoke | harness for oxen |
yolk | yellow center of an egg |
yore | long past |
you're | contraction for you are |
your | possessive pronoun |
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