ENGL000: Pre-College English

Confused words are words that people commonly mix up when they are writing. They are tricky because spell check will not catch them (for example, the word "two" is spelled correctly, even if I am misusing it by saying, "I would like two watch a movie"). Think of all the boldfaced words in this chapter as words that are going to require you to double check them EVERY TIME you use them.

This first group of confused words in this resource are what are called homonyms. Homonyms are words that sound the same, but have different spellings and meanings. They are particularly tricky because you have to force your eyes to see them. Reading aloud won't catch them because they sound the same. See the following words, along with their definitions and example sentence:

• accept - receive; agree to
  • I accept your offer to buy my car.

• except - not including; but
  • You can have all the cookies except the ones with sprinkles.

• all ready – completely prepared
  • Are you all ready for our road trip?

• already – previously, before
  • I already spoke to you about this issue.

• aisle – a passage between rows of seats (such as in a school, theater, church, airplane, or train); a passage between shelves of goods (such as in a supermarket)
  • For safety reasons, it is important to keep the aisle in a movie theater clear.
  • The bread can be found in the bakery aisle at the grocery.
• isle – a small island or peninsula
  • Oahu is an isle near Hawaii.

• are – plural form of the verb of being "is"
  • My friends and I are really excited about graduation.
• our – "belonging to us," first person plural possessive pronoun
  • Our hard work as a class on the community service project earned us a pizza party.

• ate – ingesting food, past tense of the verb "eat"
  • I ate all the pie.
• eight – the number 8
  • There were eight candles on Jamal's birthday cake.

• bare – not clothed or covered (adjective); basic and simple (adjective); uncover (verb)
  • Her shoulders were bare in the formal evening gown.
  • Because Mary wasn't feeling well, she ordered a bare sandwich roll.
  • He had to bare his chest to show where the wound was not healing properly.
• bear – a large furry mammal (noun); to carry or support (verb); to endure (verb); to give birth (verb)
  • If you go camping, it is important to secure your food, or a bear might get it.
  • I will help you bear the weight of the couch when you move.
  • I know you can bear the stress you are under.
  • Carole will bear twins according to her ultrasound.

• bored – feeling weary due to being unoccupied or uninterested in the current activity
  • I got really bored waiting in the three hour long line to renew my driver's license.
• board – a long flat piece of wood often used for floors or other building purposes
  • We used a board to cover the hole in the floor.

• brake – the stopping device in a vehicle
  • When Sarah saw a sea of brake lights on the interstate, she knew she was going to be late.
• break – to come apart or to take apart; an interruption or pause
  • The students took a break from studying to get coffee.

• bread – food made of flour and baked
  • My grandma and I baked bread when I visited her last weekend.
• bred – past tense of the verb "breed," rearing animals
• According to Neil deGrasse Tyson, dogs were bred for cuteness. 

• by – preposition suggesting to go past or indicating how or by whom an action is performed
  • I need your term paper by the end of the semester.
• bye – an abbreviation of the farewell greeting "goodbye"
  • Melanie said "bye" to her friends when she had to leave for work.
• buy – to purchase
  • You need to buy milk at the grocery today.

• cents – a monetary unit (pennies)
  • The candy bars are on sale for 75 cents.
• since – a dependent word suggesting a causal relationship (meaning the same as "because"); in the intervening time period between one time period and another
  • Since there is an inch of ice on the roads, the college will be closed.
  • Latoya has been in a great mood since hearing about her raise.
• sense – feeling that something is the case (verb); a way the body perceives, such as the five senses (noun)
  • I sense that you are confused by this conversation.
  • Dogs have an incredibly powerful sense of smell.

• coarse – rough
  • The extra coarse sandpaper did a great job of smoothing out the splintered wood.
• course – part of a meal; a class in school; direction; certainly (as in "of course")
  • The first course of the meal will be a delicate cranberry and feta salad with mixed greens.
  • You will need to take an English course to complete your requirements.
  • If the Titanic had changed course, it might not have hit an iceberg.
  • Of course I would be happy to help you with your math homework.

• formally – officially; in accordance with the rules of etiquette
  • The department chair will formally open the new cadaver lab with a ribbon cutting event.
  • Drew was dressed formally for his first art opening.
• formerly – in the past or previously
  • "When Doves Cry" is one of my favorite songs by the artist formerly known as Prince.

• hear – perceive with the ear, to be told something
  • I hear that a company bought the old boarded up building on Main Street.
• here – in this place
  • Please come here and see what I found.

• hole – an empty spot or opening
  • Shawn had to dig a deep hole to plant the apple tree he bought.
• whole – entire or complete
  • To be prepared for the quiz, you will need to read and takes notes on the whole chapter.

• its – belonging to it, singular third person possessive pronoun
  • It was clear that the shirt I bought was cheaply made when its buttons fell off in the wash.
• it's – contraction meaning "it is" or "it has"
  • It's been a long time since we had lunch together.

• knew – past tense of the verb "know," to understand
  • Halima knew her presentation would go well because she had spent a lot of time preparing.
• new – not old
  • We bought a new car today.

• knight - a man who served his king or lord in military service
  • Sir Galahad served as a knight of the Round Table of Camelot.
• night – the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
  • There was a really intense storm last night with lightening that lit up the sky.

• know – to understand
  • I know how to bake a cake.
• no – a negative
  • There is no reason to be upset.

• pair – a set of two
  • I always wear my favorite pair of pants for luck when I have to give a presentation.
• pear – fruit
  • Pear juice is really common in most fruit juice blends.

• passed – went by; succeeded in; handed to
  • When Tina reached the line, she passed the baton to the next runner.
• past – time before the present
  • In the past, I ate too much junk food, but now I try to stick to a healthy diet

• peace – calm, freedom from war or violence
  • After years of war and months of negotiation, the two nations finally agreed on a peace treaty.
• piece – part or portion; a composition or creation
  • I would really like to have a piece of that pizza.
  • Beethoven's 9th Symphony is a very powerful piece of music.

• peek – to look quickly
  • My mother told me not to peek while she wrapped our presents.
• peak – the pointed top of a mountain; the point of highest activity or achievement
  • The mountain peak was covered in snow.
  • Athletic careers are often short with many athletes reaching their peak before the age of thirty.
• pique – to stimulate or interest
  • As a history major, Shakespeare's history plays pique my interest.

• plane – an airplane; a flat and level surface
  • The stunt plane flew in an impressive loop.
• plain – not decorated or simple; a large area of flat land with few trees
  • I ordered a plain hamburger with no onions.
  • The plain near my house is covered with wild flowers.

• presence – existing in a place
  • Kevin was sure to make his presence known at the rally with the giant poster he made.
• presents – gifts (noun); to give or offer something (verb)
  • The first-time mother received many presents at the baby shower.
  • The club president always presents the annual service award.

• principal – a person in charge of a school; main or primary; a sum of money lent or invested on which interest is paid
  • My high school just hired a new principal.
  • Making even an extra $50 a month payment on the principal can take years off your mortgage.
• principle – standard, rule, or ethic
  • The principle of fighting for the rights of others has been at the heart of many social movements.

• rain – a type of weather, water that falls in drops from the clouds
  • I love to play in the rain and stomp in the puddles.
• reign – the period during which a royal person rules
  • The reign of Queen Elizabeth in England was known as a period of peace.

• right – correct; opposite of "left"
  • My mother was right about wearing a helmet on my bicycle.
  • Turn right onto Forest Lane to get to my house.
• write – put words on paper
  • Make sure you write down a list before you go to the store.

• scene – landscape or environment; the place where something happened
  • The paramedics were the first to arrive to the scene of the accident.
• seen – perceive with the eyes
  • Jasmine had seen what the problem was and worked with the team to discover a solution.

• their – belonging to them
  • The neighbors were headed to their cabin by the lake.
• there – at that place
  • I have to run back to my office because the copies we need are there.
• they're – contraction for "they are"
  • They're moving out next week, so the noise won't be a problem

• threw – past tense of "throw"
  • Omar threw the ball for his puppy to fetch.
• through – preposition, moving in one side and out the other
  • The puppy ran through briar bushes and ended up covered in stickers.

• to – part of a verb; a preposition suggesting movement toward a destination
  • I need to go to the store.
• too – in addition or also; to a higher degree than is desirable
  • My little sister wants to go to the store too.
  • I always eat too much when I go to buffet style restaurants.
• two – the number 2
  • Leshea completed two of the three steps for the class project she was assigned.

• vary – differ in size or quality
  • Please vary your approaches as you work through the problems on the assignment.
• very – in a high degree (used to provide emphasis)
  • It is very important that you show your work when you hand in your answers.

• wait – delay action (can be a verb or a noun)
  • Please wait for me by the park benches. (verb)
  • It was an incredibly long wait for my tax return to be processed. (noun)
• weight – the heaviness of something
  • The weight of an object will determine the cost of shipping.

• wave – to move one's hand back and forth as a greeting; a moving peak in a body of water; the passage of moving heat, electricity, or sound
  • I always wave and smile at strangers because I like to spread cheer.
  • The ocean wave pulled me under when I wiped out surfing.
  • The heat wave was unbearable as we began another week of hundred degree temperatures.
• waive – to refrain from applying or enforcing
  • Tyrone's tuition was waived because his company had an agreement with the college.

• wear – to exhibit clothing; to erode, diminish, or consume gradually (both meanings are verbs)
  • In the 80s, it was popular to wear leg warmers over stirrup pants.
  • Doing laundry too often can wear out your clothing.
• where – in what place; in a place
  • Do you know where the meeting is being held?
  • I always put my keys where I know I won't forget

• weather – the conditions outside
  • The weather forecast indicates snow for tomorrow.
• whether – a conjunction expressing a doubt or a choice between alternatives
  • We will go to the park whether it rains or not.

• whose – belonging to
  • The student whose photo receives the most votes, will have it featured in the school magazine.
• who's – contraction of "who is"
  • My boss makes sure all his employees know who's in charge.

• your – belonging to you
  • This is your special day.
• you're – contraction of "you are"
  • You're going to have a great time at the party with your friends.

This next section of commonly confused words includes words people mix up due to similar spellings (though the words are pronounced differently) and words that are very different, but which have very similar and commonly confused meanings.

• a – one or each (used in front of nouns that start with a consonant sound – this includes words that start with a vowel, but have a consonant sound such as a university or a one bedroom apartment)
  • Each student should have a copy of the exam. (a word, a banana, a hero)
• an – one or each (used in front of nouns that start with a vowel sound – this includes words that start with a consonant that is silent, such as an honor or an x-ray)
  • That is an interesting proposal. (an assignment, an apple, an hour)
    

• advice - a suggestion (noun)
  • Tayaba gave me advice on the best route to the cave.
• advise – to give advice (verb)
  • Members of the scientific community advise against excessive use of anti-bacterial products.

• affect – to influence (always a verb) – it is also always the word used when discussing anything that has to do with medicine
  • The motivational speaker will affect a positive change in the students who attend.
  • The ointment might affect the surrounding area with a mild rash.
• effect – result (noun); to bring about something (verb)
  • The special effect of the transporter beam in the original Star Trek television series was revolutionary at the time.
  • The snow storm will effect the travel times of tomorrow morning's commute.

• among - surrounded by three or more (preposition)
  • At the protest, Ramone was among like-minded friends.
• between – in the middle of only two (preposition)
  • You have to choose between the burgundy and the navy blue colored sheets for your bed.

• beside - next to
  • Wendy stood beside the statue where she and her friends had agreed to meet up.
• besides – in addition to
  • Besides furthering my career, the course will give me practical skills I can use at home.

• collage - a work of art created from a variety of materials
  • Melissa made a collage of family photos as a gift for her parents.
• college – an institution of higher education
  • After completing high school, Hamza was excited to enroll in college to start working toward his goal of being a nurse.

• defiantly – in a manner that shows open resistance or bold disobedience (adverb)
  • Civil Rights activists defiantly sat at "whites only" lunch counters to protest the wrongness of Jim Crow laws.
• definitely – without doubt
  • Though our flight was delayed, we will definitely get home in time for my family reunion tomorrow morning.

• desert - an arid sandy region that receives low annual precipitation
  • The Mohave is a desert in the American Southwest.
• dessert – a sweet dish at the end of a meal
  • My aunt makes some of the best dessert pastries I have ever had.

• fewer – a lower quantity of countable items (or people)
  • Most classes have fewer students in them at the midterm than they do on the first day.
• less – a lower quantity that is uncountable
  • Thanks to the holiday, my paycheck was less this week than it was last week.
• loose – not tight
  • The safety harness was dangerously loose and a child could easily fall out.
• lose – the opposite of "win"; decrease or reduce; misplace
  • If the team doesn't get it together here in the last quarter, they are going to lose the game.
  • My doctor told me that I need to lose at least twenty pounds to lower my blood pressure.
  • If I lose my apartment key again, my roommate is going to be furious with me.

• message – a verbal, written, or recorded communication; a significant point or central theme
  • I left a message on my friend's voice mail when he didn't answer.
  • The message behind Maya Angelou's poem, "Still I Rise" is that no matter what bad things happen in life, we can overcome them.
• massage – a form of body relaxation through rubbing and kneading the muscles (noun); to rub and knead the muscles (verb)
  • After finishing the marathon, the runner was in desperate need of a massage. (noun)
  • Could you massage the knot on the right side of my neck? (verb)

• of – a preposition
  • Do you know of any inexpensive events in the area that my family would enjoy?
• off – the opposite of "on"; away from; removed
  • We took the broken toy off the shelf to repair it.

• patently – clearly, without doubt
  • It was patently absurd to think that duct taping the leak would fix the problem.
• patiently – in a way that shows tolerance of delays or problems
  • Lakisha waited patiently in the line of cars for the accident debris to be cleared.

• picture – an image (photo, drawing, painting, etc…)
  • Juan drew a beautiful picture to give his mom on mother's day.
• pitcher – the player who delivers the ball to the batter in baseball; a container for beverages
  • The pitcher threw a fast ball the batter couldn't hit.
  • Mark got out the pitcher of lemonade and poured some for him and all his friends.

• quiet – silent or peaceful
  • I need it to be perfectly quiet in order to get school work done.
• quite – really, entirely, rather
  • I was quite amused with myself when I realized that I had put my shirt on inside out!
• quit – stop or resign
  • Natasha quit smoking when her doctor told her that there was a malignant tumor in her left lung.

• than – used to make a comparison
  • Brian can type more quickly than his brother Bruce.
• then – at that time
  • Then the movie had a crazy twist that none of us could have ever guessed!

• though – despite the fact that
  • Though it is supposed to storm later today, I am still planning to go hiking with my friends this morning.
• thought – past tense form of the verb "think"
  • Kayla thought the party started at 9, but when she arrived, no one was there yet.

• woman – one female person (singular)
  • The woman who taught the yoga class was a retired construction worker.
• women – more than one female person (plural)
  • Most people do not realize that it was a team of black women who did the calculations that put an American into space for the first time. *check out the awesome movie, Hidden Figures to learn more!

Consider confused words to be "red flags", meaning that ANYTIME you use any of the boldfaced words in this section, you are going to double check to make sure you are using them correctly.

On a final note regarding confused words, it is important to consider how apostrophes are used. Typically, there are two ways we use apostrophes (the upside down comma in the air): the first is to show a contraction such as, "wasn't" (= was not) or "it's" (= it is). Contractions are typically created from either verbs of being (was, is, were, are, etc…) or pronouns (he, she, it, we, etc…)

The second way we use apostrophes is with an "s" to show possessive form such as "the dog's toy". 

Do not ever use an apostrophe to show the plural form. 

I bring up apostrophes in our discussion of confused words because it is important to know that you will never use an apostrophe to show that a possessive pronoun is plural. The reason why this is the case (and how it relates to confused words) is that apostrophes with pronouns generally indicate a contraction. Take for example: They're and Their

They're = they are (a contraction) – the possessive form of the pronoun "they" is "their" (meaning belonging to them) which does not use an apostrophe

It's = it is (a contraction) – the possessive form of the pronoun "it" is "its" (meaning belonging to it)

It is important to understand the different way these words are used. I might say "It's their house, but its land belongs to the neighbors. They're across the street".

Practice Activity: After reading this, pick the ten sets of words you know you most often get confused and write sentences (on a separate sheet) that correctly use all of those words. Make sure whatever ten items you choose, you write sentences that use all versions of the word (for words that have more than two versions listed, make sure you use all of them). You can write as many sentences as you need, but it is no problem to include more than one confused word per sentence.

---

Source: Erin Severs
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License.