Commonly Confused Words in the English Language

In this day and age of autocorrect and spell checks, there is a tendency for even

the sharpest amongst us to assume our work is flawless. What we don’t realize is that auto correct and spell checks only check the spelling and there is no intelligent bot embedded in any software or devices (so far) to identify the logical accuracy of sentences we construct.

In the English language, there are a handful of words that might sound the same but whose meanings are polar opposites. This can be a costly mistake to have in any official communication.
To make sure you are more aware of these words, here is our collection of the most commonly confused English words.

Accept/Except:

Accept (verb) - to agree to receive or take something.

For example: 'Do you accept credit cards?'

Except (preposition, conjunction) -  excluding or not including

For example: 'The dog never listened to anyone except his owner.'

Advice/Advise:

Advice (noun) - to give tips or recommendations in a particular situation

For example: 'The President had plenty of advice during the election campaign.'

Advise (verb) - to tell someone what you think they should do in a particular situation

For example: 'The tour guide advised the tourists to explore the local markets to soak in the local culture.'

Affect/Effect:

Affect (verb) - to influence or make a difference to

For example: 'The injury will affect his performance in the marathon.'

Effect (noun) - a result or an influence

For example: 'The mother’s voice had a calming effect on the newborn.'

Aisle/Isle:

Aisle - a long narrow passage between rows of seats

For example: 'Some passengers prefer the seats closest to the aisle.'

Isle - an island

For example: 'The Caribbean Isles have the most magnificent beaches.'

All together/Altogether:

All together - all in one place, in a group, all at once

For example: 'The last time we were all together was 2 years back'

Altogether - entirely, all told, or on the whole

For example: 'Altogether, I have 15 pairs of shoes.'

Along/A long:

Along - a preposition that means beside or parallel to

For example: 'We walked along the riverbank.'

A long - a phrase used to define the length of an object or a time

For example: 'It is a long time until Friday.'

Aloud/Allowed:

Aloud - an adjective that refers to something said that can be heard by anyone who is near enough

For example: 'I have a bad habit of speaking my thoughts aloud.'

Allowed - an adjective that means having permission to do something

For example: 'You are allowed to go to the dance.'

Assent/Ascent:

Assent - a noun that means agreement

For example: 'We need to reach assent on how to do this project.'

Ascent - a noun that refers to going up or advancing from an original position

For example: 'I watched the balloon's ascent into the sky.'

Bare/Bear:

Bare - an adjective that means without cover or clothing

For example: 'He wore bright green swimming trunks, and his chest was bare.'

Bear - a verb that means to hold up, support, or tolerate, and it is also a noun that refers to an animal

For example: 'The grizzly bear cannot bear to be without her cubs.'

Berth/Birth:

Berth - a noun that means a space adequate for a ship to move, dock, or anchor

For example: 'Move toward the berth so we can dock and get the passengers off the ship.'

Birth - a noun that means the process by which mammals enter the world

For example: 'The horse gave birth to a small bay filly.'

Born/Borne:

Born - an adjective that refers to the process by which a living creature enters the world

For example: 'When were you born?'

Borne - an adjective that refers to something that is carried by something else

For example: 'I contracted mosquito-borne malaria while in Uganda.'

Brake/Break:

Brake - a noun that means a device that is used to stop a vehicle in motion

For example: 'Push the brake if you want to stop.'

Break - a noun that means a pause

For example: 'Go for your break so you can have a coffee.'

Cereal/Serial:

Cereal - a noun that refers to a breakfast food

For example: 'My favorite cereal is Frosted Wheat.'

Serial - a noun that means a series of something, such as a show or a book

For example: 'Charles Dickens is the author of the serial novel The Pickwick Papers.'

Chord/Cord:

Chord - a noun that means a sound made by an instrument when multiple pitches are played together

For example: 'I need to strum an E chord on my guitar.'

Cord - a noun that means multiple threads of thin material woven together

For example: 'The cord connecting the phone to the wall is covered in a protective plastic layer.'

Complement/Compliment:

Complement - a noun or verb, referring to something that matches or enhances

For example: 'The pillow he bought was a complement to the couch'

Compliment - a noun or verb and refers to an expression of praise

For example: 'She complimented her friend on her excellent taste.'

Council/Counsel:

Council - a noun that means an assembly of persons

For example: 'The city council makes decisions about what's best for the town.'

Counsel - a verb or a noun meaning to give advice

For example: 'He asked her to counsel him.'

Cue/Queue:

Cue - a noun that means a signal that should initiate some sort of reaction

For example: 'Wait for the cue to say your lines.'

Queue - a noun that is used to describe a line of cars or people

For example: 'There was a long queue of cars waiting for the train to pass.'

Curb/Kerb:

Curb - a verb that means to keep something in check; a control or limit

For example: 'You really need to curb your spending.'

Kerb - a noun referring to the stone edge of a pavement

For example: 'The cyclist slipped-off the edge of the kerb on to the street.'

Currant/Current:

Currant - a noun that refers to a dried fruit, specifically a dried grape

For example: 'You can buy currants in bulk at the store.'

Current - an adjective that means up to date or most recent

For example: 'What is your current situation at home?'

Defuse/Diffuse:

Defuse - a verb that means to remove pressure from a tense situation

For example: 'Maybe your mother can defuse the situation with your sister.'

Diffuse - a verb that means to disperse within a space

For example: 'The drink powder will diffuse in the water.'

Desert/Dessert:

Desert - a noun that means a dry, arid region

For example: 'The Sahara is the largest desert in the world.'

Dessert - the sweet food eaten at the end of a meal

For example: 'Chocolate ice cream is undoubtedly my favorite dessert food.'

Discreet/Discrete:

Discreet - an adjective meaning judicious or showing prudence

For example: 'He made sure to be discreet when talking to the press.'

Discrete - an adjective meaning separate or distinct

For example: 'Her business had five discrete functions.'

Dual/Duel:

Dual - an adjective that means made up of two parts

For example: 'Bleach and chlorine make up the dual power in this laundry cleaning product.'

Duel - a noun that means a battle with someone, either in a fight or a contest

For example: 'Sir Michael, my good man, I challenge you to a duel'

Elicit/Illicit:

Elicit - a verb meaning to draw out

For example: 'The officer tried to elicit the truth from the suspect.'

Illicit - an adjective meaning illegal

For example: 'He seemed to have no information about the illicit drug ring.'

Emigrate/Immigrate:

Emigrate - a verb that means to leave one country to live in another

For example: 'The family emigrated from the UK.'

Immigrate - a verb that means to move to another country

For example: 'The family immigrated to Canada 20 years ago.'

Envelop/Envelope:

Envelop - a verb meaning to wrap up or to cover entirely

For example: 'She was grateful that her cloak was big enough to envelop her.'

Envelope - a noun that means a flat paper container

For example: 'She mailed her letter in a small white envelope.'

Foreword/Forward:

Foreword - a noun that means the section at the beginning of a book that introduces the content

For example: 'I want to write a foreword to my memoir, but it can't be too revealing.'

Forward - a directional adverb that means coming up or up ahead

For example: 'Move your chair forward so you're closer to the stage.'

Hoard/Horde:

Hoard - a noun that means a supply or a verb that means to accumulate

For example: 'After collecting acorns all summer, the squirrel had gathered quite a hoard.'

Horde - a noun that means a large group

For example: 'A horde of people gathered around the celebrity, asking for photos and autographs.'

Imply/Infer:

Imply - a verb that means to indicate or suggest without being specific

For example: 'I didn't mean to imply that I don't care about you.'

Infer - a verb that means to guess or speculate

For example: 'From his hunched posture and pronounced frown, she inferred that he was feeling very disappointed.'

Loose/Lose:

Loose - an adjective used to describe something that doesn't fit tightly

For example: 'I bought this skirt when I was overweight, and now it is too loose.'

Lose - a verb that means to misplace something

For example: 'I always lose my keys when I put them in this giant purse.'

Pedal/Peddle:

Pedal - a noun meaning a lever that is worked by the foot

For example: 'She pedaled her bike faster to get away from him, but her foot slipped off the pedal'

Peddle - a verb meaning to sell something door to door

For example: 'To earn money, the man decided to peddle his wares on the street.'

Pole/Poll:

Pole - a noun that refers to a long, cylinder-shaped object

For example: 'The pole sticking out of the ground was made of metal.'

Poll - a survey or an election

For example: 'I'm taking a poll: do you prefer white or whole wheat bread?'

Pour/Pore:

Pour - a verb that describes a way to make a non-solid material flow from one container to another

For example: 'Please pour me some more tea.'

Pore - a noun that means a small hole or opening

For example: 'You have pores in your skin that are too small to see.'

Practice/Practise:

Practice - a noun that refers to the use of something, such as an idea, theory, or process

For example: 'Brushing twice a day is a healthy practice.'

Practise - a verb meaning to repeat in the hopes of improvement over time

For example: 'I practice the piano every day.'

Principal/Principle:

Principal - a noun meaning chief or head. It can also be an adjective meaning highest in rank

For example: 'The principal of the middle school was strict but kind.'

Principle - a noun meaning a rule, law, or characteristic

For example: 'Students must follow the basic principles of good behavior.'

http://blog.cudoo.com/commonly-confused-words-in-english-language?utm_source=Cudoo+Email+Sign+Up&utm_campaign=d4c328c035-Newsletter_16_May_2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2e56f68591-d4c328c035-100835381&ct=t(Newsletter_16_May_2017)&goal=0_2e56f68591-d4c328c035-100835381&mc_cid=d4c328c035&mc_eid=6a2575905a