ELISA ENGLISH's Blog 英語園地

Commonly Confused Words and their correct usage:

I thought that it would be beneficial to list the words that were commonly misused and their correct usage.  I will continue to add the words to the list as they come to my mind.

Some of these, I might have described in details in my previous articles and you will see links to these articles.  The ones without links are the ones I haven't written.  As I write one, I will place the link then.

1. Adapt vs. Adept vs. Adopt
2. Adherence vs. Adherents
3. Adolescents vs. Adolescence
4. Adopted and Adoptive
5. Adverse vs. Averse
6. Advice vs. Advise
7. Affect vs. Effect
8. Alleviate vs. Ameliorate
9. All ready vs. Already
10. All right vs. Alright
11. All together vs. Altogether
12. Alternately vs. Alternatively
13. Allude vs. Elude vs. Illude
14. Allusion vs. Illusion vs. Delusion vs. Elusion
15. Ambiguous vs. Ambivalent
16. Amicable vs. amiable
17. Amoral vs. Immoral
18. Anticipate vs. Expect
19. Anyone vs. Everyone
20. Appraise vs. Apprise
21. Ascent vs. Assent vs. Consent
22. Assumption vs. Presumption
23. Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure
24. At vs. In vs. On (Prepositions of Time)
25. At vs. In vs. On (Prepositions of Place)
26. Award vs. Reward
27. Beside vs. Besides
28. Biannual vs. Biennial vs. Semiannual
29. Bring vs. Take
30. Canvas vs. Canvass
31. Capital vs. Capitol
32. Carat vs. Caret vs. Karat
33. Censure vs. Censor vs. Sensor
34. Certitude vs. Certainty
35. Childish vs. Childlike
36. Classic vs. Classical
37. Climactic vs. Climatic
38. Clothes vs. Cloths
39. Confound vs. Compound
40. Complacent vs. Complaisant
41. Complement vs. Compliment vs. Supplement
42. Compare vs. Contrast
43. Compare to vs. Compare with
44. Compose vs. Comprise vs. Constitute
45. Confidant vs. Confident
46. Concurrent vs. Consecutive
47. Connote vs. Denote
48. Conscience vs. Conscious vs. Conscientious
49. Contemptuous vs. Contemptible
50. Continuous vs. Continual
51. Convince vs. Persuade
52. Corps vs. Corpse
53. Council vs. Counsel vs. Consul
54. Councilor vs. Counselor
55. Creak vs. Creek
56. Credible vs. Creditable vs. Credulous
57. Criteria vs. Criterion
58. Currant vs. Current
59. Curser vs. Cursor
60. Decent vs. Descent vs. Dissent
61. Defuse vs. Diffuse
62. Desert vs. Dessert
63. Desperate vs. Disparate
64. Device vs. Devise
65. Disassemble vs. Dissemble
66. Different from vs. Different than vs. Differently than
67. Discomfit vs. Discomfort
68. Discreet vs. Discrete
69. Disinterested vs. Uninterested
70. Distinct vs. Distinctive
71. Economic vs. Economical
72. Effective vs. Effectual
73. Egoism vs. Egotism
74. Elect vs. Select
75. Elicit vs. Illicit
76. Elusive vs. Illusive
77. Emigrate vs. Immigrate
78. Emigrant vs. Immigrant
79. Eminent vs. Immanent vs. Imminent
80. Empathy vs. Sympathy
81. Energize vs. Enervate
82. Enormity vs. Enormousness
83. Envelop vs. Envelope
84. Epic vs. Epoch
85. Especially vs. Specially
86. Eventually vs. Ultimately
87. Every Day vs. Everyday
88. Exalt vs. Exult
89. Exceptionable vs. Exceptional
90. Expedient vs. Expeditious
91. Explicit vs. Implicit
92. Extant vs. Extent
93. Extemporaneous vs. Impromptu
94. Famous vs. Notorious
95. Farther vs. Further
96. Fewer vs. Less
97. Figuratively vs. Literally
98. First vs. Firstly
99. Flair vs. Flare
100. Flammable vs. Inflammable
101. Flaunt vs. Flout
102. Flounder vs. Founder
103. Forcible vs. Forceful
104. Forebode vs. Forbid
105. Forego vs. Forgo
106. Foreword vs. Forward
107. Formally vs. Formerly
108. Fort vs. Forte
109. Forth vs. Fourth
110. Fortunate vs. Fortuitous
111. Found vs. Founded
112. Full vs. Fulsome
113. Gambit vs. Gamut
114. Good vs. Well
115. Gourmand vs. Gourmet
116. Hanged vs. Hung
117. Historic vs. Historical
118. Hoping vs. Hopping
119. If vs. Whether
120. Imply vs. Infer
121. In vs. Into
122. Inanition vs. Inanity
123. Incidence vs. Incidents
124. Incipient vs. Insipid
125. Incredible vs. Incredulous
126. Indeterminable vs. Indeterminate
127. Indict vs. Indite
128. Inflict vs. Afflict
129. Ingenious vs. Ingenuous
130. Innocence vs. Innocents
131. Insidious vs. Invidious
132. Insolate vs. Insulate
133. Instance vs. Instant
134. Intense vs. Intent vs. Intensive vs. Extensive
135. Intensely vs. Intently
136. Interment vs.  Internment
137. It’s vs. Its
138. Judicial vs. Judicious
139. Last vs. Later vs. Latter
140. Laudatory vs. Laudable
141. Lay vs. Lie vs. Laid vs. Lain vs. Laying vs. Lying
142. Lend vs. Loan
143. Loath vs. Loathe
144. Loose vs. Lose
145. Luxuriant vs. Luxurious
146. Marital vs. martial
147. Marry vs. Merry
148. Marshal vs. Martial
149. Maybe vs. May Be
150. Militate vs. Mitigate
151. Moot vs. Mute
152. Moral vs. Morale
153. Morbid vs. Moribund
154. Naturism vs.  Naturalism
155. Naturist vs. Naturalist
156. Nauseated vs. Nauseating vs. Nauseous
157. Noisome vs. Noisy
158. Notable vs. Noticeable
159. Observance vs. Observation
160. Obsolescent vs. Obsolete
161. Officious vs. Official
162. Ordinance vs. Ordnance
163. Palate vs. Pallet vs. Palette
164. Parameter vs. Perimeter
165. Passable vs. Passible
166. Passed vs. Past
167. Pealed vs. Peeled
168. Peasant vs. Phesant
169. Peccable vs. Peccant
170. Pedal vs. Peddle vs. Petal
171. Penultimate vs. Ultimate
172. Percent vs. Percentage
173. Perquisite vs. Prerequisite
174. Persecute vs. Prosecute
175. Personal vs. Personnel
176. Perspective vs. Prospective
177. Perspicacious vs. Perspicuous
178. Pore vs. Pour
179. Practicable vs. Practical
180. Pray vs. Prey
181. Precede vs. Proceed
182. Precedence vs. Precedents vs. Presence
183. Predominantly vs. Predominately
184. Premier vs. Premiere
185. Prescribe vs. Proscribe
186. Principal vs. Principle
187. Proven vs. Proved
188. Prophesy vs. Prophesize vs. Prophecy
189. Prostrate vs. Prostate
190. Purposely vs. Purposefully
191. Quarts vs. Quartz
192. Quell vs. Quench
193. Quiet vs. Quit vs. Quite
194. Quotation vs. Quote
195. Raise vs. Rise
196. Rational vs. Rationale
197. Ravage vs. Ravish
198. Recourse vs. Resource
199. Regardless vs. Irregardless
200. Regretful vs. Regrettable
201. Regrettably vs. Regretfully
202. Reign vs. Rein
203. Reluctant vs. Reticent
204. Respectively vs. Respectfully
205. Review vs. Revue
206. Role vs. Roll
207. Salacious vs. Salutary
208. Sanguinary vs. Sanguine
209. Saver vs. Savor
210. Sensual vs. Sensuous
211. Serve vs. Service
212. Sew vs. Sow
213. Shear vs. Sheer
214. Should vs. Would
215. Simple vs. Simplistic
216. Slay vs. Sleigh
217. Sleight vs. Slight
218. Sometime vs. Some time vs. Sometimes
219. Stanch vs. Staunch
220. Stationary vs. Stationery
221. Statue vs. Stature vs. Statute
222. Story vs. Storey
223. Taunt vs. Tout
224. Temerity vs. Timidity
225. Than vs. Then
226. Their vs. There vs. They’re
227. Titillate vs. titivate
228. Tortuous vs. Torturous
229. Toward vs. Towards
230. Troop vs. Troupe
231. Turbid vs. Turgid
232. Unconscionable vs. Unconscious
233. Underway vs. Under way
234. Unexceptionable vs. Unexceptional
235. Unsociable vs. Unsocial vs. Antisocial
236. Vain vs. Vane vs. Vein
237. Venal vs. Venial
238. Veracious vs. Voracious vs. Vociferous
239. Verses vs. Versus
240. Waiver vs. Waver
241. Wake vs. Awake
242. Wander vs. Wonder
243. Weather vs. Whether
244. Were vs. We're vs. Where
245. Which vs. That
246. Which vs. Who
247. Who vs. Whom
248. Whoever vs. Whomever
249. Whose vs. Who's
250. Wrack vs. Wreck vs. Wreak vs. Rack vs. Reek
251. Wreath vs. Wreathe
252. Your vs. You’re