CONFUSED WORDS
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| 1. Accept (receive) vs. Except (exclude) | I accept your apology. / Everyone came except John. |
| 2. Affect (influence) vs. Effect (result) | The weather affects my mood. / The effect was amazing. |
| 3. Advice (noun) vs. Advise (verb) | She gave good advice. / She advised me to rest. |
| 4. Already (before now) vs. All ready (completely prepared) | I've already finished. / We are all ready to go. |
| 5. Among (more than two) vs. Between (exactly two) | She sat among friends. / The ball is between the chairs. |
| 6. Beside (next to) vs. Besides (in addition to) | She sat beside her mother. / Besides tea, they served coffee. |
| 7. Borrow (take) vs. Lend (give) | May I borrow your pen? / I'll lend you my book. |
| 8. Compliment (praise) vs. Complement (complete) | He paid me a compliment. / This color complements your dress. |
| 9. Desert (dry land) vs.Dessert (sweet dish) | The Sahara is a desert. / We had ice cream for dessert. |
| 10. Lose (misplace) vs. Loose (not tight) | Don't lose your keys. / Your shirt is too loose. |
| 11. Principal (head, main) vs. Principle (rule) | The school principal spoke. / Honesty is a principle. |
| 12. Stationary (not moving) vs. Stationery (writing materials) | The car remained stationary. / I bought new stationery. |
| 13. Quiet (silent) vs. Quite (completely, rather) | Please be quiet. / I'm quite sure of it. |
| 14. Their (possession) vs There (place) vs. They're (they are) | Their car / over there / They're driving. |
| 15. Its (belonging to it) vs. It's (it is or it has) | The cat licked its paw. / It's raining outside. |
| 16. Weather (climate) vs. Whether (if) | Nice weather today. / I don't know whether to go, |
| 17. Who (subject) vs. Whom (object) | Who called you? / Whom did you call? |
| 18. Farther (physical distance) vs. Further (degree or time) | He ran farther than me. / We need further discussion. |
| 19. Then (time) vs. Than (comparison) | We went out, then ate dinner. / She is taller than me. |
| 20. Everyday (ordinary) vs. Every day (each day) | These are my everyday clothes. / I walk every day. |
| 21. Maybe (perhaps) vs. May be (might be) | Maybe he'll come. / He may be late. |
| 22. Few (not many) vs. A few (some) vs. The few (specific ones) | Few people know. / A few came. / The few who stayed won. |
| 23. Much (uncountable) vs. Many (countable) | Much water / Many students |
| 24. Lay (put down) vs. Lie (rest) | Lay the book on the table. / Lie down and relax. |
| 25. Rise (go up) vs. Raise (lift something) | The sun rises. / Raise your hand. |
| 26. Since (starting point) vs. For (duration) | I've lived here since 2015. / I've lived here for 10 years. |
| 27. Bring (toward speaker) vs. Take (away from speaker) | Bring the file here. / Take the file to your desk. |
| 28. Say (utter words) vs. Tell (inform someone) | Say something. / Tell me the truth. |
| 29. See (by eyes) vs. Look (focus) vs. Watch (observe) | I see a bird. / Look at the board. / Watch a movie. |
| 30. Each (individual) vs. Every (collective) | Each student received a prize. / Every child smiled. |
| 31. Childish (immature) vs. Childlike (innocent) | Don't be childish. / Her childlike smile is lovely. |
| 32. Historic (important) vs. Historical (related to history) | A historic event / historical facts |
| 33. Economic (money) vs. Economical (not wasteful) | Economic growth / an economical car |
| 34. Allusion (indirect reference) vs. Illusion (false image) | An allusion to Shakespeare / a magic illusion |
| 35. Ensure (make certain) vs. Insure (provide insurance) | Ensure safety / Insure your car |
| 36. Moral (ethics) vs. Morale (spirit/confidence) | High moral values / low team morale |
| 37. Complaisant (obedient) vs. Complacent (selfsatisfied) | A complaisant child / a complacent worker |
| 38. Eminent (famous) vs. Imminent (about to happen) | An eminent scientist / an imminent storm |
| 39. Personal (private) vs. Personnel (staff) | Personal diary / office personnel |
| 40. Affect (verb) vs. Effect (noun) | It affected me deeply. / The effect was lasting. |
| 41. Later (after) vs. Latter (second of two) | I'll call you later. / The latter option is better. |
| 42. Altogether (completely) vs. All together (everyone) | That's altogether wrong. / We sang all together. |
| 43. Adapt (adjust) vs. Adopt (take up) vs. Adept (skilled) | Adapt to changes / Adopt a child / Adept at writing |
| 44. Eligible (qualified) vs. Illegible (unreadable) | Eligible for promotion / handwriting is illegible |
| 45. Cite (quote) vs. Site (location) vs. Sight (vision) | Cite the source / building site / beautiful sight |
| 46. Dairy (milk products) vs. Diary (daily record) | A dairy farm / a personal diary |
| 47. Human (man) vs. Humane (kind) | Human body / humane treatment of animals |
| 48. Lose (verb) vs. Loss (noun) | Don't lose hope. / It's a big loss. |
| 49. Assure (promise), Ensure (make sure), Insure (financial protection) | I assure you, I'll ensure we insure your car. |
| 50. Mastering confusing words makes your English sharp and precise. | Accuracy separates good English from great English. |