COMMONLY CONFUSED PAIRS OF WORDS

 adherence (to belief etc.)

adhesion sticking
 adverse unfavorable
averse opposed
 affect cause a change in
effect bring about
 alternate one after another
alternative available instead
 ambiguous (statements etc.)
ambivalent (feelings etc.)
 amend change
emend alter (a text etc.)
 amoral having no moral sense
immoral not conforming to moral standards
 appraise assess the quality of
apprise inform
 avoid keep away from
evade avoid by guile
 biannual twice a year
biennial every two years
 censor act as censor of
censure criticise harshly
 climactic forming a climax
climatic relating to climate
 compose constitute
comprise consist of
 continual happening constantly or repeatedly
continuous going on without a break
 credible believable
credulous too ready to believe
 decided unquestionable
decisive conclusive, unfaltering
 definite clear and distinct
definitive decisive, authoritative
 defuse remove the fuse from, reduce tension in
diffuse spread out, not clear or concise
 deprecate disapprove of
depreciate lower in value
 discomfit disconcert
discomfort make uneasy
 disinterested impartial
uninterested not interested
 enormity extreme seriousness, grave crime
enormousness great size or scale
 especially in particular, above all
specially for a special purpose
 exceptionable open to objection
exceptional unusually good
 flaunt display ostentatiously
flout disregard (rules etc.)
 fortuitous happening by chance
fortunate happening by good chance, lucky
 flounder (of a person) struggle or be in confusion
founder (of an undertaking) fail or come to nothing
 gourmand glutton
gourmet food connoisseur
 illegal against the law
illicit not allowed
 imply suggest strongly
infer deduce or conclude
 impracticable not able to be done
impractical not practical
 incredible not believable
incredulous unwilling to believe
 ingenious well thought out
ingenuous innocent, honest
 intense extreme in force or degree
intensive thorough or concentrated
 interment burial
internment being interned
 loose not fixed; unfasten or relax
lose be deprived of or no longer have
 luxuriant lush
luxurious comfortable and rich
 masterful powerful, domineering
masterly highly skilful
 militate have force (against)
mitigate make less severe
 observance keeping a law or custom etc.
observation perception, remark
 occupant person in a vehicle etc.
occupier person living in a property
 official having authorized status etc.
officious aggressive in asserting authority
 perquisite special right or privilege
prerequisite (something) needed in advance
 perspicacious having a ready understanding, perceptive
perspicuous clearly expressed
 pitiable deserving pity
pitiful causing pity, contemptible
 practicable able to be done
practical effective or realistic, (of a person) skilled at manual tasks
 precipitate headlong
precipitous abruptly steep
 prescribe recommend with authority, issue a prescription
proscribe forbid or condemn
 prevaricate act evasively
procrastinate defer action
 purposely intentionally
purposefully resolutely
 refute prove to be false
repudiate reject or disown
 regrettable causing regret, undesirable
regretful feeling regret
 sensual gratifying the body sexually
sensuous gratifying the senses as distinct from the intellect
 sociable friendly and willing to mix with people
social relating to society
 titillate excite pleasantly
titivate adorn or smarten
 tortuous twisting, devious
torturous causing torture, tormenting
 triumphal done or made to celebrate a victory
triumphant victorious, jubilant after a victory
 turbid (of a liquid) cloudy; confused
turgid swollen or congested, tediously pompous
 unsociable not willing to mix with people
unsocial socially inconvenient
 venal open to bribery, corrupt
venial (of a sin) minor
Often Confused Words 250
 WORDS DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES
a lot A lot is two words meaning "much": A lot of bologna was left over
allot from the party.
Allot is a verb meaning "distribute proportionately, to portion out":
You guys need to allot a lot more time to practice!
a while A while is two words meaning "a short period of time": I will meet you
awhile in a while. These two words are never spelled together.

a A is an indefinite article to be used before nouns beginning with a

an consonant: a photograph, a tree, a horse.
and An is to be used before nouns beginning with a vowel (or vowel
sound): an apple, an hour, an elephant.
And is a conjunction used between nouns in a list: A blanket and
picnic basket are needed for the afternoon.
accede Accede means "to agree or allow": Hiram Cheaply finally acceded to
exceed accepting the presidency of the company.
Exceed means "to go beyond, to surpass": The amount of alcohol in
his blood exceeded the previous record.
accept Accept means "to take willingly": Miss Deeds accepted the cup of hot
except tea even without a saucer.
Except is a preposition meaning "excluding": Everyone was
disappointed with the party except Ida Goodtime.
adapt Adapt means "to adjust": Minnie Miles quickly adapted to living away
adept from home.
adopt Adept means "skilled": Lucille is adept at speaking languages.
Adopt means to "accept as your own": It was difficult to adopt only
one puppy from the animal shelter.
adverse Adverse means "unfavorable, hostile": Those driving in adverse
averse winter conditions may be putting themselves at risk.
Averse means "unwilling or repelled": She was immediately averse to
the idea.
advice Advice is a noun meaning "an opinion given with the intention of
advise helping": My mother still gives me advice even though I'm 40 years
old.
Advise is a verb meaning "to give counsel or advice": The
meteorologist advised listeners to stay indoors because of the
extremely cold temperatures.
affect Affect is most often used as a verb meaning "to influence": The
effect president's speech affected his views of the upcoming election.
The verb effect means "to cause": Batting her eyes so flirtatiously
effected a strong desire in Rathbone to embrace Mirabelle.
aid Aid is help or assistance given: Every Christmas the community gives
aide aid to those less fortunate.
An aide is a person who helps: Frieda Gogh worked five years as a
teacher's aide.
airs Airs refers to snobbish and artificial behavior: Portia Radclyffe put on
heirs airs at the fine dinner party just because she had a few diamonds.
Heirs are people who, because they are family, will inherit an estate