Chapter 26
Confusing Words
Theory
The pairs below are arranged in alphabetical groups. Each table gives Word A | Meaning | Word B | Meaning | Example. Read the memory tricks after each group.
Group A — A to B
| Word A | Meaning | Word B | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| accept | (verb) to receive or agree to | except | (preposition) excluding, apart from | Everyone except Ram chose to accept the offer. |
| affect | (verb) to influence | effect | (noun) a result; (verb) to bring about | The drought will affect yields; its effect is severe. |
| advice | (noun) a suggestion | advise | (verb) to suggest, counsel | I advise you to take her advice. |
| allusion | (noun) an indirect reference | illusion | (noun) a false impression | His allusion to Hamlet hid the illusion of safety. |
| already | (adverb) by now / before this time | all ready | (phrase) everyone/everything prepared | They were all ready, for the bus had already arrived. |
| altogether | (adverb) completely; in total | all together | (phrase) everyone in a group | The class sang all together, and the noise was altogether deafening. |
| amount | quantity (uncountable nouns) | number | count (countable nouns) | A large number of pupils used a small amount of glue. |
| beside | (preposition) next to | besides | (preposition/adverb) in addition to | Besides the captain, no one stood beside the flag. |
| born | brought into life | borne | past participle of bear (carried/endured) | She was born in 1990 and has borne much hardship. |
| breath | (noun) air taken in | breathe | (verb) to inhale and exhale | Take a deep breath before you breathe out slowly. |
Trick: affect usually a verb (Action); effect usually a noun (the End result). Advice = noun (like ice, a thing); advise = verb. Borne keeps its e for carrying/enduring.
Group B — C to D
| Word A | Meaning | Word B | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| canvas | (noun) coarse cloth for painting/tents | canvass | (verb) to solicit votes/opinions | He set up his canvas while the agents went to canvass voters. |
| capital | chief city; wealth; upper-case letter | capitol | a legislative building (esp. US) | Delhi is the capital; the senators met in the capitol. |
| cite | (verb) to quote as evidence | site / sight | site = location; sight = vision/view | The author cited a report about a building site that was a sorry sight. |
| complement | something that completes | compliment | praise; a courteous remark | The scarf is a perfect complement; I paid her a compliment. |
| conscience | (noun) moral sense of right/wrong | conscious / conscientious | conscious = aware; conscientious = diligent | A conscientious, conscious clerk listened to his conscience. |
| council | (noun) an assembly/committee | counsel | (noun) advice; a lawyer; (verb) to advise | The council sought legal counsel before voting. |
| credible | believable | credulous / creditable | credulous = gullible; creditable = praiseworthy | A credible witness gave a creditable account that even the credulous doubted. |
| decent | respectable, proper | descent / dissent | descent = downward movement/ancestry; dissent = disagreement | A decent man of noble descent voiced his dissent. |
| desert | (noun) arid land; (verb) to abandon | dessert | (noun) sweet course after a meal | Do not desert us before dessert in the desert camp. |
| device | (noun) a gadget/scheme | devise | (verb) to plan or invent | She had to devise a clever device. |
| disinterested | impartial, unbiased | uninterested | not interested, bored | A disinterested judge may still seem uninterested in small talk. |
| draught | (noun, BrE) a current of air; a drink | draft | (noun) a rough version; conscription; (verb) to compose | A cold draught blew as he wrote the first draft. |
Trick: complement = complete; compliment = an "I like it" remark. Dessert (sweet) has the extra s because you always want more. Council is a body; counsel gives advice (a "counsellor").
Group C — E to H
| Word A | Meaning | Word B | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eligible | qualified, entitled | illegible | unreadable (handwriting) | An eligible candidate filled an illegible form. |
| eminent | distinguished, famous | imminent | about to happen | An eminent scientist warned of imminent danger. |
| envelop | (verb) to wrap or surround | envelope | (noun) paper cover for a letter | Fog began to envelop the envelope-shaped tent. |
| farther | greater physical distance | further | additional; greater figurative degree | We walked farther and needed no further rest. |
| flammable | easily set on fire | inflammable | also easily set on fire (same meaning!) | Petrol is flammable; in fact, inflammable means exactly the same. |
| flaunt | to show off ostentatiously | flout | to disregard/defy (rules) | He likes to flaunt his wealth and to flout the law. |
| forego | to precede, go before | forgo | to give up, do without | The foregoing remarks forego the vote; I shall forgo dessert. |
| gaol | (noun, BrE old spelling) prison | goal | (noun) an aim; a score in sport | His goal was to avoid gaol (i.e. jail). |
| hoard | (verb/noun) a hidden store | horde | (noun) a large crowd/swarm | A horde of looters seized the pirate's hoard. |
| human | relating to people | humane | compassionate, kind | It is a human failing, yet a humane response repairs it. |
Trick: imminent = impending (coming soon); eminent = renowned. Inflammable = flammable — both burn; the safe opposite is non-flammable. Hoard has an "oa" like "store"; a horde is a crowd.
Group D — I to L
| Word A | Meaning | Word B | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| imply | (speaker) to suggest indirectly | infer | (listener) to deduce | The notice implied a delay, from which we inferred a strike. |
| ingenious | clever, inventive | ingenuous | innocent, naive, frank | The ingenuous child praised the engineer's ingenious design. |
| its | possessive of "it" | it's | contraction of "it is/has" | It's clear the cat licked its paw. |
| later | (adverb) afterwards in time | latter | the second of two mentioned | Of tea and coffee I chose the latter, and slept later. |
| lay | (transitive) to put down (lay-laid-laid) | lie | (intransitive) to recline (lie-lay-lain) | Lay the book down, then lie on the bed. |
| lead | (verb) to guide; (noun) a heavy metal | led | past tense of "lead" (verb) | The guide who led us yesterday will lead again today. |
| lessen | (verb) to reduce | lesson | (noun) a unit of teaching | This lesson will lessen your confusion. |
| licence | (noun, BrE) a permit | license | (verb, BrE) to permit | The board must license him before he holds a licence. |
| loose | (adjective) not tight; (verb) to release | lose | (verb) to mislay or be defeated | A loose knot means you may lose the boat. |
| luxuriant | lush, abundant in growth | luxurious | comfortable, expensive | Luxuriant vines framed the luxurious villa. |
Trick: A speaker implies (puts in); a listener infers (takes out). It's = it is (apostrophe = missing letter); its = belonging, like his/hers (no apostrophe). To lose you "lose" an o; loose keeps both. In British spelling: nouns end -ce (licence), verbs end -se (license).
Group E — M to P
| Word A | Meaning | Word B | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| momentary | lasting a moment, brief | momentous | of great importance | A momentary pause preceded a momentous announcement. |
| naval | relating to a navy | navel | the belly button | The naval officer touched the navel of the orange. |
| observance | keeping of a rule/custom | observation | act of noticing; a remark | Strict observance of rules followed her sharp observation. |
| personal | private, individual | personnel | staff, employees | Keep personal matters apart from personnel records. |
| practice | (noun, BrE) repeated exercise | practise | (verb, BrE) to do repeatedly | You must practise daily; practice makes perfect. |
| precede | to come before | proceed | to go forward, continue | A short prayer will precede the meeting; then we shall proceed. |
| principal | chief; head of a school; capital sum | principle | a rule or fundamental truth | The principal upheld a strong moral principle. |
| prophecy | (noun) a prediction | prophesy | (verb) to predict | The seer made a prophecy and dared to prophesy doom. |
Trick: The principal is your pal (and the main person/amount); a principle is a rule. Practice/licence = nouns (C for "a Concept/thing"); practise/license = verbs (S for "an aSction"). Prophecy = noun; prophesy (rhymes with "sigh") = verb.
Group F — Q to Z
| Word A | Meaning | Word B | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| quiet | (adjective) silent, calm | quite | (adverb) completely; fairly | The library was quite quiet this morning. |
| respectable | worthy of respect, decent | respectful / respective | respectful = showing respect; respective = belonging to each | The respectful pupils returned to their respective respectable homes. |
| stationary | (adjective) not moving | stationery | (noun) writing materials | The van stood stationary outside the stationery shop. |
| than | (conjunction) used in comparison | then | (adverb) at that time; next | She is taller than me; back then she was shorter. |
| their | possessive of "they" | there / they're | there = in that place; they're = they are | They're taking their seats over there. |
| weather | (noun) state of the atmosphere | whether | (conjunction) introducing alternatives | I wonder whether the weather will hold. |
| who's | contraction of "who is/has" | whose | possessive of "who" | Who's the boy whose bag this is? |
| your | possessive of "you" | you're | contraction of "you are" | You're sure this is your pen? |
Trick: Stationary = standing (with an a); stationery = envelopes/paper (with an e). Than compares; then tells time. Contractions always take an apostrophe (they're, who's, you're, it's); possessives of pronouns never do (their, whose, your, its).
Worked example sentences (correct word in bold)
- The new policy will severely affect rural schools, and its full effect will be felt next year.
- Although she was an eminent economist, she sensed that a recession was imminent.
- A truly disinterested referee should never appear uninterested in the game itself.
- The principal reminded staff that honesty is the first principle of education.
- You ought to practise handwriting daily, because constant practice cures illegibility.
- From his careful observation of the ritual, we admired his strict observance of tradition.
- If you're certain that your answer is right, raise your hand.
Common Exam Errors
| # | Wrong | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Please advice me on this. | Please advise me on this. | Advise is the verb; advice is the noun. |
| 2 | The medicine had no affect. | The medicine had no effect. | Here a noun (a result) is needed: effect. |
| 3 | Everyone came accept John. | Everyone came except John. | Except = excluding; accept = to receive. |
| 4 | Its raining heavily. | It's raining heavily. | It's = it is; its shows possession. |
| 5 | I will loose the match. | I will lose the match. | Lose (verb) = to be defeated; loose = not tight. |
| 6 | Put your coming with us? | You're coming with us? | You're = you are. |
| 7 | The bus is stationery at the stop. | The bus is stationary at the stop. | Stationary = not moving; stationery = paper goods. |
| 8 | He is taller then his brother. | He is taller than his brother. | Than is used for comparison. |
| 9 | The school principle spoke. | The school principal spoke. | The head of a school is the principal. |
| 10 | A large amount of students attended. | A large number of students attended. | Number with countable nouns; amount with uncountable. |
| 11 | I must practice every day. | I must practise every day. | The verb (BrE) is practise. |
| 12 | She gave me good complements. | She gave me good compliments. | Praise = compliment; complement completes. |
| 13 | This wine is highly inflammable, so it is safe. | This wine is highly flammable, so it is dangerous. | Inflammable means the same as flammable (catches fire). |
| 14 | Whose coming to dinner? | Who's coming to dinner? | Who's = who is; whose shows possession. |
| 15 | Their going to the fair. | They're going to the fair. | They're = they are. |
| 16 | The seer will prophecy war. | The seer will prophesy war. | The verb is prophesy; the noun is prophecy. |
| 17 | Please lie the books on the table. | Please lay the books on the table. | Lay takes an object; lie does not. |
| 18 | He was an ingenuous inventor. | He was an ingenious inventor. | Ingenious = clever; ingenuous = naive. |
| 19 | I am uninterested in your bias, judge. | I want a disinterested judge. | An impartial judge is disinterested. |
| 20 | The fog began to envelope the hills. | The fog began to envelop the hills. | The verb is envelop; the noun is envelope. |
| 21 | Whether you go or not, the whether is fine. | Whether you go or not, the weather is fine. | Weather = climate; whether = if. |
| 22 | Let us precede with the plan. | Let us proceed with the plan. | Proceed = go on; precede = go before. |
| 23 | He took a deep breathe. | He took a deep breath. | Breath is the noun; breathe is the verb. |
| 24 | I could not device a plan. | I could not devise a plan. | Devise is the verb; device is the noun. |
| 25 | We walked further down the road than yesterday. | We walked farther down the road than yesterday. | For physical distance, prefer farther. |
Exam Tricks
- Noun vs verb spelling (BrE): the noun ends in -ce, the verb in -se — practice/practise, licence/license, advice/advise, prophecy/prophesy, device/devise.
- Apostrophe = missing letter. If you can expand to "it is", "you are", "who is", "they are", use the apostrophe form. Otherwise use the plain possessive (its, your, whose, their).
- Speaker vs listener: the speaker implies; the listener infers.
- Countable vs uncountable: number/fewer for countables (students, books); amount/less for uncountables (water, money, time).
- Transitive vs intransitive: lay needs an object ("lay the pen down"); lie never does ("lie down"). Trap: the past of lie is lay.
- Watch the synonym trap: inflammable is NOT the opposite of flammable; both mean "burns easily". The opposite is non-flammable.
- Distractor alert: in error-spotting, the wrong option is often the one that "sounds right" aloud (homophones like their/there, cite/site/sight). Read for sense, not sound.
- Connotation distractors: credulous (gullible) is planted where credible (believable) is wanted; ingenuous (naive) where ingenious (clever) is wanted.
Frequently Confused Pairs (Toughest)
| Pair / Trio | Key distinction to remember |
|---|---|
| affect / effect | verb (to influence) vs noun (a result). Rare: effect as verb = to bring about; affect as noun = emotion (psychology). |
| principal / principle | chief / head / capital sum vs a rule or truth. Only principle means a moral rule. |
| complement / compliment | that which completes vs praise. |
| disinterested / uninterested | impartial vs bored/not interested. |
| credible / credulous / creditable | believable / gullible / praiseworthy. |
| ingenious / ingenuous | clever / innocent and frank. |
| imply / infer | to suggest (speaker) / to deduce (listener). |
| eminent / imminent | distinguished / about to happen. |
| flaunt / flout | to show off / to defy a rule. |
| lay / lie | transitive (lay-laid) / intransitive (lie-lay-lain). |
| stationary / stationery | not moving / writing materials. |
| practice / practise | noun / verb (BrE). |
| farther / further | physical distance / additional or figurative degree. |
| luxuriant / luxurious | lush growth / costly comfort. |
Exceptions — Important, Rare & Advanced
- effect as a verb: "The manager effected several changes" (= brought about). Likewise affect as a noun survives in psychology ("flat affect" = display of emotion).
- farther vs further: in formal British usage the two are increasingly interchangeable; only further can mean "moreover" or "additional" ("no further questions"). Farther is restricted to literal distance.
- inflammable: historically the standard word for "catches fire". Because the in- prefix misled people into reading "not flammable", safety labelling now prefers flammable / non-flammable.
- American spelling collapse: in American English, practise, licence and defence/offence distinctions disappear — they are spelt practice, license, defense for both noun and verb. UPESSC follows British spelling, so keep the -ce/-se distinction.
- gaol vs jail: gaol is an old British spelling pronounced exactly like jail; modern writing prefers jail. Do not confuse with goal (an aim).
- borne vs born: use born only of birth in the passive without "by" ("she was born in Agra"); use borne for everything else, including birth with "by" ("a child borne by her") and for "carried/endured" ("airborne", "he has borne the cost").
- less vs fewer (related to amount/number): strict usage demands fewer items, less water; supermarket "10 items or less" is a famous error for fewer.
- continual vs continuous, momentary vs momentous: a single mismatched syllable flips the meaning; treat each as a distinct vocabulary item, never as a "variant spelling".
50 MCQs
Easy (1–15)
1. Please ______ his kind invitation to the wedding.
(a) except (b) accept (c) expect (d) access
Answer: (b) accept
Explanation: Accept (verb) = to receive/agree to; except = excluding.
2. The heavy rain did not ______ our plans at all.
(a) effect (b) affect (c) effects (d) affecting
Answer: (b) affect
Explanation: A verb (to influence) is needed; affect.
3. May I give you a piece of ______?
(a) advise (b) advices (c) advice (d) advising
Answer: (c) advice
Explanation: The noun is advice; the verb is advise.
4. ______ going to be late for the meeting.
(a) Their (b) There (c) They're (d) Theirs
Answer: (c) They're
Explanation: They're = they are.
5. The dog wagged ______ tail happily.
(a) it's (b) its (c) its' (d) it is
Answer: (b) its
Explanation: Its is the possessive; it's = it is.
6. The car remained ______ at the traffic light.
(a) stationery (b) stationary (c) stationaries (d) stationing
Answer: (b) stationary
Explanation: Stationary = not moving; stationery = paper goods.
7. She is wiser ______ her sister.
(a) then (b) than (c) that (d) thane
Answer: (b) than
Explanation: Than is used in comparisons.
8. ______ pen is lying on the floor.
(a) You're (b) Your (c) Yours (d) Youre
Answer: (b) Your
Explanation: Possessive your; you're = you are.
9. The head of our school, the ______, addressed us.
(a) principle (b) principal (c) principel (d) principles
Answer: (b) principal
Explanation: The head of a school is the principal.
10. Take a deep ______ and relax.
(a) breathe (b) breath (c) breathes (d) breadth
Answer: (b) breath
Explanation: The noun is breath; the verb is breathe.
11. A large ______ of people gathered in the square.
(a) amount (b) number (c) deal (d) quantity
Answer: (b) number
Explanation: Number with countable nouns (people).
12. I am not sure ______ it will rain today.
(a) weather (b) whether (c) wheather (d) whither
Answer: (b) whether
Explanation: Whether introduces alternatives; weather = climate.
13. ______ that boy standing at the gate?
(a) Whose (b) Who's (c) Whom (d) Whoes
Answer: (b) Who's
Explanation: Who's = who is.
14. You must ______ the violin every day to improve.
(a) practice (b) practise (c) practiced (d) practis
Answer: (b) practise
Explanation: The verb (BrE) is practise.
15. Do not ______ your way home in the fog.
(a) loose (b) loosen (c) lose (d) loss
Answer: (c) lose
Explanation: Lose (verb) = to mislay; loose = not tight.
Moderate (16–35)
16. The drought had a devastating ______ on the harvest.
(a) affect (b) effect (c) affected (d) effecting
Answer: (b) effect
Explanation: A noun (result) is needed: effect.
17. As a teacher, honesty is the guiding ______ of my work.
(a) principal (b) principle (c) principals (d) principel
Answer: (b) principle
Explanation: A rule or fundamental truth = principle.
18. She paid me a lovely ______ on my speech.
(a) complement (b) compliment (c) complementary (d) complain
Answer: (b) compliment
Explanation: Praise = compliment; complement completes.
19. A famine was clearly ______, and aid had to arrive fast.
(a) eminent (b) imminent (c) immanent (d) eminence
Answer: (b) imminent
Explanation: Imminent = about to happen; eminent = distinguished.
20. The judge must be ______, with no stake in the outcome.
(a) uninterested (b) disinterested (c) interested (d) interesting
Answer: (b) disinterested
Explanation: Impartial = disinterested; uninterested = bored.
21. Please ______ the baby gently in the cradle.
(a) lie (b) lay (c) lain (d) lying
Answer: (b) lay
Explanation: Lay takes an object (the baby).
22. He decided to ______ with the original plan.
(a) precede (b) proceed (c) preceed (d) procede
Answer: (b) proceed
Explanation: Proceed = to go forward; precede = go before.
23. The witness gave a ______ and convincing account.
(a) credulous (b) creditable (c) credible (d) credited
Answer: (c) credible
Explanation: Believable = credible; credulous = gullible.
24. The boy was so ______ that he believed every wild tale.
(a) credible (b) creditable (c) credulous (d) credited
Answer: (c) credulous
Explanation: Gullible = credulous.
25. The engineer's ______ design won the prize.
(a) ingenuous (b) ingenious (c) ingenuity (d) ingrained
Answer: (b) ingenious
Explanation: Clever/inventive = ingenious; ingenuous = naive.
26. From her tone we ______ that she was displeased.
(a) implied (b) inferred (c) imply (d) infer
Answer: (b) inferred
Explanation: The listener infers (deduces).
27. He likes to ______ his new watch to everyone.
(a) flout (b) flaunt (c) float (d) flounder
Answer: (b) flaunt
Explanation: To show off = flaunt; flout = to defy.
28. The reckless driver continued to ______ the speed limit.
(a) flaunt (b) flout (c) flatter (d) flush
Answer: (b) flout
Explanation: To disregard a rule = flout.
29. We walked a little ______ along the beach.
(a) further (b) farther (c) farer (d) furthest
Answer: (b) farther
Explanation: For physical distance, prefer farther.
30. The shop sells pens, paper and other ______.
(a) stationary (b) stationery (c) stationaries (d) stations
Answer: (b) stationery
Explanation: Writing materials = stationery.
31. The mist began to ______ the entire valley.
(a) envelope (b) envelop (c) enveloped (d) envelopes
Answer: (b) envelop
Explanation: The verb is envelop; the noun is envelope.
32. The astrologer dared to ______ a great war.
(a) prophecy (b) prophesy (c) prophesize (d) prophecies
Answer: (b) prophesy
Explanation: The verb is prophesy; the noun is prophecy.
33. All ______ records must be kept confidential by the office.
(a) personnel (b) personal (c) personals (d) personnels
Answer: (b) personal
Explanation: Private = personal; personnel = staff.
34. The minister sought the ______ of a senior lawyer.
(a) council (b) counsel (c) councel (d) counsil
Answer: (b) counsel
Explanation: Advice / a lawyer = counsel; council = a body.
35. The plant produced ______ green foliage all summer.
(a) luxurious (b) luxuriant (c) luxury (d) luxuriating
Answer: (b) luxuriant
Explanation: Lush growth = luxuriant; luxurious = costly/comfortable.
Difficult (36–50)
36. The board will ______ him to run the clinic next month.
(a) licence (b) license (c) licenced (d) licencing
Answer: (b) license
Explanation: The verb (BrE) is license; the noun is licence.
37. By the time we arrived, the train had ______ left.
(a) all ready (b) already (c) all-ready (d) allready
Answer: (b) already
Explanation: Already (adverb) = by that time; all ready = fully prepared.
38. The performance was ______ magnificent from start to finish.
(a) all together (b) altogether (c) all-together (d) altogheter
Answer: (b) altogether
Explanation: Altogether = completely; all together = as a group.
39. She was ______ in 1985 in a small village.
(a) borne (b) born (c) bourne (d) bore
Answer: (b) born
Explanation: Birth in the passive without "by" = born.
40. The costs of the project have been patiently ______ by the team.
(a) born (b) borne (c) bore (d) bearing
Answer: (b) borne
Explanation: "Carried/endured" = borne.
41. The novelist made a clever ______ to a Greek myth.
(a) illusion (b) allusion (c) elusion (d) delusion
Answer: (b) allusion
Explanation: An indirect reference = allusion; illusion = false impression.
42. Volunteers went door to door to ______ support for the candidate.
(a) canvas (b) canvass (c) canvases (d) canvased
Answer: (b) canvass
Explanation: To solicit votes/opinions = canvass; canvas = cloth.
43. His ______ would not let him keep the money he had found.
(a) conscious (b) conscientious (c) conscience (d) consciences
Answer: (c) conscience
Explanation: Moral sense = conscience; conscious = aware.
44. After a brief faint, the patient soon became ______ again.
(a) conscience (b) conscientious (c) conscious (d) consciously
Answer: (c) conscious
Explanation: Aware/awake = conscious.
45. The committee noted his quiet ______ from the majority view.
(a) descent (b) decent (c) dissent (d) decency
Answer: (c) dissent
Explanation: Disagreement = dissent; descent = downward movement/ancestry.
46. The pilot began a slow ______ towards the runway.
(a) dissent (b) descent (c) decent (d) decadent
Answer: (b) descent
Explanation: Downward movement = descent.
47. The handwriting was so ______ that no one could read it.
(a) eligible (b) illegible (c) ineligible (d) legible
Answer: (b) illegible
Explanation: Unreadable = illegible; eligible = qualified.
48. A frightened ______ of refugees crossed the border.
(a) hoard (b) horde (c) heard (d) hoarder
Answer: (b) horde
Explanation: A large crowd = horde; hoard = a hidden store.
49. The signing of the treaty was a ______ event in our history.
(a) momentary (b) momentous (c) momentum (d) momently
Answer: (b) momentous
Explanation: Of great importance = momentous; momentary = brief.
50. The pupils returned to their ______ classrooms after the assembly.
(a) respectful (b) respectable (c) respective (d) respectively
Answer: (c) respective
Explanation: Belonging to each = respective; respectful = showing respect.