Do you know some commonly confused words? Do you know the differences between them and when to properly use each one? Read on and find out.
Commonly Confused Words
Here are some of the commonly confusing words in the English language, and a guide on when to use them.
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To, Too and Two
- To – commonly used as a preposition: I am going to school.
- Too – an adverb, which describes an adjective or another adverb: The work was too easy.
- Two – a number: I have two siblings.
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There, Their and They’re
- There – an adverb of place: We are eating lunch there.
- Their – a possessive pronoun: It is their pride that he became a doctor.
- They’re – a contraction of “they are”: They’re staying at our place for the holidays.
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Your and You’re
- Your – a possessive pronoun: Your final grades are already posted.
- You’re – a contraction of “you are”: You’re expected at the meeting today.
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Its and It’s
- Its – a possessive pronoun: The school keeps its supplies in that building.
- It’s – a contraction of “it is”: It’s winter season.
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Accept and Except
- Accept – to take possession, or agree to receive or do: She will accept the promotion.
- Except – to exclude: The entire class is going except John.
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Advise and Advice
- Advise – a verb, to recommend something: I was advised by my boss to apply for the position.
- Advice – a noun, a recommendation: It was my boss’ advice that I apply for the position.
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Affect and Effect
- Affect – a verb, to influence or change: His actions affected our initial plans in a positive way.
- Effect – a noun, a result or a verb, to bring about a result: This is the effect of his actions.
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Allude and Elude
- Allude – to indirectly refer to something: He alluded to his supervisor’s decisions when asked why the report is incomplete.
- Elude – to escape or avoid detection: He was able to elude his parents’ questioning.
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Complement and Compliment
- Complement – to improve something by adding, an addition that improves something: Her hat complements her outfit.
- Compliment – a praise, to admire: He gave me a compliment about my writing.
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Council and Counsel
- Council – a group of people who manage or advise: The council makes decisions on political and social issues.
- Counsel – advice or to advise: You can see an expert who can give you proper counseling.
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Elicit and Illicit
- Elicit – to draw out or bring forth: Her article elicited great reviews.
- Illicit – illegal, not allowed by law or rules: He denied the illicit affair.
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Envelop and Envelope
- Envelop – to cover or surround: The fire was big enough to envelop the entire village.
- Envelope – a paper container for a letter: I put the money in a red envelope.
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Loose and Lose
- Loose – to unfasten or set free, something big: That shirt is a bit loose.
- Lose – to be unable to find something, to be deprived of something: Don’t lose your new phone.
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