Confusing Pairs of Words. Many pairs of words sound alike or nearly alike, but each has a different meaning. For example, affect means to influence something, while effect means the result of something. Words like these can be easily confused with each other.
Definition :
Confusing words are those which are often misused or have more than one meaning. Thus, they create a lot of confusion while using them in a sentence. These words can be both, homonyms as well as homophones. Homonyms are the words which have the same spelling but different meanings, whereas homophones are the words which have the same pronunciation but different meanings.
SpeakoClub Tip :
We all have faced difficulties in understanding some words which we commonly use in our day to day life. There are many such words which create a lot of confusion, thus termed as confusing words.
Examples :
For example, the word 'flower' can be used as a noun as well as a verb.
Here, flower(noun) means a plant with colorful petals whereas flower(verb) means to bloom or ripen.
Similarly, the word 'right' can be used as an adjective, adverb, or noun. Here, right(adjective) means proper or correct whereas right(adverb) means in a straight direction and right(noun) means something that one is entitled to.
Rules :
There are certain rules which one must follow while using confusing words in a sentence. Let us have a look at them:.
1. While using confusing words, make sure that the spelling and pronunciation of both the words are different. For example, the word 'flower' can be used as a noun as well as a verb. Here, flower(noun)means a plant with colorful petals whereas flower(verb) means to bloom or ripen.
2. Make sure that you use the correct form of the word in a sentence. For example, the word 'right' can be used as an adjective, adverb, or noun. Here, right(adjective) means proper or correct whereas right(adverb) means in a straight direction and right(noun) means something that one is entitled to.
3. Be very careful while using confusing words in a sentence. For example, the word 'their' is a possessive pronoun and it shows ownership whereas the word 'there' is a location word which means 'in that place'.
4. Use context clues to determine the meaning of a word. For example, if you are not sure about the meaning of the word 'literally', then you can use the context in which the word is being used to determine its meaning.
This concludes our lesson on confusing words. We hope that you now have a better understanding of these words and how to use them correctly.
Common Confusing Words :
1. affect vs effect
Affect is a verb meaning to influence or change. Effect is a noun meaning the result of something.
2. advice vs advise
Advice is a noun meaning a suggestion or recommendation. Advise is a verb meaning to give a suggestion or recommendation.
3. all ready vs already
All ready means everything is ready. Already means it has happened.
4. aloud vs allowed
Aloud means out loud. Allowed means permitted.
5. complement vs compliment
Complement means to complete or enhance. Compliment means to say something nice about someone or something.
6. council vs counsel
Council is a noun meaning a group of people who make decisions together. Counsel is a verb meaning to give advice.
7. desert vs dessert
Desert is a noun meaning a dry, sandy region. Dessert is a noun meaning a sweet course of food eaten at the end of a meal.
8. different from vs different than
Different from means different in some way. Different than means different in amount or degree.
9. die vs dye
Die is a verb meaning to stop living. Dye is a verb meaning to color something.
10.discreet vs discrete
Discreet means careful not to attract attention. Discrete means separate, distinct, and not combined.
Conclusion :
This concludes our lesson on confusing words. We hope that you now have a better understanding of these words and how to use them correctly.
