150+ Most Commonly Confused Words in English
English language includes a number of word pairs. However, they are different in meaning and use, but look or sound so similar and we get confused with them. That’s why learning most commonly confused words is really important.
Let’s learn and understand most commonly confused words with examples which are given below:
Examples:
1) Advice vs. Advise – Advice is a noun and advise is a verb. They sound similar, but they differ in their position.
2) Peddle vs. Pedal – Pedal is a noun and it’s a machine and it refers to a foot-operated lever whereas peddle is verb that means to go from place to place for selling something.
3) Spacious vs. Specious – Specious and spacious both are adjective. However, spacious means “large with lots of space” and specious means “seeming to be right or true, but actually wrong or false.”
To avoid the mistake or confusion, it is really too crucial to learn those words’ meaning which seem or sound similar.
List Of Some Pairs Of Words Often Confused in English
Many people get confused when they use in a sentence, so let’s learn to avoid the confusion and improving speaking, writing, reading and vocabulary.
Here is comprehensive list of most commonly confused words with meaning.
Letter A
Learn the most commonly confused words with letter A
| Adverse (adjective) Averse (adjective) | Unfavorable, harmful. Strongly disliking; opposed. |
| Advice (noun) Advise (verb) | Recommendations about what to do. to recommend something |
| Affect (verb) Effect (noun) | To change or make a difference. Impact or result. |
| Accept (verb) Except (prep./conj.) | Approve or agree to take something. Not including, to leave or take out. |
| Aisle (noun) Isle (noun) | A passage between rows of seats. An island. |
| All together (phrase) Altogether (adverb) | All in one place or in a group; all at once. Completely, on the whole. |
| Along (preposition) A long (adjective) | Moving or extending horizontally on. Referring to something of great length. |
| Aloud (adverb) Allowed (verb) | Out loud. Permitted. |
| Altar (noun) Alter (verb) | A scared table used in a religious ceremony. To change. |
| Amoral (adjective) Immoral (adjective) | Not concerned about right or wrong. Not moral, not following accepted moral standards. |
| Appraise (verb) Apprise (verb) | To assess. To inform someone. |
| Assent (noun) ascent (noun) | Agreement, approval. The action of rising or climbing up. |
| Aural (adjective) Oral (adjective) | Relating to the ears, hearing. Relating to the mouth; spoken. |
Letter B
Learn the most commonly confused words with letter B.
| Break (verb/noun) Brake (noun/verb) | A device for stopping a vehicle. To separate into pieces, a pause. |
| Bough (noun) Bow (verb/noun) | A branch of a tree. To bend the head, the front of a ship. |
| Born (verb) Borne (adjective) | Having started life. Carried. |
| Bazaar (noun) Bizarre (adjective) | A middle Eastern market. Strange. |
| Bated (adjective) Baited (verb) | In great excitement or anxiety. With bait attached or inserted. |
| Bare (adjective) Bear (verb/noun) | Naked or uncovered. To endure hardship or hold something heavy, an animal. |
| Balmy (adjective) Barmy (adjective) | Pleasantly warm. Foolish, crazy. |
| Breath (noun) Breathe (verb) | Inhale or exhale the air through the lungs. To take air in. |
| Berth (noun) Birth (noun) | A place to sleep on a ship, train etc. Emergence of a baby from the womb. |
Letter C
Learn the most commonly confused words with letter C.
| Canvas (noun) Canvass (verb) | A type of strong cloth. To seek people’s votes. |
| Color (American English) Colour (British English) | Like red, blue, green, yellow, etc. |
| Censure (verb) censor (verb/noun) | To criticize strongly. To ban parts of a book or film. |
| Chord (noun) Cord (noun) | A group of musical notes. A length of string; a cord-like body part. |
| Coarse (adjective) Course (noun) | Rough. A direction, a subject or part of a meal. |
| Council (noun) Counsel (verb) | A group of people who manage or advise. Advice; to advise. |
| Cue (noun/verb) queue (noun) | A signal for action, a wooden rod. A line of people or vehicles. |
| Currant (noun) Current (adjective) | A dried grape. Happening now; a flow of water, air or electricity |
| Compliment (verb) Complement (noun/verb) | To paise or express approval; admiring remark. To add that improves something. |
Letter D
Learn the most commonly confused words with letter D.
| Desert (noun/verb) Dessert (noun) | An area that’s covered with sand or rocks, usually there’s very little rain. A sweet food. |
| Draught (noun) Draft (noun) | A current of air. A first version of a piece of writing. |
| Defuse (verb) Diffuse (verb) | To make a situation less tense. To spread over a wide area. |
Letter E
Learn the most commonly confused words with letter E.
| Envelop (verb) Envelope (noun) | To cover or surround. A paper container for a letter. |
| Elicit (verb) Illicit (verb) | To draw out a reply or reaction. Not allowed by law or rules. |
| Ensure (verb) Insure (verb) | Making certain that something will happen. Providing compensation if a person dies or property is damaged. |
Letter F
Learn the most commonly confused words with letter F.
| Freeze (verb) Frieze (noun) | To turn to ice. A decoration along a wall. |
| Foreword (noun) Forward (adjective/adverb/ noun/verb) | An introduction to a book. Onwards, ahead. |
| Forbear (verb) Forebear (noun) | To refrain. An ancestor. |
Letter G
Learn the most commonly confused words with letter G.
| Gray (American English) Grey (British English) | Name of a color. Name of a color. |
Letter H
Learn the most commonly confused words with letter H
| Hoard (noun) Horde (noun) | A store. A large crowd of people. |
Letter I
Learn the most commonly confusing words with letter I.
| Imply (verb) Infer (verb) | To suggest indirectly. To make a conclusion. |
Letter L
Learn the most commonly confusing words with letter L.
| Loose (adjective/verb/noun) Lose (verb) | To unfasten; to set free. To unable to find. |
| Loath (adjective) Loathe (verb) | Reluctant, unwilling. To hate. |
Letter M
Learn the most commonly confusing words with letter M.
| Meter (noun) Metre (noun) | A measuring device. A metric unit; rhythm in verse. |
| May be (verb) Maybe (adverb) | Perhaps. Perhaps, possibly. |
Letter P
Learn the most commonly confusing words with letter P.
| Pole (noun) Poll (verb) | A long, slender piece of wood. Voting in an election. |
| Practice (noun) Practise (verb) | Regular or repeatedly activity/action. Regular or repeatedly activity. Note: In American English only “practice” is used. |
| Principal (noun) Principle (noun) | The head of a school. A fundamental rule or belief. |
| Peace (noun) Piece (noun/verb) | Quiet or clam. A part, a portion of an object/material. |
| Pour (verb) Pore (noun) | To flow. A tiny opening; to study something closely. |
| Palate (noun) Palette (noun) | The roof of the mouth. A board of mixing colors. |
| Plain (adjective) Plane (noun/verb) | Not decorated, simple or basic. A flat surface, aircraft. |
Letter Q
Learn the most commonly confusing words with letter Q.
| Quite (adverb) Quiet (adjective) | Completely, utterly. Making a bit noise or no noise, silent. |
Letter R
Learn the most commonly confusing words with letter R.
| Rise (verb) Raise (verb) | To move upwards, to get up. To lift; increase; exist. |
| Role (noun) Roll (verb) | Part of character, the position that someone/something has. To move in direction. |
Letter S
Learn the most commonly confusing words with letter S.
| Sight (noun) Site (noun) Cite (verb) | The ability to see. A location. Mention. |
| Stationary (adjective) Stationery (noun) | Not moving. Writing, materials. |
| Storey (noun) Story (noun) | A level of a building. A tale or account. |
| Sceptic (adjective) Septic (adjective) | A person inclined to doubt. Infected with bacteria. |
| Spacious (adjective) Specious (adjective) | Having a lot of space, large in size. Appearing right or true, but actually wrong or false. |
| Soar (adverb) Sore (adjective) | Rise to the high level. Physically painful or sensitive, unpleasant. |
| Sensor (noun) Censor (noun) | A device that detects heat, light, sound, motion etc. An official who examines films, books, plays, news reports etc. |
Letter T
Learn the most commonly confusing words with letter T.
| Too (adverb) To (adverb/preposition) | Excessive degree or more than needed. To indicate movement or action or condition. |
| Tic (noun) Tick (noun) | A sudden & uncontrolled small movement. A mark that shows something is correct, short time. |
Letter V
Learn the most commonly confused words with letter V.
| Vain (adjective) Vein (noun) | Unsuccessful, useless and selfish. A tube that carries blood. |
Letter W
Learn the most commonly confused words with letter W.
| Wreath (noun) Wreathe (noun) | A ring- shaped arrangement of flowers etc. To surround or encircle. |
| Waist (noun) Waste (verb) | The part of human body above the hips. To spend or consume uselessly. |
| Were Wear (verb) | Past simple of be. The carry or have on the body. |
| Weather (noun) Whether (conjunction) | The state of the atmosphere. A doubt or choice. |
Letter Y
Learn the most commonly confused words with letter Y.
| Yoke (noun) Yolk (noun) | A wooden crosspiece for harnessing a pair of oxen. The yellow center of an egg. |
I hope you found this most commonly confused words list useful and important.
