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Guide to
Words Often Confused
An alphabetical listing of well-known English
troublemakers
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Page Contents |
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Introduction
The
Danger List |
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Making
Sense of Vexing Vocabulary
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In this section of our English User Guides we'll attempt to clarify differences in meaning between words which,
because they look or sound very
similar, tend to cause confusion among both foreign students of English and native speakers
alike.
It will soon become apparent that, in order to
distinguish between homonyms of entirely different meaning,
British English has retained a richer variety of spellings
(e.g. check and cheque, or story
and storey). So it is probably safe to say there is less scope for errors in
AmE
(American English) than in
BrE
(British English).
Please judge for yourselves, and comments or suggestions are always
welcome!
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Confusing
Words |
Examples of Usage, or Clarification |
| accede
+ exceed |
(1)
He acceded to the man's request.
(2) Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne in 1953. |
| Too many
drivers exceed the speed limit in
built-up areas. |
| accept
+ except |
(1)
The corrupt officials had accepted bribes.
(2) They accepted they would have to lose their jobs. |
(1) Low-income families are excepted from paying
the new tax.
(2) Everyone except John came to the party. |
| access
+ excess |
(1)
The thief gained access to the office through a side door. Then he accessed
the safe.
(2) When he discovered it was empty he left in an access of anger. |
(1) Airlines will no longer tolerate excess
hand-luggage.
(2) Some terrible excesses are committed in the name of religion. |
| adapt
+ adopt |
(1)
It took the Eskimo quite a long time to adapt to
life in the Congo.
(2) Microsoft software has been adapted
to work on Apple computers.
(3) The author JK Rowling could not imagine having her quintessentially
British "Harry Potter" stories specially adapted
for American audiences. |
(1)
They childless couple adopted an
orphaned two-year-old girl from Korea.
(2) The local school board will adopt
strict new penalties to counter bullying.
(3) More Japanese companies are adopting
western styles of management.
(4) BrE
The Conservative Party adopted David
Cameron as its leader in 2005. |
| affect
+ effect |
The
noisy crowd affected the tennis star's concentration. |
(1) The thick fog had no effect on her arrival
time.
(2) The prime minister is trying to effect policy changes. |
| allude
+ elude |
When
the President mentioned "evil forces" he was alluding to
the terrorists. |
(1) They will not be able to elude justice
indefinitely.
(2) It eludes me how suicide bombers can believe they're going to paradise! |
| allusion
+ illusion |
An allusion
is an indirect reference to something. |
| An illusion is a false impression. |
| altar
+ alter |
In
the church there was a cross on the altar. |
| It is impossible to alter past mistakes, but we
can learn from them. |
| amend
+ emend |
When
you mean general changes for the better or modifications to rules or
legislation, amend is the correct
choice:
(1) The boy was told to amend his
behavior or face possible expulsion.
(2) The sudden outbreak of war forced the journalist to amend
his article.
(3) Some
Japanese would like to amend the nation's constitution. |
| The
use of emend is generally limited to
text correction (hint: like 'edit' it begins with an 'e'): The publisher told the author to emend his
manuscript. |
| annex
+ annexe |
Israeli
settlers still believe they have a God-given right to annex Arab land. |
| In
BrE, an annexe is either an
extension to an existing building or a smaller building constructed later
alongside (AmE
annex). |
|
antisocial
+ asocial
+ unsociable + unsocial
|
The
behavior of antisocial
individuals runs counter to the norms of existing society and might, for
example, involve drunkenness, vandalism or assault. |
| An
asocial person is thoroughly ill at
ease with other people and may feel driven to avoid their company to such an extent that
he or she becomes a recluse. |
| An
unsociable person shows dislike of and
avoids company, but does not experience the same kind of paranoia or
urge to shut himself away as the asocial
person. The unsociable person thinks he gets along
just fine without the help of others. |
| In
BrE,
anything
unsocial fails to conform to the needs of society.
Someone who works unsocial
hours, for example, may rarely get to see his or her friends. |
| artist
+ artiste |
An artist
is a painter or one who is skilled in any of the fine arts. |
| An artiste is a professional performer on stage
or in the circus. |
| ascent
+ assent |
The
first successful ascent of Everest took place in 1953. |
| The appointment of a new British prime minister still
requires royal assent, but this is a mere formality. |
assure
+ ensure
+ insure |
The
government always assures us that it is safe to eat beef. |
| Every driver should ensure his passengers are
wearing seatbelts. |
| You should insure valuables against loss, theft or damage. |
| aural
+ oral |
Aural relates to the ears. An
aural exam
is one in listening comprehension. |
| Oral
relates to the mouth. It's hard to prepare for an oral English
exam. |
| baited
+ bated |
The
small mousetrap was baited with cheddar cheese. |
| So he looked on with bated breath when a large
rat appeared! |
| bale
(out) + bail (out) |
(1)
There was a large bale of hay in the barn.
(2) He needed a bucket to bale out rain water from the boat. |
(1) He was charged with the offense but later released
on bail.
(2) Some governments may have to bail out their national airlines. |
| base
+ bass |
(1)
He found the sell-by date printed on the base of the container.
(2) Their mission accomplished, the special force returned to base. |
| His father complained when he turned up the bass
on his stereo. |
| berth
+ birth |
(1)
The QE2 berths in New York on the 18th. Here is her berth.
(2) You can sleep well on board because of the comfortable berths. |
| The crew say they can deal with anything, even the birth
of a baby! |
| bloc
+ block |
All
those countries of eastern Europe which were once part of the communist bloc
have now embraced the free market. |
(1) A fallen tree blocked the road.
(2) He picked up a block of wood and threw it on the fire.
(3) He lived in a block of flats (AmE
apartment building). |
| blond
+ blonde |
He
is blond. His sister also has blond hair. |
| She is
blonde. She's a blonde. |
| born
+ borne |
She
was born in San Francisco. |
| Now a local hero, he was
borne shoulder-high
through the street. |
| bough
+ bow |
The
monkey sat on the bough of a tree eating a banana. |
(1) The
bow of a ship is the fore-end.
(2) The Japanese man gave me a bow instead of a handshake. |
| brake
+ break |
To
stop, put your foot on the brake, but don't brake too
suddenly. |
(1) If you drop the glass on the floor it will
break.
(2) The doctor had to break the news of the failed operation.
(3) He's been working too hard and needs a complete break.
(4) Landing that well-paid job with IBM was his lucky break. |
| bridal
+ bridle |
The
couple had booked the bridal suite for their wedding night. |
(1) The
bridle is the piece of headgear used to
control a horse.
(2) Mrs. Thompson bridled at her daughter's ungrateful remarks. |
| broach
+ brooch |
We
didn't want to broach the issue of the dead man's debts at his
funeral. |
| Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright always
wore a large brooch carefully chosen to reflect her mood. |
| boy
+ buoy |
Their
second child was a boy. |
(1) The site of the shipwreck was marked by a buoy.
(2) It's cruel to buoy up someone's hopes if failure seems certain. |
| canon
+ cannon |
(1)
The priest's father had been a canon, but he certainly wasn't the
son of a gun!
(2) Canon Law is a body of laws for the Roman Catholic church. |
| A 19th-century cannon stood in front of the
castle. |
| canvas
+ canvass |
He
paints pictures on canvas and camps out in a canvas
tent. |
| The party's candidate wasn't able to
canvass
enough support to win the election. |
| cast
+ caste |
(1)
If you cast something you throw it
purposefully and forcefully: the Romans used to cast
Christians to the lions; come springtime I'll cast
off these winter clothes;
Matt cast the dice, praying for a
double six; offshore fishermen cast
their nets, while onshore anglers cast their
lines.
(2) He cast a glance at his watch.
(3) The disaster could cast doubt on
the future of the space program.
(4) You cast your fate to the wind if
you drive without a seatbelt.
(5) The wicked witch cast an evil
spell on the boy and turned him into a frog.
(6) Now that the election campaign is over, the electorate can finally cast
its vote.
(7) Using a cast or mould (AmE
mold), molten metal or plastic is cast
into a desired shape.
(8) In Casino Royale Daniel Craig was cast
as the new James Bond. He was well supported by the rest of the cast
(other actors).
(9) In zoology, a cast can be a mass
of earth excreted by a worm or a mass of indigestible food regurgitated by
a large bird. |
1)
The Hindu caste system discriminates
people according to their perceived purity.
(2) In more general terms, a caste has
come to mean any exclusive social class.
(3) In zoology, a caste is a category
of insect with a particular social function. |
| censor
+ censure |
Many
governments still try to censor the news. |
| Former tennis star John McEnroe was often censured
for his cantankerous behavior. |
| childish
+ childlike |
He
soon gets angry if he can't have his own way. He's so childish! |
| She has a childlike appreciation of the simpler
things in life. |
| complement
+ compliment |
(1)
Scones and jam are an excellent complement to afternoon tea.
(2) The ship left port with a full complement of officers and crew. |
| She complimented him on his cooking. |
| contemptible
+ contemptuous |
If
you strongly dislike and have no respect at all for something or someone
then you describe it or him or her as contemptible.
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| In the above situation you yourself are contemptuous. |
| continual
+ continuous |
If
something is continual it is incessant or constantly repeated. |
| If something is
continuous it is unbroken and so
truly non-stop. |
| cord
+ chord |
(1)
The kidnappers tied his hands with a piece of cord.
(2) In anatomy we read about the spinal cord and the vocal cords. |
(1) He played a chord on the piano.
(2) His emotionally charged speech struck a chord with the audience.
(3) In geometry a chord is a straight line joining the ends of an
arc. |
| corps
+ corpse |
The
French word corps is used for a group of people working together to
perform a specific task, e.g. the diplomatic corps. |
| A corpse is a dead body, usually human. |
| council
+ counsel |
A council
is a formal decision-making body meeting regularly. |
| After being served with a summons he sought legal counsel. |
| councilor
+counselor |
A councilor
(BrE
councillor) is an elected member of a council. |
| A counselor (BrE
counsellor) is an adviser, legal or otherwise. |
| currant
+ current |
A currant
is a small dried seedless grape. |
(1) A current is a flow of air, water or
electricity.
(2) The adjective current means present or existing. |
| dairy
+ diary |
Dairy
products are foods made from milk, like butter and cheese. |
| A diary is a book with a separate space for every
day of the year so you can write what you have done or are planning to do
each day. |
| dependant
+ dependent |
A dependant (AmE
dependent) is a person who is supported by someone else. |
| Dependent means relying or depending on
something/somebody. |
| dependence
+ dependency |
Dependence
is the state of relying on something/somebody else. |
(1)
Tahiti is a dependency of France.
(2) A dependency is a specific kind of dependence (see
above!), e.g. 'Too many young people have a dependency on drugs.'
'The Swedish government has nurtured too much welfare dependency.'
(3) In AmE,
a dependency is a smaller building, such as a stable, that is an adjunct
to a larger one. |
| desert
+ dessert |
The
Sahara is a desert in north Africa. |
| Chocolate pudding with whipped cream is my favorite
dessert. |
| discrete
+ discreet |
If
something is discrete it is apart from something else. For example,
the brain has two discrete halves. |
| If someone is
discreet they are tactful and generally
cautious about what they say so as not to embarrass or cause
offense. |
| draft
+ draught |
(1)
She sent a first draft of her medical paper to the publisher.
(2) I received a banker's draft for $100. |
(1) There's a cold draught (AmE
draft) every time the door opens.
(2) She took a long draught (AmE
draft) of beer.
(3) She always prefers draught (AmE
draft) beer to bottled beer.
(4) Flat-bottomed boats have a shallow draught (AmE
draft).
(5) After dinner they played a game of draughts (AmE
checkers). |
| dual
+ duel |
Natalie
has dual nationality: British and French. |
| The Wimbledon men's singles final turned out to be an
exciting duel. |
| eatable
+ edible |
If
food is eatable then it is palatable
and probably quite tasty. |
| If
food is edible then it is merely
suitable or safe to eat. |
| economic
+ economical |
(1)
According to an economic survey, Japan is in recession.
(2) If prices keep falling, our business will no longer be economic. |
| Small cars are more
economical. but not as safe as
large ones. |
| effective
+ efficient |
(1)
Using less energy is the most effective way to reduce pollution.
(2) In Japan it is often bureaucrats who are in effective command.
(3) The new law becomes effective on January 1. |
| It
would be unnecessary for staff to put in so much overtime if their work
routines were more efficient. |
| egoist
+ egotist |
An
egoist is guilty of egoism,
which is another word for selfishness. An egoist
only considers what is best for himself and doesn't care about others. |
| An
egotist is guilty of egotism,
which is a preoccupation with oneself and a belief in one's superiority to
others. An egotist speaks
incessantly of his own achievements. |
| elicit
+ illicit |
The
teacher used a lot of tag questions in order to elicit yes/no
answers from the students. |
| Bill Clinton is said to have had a number of
illicit
love affairs. |
| eligible
+ illegible |
She
wasn't eligible to apply for the job because she didn't have the
right qualifications. |
| His handwriting was so bad that it was
illegible. |
| emigrant
+ immigrant |
America
is home to immigrants from all over the world. |
| Many poorer
emigrants from Europe never reached
America. |
| eminent
+ imminent |
The
eminent scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry. |
| When she saw the black clouds she knew a storm was imminent. |
| enquire
+ inquire |
Nowadays
enquire and inquire are being used interchangeably. |
|
For purists, however, a useful distinction can be made between enquire,
meaning to ask about something in general, and inquire, meaning to
investigate something in an official capacity. When conducting an academic
investigation, it seems enquire is preferred. |
| ensure
+ insure |
High
security is in place to ensure (AmE
also 'insure') the dignitaries' safety. |
| It
is said Dolly
Parton took the trouble to insure
her breasts for $600,000. |
epigram
+ epigraph
+ epitaph |
An epigram
is a short, witty, proverbial poem, maxim or saying. |
| An epigraph is the (often Latin) inscription on a
statue, coin, etc. |
| An epitaph is a few words written in memory of
someone who has died, usually on their tombstone. |
| esteem
+ estimate |
Former
South African President Mandela is held in high esteem. |
| Authorities estimate the cost of reconstruction
will be around 200 million dollars. |
| expedient
+ expeditious |
(1)
If it is expedient to do something it is advantageous, efficient
and convenient, but not necessarily morally acceptable.
(2) An expedient is a means to an end without moral
considerations. |
| If
an action is expeditious it is simply fast and efficient. |
| farther
+ further |
Farther
can only apply to distance, e.g. 'I couldn't walk any farther'. |
Further is much more common and is not only used
for distance but in a more general sense. As a verb it means to
promote or advance something.
(1) I could not go any further.
(2) She explained further what he had to do.
(3) His prime-time TV appearance helped him further his cause. |
| flair
+ flare |
Bill
has a flair for making people laugh. |
(1) When we saw the passing ship we launched a distress
flare.
(2) Almost every day trouble flares up somewhere in the world.
(3) 1970s trousers were flared (=became wider) at the bottom. |
| floe
+ flow |
There
are ice floes in the Baltic all through the winter. |
| Water
flows through pipes. |
| forbear
+ forebear |
(1)
The noun forbear means 'ancestor'.
(2) As a verb in literature, to forbear means to abstain or desist
from doing something. |
| Forebear is an alternative spelling for the noun
form only. |
forgo
+ forego
forgone
+ foregone |
The
only meaning of forgo is to relinquish a right to something or do
without it, e.g. 'Since the warranty had expired he had forgone his
right to free repair service'. |
(1)
Forgo/forgone above can also be spelt forego/foregone.
(2) As a verb in literature forego means 'precede in time or
place'.
(3) A foregone conclusion is an easily predictable outcome. |
| gamble
+ gambol |
When
people gamble they bet money on the horses or in casinos. |
| When kids or puppies
gambol
they run and jump
around playfully. |
| genus
+ genius |
A genus
is a category of similar animals or plants. |
| Einstein was a genius for his intelligence, and
Mozart for his creative talent. |
| gild
+ guild |
If
you gild something you cover it in gold or gold-like material. |
| A guild is a kind of special interest group or
association. |
| gilt
+ guilt |
Gilt
is the gold or gold-like material you use for gilding. |
| You have a sense of
guilt if you know you have
done something wrong AND feel unhappy about it. |
| hangar
+ hanger |
An
aircraft is kept or undergoes maintenance in a hangar. |
| Jackie hates putting her clothes in the closet on wire
hangers. |
| historic
+ historical |
A historic
event is one whose significance will be remembered by future generations.
The fact that the U.S., Russia and China now stand united against
terrorism is a historic development. |
| Something or someone historical existed in the
past. Stonehenge, for example, is a structure of immense historical
interest. Some people like reading historical novels. |
| hoard
+ horde |
Shortages
are made worse by people who hoard large quantities of essential
commodities in their homes. |
| Hordes of
bargain-hunters soon empty supermarket shelves. |
| human
+ humane |
It
is said that most air crashes are the result of human error. |
| Proponents of euthanasia think that it is more
humane
to put the terminally ill out of their misery than to prolong their
suffering. |
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Confusing
Words |
Examples of Usage, or Clarification |
| idle
+ idol |
(1)
Many shipyards now lie idle.
(2) Those who shirk work are idle.
(3) Since his retirement he has just idled the hours away. |
| An idol is a person or statue worshipped by
people. |
| imperial
+ imperious |
The
secretive Japanese imperial household has little relevance to the
lives of ordinary people. |
| An imperious person is proud and overbearing, and
expects to be obeyed. |
| incredible
+ incredulous |
It's
incredible that he's been struck by lightning seven times and
survived! |
| I was
incredulous until I read it in the Guinness
Book of Records! |
| industrial
+industrious |
In industrial
cities you'll find many factories. |
| Korean workers are among the most industrious in
the world. |
| ingenious
+ ingenuous |
Some
Swedish streets have an ingenious system of underground heating
elements to keep them free from ice and snow in winter. |
| Most children are
ingenuous, i.e. innocent,
honest and trusting. |
| installation
+ installment |
(1)
An installation (BrE
instalation) is a semi-permanent building or complex staffed and equipped
for a specific purpose, often military.
(2) The installation
(BrE
instalation) of something means putting it in place so it is ready for use
(e.g. 'after the installation of a new PC at the installation, the
installation of an old program on it caused some compatibility problems.')
(3) The installation
(BrE
instalation) of a person means placing him or her in an official position
(e.g. 'the installation of a new President takes place in January.') |
| An
installment
(BrE
instalment) is one of a number of parts into which usually a story or
payment plan has been divided in order to make it more manageable. |
| irrelevant
+ irreverent |
If
something is irrelevant it has nothing to do with one's current
situation or the topic under discussion. |
| If somebody is
irreverent they show less respect
for someone than would normally be expected. |
| it's
+ its |
Some
people think English is hard, while others think it's easy. |
| The dog wagged its tail. Read
more about apostrophe usage! |
| judicial
+ judicious |
(1)
Going to court to settle a dispute is a judicial procedure.
(2) A judicial decision is an extremely careful and prudent one. |
| The adjective judicious means almost the same as
'judicial' in example (2) above, i.e. well thought-out and based on sound judgment. |
| lightening
+ lightning |
(1)
The artist began lightening the background of his dark painting.
(2) Dawn had come and the sky was slowly lightening in the east.
(2) He was lightening her burden by doing all the shopping. |
| A thunderstorm means heavy rain with thunder and
lightning. |
| literal
+ literate |
The
primary meaning of a word without metaphor or allegory is its literal
meaning. A literal translation is one which translates each word
individually rather than making sentences that sound natural in the target
language. The literal truth is the absolute truth. |
| To be
literate means you can read and write. If
you are highly literate you are a well-educated and intelligent
person. |
| loath/loth
+ loathe |
The
adjective loath (BrE
also 'loth') means strongly disinclined to do something, e.g. 'Her teenage
son was loath to go to school'. |
To loathe is the corresponding verb meaning to
detest, e.g. 'She simply loathes going to the dentist'.
Note:
This word is one of several extremely powerful, often monosyllabic
expressions surviving from Old English. |
| loose
+ lose |
A
wheel came off the car at high speed because the bolts had come loose. |
| Rich people who
lose their money also lose
many of their friends. |
| mat
+ matt(e) |
A
fat cat sat on the mat in front of the door. |
| Simon doesn't like glossy photos. He wants them
matt (or matte). |
| meat
+ meet + mete |
Vegetarians
don't eat meat. |
| You are unlikely to meet a vegetarian in a
steakhouse. |
| If a vegetarian society found out one of its members was
eating in a steakhouse, it would probably mete out a severe
punishment. |
| miner
+ minor |
South
African miners work in both gold and diamond mines. |
(1) In 'The Countess of Hong Kong'
Chaplin played only
a minor role.
(2) He was under 18 (only a minor) and so not allowed to vote. |
| moral
+ morale |
(1)
A moral is an accepted rule or standard of behavior.
(2) The moral of a story is the message it seeks to put across. |
| When a battle is going well, soldiers'
morale is
usually high, i.e. they show confidence and a positive attitude. |
| motif
+ motive |
A motif
is either a distinctive theme in a work of art, literature or music, or a decorative
design on, for example, cloth or wallpaper. |
(1) The police were unable to find any motive
(reason) for the killing.
(2) Occasionally, motive is an alternative spelling for 'motif' above. |
| naturalism
+ naturism |
(1) Naturalism
is the study of animals, plants and living things.
(2) In art naturalism is the portrayal of nature as it really is.
This is in stark contrast to idealism.
(3) In literature naturalism is a frank and detailed depiction of
life as it really is.
(4) In philosophy naturalism means a complete rejection of the
spiritual or supernatural. |
(1) Naturism
is an appreciation of the beauty of nature.
(2) Naturism is also another name for nudism, i.e. coming closer to
nature by removing one's clothes. |
| naval
+ navel |
If
you meet a retired naval officer you can say 'Long time no sea!'. |
| It is becoming increasingly trendy for young
'cuties' to
flaunt their navels in the summertime. |
| neglect
+ negligence |
Neglect
is a failure to take good care of something or someone, or simply a
failure to do something you are supposed to do. |
| Negligence
is carelessness, or a failure to pay proper attention to operating rules,
warning signs and other key information. |
| official
+ officious |
(1)
An official is a person in a position of trust or authority.
(2) If something is official it has been sanctioned by an
authority. |
| Unfortunately, some
officials tend to be
rather officious.
In other words, they exercise their authority in a self-important,
domineering manner. |
| pail
+ pale |
A pail
is an old-fashioned word for a bucket. |
| The adjective pale means not bright or strong in
color. |
| passed
+ past |
(1)
He passed the station on his way to work.
(2) The nurse passed the thermometer to the doctor.
(3) Harry passed his driver's test at the third attempt.
(4) He passed away the years in prison learning English.
(5) The government passed a new law against stalkers.
(6) The jury announced a guilty verdict and the judge passed
sentence.
(7) The thief had donned a white overall and passed for a doctor. |
(1) It's pointless looking back on the
past or
worrying over past mistakes.
(2) The library is just past the post office on the left-hand side.
(3) Many Japanese politicians are over 70 and, many think, past it! |
| pastel
+ pastille |
(1)
A pastel is a kind of artist's crayon.
(2) A pastel is also a picture drawn with such crayons.
(3) Pastel colors are pale and subdued. |
| A pastille is a small round fruit-flavored candy
or medicinal lozenge. |
| pedal
+ peddle |
In
England you are not allowed to pedal a bicycle on the sidewalk. |
| Many peddlers (BrE
pedlars) try to peddle Chinese medicine. |
| personal
+ personnel |
The
adjective personal means 'private'. |
| The
collective noun
personnel means 'staff'. |
| plain
+ plane |
(1)
Jackie was a stunner but her sister was quite plain.
(2) Jackie loved fruit yogurt but her sister preferred the plain
type.
(3) It was plain to see that he was lying.
(4) The two mountains were separated by a valley with a wide plain. |
(1) I took a plane from LA to Atlanta.
(2) On the way it had trouble with its tail plane.
(3) I used a plane and then some sandpaper to smooth the wood.
(4) Humans are supposed to be on a higher plane than the apes. |
| popular
+ populous |
(1)
Cricket is exceedingly popular (liked) in India.
(2) Reincarnation is a popular (common) belief in India. |
| Both Beijing and Cairo are
populous (thickly
inhabited) cities. |
| practical
+ practicable |
(1)
He went to Libya to get some practical experience of camels.
(2) She was a very practical woman; she always knew just what to
do.
(3) A safari suit is the most practical thing to wear on a safari. |
| Many scientists now
believe a round-trip to Mars is practicable
(feasible). |
| pray
+ prey |
On
New Year's Day most Japanese go to a temple or shrine to pray. |
| Zebras are a lion's prey. Even domestic cats prey
on small birds. |
| principal
+ principle |
(1)
The principal of a U.S. school is
called a headmaster in the U.K.
(2) Amsterdam is not the capital but the principal city of the
Netherlands. |
| A principle is a basic rule or norm. An important
principle of our criminal justice system is that a defendant is
presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. |
| prise
+ prize |
You
might be able to prise (AmE
prize) open a simple lock with a screwdriver. |
| A prize is something awarded to the winner of a
competition. The farmer was proud of his prize bull. |
| prophecy
+ prophesy |
A prophecy
is a statement that something will happen in the future. |
| The corresponding verb is to
prophesy something. |
| prudent
+ prudish |
It
is prudent to look twice each way before crossing a road. |
| Japanese terrestrial television is nowadays even more
prudish
than it was in the 1990s. Scenes of sex or nudity in imported movies are
being replaced by commercial inserts. |
| punctual
+ punctilious |
Teresa
was always very punctual, never late for her Spanish classes. |
| His
punctilious manner was getting on her
nerves. He was always so formal and correct. If only he would let down his
hair for once! |
| rain
+ reign
+ rein |
Bergen
is a very wet city with more than 2000 mm of rain a year. |
| Queen Elizabeth II began her
reign in 1953. |
| Reins are straps for guiding horses or
restraining young children near busy roads. |
| raise
+ raze |
(1)
If you raise something you increase it or lift it up.
(2) A raise (BrE
rise) is a salary increase. |
| If you
raze (BrE
also 'rase') something you destroy it completely. |
| respectable
+ respectful |
(1)
A respectable person or thing has won social approval.
(2) A respectable sum of money is an adequate or acceptable amount. |
| If you are respectful of someone then your words
and manner reflect your good opinion of their ideas or character. |
| respectfully
+ respectively |
They
stood up respectfully when the teacher entered the room. |
| The three largest cities in Sweden are Stockholm,
Gothenburg and Malmö respectively. |
| review
+ revue |
(1)
The New York Times gave the new show a positive review.
(2) It seems unlikely the U.S. will review its policy toward Cuba.
(3) The students did some review (BrE
revision) for the exam. |
| A revue
is light entertainment on-stage with
music, dance and jokes. |
| rhyme
+ rime |
(1)
Snug, bug and rug rhyme.
(2) A short poem with rhyming words at the end of each line is also called
a rhyme.
(3) People who commit atrocities do so without rhyme or reason. |
(1)
Rime is hoar frost.
(2) In archaic English rime is a spelling variant of 'rhyme' above. |
| rôle/role
+ roll |
Sean
Connery played the leading rôle of James Bond in "Dr.
No". |
(1) He released the handbrake and saw the car roll
down the hill.
(2) Sandra bought another roll of wallpaper.
(3) In Paris I had a cheese and ham roll for breakfast.
(4) When I joined I had my name added to the membership roll.
(5) Each morning on the tropical island I awoke to the roll of
drums. |
| rout
+ route |
The
Iraqis' 1991 disorganized retreat from Kuwait was called a rout. |
| A route is the course or path taken from one
place to another. |
| satisfactory
+ satisfying |
If
something is satisfactory it is
adequate or good enough. |
| If
something is satisfying it lives
entirely up to expectations and possibly even more. |
| scald
+ scold |
(1)
A scald is the injury caused when skin
comes into contact with boiling hot liquid or steam.
(2) Every day countless young children scald
themselves badly because careless parents heat saucepans on the stove with
handles sticking out into the room and invitingly easy to grab hold
of.
(3) Scald babies' bottles to sterilize
them.
(4) If you scald a liquid (e.g. milk),
you heat it until almost boiling. |
| If
you scold someone you tell them off
for doing something you disapprove of. |
| sceptic
+ septic |
A sceptic (AmE
skeptic) is a person who doesn't believe or remains unconvinced by what he or she
is told. |
| If a wound becomes
septic it is contaminated with
harmful bacteria. |
| sensible
+ sensitive |
A sensible
person makes good judgments and the right decisions. |
(1) He was sensitive enough not to mention the
fly in the soup to his kind mother.
(2) She was always very sensitive about criticism of her cooking.
(3) Sensitive instruments can detect the slightest seismic
movements and help us to predict earthquakes. |
sense
+ sensibility
+ sensitivity |
(1) Sense [U] means prudence, rationality or reasonableness.
(2) If you sense something you become aware of it.
(3) The five senses [C] are hearing, sight, smell, touch and taste.
(4) One observer said the Japanese have a great sense of beauty but
little sense of ugliness. |
(1) Sensibility is an openness and responsiveness
to emotions.
(2) Out of sensibility to the local religion no pork was served. |
| Sensitivity is the noun form of the adjective
'sensitive' above. |
| sociable
+ social |
If
you are sociable you enjoy meeting people and making new friends. |
(1) A jury is made up of people from different
social
backgrounds.
(2) Many people do volunteer work to expand their social
contacts. |
| stationary
+ stationery |
Parked
cars are stationary or standing still. |
| Envelopes and writing paper for letters
are stationery items. |
| stile
+ style |
A stile
is a step on either side of a fence surrounding a field to enable people
but not animals to climb over. |
(1) The
style of an activity is the manner in
which it is done.
(2) The style of a product is its design.
(2) A person's style is his general behavior.
(3) If someone has style then they are elegant and smart. |
| storey
+ story |
A storey (AmE
story) is a horizontal division in a building. |
| A story is a tale or account of real or imaginary
events. |
| straight
+ strait |
(1)
If something is straight it continues in the same direction without
the slightest deviation.
(2) If you go straight to a place you choose a direct path.
(3) A straight movie is serious one without comedy.
(4) A straight person is honest and gives straight answers
to questions instead of evasive ones.
(5) If you like your liquor straight you drink it neat or
undiluted.
(6) In colloquial language, straight means heterosexual and not
gay. |
| A strait is a narrow seaway between two land
masses that links two large areas of water. |
| sty
+ stye |
Pigs
live in a sty or pigsty (AmE
pigpen). |
| A stye
(AmE
sty; BrE
alternative spelling 'sty') is an inflamed swelling at the base of an
eyelid. |
| substantial
+ substantive |
(1)
[LARGE IN SIZE OR VALUE] A substantial
amount of work needs to be done on the old house, which is likely to cost
us a substantial amount of
money.
(2) [GENERAL OR ESSENTIAL] That two wrongs don't make a right is a substantial
truth. On that point we are in substantial
agreement. |
(1)
[OF SUBSTANCE OR SIGNIFICANCE] The police remained tight-lipped and their
press briefing did not reveal anything substantive
(i.e. nothing new came to light).
(2) [OF PRACTICAL USE OR IMPORTANCE] After completing the on-site
inspection, members of the housing committee felt like a substantive
meal (i.e. one that was both adequate in size and nourishing). They then
held a meeting and reached a substantive
agreement to give the go ahead for construction of 500 new homes. |
| suit
+ suite |
(1)
A regular suit is a jacket with matching trousers or skirt. Other
kinds of suit for specific purposes include space suits and bathing
suits.
(2) If clothes suit you, they look good on you.
(3) If an arrangement suits you, it is convenient for you.
(4) In a court of law a suit (lawsuit) is legal action taken by one
individual or entity against another individual or entity.
(5) Playing cards have four suits: hearts, clubs, spades and
diamonds.
(6) If you follow suit you copy someone else's actions. |
(1)
A suite is a set of adjoining rooms in a hotel.
(2) A suite is a set of matching furniture.
(3) In the world of music a suite is either a set of original
musical compositions designed to be played in quick succession, or an
arrangement of items from an existing composition that gets treated as a
separate work. |
| swat
+ swot |
It's
easiest to hit a fly with a fly swat. |
| Serious
students swot (AmE
cram) hard for their exams. |
| systematic
+ systemic |
An
action or process executed methodically, or according to some system or
plan (with or without official blessing!), is systematic. So, for
example, in recent decades we have witnessed the systematic
destruction of tropical rain forests. |
| If
a problem is systemic it affects the whole of something and not just part
of it. Japan's preference for self-regulation instead of independent
outside inspection has led to systemic corruption in many
industries. |
| tire
+ tyre |
(1)
If tasks demand a lot of energy they tire you.
(2) Some kids never tire of playing. |
| A tyre (AmE
tire) is a ring of (usually inflated) rubber placed around the rim of a
wheel to soften contact with the road. |
| troop
+ troupe |
(1)
A troop is a cavalry unit under the command of a captain.
(2) Troops are a large collection of soldiers forming a fighting
force.
(3) A troop of animals or people is a group of them. |
| A troupe
is a group of actors, singers, dancers or acrobats who perform together. |
| wave
+ waive |
(1)
North Koreans are not allowed to wave back to people across the
border in China. Plain clothes guards watch them all the time.
(2) After an earthquake there is the possibility of a tidal wave.
(3) Another wave of violence has struck the West Bank. |
(1)
The French authorities traditionally waive parking fines when a new
president takes office. People don't have to pay them.
(2) If you waive your right to something you opt to do without it. |
| whose
+ who's |
"Whose
racquet is that?" "It's Melissa's." |
| "Who's
Melissa?" "She's my doubles partner!" |
| your
+ you're |
"Ms.
Harrison, your husband won $10,000 in the lottery but I'm afraid he
forgot to claim it in time." |
| "You're
joking!" |
|
|
|
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