Commonly Confused Homonyms:
Distinguish
between homonyms (words that sound alike but have different meanings)
Do
not confuse the following:
|
Accept (receive) |
Except (leave out) |
|
Heroin (drug) |
Heroine (lead character) |
|
Access (approach) |
Excess (too much) |
|
Hole (opening) |
Whole (entire) |
|
Adapt (change) |
Adopt (choose) |
|
Holy (sacred) |
Wholly (entirely) |
|
Advice (noun) |
Advise (verb) |
|
Human (people) |
Humane (merciful) |
|
Affect (influence) |
Effect (result) |
|
Immigrate (come in) |
Emigrate (leave) |
|
Allot (distribute) |
A lot (a large amount) |
|
Its (possessive of it) |
It’s (contraction of it is) |
|
Allude (suggest) |
Elude (escape) |
|
Know (be aware) |
No (negative) |
|
Allusion (suggestion) |
Illusion (deception) |
|
Lead (metal, guide) |
Led (guided) |
|
Altar (church table) |
Alter (change) |
|
Lesson (instruction ) |
Lessen (reduce) |
|
All together (everyone) |
Altogether (entirely) |
|
Lightning (storm) |
Lightening (reduce) |
|
Ascent (climb) |
Assent (agree) |
|
Maybe (perhaps) |
May be (could be) |
|
Always (at all times) |
All ways (all methods) |
|
Meat (food) |
Meet (encounter) |
|
Bare (uncovered) |
Bear (carry, animal) |
|
Miner (excavator) |
Minor (under age) |
|
Bazaar (market) |
Bizarre (weird) |
|
Pair (two) Pear (fruit) |
Pare (peel, reduce) |
|
Birth (childbearing) |
Berth (place of rest) |
|
Passed (went by) |
Past (earlier time) |
|
Board (plank) |
Bored (uninterested) |
|
Peace (absence of war) |
Piece (part) |
|
Born (given birth to) |
Borne (carried) |
|
Peer (look, equal) |
Pier (pillar) |
|
Break (smash, split) |
Brake (stopping device) |
|
Personal (individual) |
Personnel (staff) |
|
Breath (noun) |
Breathe (verb) |
|
Perspective (view) |
Prospective (future) |
|
Canvas (fabric) |
Canvass (examine) |
|
Prophecy (noun) |
Prophesy (verb) |
|
Capital (city, money) |
Capitol (building) |
|
Plain (simple, flat land) |
Plane (smooth, flying) |
|
Censor (prohibit) |
Sensor (measuring) |
|
Pray (ask) |
Prey (hunt) |
|
Chose (past tense) |
Choose (present tense) |
|
Principle (rule) |
Principal (head, money) |
|
Coarse (rough) |
Course (way, path) |
|
Quiet (silent) |
Quite (very much) |
|
Compliment (praise) |
Complement (complete) |
|
Rain (precipitation) |
Reign (rule) Rein (horse) |
|
Conscience (morals) |
Conscious (aware) |
|
Right (license, proper) |
Write (compose) |
|
Council (committee) |
Counsel (advice, advisor) |
|
Road (path) |
Rode (past tense ride) |
|
Curser (swearer) |
Cursor (computer) |
|
Scene (setting) |
Seen (perceived) |
|
Device (noun) |
Devise (verb) |
|
Sense (perception) |
Since (from that time) |
|
Dairy (milk farm) |
Diary (daily book) |
|
Shone (past tense shine) |
Shown (displayed) |
|
Dessert (sweet food) |
Desert (dry land) |
|
Stationary (still) |
Stationery (paper) |
|
Dissent (disagreement) |
Descent (move down) |
|
Straight (not curved) |
Strait (narrow place) |
|
Dual (two parts) |
Duel (fight) |
|
Tact (diplomacy) |
Tack (approach) |
|
Dye (color) |
Die (expire) |
|
Taut (tight) |
Taught (past tense teach) |
|
Elicit (draw forth) |
Illicit (improper) |
|
Than (comparison) |
Then (at that time) |
|
Eminent (noteworthy) |
Imminent (impending) |
|
Their (poss.) There |
(place) They’re (they are) |
|
Ensure (make certain) |
Insure (indemnify) |
|
Threw (past of throw) |
Through (by way of) |
|
Envelope (noun) |
Envelop (verb) |
|
To (in direction of) |
Two (2) Too (also) |
|
Everyday (ordinary) |
Every day (each day) |
|
Waist (on the torso) |
Waste (squander) |
|
Exercise (activity) |
Exorcise (drive out) |
|
Weak (feeble) |
Week (seven days) |
|
Fair (just) |
Fare (food, fee) |
|
Weather (atmospheric) |
Whether (if, in case) |
|
Faze (disturb) |
Phase (stage) |
|
Wear (carry on body) |
Where (in that place) |
|
Formerly (earlier) |
Formally (by a pattern) |
|
Which (that one) |
Witch (sorceress) |
|
Forth (forward) |
Fourth (4th) |
|
Whose (possessive) |
Who’s (who is) |
|
Gorilla (ape) |
Guerilla (fighter) |
|
Write (inscribe) |
Right (correct) |
|
Hear (perceive) |
Here (in this place) |
|
Your (possessive) |
You’re (you are) |
|
Heard (perceived) |
Herd (group of animals) |
|
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