Commonly confused words, also called malapropisms, are often incorrectly used in the place of another similar sounding word. Sometimes a phrase is also misused. This article will focus on a few commonly confused words, their meanings, and how they are used in sentences.
Commonly confused words
Affect and
effect:
Affect is a verb and it means to have an impact on something.
Effect is the impact that something causes. A good way to remember this is that
affect is the
action and
effect is the
end result.
The missing assignments will have a large affect on my final grade.
The effect of my missing assignments was unpleasant.
Farther and
further:
Farther relates to a physical distance. You can remember this by remembering that the word "farther" has the word
"far" in it.
Further means to help advance something to a greater point.
How much farther do we have to drive?
I don't wish to explain further.
Than and
then:
Than is used to compare things. Than is used in the expression "rather than" and it has an 'a' to match the 'a' in rather.
Then is used when discussing chronological order. Then can also be used when referring to time. Then has an 'e' in it, like when does.
First I put on my coat, then I put on my gloves.
My coat is warmer than yours.
Your and
You're:
Your is a possessive word.
You're is used to replace "you are". Say a sentence to yourself. If you can say "you are" then you use you're. Otherwise, you should use your.
I like your outfit today.
I like the shirt you're wearing today.
There,
their, and
they're:
There is used to refer to a place.
Their is possessive, and
they're is another way of saying "they are".
The extra cat food is over there.
I left my homework at their house.
They're going to a party on Friday night.
It's and
its:
It's is a way of saying "it is" and
its is possessive.
It's raining cats and dogs outside!
I put the last puzzle piece in its place.
Accept and
except:
Accept is used when you are including something. You should use
except when you are excluding something.
Some places accept different forms of payment.
There are no exceptions to this rule.
Allusion and
illusion: An
allusion is used when referring to something that is mentioned somewhere else. An
illusion is a false appearance.
My paper made an allusion to Shakespeare's writing.
My happiness is just an illusion.
Passed and
past:
Pass means to move forward and ahead of something.
Passed can also be used when someone passes away, or when someone passes a test.
I passed the supermarket on the way home.
It is fifteen past four.
Who and
whom:
Whom is the object in a sentence and
who is the subject in a sentence. Whom can be used to replace "him or her" and who can be used to replace "he or she".
Who is your English teacher?
For whom did you make the brownies?
Advice and
advise:
Advice is used when you are referring to suggestions being made and
advise is the act of giving advice.
A lot of people enjoy giving advice on the Support Forums.
I advise you to check out the Chat Room.
Dyeing and
dying:
Dyeing is to change the color of something and
dying is used when referring to the loss of a life.
I am going to dye my hair different shades of purple.
My grandmother is dying.
Forth and
fourth:
Forth is used when moving forward and
fourth is numerical.
I paced back and forth across the living room.
I was fourth in line for the book signing.
Patience and
patients:
Patience is being able to wait without getting irritated.
Patients are people receiving treatment from a doctor.
I showed patience by waiting in line for several hours.
My psychiatrist has a lot of patients.
Weather and
whether:
Weather means the current state of the environment in a given location, such as rainy or sunny.
Whether is normally used to talk about alternatives.
The weather is cold today.
I was wondering whether or not you would like to go to lunch with me.
Alot, a
lot, and
allot: The word
a lot is frequently misspelled as “
alot,” but this is not the proper spelling. "Alot" is not a word.
Allot means to give distribute something for a particular task.
A lot of people use TeenHelp.
Please use your allotted time wisely.
All ready and
already:
All ready means that a person is fully prepared.
Already means prior to a specified time.
They are all ready for the field trip.
I already packed my bags.
Breath and
breathe: A
breath is the actual air you draw into your lungs.
Breathe is the action of taking this air into your lungs.
Take a deep breath.
It is difficult to breathe.
Principal and
principle: A
principal is someone who holds a rank such as the head of a school. A
principle is a basic rule perceived to be true.
The school principal created a new rule.
It is against her principles to lie.
Lead and
led:
Lead either means a toxic metal, or the action of guiding someone.
Led is the past tense of lead.
The old house contained lead paint.
I will lead the new student to the cafeteria.
The new student was led to the cafeteria.
Too,
two, and
to:
Too is used with quantities, or in place of a word such as “also.”
To is used with a location or verb.
Two is a number.
I would like to go to the library, too.
I have two books.
I have to go to the library.
Desert and
dessert:
Desert can either mean to leave or abandon someone, or a barren area that normally does not have a lot of water or vegetation.
Dessert is what you eat after dinner. Another way to differentiate the two spellings is to think of dessert. You always want more dessert, and dessert has an extra s.
The ghost town was completely deserted.
Camels live in the desert.
I want some dessert after dinner.
Lie and
lay: When you are talking about the word
lie, you are not talking about a direct object. With
lay, you are speaking about a direct object. Lay is the past tense of the word lie.
I have to lie down.
You should lay the box down on the table.
Lose and
loose: To
lose something is to misplace it or to part with something.
Loose means not tight. It also means releasing an arrow.
Did you lose your textbook?
My tooth is loose.
Apart and
a part:
Apart means something is separated.
A part means a piece of something.
She tore apart the piece of paper.
I want to be a part of this project.
Cite,
sight, and
site: When you
cite something, you give a formal mention to it.
Sight has to do with vision or seeing something.
Site is a specific place.
Always cite your sources when writing an essay.
The building was in sight.
I went to the construction site.
Allowed and
aloud: Being
allowed means that it is possible for something to happen.
Aloud means that you are speaking verbally.
I was allowed to go to my friend’s house over the weekend.
I had to read aloud in class.
Commonly confused phrases
Supposed to and
used to: It is common for people to say “suppose to” or “use to,” but this is not correct.
Supposed to is talking about something that you think will happen in the future, or something that is required of you.
Used to refers to something that was done in the past, but isn’t done anymore.
I was supposed to be doing my chores right now.
I used go to that school.
Couldn't care less and
Could care less: When someone says that they could care less, this generally isn’t what they mean. They are essentially saying that it is possible for them to care less about something. Most of the time, what people really mean is that there is no way that they could care less about a situation. Therefore, the appropriate term is
couldn’t care less.
I couldn’t care less about this class.
Besides the point and
beside the point: Beside means to be next to something. Besides means in addition to, or otherwise.
Beside the point means that something is irrelevant to what is being discussed.
Drinking water is healthy; whether or not you like it is beside the point.
Nip it in the butt and
nip it in the bud:
Nip it in the bud means to stop something before it starts. If you nip a flower in the bud, the flower will not bloom. Nip it in the butt is not an expression.
Should of,
could of, and
would of: Phrases like these are incorrect. Even though when spoken quickly, it sounds like the word “of” is being used, the proper word to use is “
have.”
I should have gone to the doctor.
I could have taken that class.
I would have gone to the party if I didn’t have to work.
Using the appropriate spelling and grammar in your writing will make you look more professional. This will come in handy when writing formal letters, in your education, or in the workplace. If you are not sure of the proper spelling or grammar structure, you can look it up online or ask a trusted friend to proofread for you. With practice, it will be easier to remember the proper way to use words and phrases, and the benefits are great.
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