Commonly Confused Words

1.Some words that are spelled differently but sound exactly the same.

2.Some words that are spelled the same but are pronounced differently.

3.Some words that do not share the same spelling or pronunciation but are often confused.

These are your commonly confused words.

1. Commonly Confused Words - Homonyms

Words that are spelled differently but sound exactly the same.

Homonyms Its / It’s To / Two / Too There / Their / They’re Then /Than

Example One : Its and It’s

ITS: the possessive pronoun IT’S: the contraction (short for it is).

It’s common for the cat to lick its claws.

Example Two: To, Too, and Two

TO preposition

Walk to the car (toward) infinitive indicator

To skate TOO can mean also or indicate degree TWO is the number following one

The two girls wanted to go to the skating rink too, but it was too late.

Example Three: Their , They’re, and There

THEIR: (possessive pronoun) Belonging to them THEY’RE: (contraction) They are THERE: (adv) At or in that place (primary def.)

They’re leaving their tired dog over there.

Example Four: Then and Than

Than is a conjunction used in comparisons Then is an adverb denoting time.

Bob noticed that some pigeons were much bigger than others and then he realized they weren’t pigeons at all!

As a noun, principal means "head" or "chief;" as an adjective, "highest" or "best.“

Principle means "basic truth, law, or assumption." Principle is NEVER an adjective.The principal author gave the lecture. He

acts according to the highest principles.

Example Five: principal, principle

2. Commonly Confused Words - Same Verbs with Different Sounds

Words that are spelled the same but are pronounced differently.

Life / Live Everyday / Every day

Example One: Life and Live

These words can get very complicated. LIFE (long vowel sound like pie) is a

noun, whose plural is LIVES (long vowel sound)

LIVE is a verb (short vowel sound like in) and the singular present tense of that verb is LIVES (also short vowel sound)

LIVE (with the long vowel like pie) is an adjective that is short for alive.

In his life, the doctor saved many lives.I live in Miami, but my brother lives in Tampa.I love to watch Saturday Night Live.

Example Two: Every Day and Everyday

To determine which one of these is appropriate, ask yourself whether you want to say each day or whether you are looking for an adjective that means common or ordinary.

Every day is special. Don’t weigh yourself down with everyday concerns.

3. Commonly Confused Words – Different Words

Some words that do not share the same spelling or pronunciation but are often confused.

affect, effectassure, ensure, insure

Example One - affect, effect

To affect is to influence or change. To effect is to bring about. An effect is a result or

an influence.Ingesting alcohol affects her driving

competence. Margaritas effect an undesirable change in his personality; he shouts and tells you that they have no effect on his speech.

NOTE: "Impact" is frequently and inappropriately used as a verb; "affect" is a better choice.

These cuts impact our project. These cuts affect our project.

Example Two: assure, ensure, insure Assure means "to convince," "to guarantee." Insure means "to guard against loss." Ensure means "to make certain."

Assure and ensure are often used interchangeably, but they actually have different meanings. Assure takes a direct object--usually a person or group

of persons. You assure someone that something has been done.

Ensure does not imply that you are giving assurance to someone else. You ensure that something has been done.

Examples: I assure you of my good intentions. Please insure this package. Ensure that you lock your car.

Websites for commonly confused words

Commonly Confused Words, A-Z http://www.pnl.gov/ag/usage/confuse.html

AskOxford.com http://www.askoxford.com/betterwriting/classicerrors/confus

ed/?view=ukQuizzes http://virtual.yosemite.cc.ca.us/lumanr/904_stuff/confwords.h

tm

Other sites for Commonly Confused Words http://homepage.smc.edu/reading_lab/words_commonly_conf

used.htm http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/4778/CattCnf

sdWrdsMn.htm http://www.rinkworks.com/words/confused.shtml http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/sentence/confused.htm http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/conford.html http://www.wsuonline.weber.edu/wrh/words.htm

DICTIONARIES CCSD ONline Dictionary Hypertext Webster Dict. search page The American·British - British·American Dic

tionary The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaur

us On-line Dictionaries ROGET'S Thesaurus Online The American·British - British·American Dic

tionary WWWebster Dictionary - Search screen Dictionary.com