Common Mistakes and Confusing Words in English

Let's face it, English can be confusing. A lot of words are similar but with different meanings, as a result it is almost impossible to avoid making mistakes in English, but if you can get your head around these explanations, you might be able to avoid making these ones or at least recognize them when you see them.

accept vs except | accessary vs accessory | advice vs advise

affect vs effect | a lot/alot/allot

all ready vs already | all right vs alright | allude vs elude | alone vs lonely

altogether vs all together | ambivalent vs indifferent

any vs some | any one vs anyone

apart vs a part | around vs round | assume vs know vs think

astrology vs astronomy | at vs in

bald vs bold | been vs gone | beside vs besides

bold vs bald | bored vs boring | borrow vs lend

bought vs brought | by vs until

capital vs capitol | captivate vs capture

career vs carrier vs courier | certain vs curtain

check vs control | close vs closed | close vs shut

collage vs college | come over vs overcome

complement vs compliment

concentrate vs concentrated | confuse vs confess | council vs counsel

councillor vs counsellor | curious vs interesting | curtain vs certain

data vs datum | decent vs descent | decision vs division

defrost vs melt | desperate vs disparate | destroy vs destruct

discreet vs discrete | division vs decision | do or make

don't have to vs mustn't | dose vs doze | downside vs underside

draught vs drought | dress up vs get dressed | driving test vs test drive

drought vs draught

effect vs affect | e.g. or i.e. | -er vs -re | either or vs neither nor

either vs as well / too

enquire vs inquire | enquiry vs inquiry

every day vs everyday | except vs accept | except vs expect | excited vs exciting

expand vs expend | expect vs except | experience vs experience(s) | extra vs surplus

fewer vs less | for vs since (time) | full stop vs period | get dressed vs dress up

good vs well | going out vs outgoing | gone vs been

hard vs hardly | hear vs listen | heroin vs heroine | he's vs his

holiday vs the weekend | homework vs housework

hope vs wish | "How do you do?" vs "How are you?"

I vs me | improve vs improvise

inquire vs enquire | inquiry vs enquiry

interested vs interesting | interesting vs curious

know vs assume vs think | know vs now

later vs latter | lay vs lie | lay down vs lie down | leaped vs leapt

learn vs teach | less vs fewer | live vs stay

look after vs look for | look at vs watch

look forward(s) vs look forward to

look over vs overlook | loose vs lose

massage vs message | me vs I | me vs my | moan vs mourn

moral vs morale | most vs the most | most vs mostly | mourn vs moan | my vs me

neither | nor vs or | now vs know

ointment | ornament | or vs nor

outgoing vs going out | outgoings vs outgoing

overlook vs look over | overrun vs run over | overtake vs takeover / take over

of course vs off course | pass away vs pass out | period vs full stop

personal vs personnel | practice vs practise

precede vs proceed | principal vs principle

proceed vs precede | probably vs properly

quiet vs quite

raise/rise | -re vs -er | regard vs regardless vs regards | remainder vs reminder

remember vs remind | replay vs reply | round vs around | run over vs overrun

said vs told | say vs talk | say vs tell | scared vs scary

see vs watch | shortage vs shortness | shut vs close

so vs such | some vs any | some time vs sometime vs sometimes

sooth vs soothe | stationary vs stationery | stay vs live | stick vs sticker | strange vs stranger

stuff vs things | surplus vs extra

take care vs take care of | takeover / take over vs overtake

talk vs say | teach vs learn

tell vs say | than vs then | that / which / who

then vs than | think vs assume vs know

told vs said | to/too/two | there/their/they're | things vs stuff

trainer vs trainee | travel/trip/voyage/journey

us vs we | used to vs used to do

wander vs wonder | warn vs worn | watch vs look at

watch vs see | we vs us | what vs which

wish vs hope | who vs which vs that

who vs whom | wrong vs wrongly

Happy Learning!

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