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CommonlyconfusedwordsTakealookatthesetwosentencesoneofthemcontainsamistake:

Ipouredoverbookafterbook.

Weporedoverthecatalogues.

Areyouuncertainwhichoneisright?TherearealotofwordsinEnglishthatlookorsoundalikebuthaveverydifferentmeanings,suchasporeandpourorflauntandflout.Itseasytogetthemconfusedandmostelectronicspellcheckerswontbemuchhelpinthistypeofsituation:theycantellyouifawordhasbeenspelledwronglybuttheycantgenerallyflagupthemisuseofacorrectlyspelledword.

Heresaquickreferencelistofpairsofwordsthatregularlycausepeopleproblems.ThewordsfollowtheacceptedBritishEnglishspelling.SomeofthemdohavealternativeAmericanspellingsandyouwillfindtheseatthemaindictionaryentryonthiswebsite.

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Word1 Meaning Word2 Meaningaccept toagreetoreceiveordo except notincluding

adverse unfavourable,harmful averse stronglydislikingopposedadvice recommendationsaboutwhattodo advise torecommendsomethingaffect tochangeormakeadifferenceto effect aresulttobringaboutaresultaisle apassagebetweenrowsofseats isle anislandalltogether allinoneplace,allatonce altogether completelyonthewhole

along movingorextendinghorizontallyon along referringtosomethingofgreatlengthaloud outloud allowed permittedaltar asacredtableinachurch alter tochange

amoral notconcernedwithrightorwrong immoral notfollowingacceptedmoralstandardsappraise toassess apprise toinformsomeoneassent agreement,approval ascent theactionofrisingorclimbingupaural relatingtotheearsorhearing oral relatingtothemouthspokenbalmy pleasantlywarm barmy foolish,crazybare nakedtouncover bear tocarrytoputupwith

bated inphrase'withbatedbreath',i.e.ingreatsuspense baited withbaitattachedorinserted

bazaar aMiddleEasternmarket bizarre strange

berth abunkinaship,train,etc. birth theemergenceofababyfromthewombborn havingstartedlife borne carried

bough abranchofatree bow tobendtheheadthefrontofaship

brake adeviceforstoppingavehicletostopavehicle break toseparateintopiecesapause

breach tobreakthrough,orbreakaruleagap breech thebackpartofagunbarrelbroach toraiseasubjectfordiscussion brooch apieceofjewellerycanvas atypeofstrongcloth canvass toseekpeoplesvotes

censure tocriticizestrongly censor tobanpartsofabookorfilmapersonwhodoesthis

cereal agrassproducinganediblegrainabreakfastfoodmadefromgrains serial happeninginaseries

chord agroupofmusicalnotes cord alengthofstringacordlikebodypartclimactic formingaclimax climatic relatingtoclimate

coarse rough course adirectionaschoolsubjectpartofamealcomplacent smugandselfsatisfied complaisant willingtoplease

complement toaddtosoastoimproveanadditionthatimprovessomething complimenttopraiseorexpressapprovalanadmiringremark

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council agroupofpeoplewhomanageoradvise counsel advicetoadvisecue asignalforactionawoodenrod queue alineofpeopleorvehicles

curb tokeepsomethingincheckacontrolorlimit kerb(inBritishEnglish)thestoneedgeofapavement

currant adriedgrape current happeningnowaflowofwater,air,orelectricitydefuse tomakeasituationlesstense diffuse tospreadoverawidearea

desert awaterless,emptyareatoabandonsomeone dessert thesweetcourseofameal

discreet carefulnottoattractattention discrete separateanddistinctdisinterested impartial uninterested notinterested

draught acurrentofair draft afirstversionofapieceofwritingdraw anevenscoreattheendofagame drawer aslidingstoragecompartment

dual havingtwoparts duel afightorcontestbetweentwopeopleelicit todrawoutareplyorreaction illicit notallowedbylaworrules

ensure tomakecertainthatsomethingwillhappen insuretoprovidecompensationifapersondiesorpropertyisdamaged

envelop tocoverorsurround envelope apapercontainerforaletterexercise physicalactivitytodophysicalactivity exorcise todriveoutanevilspirit

fawn ayoungdeerlightbrown faun amythicalbeing,partman,partgoatflaunt todisplayostentatiously flout todisregardarule

flounder tomoveclumsilytohavedifficultydoingsomething founder tofail

forbear torefrain forebear anancestorforeword anintroductiontoabook forward onwards,aheadfreeze toturntoice frieze adecorationalongawallgrisly gruesome,revolting grizzly atypeofbearhoard astore horde alargecrowdofpeopleimply tosuggestindirectly infer todrawaconclusionloath reluctant,unwilling loathe tohate

loose tounfastentosetfree lose tobedeprivedoftobeunabletofindmeter ameasuringdevice metre ametricunitrhythminversemilitate tobeapowerfulfactoragainst mitigate tomakelessseverepalate theroofofthemouth palette aboardformixingcolourspedal afootoperatedlever peddle tosellgoods

pole along,slenderpieceofwood poll votinginanelection

pour tofloworcausetoflow pore atinyopeningtostudy

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somethingclosely

practice theuseofanideaormethodtheworkorbusinessofadoctor,dentist,etc. practisetodosomethingrepeatedlytogainskilltodosomethingregularly

prescribe toauthorizeuseofmedicinetoorderauthoritatively proscribe toofficiallyforbidsomething

principal mostimportanttheheadofaschool principle afundamentalruleorbeliefsceptic apersoninclinedtodoubt septic infectedwithbacteriasight theabilitytosee site alocationstationary notmoving stationery writingmaterialsstorey alevelofabuilding story ataleoraccounttitillate toarouseinterest titivate tomakemoreattractivetortuous fulloftwistscomplex torturous fullofpainorsufferingwreath aringshapedarrangementofflowersetc. wreathe tosurroundorencircle

Backtousage.

Youmayalsobeinterestedin

Shallorwill?

Whoorwhom?

Canormay?

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CommonlyConfusedWords

1. 1)Whichofthefollowingiscorrect?

heunpluggedthepowerchord

4/12/2015 CommonlyconfusedwordsOxfordDictionaries

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heunpluggedthepowercord

NextScore:0/0

Grammarandusage

GrammarGrammartips

CompoundsubjectsDoublenegativesDanglingparticiplesEndingsentenceswithprepositionsMatchingsubjectsandverbsMatchingverbstocollectivenounsPersonalpronounsPluralsofEnglishnounstakenfromLatinorGreekSingularnounstreatedaspluralSplitinfinitivesThecommaspliceUsingtheyandtheminthesingularVerbsfromnounsVerbswithtwodifferentpasttenseformsWhentousemyselfandyourselfWhentousepassiveverbsWhentousethesubjunctive

GrammarAZWordclasses(orpartsofspeech)

AdjectivesComparativeandsuperlativeadjectivesGradableandnongradableadjectivesQualitativeandclassifyingadjectives

AdverbsSentenceadverbsAdverbialsandadjuncts

ConjunctionsDeterminersExclamationsNouns

CountableanduncountablenounsPrepositionsPronounsVerbs

VerbtensesRegularandirregularverbsSubjectsandobjectsTransitiveandintransitiveverbsParticiplesActiveandpassiveverbsMoods

4/12/2015 CommonlyconfusedwordsOxfordDictionaries

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PhrasalverbsAuxiliaryverbs

Sentences,clauses,andphrasesSentencesClauses

RelativeclausesPhrases

SpellingAddingendingstowordsthatendinourAddingendingstowordsthatendinyAddingendingstowordsthatendinadoublelAbbreviations

AcronymsContractionsInitialismsShortenings

AddingfulorfullyAddinglyAnteoranti?CommonmisspellingsEndingsbeginningwithvowels

WordsendinginanceandenceWordsendinginancyandencyWordsspelledwithae/oeWordsendinginary,ory,anderyWordsendinginantandentWordsendinginefyandifyWordsendinginence/enseNounsendinginer,or,andarWordsendinginiousandeousWordsendinginogue/ogize,ise,oryse?WordsendinginableoribleNounsendinginacyandasy

Englishspellingchangesforeorfor?FormingadverbsFormingcomparativeandsuperlativeadjectivesHowwordsarebuiltibeforeeexceptaftercPluralsofnounsPrefixesandsuffixesSpellingdifferencesandchanges

Minusculeorminiscule?CurryingfavourOldandnewformsOnewordortwo?BritishandAmericanspelling

SpellingrulesandtipsTrackingthechanges

4/12/2015 CommonlyconfusedwordsOxfordDictionaries

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UsingcapitallettersVerbtenses:addingedandingWordscontainingtheletterqWordsendinginavowelpluslWordsendingincede,ceed,andsedeWordsendinginchandtchWordsendinginre/erWordsendinginsion,tion,andcionWordswithmisleadingbeginnings

PunctuationFullstop(.)Comma(,)Semicolon()Colon(:)Apostrophe()Hyphen()Dash()Brackets()[]InvertedcommasExclamationmark(!)Questionmark(?)BulletpointsPunctuationindirectspeechPunctuationinlistsPunctuationinabbreviations

WritinghelpTopwritingtips

ToptipsforbetterwritingToptipsforwordchoiceToptipsforCVwritingToptipsforwritingacoverletterToptipsforbetterbusinesswritingToptipsforwritingbetteressaysToptipsforwritingapersonalstatementToptipsforonlinewritingToptipsforcreativewritingToptipsforwritingasuccessfulspeechToptipsforwritingareview

BuildingapieceofwritingStructureCohesion

ClichsandredundantexpressionsAvoidingclichsAvoidingredundantexpressions

ApplyingforajobWritingaCV/rsumWritingjobapplications

LettersandinvitationsHowtolayoutaletter

Letterformats:block,modifiedblock,andsemiblock

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ChoosetherightgreetingandsignoffInvitationsandRSVPsInsuranceclaimsLettersofcomplaintLettersofcondolence

BusinesswritingHowtowriteabusinessletter

OptionalelementsforbusinesslettersHowtowritealetterofresignation

WritingabusinessemailBusinessemaildosanddon'tsEmailmistakestoavoid

WritingabusinessmemoPartsofamemo

WritingbusinessreportsStructuringabusinessreportReportpreparation

WritingessaysHowtoplantimeforessaywritingHowtounderstandtheessayquestionHowtodoresearchforanessayHowtoorganizematerialforyouressayWritingessaydrafts

ThelanguageofgenderThelanguageofmentalorphysicaldisability

UsageAhistoriceventoranhistoricevent?Adverseoraverse?Affectoreffect?Allrightoralright?Alludeorelude?Alternateoralternative?Amongoramongst?Amoralorimmoral?Assumeorpresume?Appraiseorapprise?Bareorbear?BetweenyouandmeBoredby,of,orwith?Bringortake?BritishandAmericantermsCanormay?Cannotorcannot?Censureorcensor?Cite,site,orsight?Climacticorclimatic?CommonlyconfusedwordsComparewithorcompareto?Complementorcompliment?Continualorcontinuous?

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Couldoforcouldhave?Denoteorconnote?DialectDifferentfrom,than,orto?Diffuseordefuse?Discreetordiscrete?Disinterestedoruninterested?Elicitorillicit?Enquireorinquire?Ensureorinsure?Especiallyorspecially?Fartherorfurther?Flairorflare?Flauntorflout?FormallanguageGrizzlyorgrisly?HeorsheversustheyHistoricorhistorical?HopefullyIorme?i.e.ore.g.?Implyorinfer?InformallanguageIrregardlessItsorits?Laidorlain?Learntorlearned?Lessorfewer?LikeLiterallyLiterarylanguageLooseorlose?Mayormight?NeitherandnorOldfashionedlanguageOntooronto?Phenomenonorphenomena?Principalorprinciple?Shallorwill?SlangStandardEnglishThankfullyThatorwhich?Themselvesor'themself?Theseorthose?Toortoo?Whoorwhom?Tortuousortorturous?

English(UK)

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