Commonly confused words Commonly confused words A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O PQ R S T UV W a lot / allot abjure / adjure accede / exceed accent / ascent accept / except accident / incident add / ad adept adapt / adopt adverse / averse advice / advise affect / effect aid / aide AIDS / HIV ail / ale aisle / isle align / alien allay / alley allude / elude allusion / illusion all ways / always aloud / allowed already / all ready already / just altar / alter altogether / all together amend / emend amiable / amicable amoral / immoral angel / angle annual / annul apart / a part apposite / opposite appraise / apprise ascribe / describe assay / essay assent / ascent aural / oral avenge / revenge await / wait axis / axes backup / back up bait / bate bale / bail balk / bulk ball / bawl balmy / barmy ban / bane bare / bear bath / bathe bazaar / bizarre beat / beet beech / beach been to / gone to belief / believe below / bellow berth / birth beside / besides biannual / biennial bight / bite born / borne borrow / lend brake / break breath / breathe bridal / bridle bruit / brute bunny / rabbit Commonly confused words cacao / cocoa cache / cash calendar / colander callous / callus canon / cannon canvas / canvass career / carrier carton / cartoon censure / censor cent / scent cereal / serial cheap / cheep childish / childlike choose / chose click / clique clime/ climb collusion / collision complacent / complaisant complement / compliment council / counsel coupe / coop course / coarse creek / creak custom / costume dab / dub dairy / diary damp / dump dank / dunk deal / dill decent / descent / dissent decry / descry deduce / induce deem / dim deep / dip deer / dear defer / differ defuse / diffuse defy / deify delude / dilute demur / demure denounce / renounce depart / deport deprave / deprive deprecate / depreciate describe / ascribe dessert / desert detract / distract device / devise devote / devout dew / due die / dye diner / dinner disease / decease disinterested / uninterested dispel / expel disperse / disburse distrust / mistrust discard / discord disk / desk discreet / discrete dual / duel each / every edict / addict effect / affect ego / ago eject / reject elicit / illicit eligible / illegible elude / allude emend / amend emigrate / immigrate empathy / sympathy ensure / insure entitle / title envelop / envelope essay / assay everyday / every day everyone / every one exceed / accede except / accept exhort / extort fad / fade fare / fair farm / form faze / phase feat / feet feint / faint fiancé / fiancée flare / flair fleet / flit floe / flow floor / story flounder / founder flue / flu follow / fellow for sale / on sale forbear / forebear forte / fort forth / fourth forward / foreword fowl / foul further / farther gabble / gable gaff / gaffe gait / gate gap / gape German / germane glad / glade goal / gaol gorilla / guerrilla gilt / guilt grate / great grip / gripe grizzly / grisly guarantee / warranty hail / hale half / huff hall / haul harry / hurry haste / heist haunt / hunt heal / heel heroin / heroine hoard / horde hobby / hubby horde / hoard human / humane illegible / eligible illicit / elicit illusion / allusion immigrate / emigrate imminent / eminent immoral / amoral in case / if in the end / at the end in time / on time incident / accident incite / insight induce / deduce inflict / afflict ingenious / ingenuous injured / wounded insidious / invidious insure / ensure isle / aisle jog / jug keen / kin keep / kip ketchup / catsup knack / neck knead / need knit / neatk notty / naughty kook / cook lair / liar last / take later / latter launch / lunch leech / leach leek / leak less / fewer lessen / lesson levy / levee lien / lean lightning / lightening literal / littoral load / lode loan / lone local / locale loose / lose lop / lope lute / loot Mach / much magnate / magnet mail / male maize / maze mall / maul mantel / mantle meat / meet marital / martial marry / merry material / materiel May Day / mayday miner / minor mitigate / militate moan / mown moral / morale muscle / mussel nap / nape naughty / knotty neat / nit neck / knack need vs. knead noble / nobble nuts / nut oar / ore opt / oft opposite / apposite oral / aural ought / aught overdue / overdo pain / pane pair / pare pale / pail pallet / palate patience / patients pedal / paddle plane / plain peek / peak peel / peal peer / pear phase / faze pique / peek principal / principle proceed / precede prodigious/ prodigal psychology / psychiatry punch / paunch pure /pour quail / quell quiet / quit quite / quiet rabbit / bunny raise vs. rise raze / raise reign / rein reject / eject revenge / avenge rifle / riffle ring / wring rite / write role / roll root / route route / rout sage / sag sail / sale sensitive / sensible serial / cereal shadow / shade sight / site slate / slat spectre / specter soar / sore sometimes / sometime sore / sour soul /sole stationary / stationery statue / statute stuff / staff super / supper tail / tale tamper / temper teak / tick teal / till team / teem thorough / through throne / thrown till / until tool / toll turgid / turbid turtle / tortoise unsatisfied / dissatisfied until / till urbane / urban utmost / upmost vain / vein vault / volt venal / venial verb vs. verve vicious / viscous vocation / vacation wack / whack wade / wad waist / waste waive / wave warp / wrap weary vs. wary weather / whether week / weak whenever / when whet / wet whit / wit with / by wonder / wander wreath / wreathe wring / ring yoke / yolk –
