Commonly confused words

disk vs. desk disk (=disc British English) (a flat circular object) She put the disk on a phonograph. The compact disk holds no more than 700 MB.   desk (a table for writing and reading) There is a pile of papers on my desk. The notebook is in my desk …

discard vs. discord discard (get rid of, throw away) I want to discard all these old materials. Discard the excess fat and cut the meat into small pieces.   discord (disagreement, argument) Money is the biggest cause of discord in marriage. There has always been discord over nuclear matters.   …

distrust vs. mistrust distrust (not trust) based on experience or reliable information We don’t have any reason to distrust them. I distrust door-to-door salesmen.   mistrust (not trust) based on a general sense of unease He has a deep mistrust of strangers. I mistrust him, but I don’t know why.   distrust …

disperse vs. disburse disperse (to move away over a large area) The police used a water cannon to disperse the protesters. When the rain started, the crowd began to disperse. disburse (pay out, usually from a public fund or treasury) The central government annually disburses about $70 million on education. …

dispel vs. expel dispel (make something disappear) The report should dispel any doubts about the company’s future. They installed many lights to dispel shadows.   expel (force to leave a place) He was expelled from school for smoking. The army managed to expel the enemy from the city.     dispel …