Commonly confused words

deer vs. dear deer (a wild animal that eats grass) The month of November is a good time for deer hunting. I saw a herd of about twenty deer.   dear (valued or loved very much) She lost everything that was dear to her. He is a dear friend of …

deep vs. dip deep (far down from the surface to the bottom) Still waters have deep bottoms. We still have to dig deeper.   dip (lower into a liquid) Dip your finger in to see how hot the water is. He dipped his brush lightly in the paint.     …

deem vs. dim deem (regard or consider in a particular way) She deems it an honor to be invited. The building has now been deemed safe.   dim (less bright) The light was too dim for me to see anything. He switched the headlights from dim to full.     …

deduce vs. induce deduce (to reach an answer using information or evidence) We can deduce that the fish died due to water pollution. What we deduce from her silence is that she disagrees.   induce (make someone do something) Nothing can induce me to stay. She tries to induce him to …

deal vs. dill deal (an agreement in business or politics) I want to make a deal with you. After a deal between the army and the guerillas, the soldiers were released.   dill (a plant of the parsley family) Basil, mint, and dill are all herbs. Dill is used to …