Commonly confused words

  breath noun (air that you take into and out of your lungs) Your breath smells of alcohol. It’s so cold that you can see people’s breath. breathe verb (take air into and out of your lungs) Try to breathe through your nose. I can hardly breathe in this airless …

brake vs. break brake (slow down or stop) Try to brake gently whenever you approach the bend. His illness acted as a brake on his progress. break (separate into pieces) Sorry, I didn’t mean to break your glasses. They used force to break the door.   brake vs. break – …

born vs. borne born (brought into existence) I was born in Boston. No man is born wise or learned. borne (carried or transported by) The boat was borne along by the current. It’s a waterborne disease.   born vs. borne – English Vocabulary

biannual vs. biennial biannual (occurring twice a year) Our club holds biannual meetings in January and July. By tomorrow, you must submit the biannual report. biennial (occurring once every two years) This is a biennial art show; it won’t happen again for two more years. We hold an annual or …

beside vs. besides beside (close to, at the side of) Come here and sit beside me. There is a table beside my bed. besides (other than, in addition to) There was no one there besides Jane and me. I want to learn Spanish languages besides English.   beside vs. besides …