Commonly confused words

all ways vs. always all ways (every way, every method) This is the best summer in all ways. We tried all possible ways to fix the oil spill.   always (all the time, at all times) You are always on time. Mike always locks his bicycle to something secure.   …

  allude (to speak of, or mention indirectly) I didn’t allude to her ex-husband. She alluded to the problem but did not mention it.   elude (to avoid, or escape from) They managed to elude the police for two months. (to fail to understand or remember) The cause of the accident has eluded them so …

align vs. alien align (arrange in a straight line) They aligned the desks perfectly. You have to align the bottles on the shelf.   alien (not familiar, strange) He’ll get used to the alien environment over time. She was speaking a language that was totally alien to me.   align …

aisle vs. isle aisle (walkway) between rows of seats Would you like an aisle seat or a window seat? During the concert, people were dancing in the aisles.   isle (island) Our ship finally dropped anchor near a beautiful isle. They were exploring the most remote isles.     aisle …

ail vs. ale ail (to cause trouble, afflict) There is no simple solution to what ails our education system. (to suffer bad health) She was ailing from a cold.   ale (a type of strong beer) He likes ginger ale with his lunch.     ail vs. ale – English …