Commonly confused words

126 sets of words that writers mix up, each with the difference in one or two sentences, real examples, a way to remember it and two questions to test yourself.

Most looked up

By type

Sound-alike words52 sets. Words that sound the same (or almost) but mean different things.
Look-alike words26 sets. Words spelled almost the same that sound or mean something different.
Close in meaning20 sets. Related words people swap even though each has its own job.
One word or two14 sets. When to close up a phrase and when to keep the space.
Grammar choices14 sets. Pairs where the right choice depends on how the sentence is built.

A to Z

A

Accept vs. Except
Accept is a verb that means to receive or agree to something. Except is usually a preposition that means not...
Adapt vs. Adopt
Adapt means to change something, or yourself, to fit a new situation. Adopt means to take something as your own,...
Adverse vs. Averse
Adverse describes things that are harmful or unfavorable, like adverse weather or adverse effects. Averse describes...
Advice vs. Advise
Advice is a noun that means a suggestion about what someone should do. Advise is a verb that means to give that...
Aid vs. Aide
Aid means help, either as a noun (first aid, financial aid) or as a verb (to aid someone). Aide is always a noun...
Aisle vs. Isle
Aisle and isle sound the same. An aisle is a passage between rows of seats or shelves, as in a store or plane. An...
All ready vs. Already
Already is an adverb that means before now or sooner than expected. All ready is a phrase that means completely...
All right vs. Alright
All right and alright mean the same thing: okay, acceptable or safe. All right is the standard spelling and the...
All together vs. Altogether
Altogether is an adverb that means completely, in total or on the whole. All together is a phrase that means...
Allowed vs. Aloud
Allowed is the past form of allow and means permitted. Aloud is an adverb that means out loud, in a voice others...
Allude vs. Elude
Allude means to mention something indirectly, without naming it outright. Elude means to escape or avoid something,...
Allusion vs. Illusion
An allusion is an indirect reference to something, such as a book, a song or an event. An illusion is something...
Altar vs. Alter
Altar is a noun for a raised table used in ceremonies, such as weddings. Alter is a verb that means to change...
Alternate vs. Alternative
Alternative means another option you can choose instead. Alternate usually means every other one, or taking turns,...
Among vs. Between
Between is used for two people or things, and for separate, clearly distinct items in a list. Among is used for...
Amount vs. Number
Number is for things you can count one by one, like people, cars or apples. Amount is for things you measure but do...
Anymore vs. Any more
Anymore is an adverb that means any longer or nowadays, as in I don't drive anymore. Any more, as two words, means...
Anytime vs. Any time
Anytime is an adverb that means whenever or at any time, as in Call me anytime. Any time, as two words, is needed...
Apart vs. A part
Apart is an adverb that means separated by distance or time, or into pieces. A part, as two words, means one piece...
Assume vs. Presume
Assume and presume both mean to suppose something is true. Presume suggests you have some reason or evidence for...
Awhile vs. A while
Awhile is an adverb that means for a short time, as in Sit awhile. A while is a noun phrase meaning a period of...

B

Bare vs. Bear
Bare is usually an adjective meaning uncovered or plain, as in bare feet or the bare minimum. Bear is a large...
Beside vs. Besides
Beside is a preposition that means next to or at the side of. Besides means in addition to or except, and it can...
Biannual vs. Biennial
Biannual means twice a year. Biennial means once every two years. A biannual sale happens in spring and fall; a...
Boarder vs. Border
A border is a line or edge that separates two areas, such as countries, or a strip along an edge. A boarder is a...
Brake vs. Break
Brake means to slow or stop a vehicle, or the device that does it. Break has many meanings: to split into pieces,...
Breath vs. Breathe
Breath is a noun: the air that goes in and out of your lungs. Breathe is a verb: the act of taking air in and...
Bring vs. Take
Bring means to carry something toward the speaker or the place you are talking about. Take means to carry something...

C

Can vs. May
Can is about ability or possibility: I can swim. May is about permission or possibility: You may leave early. In...
Cannot vs. Can not
Cannot, written as one word, is the standard way to say can not. Can not, as two words, is used mainly when not...
Canvas vs. Canvass
Canvas is a noun for a strong, heavy cloth, used for tents, bags and paintings. Canvass is a verb that means to go...
Capital vs. Capitol
Capital has many uses: the city where a government is based, money for a business, or an uppercase letter. Capitol...
Choose vs. Chose
Choose is the main form of the verb, used for the present and future. Chose is the past tense. Today I choose tea;...
Chord vs. Cord
A chord is a group of musical notes played together, or a straight line joining two points on a circle. A cord is a...
Climactic vs. Climatic
Climactic describes a climax, the most exciting or important point of a story or event. Climatic describes climate,...
Coarse vs. Course
Coarse is an adjective meaning rough, thick or crude. Course is usually a noun for a path, a class, a part of a...
Complement vs. Compliment
Complement (noun or verb) is about completing something or going well with it. Compliment (noun or verb) is about...
Compose vs. Comprise
Compose means to make up a whole: the parts compose the whole. Comprise means to include or consist of: the whole...
Conscience vs. Conscious
Conscience is a noun: your inner sense of right and wrong. Conscious is an adjective meaning awake, or aware of...
Continual vs. Continuous
Continual means happening again and again, with breaks in between. Continuous means going on without any stop or...
Council vs. Counsel
Council is a noun for a group of people who meet to advise or make decisions. Counsel means advice or to give...
Cue vs. Queue
Cue is a signal to do something, or the stick used in pool. Queue is a line of people or things waiting their turn....

D

Desert vs. Dessert
Desert (DEZ-ert) is a dry, sandy or rocky region; as a verb (dih-ZURT), it means to abandon. Dessert (dih-ZURT) is...
Discreet vs. Discrete
Discreet means careful and tactful, not drawing attention or giving away secrets. Discrete means separate and...
Disinterested vs. Uninterested
Disinterested traditionally means fair and impartial, with nothing to gain. Uninterested means not interested, or...
Dived vs. Dove
Dived and dove are both correct past tenses of dive in American English; dove is very common, especially in speech,...
Dual vs. Duel
Dual is an adjective meaning having two parts or two of something. Duel is a fight or contest between two people,...

E

Elicit vs. Illicit
Elicit is a verb meaning to draw out a response, answer or reaction. Illicit is an adjective meaning illegal or not...
Emigrate vs. Immigrate
Emigrate means to leave your country to live in another. Immigrate means to come into a new country to live there....
Eminent vs. Imminent
Eminent means famous, respected and important in a field. Imminent means about to happen very soon. An eminent...
Empathy vs. Sympathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person's feelings, as if you were in their place. Sympathy...
Ensure vs. Insure vs. Assure
Ensure means to make sure something happens. Insure means to protect against loss with an insurance policy. Assure...
Envelop vs. Envelope
Envelop (en-VEL-up) is a verb meaning to surround or cover completely. Envelope (EN-vuh-lope) is a noun: the paper...
Envy vs. Jealousy
Envy is wanting something another person has. Jealousy is fear of losing something you have, especially someone's...
Every day vs. Everyday
Every day (two words) means each day: I walk every day. Everyday (one word) is an adjective meaning ordinary or...
Everyone vs. Every one
Everyone (one word) is a pronoun meaning every person, the same as everybody. Every one (two words) means each...
Evoke vs. Invoke
Evoke means to bring a memory, feeling or image to mind. Invoke means to call on something for support, such as a...
Explicit vs. Implicit
Explicit means stated clearly and directly, leaving no doubt. Implicit means suggested or understood without being...

F

Farther vs. Further
Farther refers to physical distance you can measure. Further refers to figurative distance, degree or extent, or...
Faze vs. Phase
Faze means to disturb or unsettle someone, and it is usually used with not. Phase is a stage in a process, or as a...
Fewer vs. Less
Fewer goes with things you can count one by one, like fewer apples or fewer emails. Less goes with amounts you...
Flair vs. Flare
Flair is a natural talent or a stylish touch. Flare is a sudden burst of flame or light, a signal light, or a shape...
Foreword vs. Forward
Foreword is a noun for a short introduction at the start of a book, often written by someone other than the author....
Forth vs. Fourth
Forth means forward, onward or out into view, as in back and forth. Fourth means number four in a series, or one of...

G

Good vs. Well
Good is usually an adjective that describes a noun: a good book. Well is usually an adverb that describes how...

H

Hangar vs. Hanger
Hangar, with an a, is a large building where aircraft are kept. Hanger, with an e, is the frame you hang clothes...
Hanged vs. Hung
Hanged is the past tense of hang used only for executing a person by hanging, mostly in history or legal writing....
Hear vs. Here
Hear is a verb meaning to take in sounds with your ears. Here is an adverb meaning in, at or to this place. Can you...
Historic vs. Historical
Historic means important or famous in history, likely to be remembered. Historical means relating to the past or to...
Hoard vs. Horde
Hoard means a hidden store of something, or to collect and keep things, often more than you need. Horde means a...
Hole vs. Whole
Hole is a noun for an opening or empty space in something. Whole means complete, entire or all of something. There...

I

Imply vs. Infer
Imply means to suggest something without saying it directly; the speaker or writer implies. Infer means to work out...
Into vs. In to
Into is a preposition that shows movement inside or a change: walk into a room, turn into ice. In to is the word...
Irregardless vs. Regardless
Regardless is the standard word for 'without paying attention to' or 'anyway.' Irregardless means the same thing...
Its vs. It's
Its is the possessive form of it, meaning 'belonging to it,' with no apostrophe. It's is a contraction of 'it is'...

L

Lay vs. Lie
Lay means to put something down and needs an object: lay the book here. Lie means to rest flat, with no object: lie...
Lead vs. Led
Led is the past tense and past participle of the verb lead (rhymes with bead). Lead, rhyming with bed, is a soft...
Liable vs. Libel
Liable is an adjective meaning legally responsible, or likely to do something. Libel is a noun for a false written...
Lightening vs. Lightning
Lightning is the flash of electricity in the sky during a storm. Lightening is a form of the verb lighten, meaning...
Literally vs. Figuratively
Literally means in the exact, actual sense of the words: it really happened. Figuratively means in a symbolic or...
Loath vs. Loathe
Loath is an adjective meaning unwilling or reluctant: I'm loath to leave. Loathe is a verb meaning to hate...
Login vs. Log in
Login is a noun or adjective: your login, a login page. Log in is the verb phrase for the action: log in to your...
Loose vs. Lose
Loose is usually an adjective meaning not tight or not fastened, and it rhymes with goose. Lose is a verb meaning...

M

Mantel vs. Mantle
Mantel is a noun for the shelf or frame around a fireplace. Mantle is a noun for a cloak, a covering layer or a...
Maybe vs. May be
Maybe is one word, an adverb meaning perhaps: maybe it will rain. May be is a two-word verb phrase meaning might...
Miner vs. Minor
Miner is a noun for a person who digs for coal, gold or other minerals. Minor is an adjective meaning small or less...
Moral vs. Morale
Moral is about right and wrong: as an adjective it means ethical, and as a noun it is the lesson of a story. Morale...
Morning vs. Mourning
Morning is the early part of the day, from sunrise until noon. Mourning is sadness after someone dies or after a...

N

Nauseous vs. Nauseated
Nauseated means feeling sick to your stomach. Nauseous traditionally meant causing nausea, but today most people...
Naval vs. Navel
Naval is an adjective meaning related to a navy or its ships. Navel is a noun for the belly button. A naval officer...

O

Ordinance vs. Ordnance
Ordinance is a noun for a local law or rule passed by a city or town. Ordnance is a noun for military weapons,...

P

Passed vs. Past
Passed is the past tense of the verb pass: we passed the bakery. Past is a noun, adjective, preposition or adverb...
Patience vs. Patients
Patience is a noun for the ability to wait calmly or stay calm when things go wrong. Patients is the plural of...
Persecute vs. Prosecute
Persecute means to treat someone cruelly or unfairly over and over, often because of who they are. Prosecute means...
Personal vs. Personnel
Personal is an adjective meaning private or belonging to one person. Personnel is a noun for the people who work...
Perspective vs. Prospective
Perspective is a noun for a point of view or a way of seeing things, including depth in a drawing. Prospective is...
Plain vs. Plane
Plain means simple, clear or not decorated, and as a noun it is a large area of flat land. Plane is short for...
Pray vs. Prey
Pray is a verb meaning to say a prayer, or loosely to hope very strongly for something. Prey is an animal hunted...
Precede vs. Proceed
Precede means to come before something in time, order or place. Proceed means to go forward or continue, often...
Premier vs. Premiere
Premier is an adjective meaning first in importance or best, and a noun for a head of government in some places....
Principal vs. Principle
Principal means main or most important, and it is also the head of a school or a sum of money. Principle is always...
Prophecy vs. Prophesy
Prophecy is a noun: a prediction of what will happen. Prophesy is a verb: to make that prediction. They sound...
Proved vs. Proven
Use proved for the simple past, as in she proved her point. After has, have or had, both proved and proven are...

Q

Quiet vs. Quite
Quiet means making little or no noise, as in a quiet room. Quite is an adverb that means very, completely or...

R

Raise vs. Rise
Raise needs an object: you raise something, such as your hand or the rent. Rise has no object: something rises by...
Rational vs. Rationale
Rational is an adjective meaning sensible or based on clear thinking. Rationale is a noun meaning the reasons...
Recur vs. Reoccur
Recur means to happen again, often more than once or at regular times, like a recurring headache. Reoccur means to...
Regime vs. Regimen
Regime usually means a government or a system of rules for running something, often a strict one. Regimen means a...
Role vs. Roll
Role is a noun meaning a part or job, like a role in a play or a key role on a team. Roll means to turn over and...

S

Setup vs. Set up
Setup, one word, is a noun: an arrangement, like a home office setup. Set up, two words, is the verb: to arrange or...
Sneaked vs. Snuck
Sneaked and snuck are both past forms of sneak. Sneaked is the older, traditional form. Snuck is now standard in...
Sole vs. Soul
Sole means only or single, as in the sole owner. It is also the bottom of a foot or shoe, or a flat fish. Soul is a...
Stationary vs. Stationery
Stationary is an adjective meaning not moving, as in a stationary bike. Stationery is a noun for writing paper,...
Steal vs. Steel
Steal is a verb meaning to take something that isn't yours, and informally a noun for a great bargain. Steel is a...

T

That vs. Which
In American English, use that for information the sentence needs, with no commas: the car that I bought. Use which,...
Their vs. There vs. They're
Their shows ownership, as in their car. There points to a place or starts a sentence, as in over there or there is...
Threw vs. Through
Threw is the past tense of throw, as in she threw the ball. Through means from one side or end to the other, or...
To vs. Too vs. Two
To shows direction or comes before a verb, as in go to school or want to eat. Too means also or more than enough,...

W

Waist vs. Waste
Your waist is the middle of your body, between your ribs and hips, or that part of a piece of clothing. Waste means...
Waive vs. Wave
Waive means to give up a right or choose not to require something, such as a fee or rule. Wave means to move your...
Wander vs. Wonder
Wander means to walk or move around without a fixed path or goal. Wonder means to be curious about something, or a...
Wary vs. Weary
Wary means careful and watchful because of possible danger or trouble. Weary means very tired, or tired of...
Weather vs. Whether
Weather is the state of the air outside: rain, sun, wind and temperature. Whether is a conjunction that introduces...
Who vs. Whom
Who is a subject, the person doing the action, as in who called? Whom is an object, the person receiving the action...
Who's vs. Whose
Who's is short for who is or who has, as in who's calling? Whose shows ownership or asks who owns something, as in...

Y

Your vs. You're
Your shows ownership, as in your phone or your idea. You're is short for you are, as in you're right. If you can...

Sound-alike words

Words that sound the same (or almost) but mean different things.

Look-alike words

Words spelled almost the same that sound or mean something different.

Close in meaning

Related words people swap even though each has its own job.

One word or two

When to close up a phrase and when to keep the space.

Grammar choices

Pairs where the right choice depends on how the sentence is built.