Confusing words, their definitions, and examples

accept, except

Accept means “to receive willingly.” Except is used mostly as a preposition meaning “excluding.”

Example: He accepted all the gifts except mine.

advice, advise

Advice is a noun meaning “guidance.” Advise is a verb meaning “to recommend.”

Example: My mother gives good advice when she advises me about my college courses.

affect, effect

The verb affect means “to produce a change in.” The noun effect means “result.”

Example: The wine affected me, but it seemed to have no effect on my roommate.

all ready, already

All ready means “completely prepared.” Already means “happened by or before now.”

Example: We were all ready for the trip, but the train had already left.

all right, alright

All right is always two words meaning “acceptable” or “satisfactory.” Alright is an informal spelling.

all together, altogether

All together means “everyone or everything together.”

Example: We put the tickets all together for safekeeping.

Altogether means “completely” or “entirely.”

Example: The book is altogether incomprehensible.

allusion, illusion

An allusion is an indirect or implied reference.

Example: The poem includes an allusion to the Bible.

An illusion creates a false impression of reality.

Example: Magic relies upon illusion, seeing what you believe instead of what is really there.

A lot

A lot is always two words, meaning “much” or “many.” Alot is a misspelling.

apart, a part

Apart denotes a separation.

Example: Social distancing requires people to stand six feet apart from each other.

A part denotes a segment of something.

Example: The dog is a part of our family.

bare, bear

As verbs, bare means “to uncover.” Bear means “to endure.”

Example: Bear with me while I bare my soul.

complement, compliment

Complement means “to add to” or “to complete.” Compliment means “to make an approving remark.”

Example: Many people now compliment the fresh gray paint that complements the exterior stone on the house.

Complimentary also means “free” or “without cost.”

Example: Because they sold advertising space for the newspaper, they received complimentary tickets to the game.

conscience, conscious

Conscience is a noun that refers to the awareness of one’s actions being right or wrong.

Example: I have a guilty conscience.

Conscious is an adjective meaning “awake” or “alert.”

Example: She remained conscious after hitting her head on the windshield.

disinterested, uninterested

Disinterested means “impartial.”

Uninterested means “not interested.”

Example: She was chosen as a disinterested party to hear both sides of the disagreement. Unfortunately, she was uninterested in the dispute.

elicit, illicit

Elicit is a verb meaning “to bring out.”

Illicit means “unlawful.”

Example: His claims elicited a response from the mayor about the effort to stop demand for illicit drugs.

emigrate, immigrate

People emigrate, or leave, one country. They immigrate to a new country to live.

Example: When my family emigrated from Chile, they immigrated to the United States.

everyday, every day

Everyday is an adjective meaning “common,” “ordinary,” or “used daily.” Every day is a noun phrase meaning “every day.”

Example: Everyday tasks are ones you do every day, like brushing your teeth and washing dishes.

farther, further

Farther refers to distance.

Example: I can’t carry these groceries any farther.

Further means “in addition,” “more,” and “to a greater extent” and refers to abstractions like time or amount.

Example: I can’t discuss this issue any further.

fewer, less

Fewer refers to items that can be counted. Less refers to items that cannot be counted:

I have fewer assignments than my roommate, and she has less time than I do.

Cacti need less water than other plants.

lose, loose

Lose is a verb meaning to “mislay” or “not win.”

Example: I lose a sock every time I do laundry.

Example 2: These teams never lose their games.

Loose means “not tight” or “not secure.”

Example: The loose shutters may be unsafe in a storm.

myself, herself, himself, yourself, ourselves, themselves, yourselves

Do not use the -self pronouns in place of a personal pronoun in an effort to sound more formal.

Example: Malia and I [not myself] wrote the report.

Example 2: The report was written by Malia and me [not myself].

Use the -self pronouns in the following situations:

Example: Malia wrote the report herself.

Example 2: She treats herself to brunch on Sundays.

peak, peek, pique

Peak means “a highest point” or “to reach a highest point.”

Example: After a difficult climb, the hikers finally reached the peak.

Peek means “a secretive look” or “to take a secretive look.”

Example: My brother peeked at his birthday gifts.

As a verb, pique means “to spark interest.”

Example: The two classes piqued her interest in physics.

As a noun, pique also means “irritation.”

Example: His pique at her probing questions was obvious.

precede, proceed

Precede means “to go before.”

Example: The example that precedes this one is peak/peek/pique.

Proceed means “to go forward.”

Example: The judge’s decision allowed the lawsuit to proceed.

prejudice, prejudiced

Prejudice is a noun that is sometimes used incorrectly in place of prejudiced, an adjective.

Example: His outrageous views were highly prejudiced [not prejudice].

principal, principle

Principal has several meanings: “a chief or head, particularly of a school,” “a capital sum of money,” or “first or highest in rank, importance, or value.”

Principle refers to a “rule of conduct or action.”

Example: The school principal outlined the principles behind the code of conduct.

Example 2: The small principal in their savings account is not their principal source of income.

raise, rise

Raise means “to lift” or “to grow” and always takes an object.

Example: She raised her hand to tell the story of how she raised three children on her own.

Rise means “to get up” and does not take an object.

Example: Like the sun, the moon rises in the eastern sky.

set, sit

Set means “to put” or “to place” and takes an object.

Example: He set the groceries on the table.

Sit means “to be seated” and does not take an object.

Example: She sits in the same seat for every class.

than, then

Than is used to compare.

Example: I am older than you.

Then indicates time.

Example: Do your homework, and then we’ll get pizza.

that, which

That is used to introduce information essential to the meaning of a sentence.

Example: The phone that I bought five years ago no longer charges fully.

Which is most often used to introduce information that is nonessential to the meaning of a sentence.

Example: My iPhone 7, which I bought five years ago, no longer charges fully.

that, who, which

Use that and which to refer to things and most animals.

Example: The tiger that had escaped was found.

Use who to refer to people and animals with names.

Example: Doctors who treated COVID-19 patients were often called heroes.

their, there, they’re

Their is a possessive pronoun. There indicates place. They’re is a contraction of “they are.”

Example: The Smiths rescued their missing cat from that tree over there; they’re happy to have him back.

to, too, two

To can be a preposition indicating direction.

Example: I am going to the pool.

Or it can be part of an infinitive (the “to” form of a verb).

Example: I like to swim.

Too means “also” or “excessively.”

Example: Do you like to swim too?

Two is a number.

Example: I swim two times every week.

unique, unusual

Unique means “one of a kind.” Unusual means “uncommon.” Saying that something is more unique than something else is incorrect because something unique cannot be compared. Use unusual instead when comparing.

weather, whether

Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere. Whether refers to alternatives.

Example: Whether we attend the game in person or watch it on TV depends on the weather.

who’s, whose

Who’s is the contraction of “who is” or “who has.”

Example: Who’s going to the game?

Whose is the possessive form of “who.”

Example: Whose backpack is this?

your, you’re

Your is the possessive form of “you.” You’re is the contraction of “you are.”

Example: You’re going to be relieved that I found your earring behind the desk.

good, well

Good is an adjective.

Example: That color looks good on you.

Well is an adverb.

Example: Marguerite speaks Chinese well.

Well is used as an adjective only in reference to health.

Example: She looks well after recovering from the flu.

imply, infer

Imply means “to suggest.”

Example: Your email implies you’re upset.

Infer means “to conclude.”

Example: I infer from your email that you’re upset.

its, it’s

Its is a possessive pronoun.

Example: The dog wagged its tail.

It’s is a contraction of “it is” or “it has.”

Example: It’s my turn.

Its followed by an apostrophe (its’) is incorrect.

lay, lie

Lay means “to put or set something down.”

Example: Please lay the books on the table.

Lie means “to be in or move into a horizontal position” or “to be situated.”

Example: I need to lie down and rest my eyes.

Example 2: The towns lie near the waterfalls.

Note also that lay is the past tense of lie.

Example: I fell asleep as soon as I lay down to rest my eyes.

lead, led

The past tense of the verb to lead is led.

The noun lead (rhymes with red) is the metal.

Example: Nina led a group of tourists past the old lead mine.