In English, there are a number of confusing words. They might have either the same pronunciation, the same spelling or both (same pronunciation and same spelling) yet they mean different. Therefore, it is puzzling to understand what does a certain word mean. To help you, the following article contains the alphabetical list of Commonly Confused English Words for ESL Learners.
Commonly Confused English Words for ESL Learners
| accept except |
to agree not including |
| a lot allot |
much to distribute |
| a while awhile |
a period of time for a short time |
| adapt adept |
to adjust skilled |
| advise advice |
to recommend/suggest suggestion |
| affect effect |
to make a difference a change that is the result of an action or consequence |
| aid aide |
charity assistant |
| ail ale |
trouble in mind or body beer |
| airs heirs |
to express publically descendant |
| aisle isle |
unhurt/ safe satisfactory/ acceptable |
| alright all right |
unhurt satisfactory |
| all ways always |
the total number of methods at all times |
| allude elude |
to refer indirectly to avoid |
| allusion illusion |
to hint to misapprehension |
| aloud allowed |
loudly permitted |
| all ready already |
completely prepared by now or then |
| altar
alter |
the table in a Christian church at which the bread and wine are consecrated in communion services to change |
| amoral immoral |
not concerned with neither right nor wrong morally wrong |
| appraise apprise |
to assess to inform |
| assent ascent |
agreement a climb |
| aural oral |
relating to the ear or the sense of hearing spoken |
| bare bear |
naked to carry |
| berth birth |
mooring or dock the emergence of a baby from a womb |
| born borne |
to get birth carried |
| bough bow |
the main branch of a tree to bend the head |
| brake break |
to stop a vehicle to fracture or crack |
| breach breech |
to break through or division the back part of a gun barrel |
| canvas canvass |
a type of string cloth to seek votes |
| cereal serial |
a type of grain happening in series |
| coarse course |
rough a school subject or a direction |
| complacent complaisant |
smug and self-satisfied willing to please |
| complement compliment |
to add to as approval add an admiring mark |
| council counsel |
someone who advises people an advice or to advise |
| cue queue |
hint a line of people or vehicles |
| currant current |
a dried grape the flow of air, water or electricity or happening now |
| defuse diffuse |
to make a situation less tense to spread over a wide area |
| desert dessert |
to abandon or a dry, barren area of land the sweet course eaten at the end of a meal |
| discreet discrete |
careful not to attract attention separate or distinct |
| elicit illicit |
to draw out a reply or reaction not allowed by laws or rules |
| ensure insure |
to make sure or certain to warrant |
| envelop envelope |
to cover a paper container for letters |
| exercise exorcise |
physical activity to drive out an evil spirit |
| fawn faun |
a young deer a mythical being |
| flounder founder |
to move clumsily to fail |
| foreword forward |
an introduction to a book ahead |
| lose loose |
to become unable to find, to mislay not tight |
| principal principle |
a governing or presiding officer, specifically of a school a fundamental truth, law, or motivating force |
| site sight |
a piece of land considered for specific purpose view or field of vision |
| stationary stationery |
fixed or still writing material |
| than then |
Used to introduce the second element in a comparison at that time |
| there their |
that place or point belonging to |
| to too |
In the direction of, as far as in addition |
| your you’re |
Belonging to you you are |
| who whom |
what or which person or persons (subjective) what or which person or persons (objective) |
Conclusion
So, the above list contains Commonly Confused English Words for ESL Learners. In case you have any questions or doubts about the above list or any other words, let us know.
1 comment
Good list but you need to change
aisle
isle
you have repeated the explanation for the pair below