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Confusing Words

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Commonly Confused Words

The list below gives de nitions of the most commonly confused homophones. Only
the de nition that often causes confusion is given. For example, the verb to founder
is often confused with the verb to ounder. These words are therefore shown together
with their de nitions. Flounder is also a noun describing an edible at sh and founder
is also a noun describing a person who establishes an institution, business, or
organization. However since these meanings are seldom confused they are not given
in the list.

abhorrent - arousing strong feelings of repugnance or disapproval.


aberrant - deviating from what is normal or desirable.

adjured - to make an earnest appeal.


abjure - to give up a previously held belief.

advice - somebody’s opinion about what another person should do.


advise - to suggest or recommend a course of action to somebody.

aide - an assistant to somebody providing a professional service.


aid - to provide somebody or something with help.

ambivalent - having mixed, uncertain, or con icting feelings about something.


ambiguous - having more than one possible meaning or interpretation.

amoral - not concerned with or amenable to moral judgments.


immoral - contrary to accepted moral principles.

appraise - to give an estimate of how much money something is worth.


apprise - to inform or give notice to somebody about something.

assent - to agree to something or express agreement.


ascent - an upward vertical movement.

aural - relating to the ear.


oral - relating to the mouth.

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averse - strongly opposed to or disliking something.
adverse - acting with or characterized by opposition or antagonism.

af ict - to cause severe mental or physical distress to somebody.


in ict - to cause damage, harm, or unpleasantness to somebody or something.

allude - to refer to indirectly.


elude - to escape from or avoid.

allusion - an indirect reference.


illusion - something that deceives the senses or mind.

alternate - to follow an interchanging pattern.


alternative - another possibility.

alleviate - to make something more bearable or less severe.


ameliorate - to improve something or make it better.

amiable - friendly and pleasant to be with.


amicable - characterized by or done in friendliness.

annoy - to irritate.
aggravate - to make something worse.

eager - enthusiastic and excited about something.


anxious - worried or afraid about something that is going to happen.

bizarre - amusingly or grotesquely strange or unusual.


bazaar - a sale of goods.

belie - to give a false impression.


betray - to help an enemy.

breech - the rear part of the barrel of a gun.


breach - to make an opening through something.

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bridal - associated with brides or weddings.
bridle - harness for a horse’s head.

canvas - heavy closely woven fabric of cotton.


canvass - to visit somebody to solicit something.

capitol - building for law making body.


capital - seat of government, centre of activity, cash for investment.

censure - to subject somebody or something to severe criticism.


censor - somebody or something that exercises suppressive control.

certitude - feeling of certainty.


certainty - a conclusion or outcome that is beyond doubt.

climactic - extremely exciting or decisive.


climatic - involving climate.

coarse - rough, vulgar or unre ned.


course - sequence, period of time, direction, action, program, etc.

compliment - a statement of praise.


complement - a completing part.

con dent - self-assured or convinced.


con dant - somebody to whom secrets are told.

denote - to mean or refer to.


connote - to have an additional or implied meaning.

dissent - to disagree with a widely held or majority opinion.


decent - conforming to accepted standards of moral behaviour.
descent - an act of going from a higher position to a lower position.

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conscious - awake, aware or conscious and deliberate.
conscience - the internal sense of what is right and wrong.

contemptuous - a strong dislike or lack of respect.


contemptible - deserving to be treated with contempt.

continual - happening again and again, especially regularly.


continuous - continuing without changing, stopping, or being interrupted.

convince - to make somebody sure or certain of something.


persuade - to urge somebody to perform a particular action.

counsel - somebody whose advice is sought, or who acts as an of cial adviser.


council - an appointed or elected body with a representative function.

credible - believable or trustworthy.


creditable - praiseworthy.

criterion - an accepted standard used in making decisions or judgments.


criteria - the plural of criterion.

currently - at the present time.


presently - not at this exact moment but in a short while.

demure - looking or behaving in a modest manner.


demur - to show reluctance to do something.

devise - to conceive of the idea for something.


device - a tool, machine or ploy.

dilemma - a situation with unsatisfactory choices.


quandary - a state of uncertainty or indecision.

discom t - to make unsettled or confused.


discomfort - a state of physical unease.

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discreet - careful to avoid offence, circumspect, careful, etc.
discrete - completely separate and unconnected.

disinterested - impartial and free from bias.


uninterested - not interested.

disassemble - to take something apart, for example a piece of machinery.


dissemble - to put on a false appearance in order to conceal facts or intentions.

effect - a result or power to in uence.


affect - to give the appearance or pretence of something.

elicit - to provoke a reaction.


illicit - illegal or unacceptable.

eminent - of high standing.


imminent - about to happen.

empathy - understanding of another’s feelings.


sympathy - capacity to share feelings.

enormousness - great size.


enormity - extreme wickedness.

epigram - witty saying.


epigraph - introductory quotation or inscription.
epitaph - inscription on a tombstone.

ensure - to make something certain.


insure - to cover something with insurance.

exulted - to be extremely happy or joyful about something.


exalted - high in rank, position, or esteem.

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expedient - appropriate, advisable, or useful in a situation that requires action.
expeditious - speedy or carried out promptly and ef ciently.

explicit - expressing all details in a clear and obvious way.


implicit - not stated, but understood in what is expressed.

extent - the area or range covered or affected by something.


extant - still in existence.

extemporaneous - prepared in advance but delivered without notes.


impromptu - not prepared or planned in advance.

faze - to disconcert or disturb somebody.


phase - a clearly distinguishable period or stage in a process.

agrant - very obvious and contrary to standards of conduct or morality.


blatant - so obvious or conspicuous as to be impossible to hide.

out - to show contempt for a law or convention by openly disobeying it.


aunt - to display something ostentatiously.

ounder - to act in a way that shows confusion or a lack of purpose.


founder - to become lled with water and sink.

foreboding - a feeling that something bad is going to happen.


forbidding - presenting an appearance that seems hostile or stern.

farther - to a greater distance or to a greater extent.


further - that is more than or adds to the quantity or extent of something.

gibe - a comment that shows derision or contempt.


gybe - to change direction.

historical - existing, happening, or relating to the past.


historic - important in or affecting the course of history.

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illusion - something that deceives the senses or mind.
allusion - a reference that is made indirectly.

immigrate - to enter a new country for the purpose of settling there.


emigrate - to leave a place, especially a native country.

imply - to make something understood without expressing it directly.


infer - to conclude something on the basis of evidence or reasoning.

incidence - the frequency with which something occurs.


incidents - the plural of incident, i.e. events.

incipient - beginning to appear or develop.


insipid - dull because lacking in character and lively qualities.

incredulous - unable or unwilling to believe something or completely.


incredible - impossible or very dif cult to believe.

in ict - to impose a burden on another.


af ict - to cause severe mental or physical distress to somebody.

ingenuous - showing innocence and a lack of worldly experience.


ingenious - possessing cleverness and imagination.

insidious - slowly and subtly harmful or destructive.


invidious - producing resentment by unfairly slighting somebody.

intense - great, strong, or extreme in a way that can be felt.


intensive - involving concentrated effort.

intensely - very much.


intently - something planned or the purpose that accompanies a plan.

laudatory - expressing praise or admiration.


laudable - admirable and worthy of praise.

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loath - unwilling or reluctant to do something.
loathe - to dislike somebody or something intensely.

luxuriant - with a lot of young rich healthy growth.


luxurious - very comfortable, with high-quality expensive ttings or fabrics.

moral - relating to issues of right and wrong.


morale - the general level of con dence or optimism felt by a person or group.

moribund - having lost all sense of purpose or vitality.


morbid - showing a strong interest in unpleasant or gloomy subjects.

palette - a board or tray on which an artist arranges and mixes paints.


palate - a personal sense of taste and avour.
pallet - a standardized platform or open-ended box.

peak - the pointed summit of a mountain.


peek - to take a quick look at something.
pique - a bad mood or feeling of resentment.

prosecute - to take legal action against someone.


persecute - to make somebody the victim of continual pestering or harassment.

personnel - the department of an organization that deals with employing staff.


personal - relating to the parts of somebody’s life that are private.

pore - to study something carefully and thoughtfully.


pour - to make a substance ow in a stream.

practical - concerned with actual facts and experience.


practicable - capable of being carried out or put into effect.

predominantly - in the greatest number or amount.


predominately - to dominate or control somebody or something.

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principal - rst or among the rst in importance or rank.
principle - an important underlying law or assumption required in a system of
thought.

precedent - a decision that can be subsequently used as an example.


precedence - the right or need to be dealt with before somebody or something
else.

proceed - to go on to do something.
precede - to come, go, be, or happen before somebody or something else.

racist - based on notions and stereotypes related to race.


racial - relating to or characteristic of races.

reign - the period of time during which somebody rules a nation.


rein - any means of guiding, controlling, or restraining somebody or something.

respectfully - showing appropriate deference and respect.


respectively - matching one list with another in the order given for both.

reluctant - feeling no willingness or enthusiasm to do something.


reticent - unwilling to communicate very much.

salacious - intended to titillate or arouse people sexually.


salutary - of value or bene t to somebody or something.

simple - easy to do, understand, or work out because not complicated.


simplistic - tending to oversimplify something.

stationery - paper, envelopes, pens, pencils, and other things used in writing.
stationary - not moving, especially at a standstill after being in motion.

torturous - causing great physical or mental anguish.


tortuous - with many turns or bends.

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trooper - a member of a cavalry unit.
trouper - a member of a group of travelling entertainers.

turgid - pompous, boring, and overcomplicated.


turbid - confused and muddled.

unconscionable - shocking and morally unacceptable.


unconscious - not aware of something.

unexceptionable - incapable of being criticized.


unexceptional - not special or unusual.

venal - open to persuasion by corrupt means.


venial - easily forgiven or excused.

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