Words Most Often Confused   (Back to Table of Contents)

accept	to receive willingly
except	to exclude
advice	suggestion or counsel
advise	a verb meaning “to give advice”
affect	a verb meaning “to influence”
effect	a noun meaning “result”
all ready	prepared
already	previously
anxious	to anticipate with uneasiness
eager	to anticipate with enthusiasm
appraise	to place a value on something
apprise	to inform
awhile	an adverb (“he waited awhile”)
a while	a noun (“he waited for a while”)
biweekly	every two weeks
semiweekly	twice a week
bring	action toward you (“bring it to me”)
take	action away from you (“take it to him”)
capital	a seat of government (a city)
capitol	a building where a legislature meets
choose	to pick (in the present)
chose	picked (in the past)
cite	to quote
site	a location
compliment	praise
complement	something that completes or makes better
comprise	to include (“the whole comprises the parts”)
compose	to be made of (“the parts compose the whole”)
conscience	sense of morality
conscious	aware
convince	create or change a belief (use with of )
persuade	motivate to take an action (use with to)
e.g.	“for example”
i.e.	“that is”
ensure	to make certain
insure	to obtain insurance; to guarantee protection or safety
everyday	one word when used as an adjective
every day	each day
farther	at a greater distance
further	in addition to
faze	to disturb or disconcert
phase	a period or cycle
flair	a special talent
flare	a sudden bright light or an outward spread
flier	one who flies
flyer	an advertising circular
home (in)	zero in on a target
hone	sharpen
imply	to hint or suggest (“he implied it to me”)
infer	to deduce (“I inferred his meaning”)
later	afterward
latter	the second of two things
lay	to place or set down
lie	to recline
lets	allows
let’s	contraction of let us
loose	not tight
lose	opposite of win or find
nauseous	causing nausea (“a nauseous smell”)
nauseated	feel sick to one’s stomach (“I’m nauseated”)
passed	a verb; past tense of pass
past	a noun; the time before now
predominant	an adjective meaning “prevailing”
predominate	a verb meaning “to exert control over”
principal	main
principle	rule
stationary	not moving
stationery	paper
tack	a direction or approach (“a new tack”)
tact	consideration for others’ feelings
their	possessive of they
there	in that place
they’re	contraction of they are
whose	shows ownership
who’s	contraction of who is or who has