Easily(?) Confused Words

[PureAwesomeness]

I've always been quite a pedant when it comes to spelling and grammar so I guess this thread is little more than an outlet for me to vent. Nevertheless, I hope that it might help some posters improve the quality of their posts and have their opinions taken more seriously.

Basically, what I plan to do is to make a list of words that are often misused on these forums and illustrate how they should properly be used. Having said that, someone will probably jump in and highlight a bunch of errors in my own writing!

It would be cool if others who care about this topic post their own observations too.

Here's two to start:

loose vs lose

'loose' is an adjective and has the opposite meaning of tight.

'lose' is a verb and can mean the opposite of win or it can refer to the misplacing of something e.g. 'I lost my keys'.

break vs brake

'break' can either mean to render something inoperable e.g. 'I broke the window' or it can refer to a period of rest.

'brake' on the other hand, refers to the action of slowing down or stopping a car or other vehicle and/or the device responsible for performing this action.

 

[RUI]

I once thought about posting a similar thread here but since English is not my native language I ended up not doing it. I mean, who am I to try to teach a mainly native English speaking community?

Anyway, at that time I wasn’t really that bothered by the your for you’re, or the it’s for its, they’re for their, etc.
I wanted mainly to call peoples’ people's attention to the difference between then and than, two words that - I think I’m right - shouldn’t even be pronounced the same! This confusion keeps growing!

Another annoying confusion is between the words effect/s (a noun), the verb to affect and another (of rare use) verb, to effect (which means to do, to accomplish, not to have an effect on something).

When something has an effect on another thing, it affects it, it doesn’t effect it like we can read all around these forums!

 

[Daniel]

There's one main thing (that even I mess up on!).. is woman and women.

Word fact:
Ghoti can be pronounced as "fish"!
'GH' as in Enough, 'O' as in women. And 'TI' as is Nation.
Interesting, no?

 

[PureAwesomeness]

There's one main thing (that even I mess up on!).. is woman and women.

Word fact:
Ghoti can be pronounced as "fish"!
'GH' as in Enough, 'O' as in women. And 'TI' as is Nation.
Interesting, no?

I wouldn't say that's a word fact, more like a gross misapplication of phonetic rules. Interesting, nonetheless.

 

[Smallhorses]

Don't even get started on English place names!
You can make the word "TWICE" pronounced " " (Silently! )
if you take the "T" from Newcastle, the second "W" from Warwick and the redundant "ICE" from Leicester!

One particular thing I always hate to see is people that type "I could of done..." instead of "I could have done..." or "I could've done..." <-- the contracted form being where the confusion arises.

 

[CTznOfTime]

someone mentioned about:

necklace ... and neckless (without a neck (if that's indeed possible))

 

[PureAwesomeness]

someone mentioned about:

necklace ... and neckless (without a neck (if that's indeed possible))

If you were 'neckless' then you wouldn't need a 'necklace'!

 

[Smallhorses]

This explains a lot, and how lucky those of us that grew up speaking English are. I think it's a repost, but it was ages ago and I can't find it no matter how many of the silly words that're in it I searched for, so here goes...

This is partly why Kids Flunk English and Foreigners Can't Learn It!

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes; but the plural of ox became oxen not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice; yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men, why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I spoke of my foot and show you my feet, and I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth, why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that, and three would be those, yet hat in the plural would never be hose, and the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren, but though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him, but imagine the feminine, she, shis and shim.

Some other reasons to be grateful if you grew up speaking English:
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) At the Army base, a bass was painted on the head of a bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of Novocain injections, my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
22) I spent last evening evening out a pile of dirt.

Screwy pronunciations can mess up your mind! For example...If you have a rough cough, climbing can be tough when going through the bough on a tree!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?
Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

If Dad is Pop, how's come Mom isn't Mop?

Enough Already!!!!
The verbally insane.

 

[Neal]

I wanted mainly to call peoples’ attention to the difference between then and than, two words that - I think I’m right - shouldn’t even be pronounced the same! This confusion keeps growing!

This plus a million, I'm glad it's not just me it bugs.

 

[Aldo]

Well my dad said "wok" the other day and I thought he said "walk" and he ridiculed me.... He used "wok" in the most ridiculous context I have (n)ever heard!

 

[Daniel]

Don't forget about the classic "I before E" scenario.
Easy to remember, no? No is right...
Science
Weird
Society
Species
Ancient

and

Vein
Being
Neighbors
Weight

That, plus...
if Car, Jar, Bar, Star, Tar, Far, Scar, and Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar all rhyme, how come War doesn't?

Also...
Spice, Twice, Rice, Ice, Mice, Nice, Thrice, Advice, Concise and Electromagnetic Device all rhyme, why not Police?

 

[Neal]

smallhorses 👍 👍


rediculous VS ridiculous

ridiculous is an adjective meaning absurd and laughable

rediculous is not a word

 

[Daniel]

Well, "Woe is I" is a good book related to this topic. My Aunt sent it to my mum, but it's now in my bookshelf .
Uses the word "Irregardless" as a word that doesn't even exist!

 

[Famine]

people's attention

Another annoying confusion is between the words effect/s (a noun), the verb to affect and another (of rare use) verb, to effect (which means to do, to accomplish, not to have an effect on something).

When something has an effect on another thing, it affects it, it doesn&#8217;t effect it like we can read all around these forums!

Indeed. You can effect an affect which has an effect, but almost always if you use effect as a verb, you're probably wrong.

I'm glad someone brought up the "ridiculous" example of "rediculous". Few things make me want to kill people down the internets, but that's one of them.

 

[DQuaN]

One particular thing I always hate to see is people that type "I could of done..." instead of "I could have done..." or "I could've done..." <-- the contracted form being where the confusion arises.

I also hate it when people say "I could care less".

 

[Famine]

I also hate it when people say "I could care less".

Now... I dislike that but it's not specifically incorrect. It's often spoken incorrectly - the stress should be on could, but is often absent - but when written it can't be. Same applies to "I could give a damn" (stress should be on could, but is often on give).

But both do look sloppy compared to the automatically correct "I couldn't care less" (and "I couldn't give a damn").

 

[PureAwesomeness]

smallhorses 👍 👍


rediculous VS ridiculous

ridiculous is an adjective meaning absurd and laughable

rediculous is not a word

People who think it is spelt 'rediculous' are ridiculous.

 

[Legendary]

As mentioned already, I fail at effect and affect.

They are probably the only ones that I mix up ALL the time. I still dont know what they mean or how to use them and it is a real pain considering I use them alot at school.

 

[Daniel]

Maybe some thing similar to the "Care less" stuff:

"I ain't know nuthink"
So he says he doesn't know nothing, therefore he know's something... and a lot of people who say this are accused of whatever they did/didn't do. So as a tip to all the enforcement officers out there (including mods ), if someone says "I don't know nuthing" or something-rather, just arrest them straight away ... or throw the bannhammer at them

 

[PureAwesomeness]

As mentioned already, I fail at effect and affect.

They are probably the only ones that I mix up ALL the time. I still dont know what they mean or how to use them and it is a real pain considering I use them alot at school.

RUI's explanation was pretty good, you should read it again. As a verb, 'affect' is used a lot more often than 'effect'. As a noun, only 'effect' is possible.

To clarify, 'affect' means to produce an effect or move emotionally. e.g. "Climbing at high altitudes will affect your ability to breathe."

'Effect' as a verb means to bring about.
e.g. "It is unlikely that the new measures will effect any significant political change."

'Effect' as a noun means a result or consequence of an action or it can also refer to the impression produced on a spectator, reader or listener.
e.g. "The lighting gave the effect of a stormy night at sea."

p.s. 'alot' is actually two words 'a' and 'lot'.

 

[Apollo87]

If you were 'neckless' then you wouldn't need a 'necklace'!

I've always been unsure if the word necklaceless as in 'someone without a necklace' exists.

And while english is a very insane language for some reason I've always found it very understandable though whenever I have to explain some of the confusing cases that have been said I eventually end up with people looking at me with this face .

All in all I really enjoy english though I think my pronunctiation must be lacking, no one has complained but I'd like to know how natural/weird is my accent.

 

[PureAwesomeness]

I've always been unsure if the word necklaceless as in 'someone without a necklace' exists.

And while english is a very insane language for some reason I've always found it very understandable though whenever I have to explain some of the confusing cases that have been said I eventually end up with people looking at me with this face .

All in all I really enjoy english though I think my pronunctiation must be lacking, no one has complained but I'd like to know how natural/weird is my accent.

Ha ha, I'm pretty sure the word 'necklaceless' doesn't exist but you can easily guess what it's intended to mean.

ESL (English as a second language) speakers often worry about their pronunciation. There is no one standard form of pronunciation because we are all physically unique. Unfortunately, a native speaker will probably be able to identify you as a non-native speaker regardless of how long you study or practise. This has been demonstrated in linguistic research. But I don't think this is a bad thing. The important thing is that you are understood and don't have a problem communicating.

 

[Adam41]

I fail at effect and affect.

Same here. I always get told which is which, but I end up forgetting and using either when(ever(?)) I like.

Great post Smallhorses. 👍

This is not really about easily confused words, but it's interesting. Apologies if you have all read it before.

'Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.'

 

[Touring Mars]

I often hear people saying "pacifically", when they mean "specifically"... but that (and almost all others) fade into insignificance when compared to then and than... I see this on forums all the time, but worse still, one can often find the two words being confused in newspaper articles, and even in headlines. It is usually then being used instead of than, rather than the other way around...

 

[PAPPACLART]

This explains a lot, and how lucky those of us that grew up speaking English are. I think it's a repost, but it was ages ago and I can't find it no matter how many of the silly words that're in it I searched for, so here goes...

This is partly why Kids Flunk English and Foreigners Can't Learn It!

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes; but the plural of ox became oxen not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice; yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men, why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I spoke of my foot and show you my feet, and I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth, why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that, and three would be those, yet hat in the plural would never be hose, and the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren, but though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him, but imagine the feminine, she, shis and shim.

Some other reasons to be grateful if you grew up speaking English:
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) At the Army base, a bass was painted on the head of a bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of Novocain injections, my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
22) I spent last evening evening out a pile of dirt.

Screwy pronunciations can mess up your mind! For example...If you have a rough cough, climbing can be tough when going through the bough on a tree!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?
Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

If Dad is Pop, how's come Mom isn't Mop?

Enough Already!!!!
The verbally insane.

Great post! I am guilty of poor spelling and grammar, something I have never been good at, but hey I get by ok!

If you want a chuckle read the wiki page on the word "Bollocks"!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollocks

 

[Legendary]

RUI's explanation was pretty good, you should read it again. As a verb, 'affect' is used a lot more often than 'effect'. As a noun, only 'effect' is possible.

To clarify, 'affect' means to produce an effect or move emotionally. e.g. "Climbing at high altitudes will affect your ability to breathe."

'Effect' as a verb means to bring about.
e.g. "It is unlikely that the new measures will effect any significant political change."

'Effect' as a noun means a result or consequence of an action or it can also refer to the impression produced on a spectator, reader or listener.
e.g. "The lighting gave the effect of a stormy night at sea."

p.s. 'alot' is actually two words 'a' and 'lot'.

Thanks for fixing that up for me

Also, I know that they are two words but for some reason I insist on making it one, it doesnt look wrong to me.

 

[Stevisiov]

Two things that get me; when people who use the word 'brought' instead of 'bought'.

"I brought a new TV" - as in purchased. They should say - "I bought a new TV"

Brought is the action of bringing, not purchasing.

Of course it would be fine if you said, "I bought my TV and then I brought it home".

The other, is people confusing the term borrow for lend. I often hear peoples say "Can you borrow me a pencil?" when they should say: "Can you lend me a pencil?".

Of course the word borrow could be used in the same sense too if the sentence is slightly different. "Can I borrow a pencil?" is perfectly correct.

All that said, I can't really complain about others grammar and use of words, my usage isn't exactly stellar.

 

[wfooshee]

Irregardless of the affect my opinions could of had on what poeples thinks about words and there usages, its rediculous to try to correct people. Their ignerant of the rules of grammer and it's proper applications.

BTW "irregardless" is one of my own favorites.

 

[RUI]

Another common mistake: per say, or perse, or persay, or persai instead of the correct Latin phrase - per se, meaning "by itself/themselves".

 

[Neal]

Irregardless of the affect my opinions could of had on what poeples thinks about words and there usages, its rediculous to try to correct people. Their ignerant of the rules of grammer and it's proper applications.

BTW "irregardless" is one of my own favorites.

Of course you mean favourites