Commonly Confused Words

Commonly Confused Words win (v, irr.) vs. beat (v, irr.) Explanation Use "win" when the object of the sentence is a type of competition, such as a game, contest, race, the World Cup, the Olympics, etcetera. Use "beat" when the object of the sentence is the person or team that is the loser of the competition. The person who owns the item "lends" the item to someone for a short period of time. The person who does not own the item "borrows" the item for a short period of time. In general, "listen" is used to describe an intentional action -- something done on purpose. "Hear" is used to refer to something unintentional -- something you do not do on purpose. However, when we are talking about a completed action, we often use "hear." Example sentences win: Span won the World Cup in 2010. beat: Spain beat the Netherlands in the final game of the 2010 World Cup.

borrow (v, reg.)

vs.

lend (v, irreg.)

borrow: I didn't have a pen for class, so I borrowed one from one of my classmates.

lend: I lent my pen to a classmate and he never returned it.

listen (v, reg.)

vs.

hear (v, irr.)

listen: What time of music do you like to listen to? (Rember that we use "to" between the verb "listen" and the object of the sentence.)

hear: 1) I hear strange noise every time I drive my car. I'm going to take it to the mechanic to get it checked out (used here to refer to sound that you don't consciously focus on). Yes, I've heard that song. I heard it last night on the radio (used here to refer to a completed action -- a sound you focused on, but a completed action).

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rob (v, reg.) vs. steal (v, irr.) Basically, you "rob" a person or a place, but you "steal" things. rob: 1) My house was robbed last night. (a place) 2) John was robbed while walking to his car. (a person) fun: 1) Playing video games is a lot of fun (used as a noun here). 2) This is a fun video game (used as an adjective here). steal: My television was stolen last night.

fun (adj, n, v)

vs.

funny (adj)

its (adj)

vs.

it's (contraction) loose (adj)

lose (v, irreg)

vs.

"Fun" is normally used as a noun or adjective. As an adjective, "fun" is used to describe someone or something that causes enjoyment or pleasure. "Funny" is an adjective used to describe someone or something that causes laughter. "Its" is used to show possession. "It's" is a contraction for "it is." "Lose" is a verb which is normally used to mean one of the following: 1) the opposite of win 2) to misplace 3) the opposite of gain "Loose" is an adjective which usually means the opposite of "tight."

funny: Jim Carrey is one of the funniest actors ever.

Its: I put everything in its correct place. lose: 1) They have lost three games in a row. (used here to mean the opposite of "win.") 2) I lost my keys. Have you seen them? (used here to mean "to misplace.") 3) I need to lose some weight, so I'm going to go on a diet. (used here as the opposite of "gain.")

It's: It's a good idea to keep your receipts. loose: After I finished my diet, all of my clothes were loose.

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hope (v, n) vs. wish (v, n) "Wish," when used as a verb, is used to talk about a current or past reality that the subject of the sentence would like to change. "Hope," on the other hand, is used to talk about future goals and dreams. wish: 1) I wish I had a better job. (In this example, the subject of the sentence would like to change a current reality.) 2) I wish I hadn't spent so much money last year. Now I'm in debt. (In this example, the subject would like to change a past reality.) **Note that neither of these examples talks about the future. grow: 1) He grew five centimeters last year. hope: I hope to get a better job next year. (here the speaker is talking about the future)

grow (v, irreg.)

vs.

grow up (phrasal verb, irreg.)

"Grow" means to increase in size. If something gets bigger, it "grows." "Grow up" means to become an adult or to mature as a person.

travel (v, n)

vs.

trip (v, n)

When talking about travelling "travel" is generally used as a verb. "Trip" is generally used as a noun to talk about a specific voyage, journey, or excursion.

travel: I love to travel internationally and experience new cultures. (used as a verb here)

grow up: My son is growing up so fast. I can't believe he's 15 already! (In this example, the speaker is not talking about the physical growth of his/her son. The speaker is talking about his/her son becoming more mature and like an adult.) trip: The best trip I've ever been on was my senior class trip to Disney World. (used as a noun here to talk about a specific excursion)

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history (n) vs. story (n) A "history" explains a chronological collection of events that shows how something has progressed, changed, or developed over time (the history of the world, a person's medical history, the history of the Vikings, etc.) A"history" usually deals with political, social, or economic topics and often includes an explanation of the events. A "story" is a description of an event or series of events (real or fake) and is often told with the intent to entertain the listener. A "foreigner" is someone who comes from a country different from yours. A "stranger" is someone who you do not know. A "meeting" is when people come together or meet, usually to talk about a specific topic or topics. A "reunion" is when people come together or meet who have been apart from each other or separated. Reunions happen so that people who have not seen each other in a long time can see each other again. history: This book about the history of Greece is fascinating. story: She made us laugh with her stories about her dysfunctional family.

foreigner (n)

vs.

stranger (n)

foreigner: She must be a foreigner. She had a really thick accent. meeting: We have a meeting next Friday with the entire department.

stranger: When I was a child, my mom always told me not to talk to strangers. reunion: We have a family reunion every couple of years so that we can see our extended family members who we haven't seen in a long time.

meeting (n)

vs.

reunion (n)

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weather (n) vs. climate (n) "Weather" refers to the conditions in the atmosphere over a short period of time. "Climate" refers to the conditions in the atmosphere over a longer period of time. Both are used to talk about scheduled events with other people. "Appointment" is used for professional events (a doctor's appointment for example) "Date" is used for events with two people who are romantically involved or might become romantically involved. "Lonely" is an adjective used to describe someone who is sad or dejected because he or she does not have any companions. "Alone" is an adjective used to describe someone or something that is separated or isolated from others. weather: The weather yesterday was awful. I stayed inside and read all day. climate: Generally speaking, the climate in Alaska is very cold.

date (n, v)

vs.

appointment (n)

date: My wife and I went to the movies for our first date.

appointment: I have a dentist appointment tomorrow at 2 PM.

lonely (adj)

vs.

alone (adj)

lonely: He was lonely until he met his wife.

alone: It's private, so I can't tell you about it now. I'll tell you about it when we're alone.

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other (adj) vs. another (adj) Basically, we use "other" with 1) plural nouns and 2) when there are only two options. We use "another" 1) with singular nouns and 2) to mean "additional.' other: 1) I like my dog, but other dogs sometimes scare me. (used here with the plural noun "dogs.") 2) You're doing it wrong. Use your other foot. (used here because there are only two options -people only have two feet.) point: The number pi is approximately 3.14 (three point one four) another: 1) I don't really like my job. I think I'm going to look for another one. (used here with a singular noun) 2) I'm still hungry. I'm going to eat another slice of pizza. (used here to mean "additional.")

point (n)

vs.

period (n) vs. dot

Use "point" with numbers (decimals such as 3.14, 5.78, etcetera). Use "period" for the punctuation mark at the end of a sentence. Use "dot" for websites and email addresses.

period: All sentences should end with a period, question mark, or exclamation mark.

dot: ebay.com (eBay dot com) is a website where you can buy and sell used items.

miss (v)

vs.

lose (v)

roof (n)

vs.

ceiling (n)

In general, use "miss" for events and opportunities. Use "lose" for physical objects. A "roof" is the outside protective covering of a building. The word "ceiling" refers to the top part of a room. If you are inside and you look up, you see the ceiling. If you are outside and look at the top of a building, you see the roof.

miss: I missed the 6:45 train and was late for work. roof: Many of our neighbors have satellite dishes on their roofs.

lose: I lost my passport and had to apply for a new one. ceiling: I don't like this house because the ceilings are too low. I prefer houses with high ceilings so I have more space.

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yard (n) vs. garden (n) A "yard" is the outdoor area of a house or other building. A "garden" is an area dedicated to growing flowers, fruits, vegetables, herbs, etcetera. When used as nouns relating to sports, these words can be confusing. A "game" refers to an activity done for fun in which there is usually a winner. A "play" refers to a specific movement in a game. Use "expect" when the subject thinks that something will occur. Use "wait" when the subject stays somewhere or decides not to do something until something else happens. Basically, we almost always use "affect" as a verb and "effect" as a noun. yard: Let's go play soccer in the back yard. garden: The flowers in your garden look beautiful.

game (n)

vs.

play (v, n)

game: The game last night was very entertaining.

play: He made an amazing play to score the winning goal in the soccer game.

expect (v)

vs.

wait (v)

expect: I'm expecting bad weather today, so I didn't walk to work.

wait: What took you so long? I was waiting for hours.

affect (v, n)

vs.

effect (v, n)

beside (adv., prep)

vs.

besides (adv., prep)

"Beside" is a synonym for "next to." We use "besides" to mean "in addition to."

affect: Smoking can negatively affect your health. ("Affect" is used as a verb here meaning "to make a difference or cause a change to something"). beside: I keep a dream journal beside my bed.

effect: The long-term effects of smoking are really terrible. ("Effect" is used as a noun here meaning "a change that was caused by something else"). besides: Besides studying foreign languages, she also likes to volunteer in her free time.

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see (v) vs. look at (v) vs. watch (v) "See" is used for something unintentional -- something that your eyes register without you focusing on it. "Look at" we use for when we focus our eyes on something and make a conscious effort. "Watch" also involves a conscious effort, but we use "watch" for things that involve motion (movies, TV shows, etc.) It is common, however, to use "see" for completed actions (For example "I saw a movie last night," or "Have you seen that video?") "More or less" is usually used to mean "approximately" or "mostly." "So so" means "okay," or "not bad." "So so" is not a very common expression in modern English. We would normally say "okay" or "not bad," or something similar instead of saying "so so." see: I saw a bear in the woods today. (In this sentence, there is no conscious effort to focus on the bear. The speaker was in the woods and his or her eyes perceived that there was a bear in the woods.) look at: Can you look at my pictures for my photography project and tell me what you think? (There is a conscious effort in this sentence to look at the photos, but the object of the sentence does not involve movement, so we use "look at.") watch: Right now, I'm watching the neighborhood kids have a snowball fight. (In this sentence, there is conscious effort AND the object of the sentence involves motion, so we use "watch.")

more or less

vs.

so so

more or less: 1) You've been studying English for two years, right? Yeah, more or less. (The speaker has been studying English for approximately two years) 2) We more or less have a good relationship. (In this sentence, "more or less" means "mostly." The speaker is saying that the relationship is mostly good.)

so so: How was your vacation? It was so so. (The vacation was okay, but not great)

Commonly Confused Words

shade (n, v) vs. shadow (n, v) Both words are usually used as nouns. "Shade" refers to an area outside that does not receive sunlight because something is blocking the sun. A shadow is the shape formed when a source of light is blocked. "Safe" is the opposite of "dangerous." We use "safe" to describe things that are not likely to cause physical harm. "Secure" can mean "not at risk to be damaged, lost, or intercepted" or "confident." shade: The sun is really bright. Let's sit under the tree in the shade. shadow: My dog isn't very smart. Sometimes he fights with his own shadow.

safe (adj)

vs.

secure (adj)

safe: I think a storm is coming. Let's go inside where we'll be safe.

secure: 1) I know my passport and birth certificate are secure because I put them in a locked, fire-proof box. (used here to mean "not at risk to be damaged, lost or intercepted"). 2) He's reading an article on the internet about how to feel more secure. (used here to mean "confident")