COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS a while noun phrase, a period or interval of time

(After a while, Rawls came in to let another set of children

Accept/ Except have a chance.)
accept take
except leave out Beside/Besides
beside close to; next to
Advice/Advise besides except for; in addition
advice -recommendation (noun)
advise - to recommend (verb) Borne/Born
borne past participle of to bear (carry)
Adverse/Averse born brought into life
adverse - unfavorable
averse - opposed to Borrow/Lend
borrow to get something from someone
Affect/Effect lend to give something to someone
affect to influence (verb); emotional response (noun)
effect result (noun); to cause (verb) Breath/Breathe
breath noun, air taken in
Aisle/Isle breathe verb, to take in air
aisle - space between rows
isle - island Canvas/Canvass
canvas- heavy cloth
Allude/Elude canvass to take a survey; a survey
allude - to make indirect reference to
elude - to avoid Cloths/Clothes
cloths pieces of fabric
Already/ All ready clothes garments
already before, by this time
all ready fully prepared Complement/Compliment
complement something that completes
All together/altogether compliment praise, flattery
All together everyone at once, everything/one in one
place Corps/Corpse
altogether completely, thoroughly corps regulated group
corpse dead body
Allusion/Illusion
Allusion a direct reference Council/Counsel
Illusion false idea or conception; belief or opinion not in council governing body
accord with the facts; deceptive or misleading appearance counsel advice; to give advice
or image
Desert/Dessert
Ascent/Assent desert verb, leave behind
ascent rising dessert noun, sweet
assent agreement
Descent/Dissent
Assure/Ensure/ Insure descent downward movement
Assure reassure, or to convince; usually followed by a dissent disagreement
direct object that names a person.
Ensure/Insure to make sure, certain or safe. Device/Devise
Insure generally used to refer to a financial certainty device a plan; a tool or utensil
devise to create
Awhile/A while
awhile adverb, for a short time or period Discreet/Discreet
(Beyond the bar, soft white leather booths beckon you to discreet modest, prudent behavior
sit, take off your coat and stay awhile.) discrete a separate thing, distinct

1 | VOCABULARY F Y I
 Much is used when referring to something great in
Elicit/Illicit quantity, amount, extent or degree. Much refers to things
elicit - to draw out that can not be counted.
illicit - illegal, forbidden (Ex. You have too much time on your hands.)

Eminent/Imminent Meat/Meet/Mete
eminent - prominent meat - animal flesh
imminent - about to happen meet - to encounter
mete - to measure; to distribute
Emigrate/Immigrate
emigrate leave a country Metal/Medal/Mettle
immigrate enter a country metal - a hard organic substance
medal - a flat disk stamped with a design
Envelop/ Envelope mettle - courage, spirit, energy
envelop - to surround (verb)
envelope - container for a letter (noun) Moral/Morale
moral - distinguishing right from wrong; lesson of a fable or
Farther/Further story
Farther = far (only for distance) morale - attitude or outlook usually of a group
Further = more forth, more to the fore, greater depth
(both greater distance and more of something) Oral/Aural
Oral spoken; to the mouth or speaking
Flaunt/Flout Aural refers to ear or hearing
Flaunt to parade oneself ostentatiously, show it off
Flout to be scornful of, or to show contempt for Past/Passed
past gone by; at a previous time (they helped in the past.)
Forth/Fourth passed went by, past tense of to pass (The tortoise
forth - forward ultimately passed the hare)
fourth - number four in a list
Peak/Peek/Pique
Hoard/Horde peak -point, pinnacle, maximum
hoard - a hidden fund or supply, a cache peek - to peer through or look furtively
horde - a large group or crowd, swarm pique - fit of resentment, feeling of wounded vanity

Human/Humane Precede/Proceed
human - relating to the species homo sapiens precede - to come before
humane - compassionate proceed - to continue

Imply/Infer Rational/Rationale
imply hint at something (speaker does this) rational - having reason or understanding
infer make an educated guess (listener does this) rationale - principles of opinion, beliefs

Loose/Lose Reverend/Reverent
loose not fastened reverend - title given to clergy; deserving respect
lose - misplace reverent - worshipful

Learn/Teach Sensuous/Sensual
learn receive facts Sensuous applies to the delight you get from things that
teach give fact appeal to senses, such as art, flowers, music, etc.
Sensual linked to erotic pleasures, lust, gluttony, and
Many vs. Much other self-indulgent pastimes.
Many is used when referring to a large but definite
number. Many refers to things that can be counted. Simple/Simplistic
(Ex. I have too many shoes.) simple not complicated (its a simple game.)
simplistic watered down (the explanation was simplistic)

2 | VOCABULARY F Y I
 information can be removed without altering the
Stationary/Stationery sentences meaning.
stationary staying in place, standing still
stationery writing paper Correct Restrictive Use:
The painting that was hanging in the foyer was stolen.
Sight/Site/Cite
sight - scene, view, picture Explanation: The use of "that" in this sentence is correct if
site - place, location the reader intends to single out the one painting that was
cite - to document or quote (verb) in the foyer as the stolen painting. However, if there were
several paintings hanging in the foyer, this use would be
Straight/Strait incorrect, since it would mislead the reader into believing
straight - unbending that there had been only one painting in the foyer. The
strait - narrow or confining; a waterway restriction here tells us that the one painting that had been
hanging in the foyer was stolen -- not the painting in the
Taught/Taut living room, or the one in the drawing room, or any of
taught - past tense of "to teach" those in the parlor.
taut -tight
2. Use "which" with nonrestrictive clauses. A
Which/That nonrestrictive clause may tell us something interesting or
If the clause relates to a person, use who. If the clause incidental about a subject, but it does not define that
relates to a thing, use that if the clause is restrictive and subject. When writing a nonrestrictive clause, introduce it
which if the clause is nonrestrictive. with "which" and insert commas around the clause.
(However, if the subject is or was a human being, use
Use that to introduce a phrase that provides essential "who" to introduce the clause and insert commas around
information to restrict the noun. the clause.)

Use which to introduce a phrase that provides additional, Correct Nonrestrictive Use:
but not vitally necessary, information about the noun. The painting, which was hanging in the foyer, was stolen.

NOTE: Restrictive means that the clause restricts the Explanation: While this nonrestrictive use tells us that the
meaning of the nounit helps identify the noun. A painting was hanging in the foyer, it does not tell us which
restrictive clause defines a noun or a pronoun with of the several paintings in the foyer was the stolen
information essential to the overall meaning of the painting. It would be incorrect to use this nonrestrictive
sentence. This information limits the definition or clause if there had been only one painting in the foyer, as
characteristics of the noun, making it more specific than the sentence leaves open the possibility that there were
general. If this information were removed, the meaning of others.
the sentence would be drastically altered. When a clause is
restrictive, it should be introduced with the word that REDUNDANT WORDS
and not set off by commas because the information is REPAIR
essential. 1. honest truth truth
2. past experience experience
Nonrestrictive means that the clause does not restrict 3. past history history
the meaning of the noun, but merely provides additional 4. fatally killed killed
information about a noun that has already been fully 5. revert back revert
identified. A non-restrictive clause provides extra 6. foreign imports imports
information about a previously defined noun or pronoun. 7. partial stop stop
This additional information is non-essential because it may 8. true facts facts
add further depth to the sentence, but it does not add any 9. free gift gift
information that could change the definition of the noun or 10. live and breathe live
pronoun being described. When a clause is non-restrictive, 11. null and void null (or void)
it should be introduced with the word which. Non- 12. most unique unique
restrictive clauses are by definition non-essential; 13. cease and desist cease (or desist)
therefore, all non-restrictive phrases are set off by commas 14. at 8AM in the morning at 8AM
because all nonessential phrases are set off by commas. 15. sum total and end results total (or results)
Setting information off with commas indicates the 16. leaving no living survivors leaving no survivors

3 | VOCABULARY F Y I
17. proceed ahead proceed
18. successfully escaped escaped
19. minus 8 degrees below 0 minus 8 degrees
20. forward progress progress
21. set a new record set a record
22. at this point in time now
23. repeat again repeat
24. red in color red
25. extra gratuity gratuity
26. continue to remain remain
27. small in size small
28. few in number few
29. new innovation innovation
30. complete stop stop
31. combine together combine
32. final end end
33. at the present time now
34. for the purpose of for
35. in the event that if
36. until such time as until
37. in view of the fact that because
38. because of the fact that because
39. due to the fact that because
40. in order to utilize because
41. is an example of is
42. free up some space make room
43. my personal physician my doctor
44. thunderstorm activity thunderstorm
45. weather event snow (rain, and so
on)
46. it is believed by many that many believe
47. experience some discomfort hurt
48. in order to to
49. making an effort to trying to
50. reiterated over and over again repeated

NONSTANDARD ENGLISH
1. irregardless regardless
2. kind of a kind of
3. off of off
4. had ought ought
5. being that because
6. the reason is because the reason is that
7. like I told you as I told you
8. that there that

4 | VOCABULARY F Y I