Commonly Confused Words

Commonly Confused Words

Some words sound similar while others look similar, and this can cause confusion. Browse the list below to find the pairs of words that confuse you the most, and take the Commonly Confused Words quiz to learn how to differentiate between the two.

• accept vs except

• adverse vs averse

• advice vs advise

• affect vs effect

• aisle vs isle

• aloud vs allowed

• altar vs alter

• amoral vs immoral

• appraise vs apprise

• assent vs ascent

• aural vs oral

• balmy vs barmy

• bare vs bear

• bated vs baited

• bazaar vs bizarre

• berth vs birth

• born vs borne

• bough vs bow

• brake vs break

• breach vs breech

• broach vs brooch

• canvas vs canvass

• censure vs censor

• cereal vs serial

• chord vs cord

• climactic vs climatic

• coarse vs course

• complacent vs complaisant

• complement vs compliment

• council vs counsel

• cue vs queue

• curb vs kerb

• currant vs current

• defuse vs diffuse

• desert vs dessert

• discreet vs discrete

• disinterested vs uninterested

• draught vs draft

• draw vs drawer

• dual vs duel

• illicit vs ensure

• envelop vs envelope

• exercise vs exorcise

• fawn vs faun

• flout vs flounder

• forbear vs forebear

• foreword vs forward

• freeze vs frieze

• grisly vs grizzly

• hoard vs horde

• imply vs infer

• loath vs loathe

• loose vs lose

• meter vs metre

• militate vs mitigate

• palate vs palette

• pedal vs peddle

• pole vs poll

• pour vs pore

• practice vs practise

• prescribe vs proscribe

• principal vs principle

• sceptic vs septic

• sight vs site

• stationary vs stationery

• storey vs story

• titillate vs titivate

• tortuous vs torturous

• wreath vs wreathe