words u may confuse

words u may confuse
Confused Words
Words that sound alike or nearly alike but have different meanings often cause writers trouble. Here are a few of the most common pairs with correct definitions and examples
ACCEPT-to receive
ex: He accepts defeat well
EXCEPT-to take or leave out
ex: Please take all the books off the shelf except for the red one

AFFECT-to influence
ex: Lack of sleep affects the quality of your work
EFFECT-n., result, v., to accomplish
ex: The subtle effect of the lighting made the room look ominous
ex: Can the university effect such a change without disrupting classes

A LOT (two words)-many
ALOT (one word)-Not the correct form

ALLUSION-an indirect reference
ex: The professor made an allusion to Virginia Woolf's work
ILLUSION-a false perception of reality
ex: They saw a mirage: that is a type of illusion one sees in the desert

ALL READY-prepared
ex: Dinner was all ready when the guests arrived
ALREADY-by this time
ex: The turkey was already burned when the guests arrived

An altar is a table or stand upon which religious ceremonies are performed
Alter means to change

ALTOGETHER-entirely
ex: Altogether, I thought that the student's presentation was well planned
ALL TOGETHER-gathered, with everything in one place
ex: We were all together at the family reunion last spring

APART-to be separated
ex: The chain-link fence kept the angry dogs apart. OR My old car fell apart before we reached California
A PART-to be joined with
ex: The new course was a part of the new field of study at the university. OR A part of this plan involves getting started at dawn

ASCENT- climb
ex: The plane's ascent made my ears pop
ASSENT-agreement
ex: The martian assented to undergo experiments

BREATH-noun, air inhaled or exhaled
ex: You could see his breath in the cold air
BREATHE-verb, to inhale or exhale
ex: If you don't breathe, then you are dead

CITE-to quote or document
ex: I cited ten quotes from the same author in my paper
SIGHT-vision
ex: The sight of the American flag arouses different emotions in different parts of the world
SITE-position or place
ex: The new office building was built on the site of a cemetery

COMPLEMENT-noun, something that completes; verb, to complete
ex: A nice dry white wine complements a seafood entree
COMPLIMENT-noun, praise; verb, to praise
ex: The professor complimented Betty on her proper use of a comma

CONSCIENCE-sense of right and wrong
ex: The student's conscience kept him from cheating on the exam
CONSCIOUS-awake
ex: I was conscious when the burglar entered the house

COUNCIL-a group that consults or advises
ex: The men and women on the council voted in favor of an outdoor concert in their town
COUNSEL-to advise
ex: The parole officer counseled the convict before he was released

A desert is a dry sandy place. You place the accent on the first syllable
Dessert is the sweet stuff you generally eat after a meal. You accent the second syllable

ELICIT-to draw or bring out
ex: The teacher elicited the correct response from the student
ILLICIT-illegal
ex: The Columbian drug lord was arrested for his illicit activities

EMINENT-famous, respected
ex: The eminent podiatrist won the Physician of the Year award
IMMANENT-inherent or intrinsic
ex: The meaning of the poem was immanent, and not easily recognized
IMMINENT-ready to take place
ex: A fight between my sister and me is imminent from the moment I enter my house

LEAD-noun, a type of metal
ex: Is that pipe made of lead
LED-verb, past tense of the verb to lead
ex: She led the campers on an over-night hike

LIE-to lie down (a person or animal. hint: people can tell lies
ex: I have a headache, so I'm going to lie down for a while.
(also lying, lay, has/have lain--The dog has lain in the shade all day; yesterday, the dog lay there for twelve hours
LAY-to lay an object down
ex: "Lay down that shotgun, Pappy!" The sheriff demanded of the crazed moonshiner
ex: The town lay at the foot of the mountain
(also laying, laid, has/have laid--At that point, Pappy laid the shotgun on the ground)

LOSE--verb, to misplace or not win
ex: Mom glared at Mikey. "If you lose that new lunchbox, don't even think of coming home!"
LOOSE--adjective, to not be tight; verb (rarely used)--to release
ex: The burglar's pants were so loose that he was sure to lose the race with the cop chasing him
ex: While awaiting trial, he was never set loose from jail because no one would post his bail

PASSED-verb, past tense of "to pass," to have moved
ex: The tornado passed through the city quickly, but it caused great damage
PAST-belonging to a former time or place
ex: Who was the past president of Microsquish Computers


A piece is a portion or fragment of something
Peace is the opposite of war
Peas are small green vegetables

PRECEDE-to come before
ex: Pre-writing precedes the rough draft of good papers
PROCEED-to go forward

PRINCIPAL-adjective, most important; noun, a person who has authority
ex: The principal ingredient in chocolate chip cookies is chocolate chips
ex: The principal of the school does the announcements each morning
PRINCIPLE-a general or fundamental truth
ex: The study was based on the principle of gravity

QUOTE-verb, to cite
ex: I would like to quote Dickens in my next paper
QUOTATION-noun, the act of citing
ex: The book of famous quotations inspired us all

A roll is
a small piece of bread
a piece of paper that has been turned into a tube
a verb meaning "to turn (paper) into a tube"
a verb meaning "to turn over and over" (e.g. rolling down a hill)
a list of people in a group ("I'm going to call the roll")
A role is a part in a play, the function you perform in a certain group

STATIONARY-standing still
ex: The accident was my fault because I ran into a stationary object
STATIONERY-writing paper
ex: My mother bought me stationery that was on recycled paper

THAN-use with comparisons
ex: I would rather go out to eat than eat at the dining hall
THEN-at that time, or next
ex: I studied for my exam for seven hours, and then I went to bed

THEIR-possessive form of they
ex: Their house is at the end of the block
THERE-indicates location (hint: think of "here and there
ex: There goes my chance of winning the lottery
THEY'RE-contraction for "they are
ex: They're in Europe for the summer--again

THROUGH-by means of; finished; into or out of
THREW-past tense of throw
ex: She threw away his love letters
THOROUGH-careful or complete
ex: John thoroughly cleaned his room; there was not even a speck of dust when he finished
THOUGH-however; nevertheless
ex: He's really a sweetheart though he looks tough on the outside
THRU-abbreviated slang for through; not appropriate in standard writing
ex: We're thru for the day

TO-toward
ex: I went to the University of Richmond
TOO-also, or excessively
ex: He drank too many screwdrivers and was unable to drive home
TWO-a number
ex: Only two students did not turn in the assignment