Commonly confused words in English
Affect or effect? Borrow or lend? Learn 20 groups of commonly confused words in English with clear meanings, examples and memory tricks.
In this lesson
Commonly confused words are English words that look or sound similar but have different meanings, such as affect and effect, borrow and lend, or its and it’s. This lesson explains 20 groups of confusing words with simple meanings, examples, memory tricks and a quiz, so you can choose the right word every time.
Key point
Check the part of speech first. Many confusing pairs are a noun and a verb (advice, advise) or a full word and a short form (its, it’s). When you know which kind of word you need, the choice becomes easy.
Which words sound the same but mean different things?
Many confusing words are homophones: they sound the same, or almost the same, but have different spellings and meanings. You hear no difference when people speak, so the mistakes appear in writing.
homophone noun C1
A word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning or spelling.
Their and there are homophones.
Affect or effect?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| affect | verb | To change or influence something. | Lack of sleep can affect your memory. |
| effect | noun | The result of a change. | Lack of sleep has a bad effect on your memory. |
Tip
Affect is an action (a verb). Effect is the end result (a noun). You can read more in the Merriam-Webster guide to affect and effect.
Common mistake
The rain didn’t effect our plans. → The rain didn’t affect our plans.
Accept or except?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| accept | verb | To agree to take something, or to agree that something is true. | Please accept this small gift. |
| except | preposition | Not including; but not. | Everyone came to the party except Kamal. |
If you can replace the word with but not, write except.
Then or than?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| then | adverb | At that time, or next. | We had lunch, and then we went to the beach. |
| than | conjunction | A word used in comparisons. | My brother is taller than me. |
Use than after comparative adjectives such as bigger, older and more expensive. Use then for time: first … then ….
Its or it’s?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| its | determiner | Belonging to it. | The cat is washing its paws. |
| it’s | short form | It is, or it has. | It’s raining again. |
Common mistake
The company changed it’s name. → The company changed its name.
If you can say it is or it has in the sentence, write it’s. If not, write its. Our lesson on contracted forms in English explains how short forms with an apostrophe work.
Your or you’re?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| your | determiner | Belonging to you. | Is this your bag? |
| you’re | short form | You are. | You’re late again! |
Test it: You are late makes sense, so write you’re late. You are bag does not make sense, so write your bag.
Their, there or they’re?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| their | determiner | Belonging to them. | They sold their house last year. |
| there | adverb | In or to that place; also used in there is and there are. | Put the box over there. |
| they’re | short form | They are. | They’re coming to dinner tonight. |
Common mistake
There going to the beach with there children. → They’re going to the beach with their children.
Tip
There contains the word here, and both words are about places. Their contains heir, a person who receives things, so it is about belonging.
Lose or loose?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| lose | verb | To stop having something, or to not win. | Don’t lose your train ticket. |
| loose | adjective | Not tight, or not firmly fixed. | These trousers are too loose. |
Common mistake
I always loose my keys. → I always lose my keys.
The sounds are different too. Lose ends with a /z/ sound, like shoes. Loose ends with an /s/ sound, like goose.
Is it a noun or a verb? Advice or advise, practice or practise
In British English, some words have one spelling for the noun and another for the verb. The noun ends in -ce and the verb ends in -se.
Advice or advise?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| advice | noun | An opinion about what someone should do. | My teacher gave me some good advice. |
| advise | verb | To tell someone what you think they should do. | The doctor advised me to rest. |
Common mistake
Can you give me an advice? → Can you give me some advice?
Advice is uncountable, so do not use an or add -s. Say a piece of advice for one.
Practice or practise?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| practice | noun | Doing something regularly to get better at it. | Piano practice takes an hour every day. |
| practise | verb | To do something regularly to get better at it. | I practise my English every evening. |
Note
In British English, practice is the noun and practise is the verb. In American English, practice is used for both. Advice and advise are different in both British and American English.
Which verbs are easy to mix up?
These verbs have similar meanings, but they are used in different patterns. Learn each one with a short example.
Borrow or lend?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| borrow | verb | To take something from someone and give it back later. | Can I borrow your pen? |
| lend | verb | To give something to someone for a short time. | Can you lend me your pen? |
Common mistake
Can you borrow me some money? → Can you lend me some money?
You borrow something from someone. You lend something to someone.
Bring or take?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| bring | verb | To carry something or come with someone to the place where you are. | Please bring your notebook to class tomorrow. |
| take | verb | To carry something or go with someone to another place. | Take an umbrella when you go out. |
Think of direction. Bring means towards here. Take means away to there.
Say or tell?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| say | verb | To speak words. You say something, or say something to someone. | She said hello to me. |
| tell | verb | To give information to someone. You tell someone something. | She told me a funny story. |
Common mistake
He said me the answer. → He told me the answer.
Tell is followed directly by a person (tell me, tell your mother). Say is not. See the Cambridge Dictionary guide to say or tell for more patterns.
Make or do?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| make | verb | To create or produce something. | I made a cake for her birthday. |
| do | verb | To perform an action, a job or a task. | I do my homework after dinner. |
Examples
- Make: make a mistake, make a decision, make a noise, make money, make friends.
- Do: do homework, do the housework, do exercise, do a course, do your best.
Remember or remind?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| remember | verb | To keep something in your memory; not to forget. | I remember my first day at school. |
| remind | verb | To make someone remember something. | Please remind me to call my mother. |
You remember something yourself. Another person or thing reminds you: This song reminds me of my holiday.
Rob or steal?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| rob | verb | To take money or things from a person or a place illegally. | Two men robbed the bank. |
| steal | verb | To take something that does not belong to you. | Someone stole my bicycle. |
You rob a person or a place (rob a bank, rob a tourist). You steal a thing (steal a phone, steal money).
Lie or lay?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| lie | verb | To be or put yourself in a flat position. It has no object. Past forms: lay, lain. | I like to lie on the sofa after work. |
| lay | verb | To put something down carefully in a flat position. It needs an object. Past forms: laid, laid. | Lay the map on the table. |
Common mistake
I’m going to lay down for an hour. → I’m going to lie down for an hour.
Note
The past simple of lie is lay, which is why these verbs are so confusing: Yesterday I lay in bed until ten. When lie means say something that is not true, its past form is lied. Lie has no object and lay needs one, which our lesson on transitive and intransitive verbs explains.
Which other words do learners often confuse?
Fewer or less?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| fewer | determiner | A smaller number of. Use it with plural countable nouns. | There are fewer cars on the road today. |
| less | determiner | A smaller amount of. Use it with uncountable nouns. | I drink less coffee than before. |
Use fewer for things you can count (fewer people, fewer mistakes) and less for things you cannot count (less water, less time). In informal speech, many people say less with plural nouns, but in exams and formal writing use fewer. Read the Cambridge Dictionary guide to less or fewer, and see our lesson on countable and uncountable nouns.
Especially or specially?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| especially | adverb | Above all, or more than usual. | I love fruit, especially mangoes. |
| specially | adverb | For one particular purpose. | This cake was made specially for you. |
In informal speech the two words are sometimes used in the same way, but in writing use especially when you mean above all.
Economic or economical?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| economic | adjective | Connected with the economy, trade and money of a country. | The country is facing serious economic problems. |
| economical | adjective | Using little money, fuel or time; not wasteful. | Small cars are more economical than big ones. |
Sensible or sensitive?
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| sensible | adjective | Practical and showing good judgement. | It was sensible to take an umbrella. |
| sensitive | adjective | Easily hurt or upset, or quick to react to something. | My skin is very sensitive to the sun. |
A sensible person makes good decisions. A sensitive person notices other people’s feelings, or is easily hurt.
How can you stop confusing these words?
Tip
Make your own list of the pairs you mix up most. Write one example sentence for each word and read the list before you write an important email or exam answer. When you check your writing, look for these words first.
Some confusing words are also phrasal verbs or parts of them, such as lie down in our list of common phrasal verbs. Every word in this lesson is saved in our English Word Bank, so you can review it later.
Summary
- Check the part of speech: affect is a verb and effect is usually a noun.
- Short forms with an apostrophe mean two words: it’s = it is, you’re = you are, they’re = they are.
- In British English, practice and advice are nouns; practise and advise are verbs.
- Use fewer with plural nouns and less with uncountable nouns.
- Learn verb patterns: borrow from, lend to; say something, tell someone something.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between affect and effect?
Affect is usually a verb that means to change or influence something. Effect is usually a noun that means the result. The weather affects my mood, and the weather has an effect on my mood.
Is it practice or practise?
In British English, practice is the noun and practise is the verb: I practise every day because I need more practice. In American English, practice is used for both.
When do I use its and it’s?
Use it’s only when you mean it is or it has. Use its to show that something belongs to it, as in The dog wagged its tail.
What is the difference between fewer and less?
Use fewer with plural countable nouns (fewer people) and less with uncountable nouns (less money). In formal writing and exams, follow this rule carefully.
Is it lie down or lay down?
Say lie down when you rest your body: I’m going to lie down. Use lay when you put something down: Lay the map on the table. The past simple of lie is lay, which is why people often mix them up.
Practise this lesson
12 questions
