Commonly Confused Words
Every editor has a favorite type of edit to make. There’s a small thrill every time I fix a typo, remove an extra “that,” and find a discrepancy while fact-checking. Probably the biggest rush comes from fixing words or phrases that have been confused for others. Oftentimes, words get confused because they’re homophones (words that are pronounced the same way but have different spellings) like “affect” and “effect.” Sometimes it’s because they have similar spellings or meanings. English is a tricky language to learn because there are so many things to keep track of. Don’t worry if you often confuse words—it happens to everyone. In this post, I’ve made a list of common confusables. If you make it past the list, you’ll learn about malapropisms, mondegreens, and eggcorns!
The list of confusables
Below is a list of words I often see get confused, either in editing or in everyday life. There are many more out there, but this is just a start. These are simple definitions and do not contain everything found in most dictionaries. Many words can be used in different parts of speech, but here I’m using either the most commonly used one or the most commonly confused one.
a while/awhile
This is one I always have to pause and think about because they’re similar but different parts of speech.
a while (noun): a short length of time. It’s been a while since I saw him.
awhile (adverb): for a while. Let’s rest awhile and reconvene later.
To test which one to use, I substitute a while/awhile with “for a while.” If it makes sense, I want to use “awhile” because an adverb is appropriate there. For example, let’s say I come across this sentence: “Let’s rest a while.” I’d test it by seeing if it makes sense to say “let’s rest for a while.” That works, so I want the adverb form (awhile). But let’s say I have this sentence: “It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.” I can again test it by seeing if it makes sense to say “It’s been for a while since we’ve seen each other.” That doesn’t work, so I want the noun (a while).
advice/advise
advice (noun): recommendation. Ask your friends for advice on what to do.
advise (verb): to give a recommendation. My doctor advised me to take it easy until I recover.
Advising is what you do when you give advice.
affect/effect
These two get confused because they’re similar in meaning and pronunciation. “That song affected me” and “That song had an effect on me” mean almost the same thing, but it’s important to choose the correct word in the sentences.
affect (verb): to cause or influence something. The new policy affects everyone.
effect (noun): the result of an antecedent or influence; an impression. The effect was immediate.
You may have heard that you can remember the difference because “affect” is a verb and “effect” is a noun. While this is true in the meanings used above, it’s not always the case because both words can be nouns or verbs. “Affect“ as a noun (emphasis on the first syllable, AH-fect) refers to the display of emotions on one’s face. His affect was flat, showing limited emotions. “Effect” as a verb means to cause something and achieve a final result. Their actions effected real change.
assure/ensure/insure
assure (verb): to remove doubt. He assured me he’d take care of it.
ensure (verb): to make sure or guarantee. Taking these steps will ensure our success.
insure (verb): to take insurance out on something or to take extensive measures to guarantee success. In the US, children can be insured on a parent’s policy through age twenty-six.
Sometimes these words are used interchangeably, but there are differences in usage that are commonly observed. “Assure” usually relates to a verbal or explicit guarantee. “Ensure” usually relates to making sure something happens without the explicit guarantee of removing doubt. “Insure” usually relates to finances or insurance.
breath/breathe/breadth
breath (noun): the result of breathing. I took a deep breath, then dove underwater.
breathe (verb): the action of inhaling and exhaling. Dolphins breathe through their blowholes.
breadth (noun): the width or scope of something. You’re a hair’s breadth away from disaster.
canon/cannon
canon (noun): church dogma, authentic works in a collection, or accepted principles. Fanfiction is not considered canon.
cannon (noun): a device that shoots projectiles. The cannon’s blast shook the ground.
complement/compliment and complementary/complimentary
complement (verb): to complete or improve. Your tie complements your suit nicely. / complement (noun): something that completes or improves, or a counterpart. Her personality is the perfect complement to yours.
complementary (adjective): describes something that completes or improves. Orange and blue are complementary colors.
compliment (verb): to express regard or admiration. She complimented me on my achievements. / compliment (noun): an expression of regard or admiration. That was a kind compliment you gave. The phrase “compliments of,” such as “compliments of the chef,” means something is provided free by that person or entity. These brownies are for you, compliments of your sister.
complimentary (adjective): describes something that expresses regard or admiration. What a complimentary remark! It’s also used to refer to something that’s free. You get a complimentary set of steak knives with your purchase.
One way to remember the difference is to think of the word “complete,” which has an e like complement and complementary.
desert/dessert
desert (noun): an arid place usually with sparse vegetation. The desert sand was coarse. Note that the phrase is “just deserts,” as in someone getting their comeuppance. The pronunciation is contrary to what we think of each word, I know.
dessert (noun): a sweet treat. I like to eat dessert before dinner.
Since a desert is sparse, it only has one s. Since you usually want more dessert, it has two s’s.
discreet/discrete
discreet (adjective): unnoticeable or modest. Please be discreet when on your covert mission.
discrete (adjective): distinct or noncontinuous. There are several discrete factions in their political system, which all have dissimilar ideologies.
e.g./i.e.
Sometimes it’s better to avoid these completely because they’re interchanged all the time, despite having very different meanings.
e.g. (abbreviation): “for example.” What follows should be one or more examples of what you’re referring to but not an exhaustive list. I like fruit (e.g., apples, oranges, and bananas). [There are more than these three types of fruit.]
i.e. (abbreviation): “that is.” What follows should be another way of saying whatever you’re referring to. Canines and felines (i.e., dogs and cats) are the most popular house pets. [“Dogs and cats” is the only other way to say “canines and felines.”]
I use a trick I learned from Grammar Girl’s readers to remember the difference: e.g. = “for (eg)g sample/for example” and i.e. = “in essence.”
hangar/hanger
hangar (noun): a shelter, usually in the context of where airplanes are stored. The jet pulled into the hangar.
hanger (noun): the contraption clothes are hung on. Please put your blouse on the hanger.
hone/home
hone (verb): to sharpen or make more efficient. Practicing is the only way to hone your skills.
home (verb): to move toward a location, usually used with the word “in.” The trackers helped them home in on the suspect’s location.
Think of homing missiles or homing pigeons. I often see “hone in” used instead of “home in.”
hung/hanged
hung (verb): past tense of the verb “hang.” I hung the clothes on the line to dry.
hanged (verb): past tense of the verb “hang” when referring to the type of execution of hanging by a noose. The criminals were hanged for their misdeeds.
imply/infer
imply (verb): to express indirectly or suggest. His tone implied he was unhappy with how things went.
infer (verb): to draw a conclusion. I inferred from his tone that he was unhappy with how things went.
The one who’s communicating implies. The one receiving the communication infers.
its/it’s
its (adjective): of or relating to something, usually a possessor. The baby bird flew out of its nest.
it’s (contraction): “it is.” It’s almost impossible to keep these straight.
lie/lay
“Lie” and “lay” and all their forms are probably some of the most confusing words in English, for good reason.
lie (verb): to rest in a horizontal position. I’m tired, so I’m going to lie down and rest.
lay (verb): to set down. The forms of “lay” should be followed by a direct object. I’m tired, so I’m going to lay my head down and rest.
You lie down. You lay something down.
The tricky thing with these two is that their other forms overlap. “Lie” and “lay” are different, but the past tense of “lie” is “lay”! The easiest thing to do is to have a cheat sheet handy like this:
Present tense / Past tense / Past participle
lie / lay / lain [I lie down. / She lay down. / He had lain down.]
lay / laid / laid [I lay the book down. / She laid the book down. / He had laid the book down.]
lead/led
These get confused because “led” is the past tense of the verb “lead,” but the noun version of “lead” is pronounced the same way as “led.”
lead (verb): to guide or be first. I’d like you to lead the meeting tomorrow.
led (verb): past tense of the verb “lead.” Their advocacy led the way to new legislation.
lose/loose
lose (verb): to misplace from one’s possession, to be defeated, to be free of (and many more). I didn’t think she’d lose the race.
loose (adjective): describes something that is slack or free from restraint. Those pants are too loose.
ordinance/ordnance
ordinance (noun): a decree or proclamation. The city passed a new ordinance about street parking.
ordnance (noun): military supplies. The fortress housed ordnance for the soldiers.
passed/past
These two are easily confused because the adverb form of “past” can be used in a similar context as “passed.” For example, “he passed by me” and “he walked past me” mean similar things, even though the use of the words “passed” and “past” are quite different.
passed (verb): past tense form of the verb “pass,” meaning to move or go by. I can’t believe I was passed up for the promotion.
past (adverb): describes the action of going beyond something. The days flew past me in a haze.
If these two confuse you, determine whether the word you want is the action itself (passed) or if it’s describing the action that’s happening (past).
peak/peek/pique
peak (noun): a sharp point or the highest point of something. We climbed to the mountain peak.
peek (verb): to glance quickly or to look from a hidden location. The boy peeked in the oven to see if the cookies were ready.
pique (verb): to excite or arouse one’s interest. The teaser piqued my interest in seeing the movie.
precede/proceed
precede (verb): to come before something. The event will be preceded by a meet and greet.
proceed (verb): to continue on or move along. The meeting will proceed as planned, despite the interruption.
stationary/stationery
stationary (adjective): describes something immobile or unchanging. The old junker will remain stationary from now on.
stationery (noun): materials related to writing or typing, like paper, envelopes, and pens. I love trying out all the pens at the stationery store.
than/then
than (conjunction): used to compare elements in a sentence. She’d rather be with you than with me.
then (adverb): at that time, soon after, in addition to, as a consequence. I’m going to the mall first, then I’ll swing by.
their/there/they’re
their (adjective): describes something that is related to or belongs to them. They couldn’t believe their eyes.
there (noun): that place or point. I went there but no one was around.
they’re (contraction): “they are.” They’re the ones you’re looking for, not us.
to/too
to (preposition): used as a function to indicate movement, direction, position, relation (and much more). He enjoys going to the park.
too (adverb): also or excessively. If you’re happy, I’m happy too. / Can you ever have too much chocolate?
whose/who’s
whose (adjective): describes something that is related to or belongs to whom. I was always jealous of Encyclopedia Brown, whose intelligence and problem-solving skills were the stuff of legend.
who’s (contraction): “who is.” Who’s your favorite superhero?
your/you’re
your (adjective): describes something that is related to or belongs to you. Is that your book?
you’re (contraction): “you are.” You’re probably tired of reading about confusables now.
If you know these trip you up, try substituting “you are” when writing one of them to see if it makes sense. “Is that you are book?” wouldn’t make sense, so you know you need “your.”
If you want a more exhaustive (and entertaining) list of confusables, check out Dreyer’s English.
What the heck is a malapropism, mondegreen, or eggcorn?
There are some specific types of confusables you’ll likely recognize, even if you haven’t heard of the terms used to describe them.
Malapropisms
A malapropism is “the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase,” as defined by Merriam-Webster. The speaker mixes up words that sound similar but mean very different things, often leading to silly or facepalm-worthy results (Mike Tyson saying he might “fade into Bolivian” instead of “fade into oblivion”). Some politicians are known for their malapropisms (or gaffes)—in fact, George W. Bush inspired the term “Bushism” to describe his many flubs, which you can read in this Slate compilation. Joe Biden is also known for these. Sometimes malapropisms are used intentionally for comedic effect.
Mondegreens
A mondegreen is a mishearing or misunderstanding, often with song lyrics and poems. While a malaproprism is a mistake made by the speaker, a mondegreen is a mistake made by the listener and leads to a misinterpretation of what’s being said. In Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space,” many people heard the line “got a long list of ex-lovers” as “got a long list Starbucks lovers.” I’ll admit that I was one of those people. When my husband first listened to “Burn the House Down” by AJR, he thought the opening line was “you sticky pickle” instead of “used to keep it cool.” That’s how we sing it now.
Eggcorns
An eggcorn is a word or phrase that’s mistaken for another because it sounds similar and makes some sense in the context. In a post by Mark Liberman, he wrote about the term “eggcorn” (that someone mistook for “acorn”), and it has been used in this way ever since. Unlike a mondegreen, an eggcorn does not change the listener’s understanding of what something means. The woman who thought an acorn was an eggcorn still knew the word referred to the nut of an oak tree, even if she didn’t have the word quite right. Check out the Eggcorn Database for plenty of examples. Here are a few you may have heard before:
“uncharted territory” heard as “unchartered territory”
“moot point” heard as “mute point”
“nip it in the bud” heard as “nip it in the butt”
“for all intents and purposes” heard as “for all intensive purposes”
Grammar Girl’s post goes into more depth on these types of confusables and provides a great breakdown of these terms.
How do I know which word to use?
There’s not really a tried and true method (at least that I’m aware of) of knowing what word is the right one. It often comes down to memorization and looking things up when unsure. In some cases, there are tricks to remembering the differences, such as the example with e.g. and i.e. given earlier. One thing I’ve learned as an editor is to always be humble and recognize my own limitations. I may be 99% confident that I have the correct word, phrase, or spelling, but many times I’ll still look it up just in case. If you know there are certain words you mix up frequently, practice them or find ways to remember which word is right in the context.
If you’re someone who uses macros in Microsoft Word, there’s a macro called CompareWordList by Allen Wyatt. This macro highlights specific words you’ve predesignated, which allows you to see where potential confusables are lurking so you can pay special attention to them. Louise Harnby’s walkthrough details how to install and use this macro.
Final thoughts
There’s a reason why these words are called confusables. By recognizing that certain words are commonly interchanged with others, you can learn the differences and strengthen your writing skills. Again, it’s okay if you’re prone to mixing them up! We’re all human, and English is, well, confusing.
