The only business writing book you’ll ever need - Laura Brown, Rich Karlgaard 2019
Commonly confused words
Resources
The English language has a lot of words that sound similar. It’s easy to confuse them, especially when you’re writing in a hurry. This list covers some of the most commonly confused words in the language; keep it handy to avoid mistakes.
Accept and except
Accept means to receive.
Except means apart from, otherwise than.
Adverse and averse
Adverse means harmful or unfavorable.
Averse means opposed to or strongly disinclined.
Affect and effect
To affect is to have an influence on or to create strong emotions.
An effect is a result or an outcome.
All right
All right means acceptable or in good order.
There is no such word as alright. It’s a misspelling of all right.
All together and altogether
All together (two words) indicates people or things located in one place.
Altogether means completely, entirely.
Appraise and apprise
Appraise means to estimate the value of.
Apprise means to notify.
Chord and cord
A chord is a combination of musical notes sounded together.
A cord is a slender length of flexible material.
Note: It’s vocal cords, NOT vocal chords.
Cite, site, sight
To cite is to refer to something, to note as a reference.
A site is a place, either real (e.g., a construction site) or virtual (e.g., a website).
A sight is something you see, like the Pyramids (a popular sightseeing destination) or a small child after finger painting (“You’re a sight!”).
Compliment and complement
A compliment is a comment of praise, admiration, or approval.
To complement something is to accompany it or complete it.
Conscience and conscious
Conscience means a sense of right and wrong.
Conscious refers to an alert mental state or a sense of awareness.
Elicit and illicit
Elicit means to draw forth or evoke.
Illicit means unlawful.
Imply and infer
To imply is to hint at something without saying it explicitly.
To infer is to draw a conclusion, to reason through deduction.
Its and it’s
Its is a possessive form: The house lost its roof in the storm.
It’s is a contraction of it is: It’s very cold out today.
Pour and pore
To pour is to dispense a liquid.
To pore is to study something closely.
Note: You don’t pour over a document, unless you’re trying to get it wet. You pore over it.
Precede and proceed
To precede is to come before something in time, rank, or importance.
To proceed is to move forward or continue.
Principle and principal
A principle is a guiding belief or truth.
A principal is a governing officer in an organization (like a school or a firm).
Stationary and stationery
Stationary means fixed in one place, motionless.
Stationery refers to writing materials, especially envelopes and writing paper.
Their, there, and they’re
Their indicates possession: their car, their philosophy, their problems.
There indicates a place or point: The house is there. Start reading there.
They’re is a contraction of they are: They’re on vacation. They’re under arrest.
Through, threw, and thorough
Through indicates movement into one side and out another.
Threw is the past tense of throw.
Thorough means carried through to completion, complete, or careful about detail.
To, two, and too
To means in the direction, as far as.
Two is the number 2.
Too means also. It’s also used as an intensifier: too hot, too difficult.
Your and you’re
Your indicates possession: your book, your office, your health.
You’re is a contraction of you are: you’re busy, you’re right.