Vocabulary - Words often confused - Homophones

WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED (HOMOPHONES)

Many common errors in English language occur due to wrong use of words. There are many groups or pairs of words in the English language which are often very confusing.  These words create confusion because they appear quite similar in sound or in meaning. 

Important groups of such frequently confused words are – ‘Homophones’ and ‘Homonyms’. ‘Homophones’ are the words which are similar in pronunciation (sound) but differ in meaning, origin or spelling. ‘Homonyms’ are the words having the same spelling or pronunciation but different meanings and origins.

We may often use another word instead of the appropriate words needed due to their similarity in form. Some of these words may even look as synonyms because of their similarity in meaning.  But they are not exactly the same.  Any wrong use of the words can change the whole meaning and the sense of the sentence.  Therefore, we must try to understand their precise meaning so as to avoid the confusion.

The following list contains the pairs of such words which are frequently confused. The meanings and the examples of usages also are provided for clear understanding.

1. Accept, Except

Accept       = to receive, to promise to pay (opposite of reject)

Eg: He has accepted my apologies

Except       = leaving out

Eg: All of my friends have attended the party except Raju

2. Advice, advise

Advice       = Counsel, instruction

Eg: Our teachers always give good advice

Advise       = MY father advised me to work hard

3. Affect, effect

Affect        = to act upon, to pretend

Eg: The accused affected madness in the court

Effect        = result

Eg: The results of the by-polls will not show any effect on the ruling party

4. Access, Excess

Access       = Approach, admission

Eg: My friend’s father has some access to the Chief Minister

Excess       = an extreme or excessive amount

Eg: Excess of everything is bad

5. Adapt, Adopt & Adept

Adapt    = to adjust oneself to a new environment, different conditions  

Eg: We must adapt ourselves to the changing circumstances

Adopt = to choose or take as one’s own

Eg: He has now adopted the right course of action.

Adept = very skilled, expert, proficient

Eg: Ramana is an adept in the field of sculpture

6. Alter, Altar

Alter = to change

Eg: The Government altered the procedure for outsourcing

Altar = an elevated place at which religious rites are performed

Eg: He made an offering at the altar.

7. Abject, Object

Abject = utterly hopeless, humiliating or wretched

Eg: They are living in abject poverty

Object = aim, purpose

Eg: It appears, he has no object in life

8. Amiable, Amicable

Amiable = having or showing a friendly disposition

Eg: Dr. Parthasaradhi is an amiable person

Amicable = agreeable

Eg: Finally, both the parties entered into an amicable agreement

9. Bear, Bare

Bear = to endure

Eg: I cannot bear thisinsult

Bare = naked

Eg: The leader is walking bare-footed

10. Berth, Birth

Berth = Sleeping room in a train or ship

Eg: He has got his berth reserved in the Godavari express

Birth = My wife gave birth to a baby boy

11. Born, Borne

Born = brought forth by birth

Eg: He was born in Chandigarh

Borne = a past participle of bear

Eg: My father borne many difficulties in his life

12. Break, Brake

Break = to divide into pieces by force

Eg: Don’t break this cup

Brake = appliance for lessening speed of carriage

Eg: The driver applied brakes and avoided the accident

13. Bail, Bale

Bail = security for prisoner’s reappearance

Eg: The students were released on bail

Bale = package of goods

Eg: He purchased 20 bales  of cotton

14. Beside, Besides

Beside = by or at the side of

Eg: My house is beside the library

Besides = in addition to, moreover, furthermore

Eg: I have a pen besides a pencil

15. Canvas, Canvass

Canvas = a closely woven heavy cloth of hemp, flax or cotton

Eg: The goods in the truck are covered with a canvas sheet

Canvass = to solicit votes, opinions etc.

Eg: The political parties should not canvass on the day of polling

16. Check, Cheque

Check = to stop

Eg: Please check whether all the children are there inside?

Cheque = written order to banker for money

Eg: The cheque he gave me was bounced

17. Ceiling, Sealing

Ceiling = top surface of room

Eg: The ceiling of the courtroom needs repairs

Sealing = to stamp with seal

Eg: Please do proper sealing for my parcel

18. Compliment, Complement

Compliment   =  an expression of praise, commendation or admiration

Eg: Please convey my best compliments to your sister

Complement   = either of two parts constituting a whole, counterparts

Eg: An angle of 40 degrees is the complement of an angle of 50 degrees.

19. Credible, Creditable

Credible    = believable

Eg: His promise is not credible

Creditable = deserving credit, honour or reputation

Eg: Getting top rank in college is a creditable achievement

20. Council, Counsel

Council      = an assembly of persons or representatives

Eg:            He is a member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council.

Counsel     = advice, opinion, adviser

Eg: Arun Jaitley appeared as Defence counsel in his case

21. Dairy, Diary

Dairy =     a place where milk and cream are kept or processed

Eg: we purchase milk from Vijaya Dairy

Diary =     a daily record of events

Eg: I don’t have enough time to write diary regularly

22-A. Dear, Deer

Dear = beloved or loved

Eg: Young children are dear to everybody.

Deer = a kind of ruminant quadruped

Eg:  I saw a deer in the zoo.

23. Dose, Doze

Dose= a quantity of medicine prescribed to be taken at one time

Eg: Take the medicine in the same dose as prescribed by the doctor

Doze = Shankar was dozing in the office

24. Fair, Fare

Fair = periodical market

Eg: We go to Lingampally fair every Wednesday

Fare = the price charged for transporting a passenger

Eg: The RTC bus fares are increased during festival season

25. Eligible, Illegible

Eligible = fit to be chosen, desirable

Eg: I am not eligible for the D.S.P. posts in the Group-1 notification

Illegible     = not readable, indistinct

Eg: He always loses marks due to his illegible handwriting

26. Eminent, imminent

Eminent     = distinguished

Eg: Mallika Sarabhai is an eminent dancer

Imminent = soon happening, impending

Eg: His marriage with his cousin is imminent

27. Elicit, Illicit

Elicit = to educe, to draw out

Eg: The police failed to elicit any information from the person

Illicit = unlawful, forbidden

Eg: Illicit liquor is sold in this area

28. Flour, Floor

Flour = finely ground meal

Eg: Bread is made of wheat flour

Floor =      lower surface of room, storey

Eg: The floor of his room is well designed

29-A, Former, Farmer

Former =  of earlier period, foregoing.

Eg: Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is the former President of India.

Farmer = Cultivator

Eg:  Farmers are working in the field.

30. Gilt, Guilt

Gilt = overlaid with gold

Eg: Gilt jewellery is gaining popularity

Guilt = crime, sin

Eg: The man accepted his guilt before the police

31. Goal, Gaol

Goal = destination, aim, purpose

Eg: Every one must have a definite goal

Gaol = prison, jail

Eg: The thief was sent to the gaol by the Magistrate

32-B. Hare, Hair

Hare = small timid quadruped

Eg: I saw a beautiful hare in the jungle.

Hair = dry filament growing on skin of animal bodies

Eg: His hair is grey.

33. Heal, Heel

Heal =       to make healthy, to grow sound

Eg: This ointment healed my wounds soon

Heel =       hinder part of foot

Eg: High-heel footwear is famous among fashion world

34. Industrial, Industrious

Industrial =           having many and highly developed industries

Eg: Patancheru is an industrial area

Industrious =        hard working, diligent

Eg: My friend Prasad is very industrious

35. Insight, Incite

Insight = perception, intuition, understanding

Eg: Rajeev Gandhi was a man of deep insight

Incite =      to urge on, to stimulate to action

Eg: Political parties try to incite communal riots in the country

36. Lose, Loose

Lose = to be deprived of, to suffer loss

Eg: Please take care of your suitcase, lest you should lose it

Loose =     not tight, morally lax

Eg: She is a woman of loose character and no body likes her

37. Medal, Meddle

Medal =     metal worked in form of coin given as award

Eg: Her husband was awarded the Souryachakra medal posthumously

Meddle = to interfere

Eg: Don’t meddle in their private affairs

38. Miner, Minor

Miner =     One who works in mine

Eg: He is a miner in Singareni collieries

Minor =     under aged person

Eg: He was minor when he got married

39. Obvious, Oblivious

Obvious     = evident, clear

Eg: It is quite obvious that he involved in the scam

Oblivious = unmindful, unaware

Eg: He is quite oblivious of his son’s bad habits

40. Principal, Principle

Principal = head of school/ college

Eg: Our Engineering College Principal was very strict

Principle = fundamental truth, law, rule of life

Eg: My father was a man of principles

41. Profit, Prophet

Profit =     gain, advantage, benefit

Eg: The IPL Cricket franchisees didn’t gain much profit

Prophet     = inspired founder of religion

Eg: Mohammed was a prophet of the Muslims

42. Quite, Quiet

Quite = completely, altogether

Eg: His temperature is quite normal

Quiet =      still, calm, at rest, free from noise

Eg: All of you, please keep quiet!

43. Root, Route

Root =       a part of the body of a plant below surface of Earth

Eg: Plants receive water through roots

Route =     course, way

Eg: We came from Chennai in a short route

44. Sell, cell

Sell =         to dispose of in exchange for money

Eg: He doesn’t want to sell his car now.

Cell =        small room or cavity

Eg: The prisoner has been locked up in a dingy cell

45. Soar, Sore

Soar =       to rise

Eg: The oil prices are soaring in the sky

Sore =       physically painful or sensitive as a wound

Eg: His eyes are sore due to his continuous work on computer

46. Stationary, Stationery

Stationary =          standing still, not moving

Eg: The fast moving jeep collided with a stationary truck

Stationery =          Writing materials as pens, paper, pencils, etc.

Eg: I always purchase stationery items in Secunderabad

47. Tamper, Temper

Tamper     = to meddle

Eg: He tampered with my property documents

Temper     = a particular state of mind or feeling

Eg: When you lose temper, count numbers upto ten.

48. Verse, Worse

Verse =     line of poem, stanza, poetry

Eg: My verses are published in magazines

Worse =    comparative degree of bad

Eg: His condition is worse than yesterday

49-A. Way, Weigh

Way =  road, direction, passage

Eg: What is the shortest way to Arts College?

Weigh = to find how heavy thing is

Eg: Could you please weigh this article?

50. Wave, Waive

Wave =     to signal

Eg: The chief minister waved his hand at the audience

Waive =    to give up

Eg: The government waived off all the loans of the poor farmers

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NOOJILLA SRINIVAS

Lecturer in English

Govt. Degree College, 

Alamuru, E.G.Dist., 

Andhra Pradesh, India.

noojillasrinivas@gmail.com 

M: 7981862200