Notorious Confusables: Part One

Pull-down menu gives you one "confusable" at a time.

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1. What is its color? It's green. It's been a long, long time.
These come first, out of alphabetical order, because they're the champs, surely the most often confused
words in English! Remember, it's means it is or it has! Use its to show possession.
2. The abhorrent individual was spurned by his fellow citizens because of his aberrant behavior.
3. With her speaking skills, she has the ability to fill the auditorium to its capacity.
4. The minister adjured his wayward congregation to abjure the sins of the flesh.
5. I would accept your excuse, except the part about losing the watch.
6. The number of students who wanted access to the computer labs was in excess of two hundred.
7. The government would often adopt policies that required people to adapt to a harsh regime.
8. The trouble with many adolescents is that they never seem to grow out of adolescence.
9. I need your advice. Please advise me on this.
10. The teacher's aide more than once came to the aid of her supervisor. [AIDS, the acronym for Acquired
Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome, is spelled in all caps.]
11. She was confused, displaying ambivalent feelings about the ambiguous situation they'd gotten into.
12. Sometimes it seems more shocking to be amoral than to be immoral .
13. After we have the jeweler appraise the diamond, we will apprise you of its value.
14. As (as opposed to like) — see like
15. When they got the assent of the weather bureau, they allowed the enormous balloon to begin its ascent.
[N.B. The word accent — what we hear in one's speech — has no "s."]
16. Aural — see oral
17. Awake — see wake
18. I am averse to traveling in such adverse weather conditions.
19. Afflict — see inflict
20. We need a lot (two words!) of money. She will allot funds according to need.
21. Are you all ready already, or do we have to wait for you?
22. She would often allude to her childhood, when she would elude her brothers in a game of hide-and-seek.
23. Allusion — see illusion
24. In mock debates, we used to alternate sides, taking alternative positions.

25. Government agencies tried to alleviate the effects of the depression. They attempted to ameliorate the
job-seeking process.
26. With amiable people like the Durwitzes, it's not unusual to have an amicable divorce.
27. Among — see between
28. The amount of money you make in a year depends on the number of deals you close.
29. I am annoyed that my bad back seems to be aggravated by tension. [To aggravate means to make
something worse which is already bad. I cannot be aggravated, but my injury can be.]
30. It's difficult to anticipate [prepare oneself for] things that one doesn't expect.

31. Juan is apt to do something silly, something that will likely get him in trouble, or even something that he
may be liable for in a court of law.
32. She wanted a good lawyer, so I told her about my attorney.
33. I'll be back in a while. Can you wait awhile? (Awhile [one word] is an adverb that can modify a verb.)
34. He told a funny anecdote about mixing up his soda with the snake-bite antidote.
35. The eager audience awaited the anxious, sweating performer.
36. She felt bad about his behaving badly at the conference. [Use the adjective form with linking verbs.]
37. The man who sings bass in the choir once played third base for the New York Yankees and is also an

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 expert bass fisherman.
38. She was afraid of him after seeing his bizarre behavior at the county's annual bazaar.
39. Besides my unphotogenic aunt and uncle, there were fourteen other people standing beside the train
station.
40. He has divided the money between Carlos and his daughter. He has divided the rest of his property
among his three brothers. [This distinction is not as important as some people think. See the usage of both
words in your dictionary.]

41. The economy seemed to slide backwards thanks to the backward government policies. ["Backward" can
be either an adverb or an adjective; "backwards" can be only an adverb.]
42. The activity of troops on the other side of the border belied the ambassador's sweet-sounding entreaties
for peace. (Should not be confused with "betray" or "evince." To "belie" something is not to reveal it as true
but to show the apparent truth of something as being false.)
43. Avoid using words like biennial (or bimonthly/biweekly) and biannual, and say that something happens
twice a year/month/week or every other year/month/week.
44. Blatant — see flagrant
45. I was so bored at the Board of Trustees meeting that I fell asleep.
46. She brought with her all the Christmas gifts she had recently bought.
47. He will break the car brake if he keeps pushing on it like that.
48. The breech of the gun slammed into his shoulder as he fired into the breach of the wall.
49. Every breath counts, so breathe deeply now.
50. The entire bridal party took a long and pleasant walk along the bridle path.
51. Bring — see take
52. Some people confuse Calvary, the place where Jesus was crucified, with the word cavalry, which
describes an army component, usually on horseback (or nowadays in helicopters).
53. You may begin this exercise whenever you can get around to it. [In negative constructions, the word can
can be used to express permission: You cannot go to the movies today.]
54. You cannot blame him for screaming, "Damn it, Bob! You can not do that anymore!"
55. We wore canvas shoes while we tried to canvass the entire neighborhood.
56. Capacity — see ability
57. We went over to the capitol to see the legislators. The capital of Connecticut is Hartford. The state is
running out of capital.
58. If a bride wants a diamond that weighs a carat, it will cost more than a carrot or a caret.
59. The Board of Education has censured the high-school principal because he tried to censor the student
newspaper.
60. The Pilgrims acted with certitude on matters of faith; others required more certainty.
61. Some people thought he was sweet and childlike in his innocence, but I always thought he was boorish
and childish.
62. I chose the red balloon. Now you choose a balloon of another color.

63. The climactic moment of a lightning storm, nature's most dramatic climatic event, is a deafening roll of
thunder.
64. His clothes were made of cloths of many different colors.
65. We used a coarse sandpaper, of course.

66. She complimented her sister on the way her scarf complemented her blouse.
67. Connecticut comprises eight counties. The system is constituted of twelve separate campuses. [If you
say "comprised of," you've probably used the word incorrectly.]
68. She was confident that her confidant had given her good information.
69. Confounded by the instructor's ambiguous instructions, the students' problems were compounded by a
lack of time to do the exam.
70. The word guts denotes one's viscera, one's intestines, but it also connotes determination, fortitude,
persistence, and courage.

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71. There was a terrible dinning noise coming from the dining room.
72. Since no one offered any dissent, we waited a decent interval and then began our descent to the lower
floors.
73. She didn't seem conscious of the fact that her husband has no conscience.
74. Her family grew contemptuous of her contemptible behavior.
75. These continual changes in our weather seem to be related to our continuous emissions of carbon-
monoxide into the atmosphere.
76. My mother will convince him that she is right. She will persuade him to keep working.
77. She decided to seek the counsel [advice] of the Dorm Council.
78. It didn't seem credible that such a creditable person would say such a horrible thing.
79. At first there was only one criterion for becoming Chairperson, but then, suddenly, the Party imposed
several other criteria.
80. My favorite show, Seinfeld, is currently doing re-runs; the new episodes will begin presently. [The word
presently used to mean "now," but nowadays most writers use it to mean "soon."]
81. I kept a weekly diary during those years that I worked on the dairy farm.
82. If you wish to seem demure, you will have to demur less vociferously.
83. Denote — see connote
84. Any cool dessert would taste great out here in the sandy desert.
85. The prisoner tried to devise a clever device to help him escape.
86. She thought her dog would die after it drank that bowl of blue dye.
87. For the difference between different from and different than, click HERE.
88. He went from a dilemma to a quandary.
89. The conductor seemed discomfited on the podium by the rude, discomforting behavior of the visiting
pianist.
90. They kept their love affair discreet by living discrete lives. Check the Merriam-Webster's WWW Dictionary
for this one.
91. You will want a disinterested [impartial] judge. An uninterested [not interested] judge, however, is a
liability.
92. When asked to disassemble his old jalopy, Charles agreed, seeming to dissemble.
93. Dissent — see decent
94. Eager — see anxious
95. What effect does this have on you? How does it affect you?

96. It was part of the government's economic strategy to direct the military to purchase the most economical
material available.
97. When it comes to abbreviations of Latin words or phrases (e.g., etc., et al., sic.), wise writers use them
sparingly (i.e., primarily when documenting resources and then only parenthetically) or not at all. [E.g.
means for example, and it is usually better to use the English phrase, for example. I.e. means that is.
Because both abbreviations are almost invariably introductory modifiers, they are often followed by a
comma, but some authorities say not to use the comma. Do not underline or italicize either of them.]
98. We should elect a president before he or she selects members of the cabinet.
99. How did the politicians plan to elicit these obviously illicit campaign funds without getting caught?
100. Elude — see allude
101. Emigrate — see immigrate
102. They were afraid that this eminent figure in world politics was in imminent danger of being killed.
103. She normally had great empathy for people she read about, but she had no sympathy for these
boat people.
104. The enormousness of his task seemed overwhelming, and then he found he must slay a dragon
known for the enormity of his evildoings.
105. He wanted to carve an epigram that he had seen used as an epigraph for his grandfather's
epitaph.
106. We would like to ensure good weather for our company picnic, but our insurance company won't
insure good weather with an inexpensive policy.

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107. One sister liked bugs and studied entomology; the other liked words and went into etymology.
108. He especially likes coffee ice-cream. Every week, his wife buys some specially for him.
109. We use our everyday dishes every day.
110. The choirboys exulted when they discovered they were to sing before such an exalted audience.
111. Expect — see anticipate
112. The general found it expedient to blame his lieutenants for the expeditious progress of the
enemy.
113. The document now makes explicit what had been only implicit in the shifty eyes of the negotiator.
114. To what extent have they searched for the extant manuscripts of the Gettysburg Address?
115. An extemporaneous speech is not the same thing as an impromptu speech.
116. Nothing seemed to faze her as she went through the adolescent phase of her life.
117. When we say a man is literally an idiot, we don't necessarily mean he has a low I.Q.; we might be
exaggerating, saying he is "virtually" an idiot. If we speak figuratively, calling him a pumpkin-head, we're
using the language of analogy.
118. He showed a flagrant disregard for public morals in his blatant errors of mismanagement.
119. Flammable — see inflammable
120. The football players seemed to flout the referees and continued to brazenly flaunt their silly,
arrogant routine every time they scored.
121. The horse-owners began to flounder about in the stands when they saw their horse founder right
at the starting gate. [A flounder is a fish. A founder (noun) is what we call someone who establishes an
institution (a church or community, for example). That person, we could say, has founded something (not to
be confused with the past tense of to find: "She found the flashlight.")]
122. She had a foreboding that she was about to meet up with her forbidding father.
123. It was a foregone conclusion that the team would forgo all post-season tournaments..
124. The missionaries founded a church in an area they found congenial to their beliefs.
125. I can run farther than you, but let's discuss that further after the race.

126. She has fewer complaints, but she has less energy.
127. Formerly, we met formally to discuss these matters.

128. The soldiers of the fourth regiment bravely went forth.

129. The prosecutor began to gibe the witness when the details of his story did not jibe with his
previous testimony. [N.B. "Jive" (jargon of jazz musicians, street talk) is not a synonym for "jibe."]
130. The guerilla soldiers eventually got used to living among the gorillas in the jungle.
131. She's a good swimmer; she swims well. Aren't you feeling well?
132. The grizzled old hunter chewed on a gristly piece of meat and told a grisly tale of being mauled
by grizzly bears.
133. A portrait of the last criminal to be hanged in Arizona was hung on her bedroom wall.
134. They were certainly hardy lads and they worked up a hearty appetite on their twenty-mile hike.
135. Food can be called healthful if it helps us lead healthy lives.
136. The movie's heroine died of an overdose of heroin.
137. The publication of Morrison's first historical novel proved to be a historic event.
138. The trouble with the economy is that hordes of people are starting to hoard their money.
139. A homonym is one of two or more words spelled and pronounced alike but different in meaning
(as the noun quail and the verb quail). A homophone is one of two or more words pronounced alike but
different in meaning or derivation or spelling (as the words to, too, and two). And, incidentally, a
homograph is one of two or more words spelled alike but different in meaning or derivation or
pronunciation (as the bow of a ship, a bow and arrow). The important distinction, then, is that words like the
verb obJECT and the noun OBject are homographs but not homonyms — because they're not pronounced
alike.
140. In less than an hour, the voters in our town are going to vote for us.
141. In preparing for his most spectacular illusion, the magician made an allusion to the magic of
Houdini.
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 142. They have immigrated to this city from all over eastern Europe; later on, they may decide to
emigrate elsewhere.
143. Immoral — see amoral
144. Impromptu — see extemporaneous
145. His language implies a prejudice against Native Americans; you can infer that from certain
passages in his latest speech. [Check the Merriam-Webster's online dictionary before getting too excited
over this distinction.]
146. The incidence of incidents involving racist slurs has become intolerable.

147. This incipient revolution seems to be based on the most stupid and insipid causes.
148. He was incredulous that his brother could perform such incredible feats on the parallel bars.
149. The scientists produced an indeterminate study concerning the indeterminable number of stars in
the universe.

("ability/capacity" through "indeterminable/indeterminate")

149. The witness was asked to indite the reasons he thought the grand jury should indict his boss for
extortion.
150. The truck was mistakenly marked INFLAMMABLE so the firefighters thought the noninflammable
material was dangerously flammable. ("Flammable" and "inflammable" mean the same thing!)
151. The tyrant inflicted great hardship on the people. They felt afflicted with his harsh regime.
152. Her naive and ingenuous mother expressed amazement that her daughter could create such an
ingenious demonstration for the science fair.
153. The insidious nature of her argument suggests an invidious comparison.
154. There were, for instance, several instances in which the latch failed and the door floor open, just at the
the most dangerous instant. [There is rarely an occasion to use the plural of instant, which would be instants.]
155. In the intense heat, the team of scientists did an intensive study of the extensive crop damage.
156. The scientists were intensely focused on the problem. They studied it intently for months.
157. Its and it's — See above
158. Jibe and jive — See gibe
159. His income soared during the past three years [not "last"]. Jonathan Swift's last novel was Gulliver's
Travels. Toni Morrison's most recent novel was Paradise [but not her "last," we hope].
160. She made a laudatory speech concerning the students' laudable accomplishments.
161. Lawyer — see attorney
162. She lays it down, laid it down, has laid it down, is laying it down. (The verb to lay takes an object; to
lie doesn't.)
163. She lies down, lay down, has lain down, is lying down

164.

person present past perfect form participle form

I lie I lay I have lain I am lying

first
in bed in bed in bed in bed

she lies she lay she has lain she is lying

third
in bed in bed in bed in bed

I lay I laid I have laid I am laying

first
it down it down it down it down

she lays she laid she has laid she is laying

third
it down it down it down it down

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165.
166. As he led his soldiers into battle, his feet seemed made of lead.
167. Liable and Likely — see apt
168. The lightning striking all around them, the sailors proceeded in their task of lightening the cargo.
["Lightning" can also serve as a verb: It was lightning outside. It lightninged all afternoon.
169. She is tall like her mother. She is not as tall as her father, though. [Generally, use as to introduce a
clause (as her father is tall). This distinction is not as important as some people think.]
170. Literally — see figuratively
171. I am loath to associate with people who loathe me.
172. My shoes are so loose that I'm going to lose them.
173. I hope the bank can arrange a loan for me. If not, I hope my sister can lend me some money.
174. A luxuriant tropical garden was planted on the grounds of the most luxurious hotel in town.
175. It has been raining way too much and for too many days.
176. Juan and Maria thought that studying the martial arts, like judo, would improve their marital
relationship.
177. May — see the definition of modal auxiliaries for help with might and may.
178. He hardly deserves a medal (made out of any kind of metal), nor did he show true mettle when he tried
to meddle in our affairs.
179. The moral of this story is that the morale of a military unit is extremely important.
180. In the moribund condition of her government, the empress gave way to morbid reflections on her
death.
181. My great-great-grandfather, a naval officer in the Civil War, was killed when he was struck in the navel
by a cannonball.
182. Now that you know that no one is at home, walk right in.
183. He made an oral commitment to speak on the biological, aural aspects of listening. He has
extraordinary verbal skills. [Many writers insist on a distinction between oral (by mouth) and verbal (having to do
with words, written).]
184. A palette is that thumb-held device that painters use to mix their colors on. The palate is the roof of
your mouth or the sense of taste. And a pallet is either a hard, narrow bed or a device to carry things on.
185. Whatever has passed us by is now in the past.

186. The two lawyers walked around the perimeter of the estate as they discussed the parameters of the
case.
187. You must have patience in dealing with the patients in this clinic.
188. The period of peace between the two wars is an interesting piece of history.
189. They climbed to the mountain peak to take a peek at the sunrise. They left in a pique because other
climbers were already there.
190. The peasant was surprised when the king served him pheasant for dinner.
191. He peddled his baskets of flower petals as he pedaled his bike around town.
192. We use the word percent as part of a numerical expression (e.g., Only two percent of the students
failed.). We use the word percentage to suggest a portion (e.g., The percentage of students who fail has
decreased.).
193. To carry out or prosecute one's legal responsibilities is a fine thing; to persecute a fellow citizen is not.
194. The personnel office had a great deal of personal information in its files.
195. He was poring over his books when he accidently poured coffee all over his papers.
196. The new lab seemed practical enough, but building it was hardly practicable in that tiny building.
197. In the 1950s, pro basketball was predominantly a game won predominately by teams on the east
coast.
198. The high school principal said today that the principal problem with today's youth is their lack of moral
principles
199. The hyenas seem to pray over their prey before devouring it.
200. The lawyer's memory of precedents seemed to take precedence over his memory of other matters.
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 201. The premier of the new nation was thrilled when he was allowed to attend the film's premiere.
202. Presently — see currently
203. We will now proceed to the part that should precede the ending.
204. Jeremiah would prophesy whenever he felt the people needed to hear a prophecy. [N.B. There is no
such word as prophesize.]
205. He collapsed forward, prostrate on the floor, when he heard that he had cancer of the prostate gland.
206. The troops moved purposefully toward their doom, relying on the false information their leaders had
purposely given them.

207. We'll have to be quite quiet. Quit making noise!

208. She often quoted Shakespeare, using quotations [not quotes] when it sometimes seemed quite
inappropriate.
209. They studied racist attitudes in the new course on racial studies.
210. Rack — see wrack
211. He threw his tennis racquet across the court and his fans started making a terrific racket. The mafia
was running several rackets
in Chicago at the time. [Racquet can also be spelled racket.]
212. During the reign of Charles I, it was against the law to use a leather rein during the rain.

213. Yesterday she read from the red book instead of the blue one.
214. These sociologists made a really important contribution to our understanding of some real problems in
urban America.
215. He knew that he would grow to resent the public's interest in his recent escapades.
216. The actors bowed respectfully to the royal couple and then to the people in the audience and to their
friends backstage, respectively.
217. We wept with joy as we read the famous critic's review of our new musical revue.
218. He had no right to write a new rite for the church.
219. Grandpa rises slowly from the couch. He raises pigs. [Incidentally, we do not "raise" children; we
REAR children -- unless they grow up like animals, in which case we can say we have "raised" them.]
FORMS OF RAISE AND RISE

person present past perfect form participle form

I rose from the

first I rise from the couch I have risen from the couch I am rising from the couch
couch

she rises from the she rose from the

third she has risen from the couch she is rising from the couch
couch couch

first I raise pigs I raised pigs I have raised pigs I am raising pigs

third she raises pigs she raised pigs she has raised pigs she is raising pigs

220.
221. These sociologists made a really important contribution to our understanding of some real real
problems in urban America.
222. The attorney was reluctant to force her reticent witness to testify.
223. In his role as an absent-minded professor, Janina Delbartico called the roll of the wrong class.
224. The mayor's involvement in salacious behavior has certainly not been salutary for his health or the
health of the community.
225. We have seen the last scene of this play before.
226. He doesn't seem to have much sense since he fell on his head.
227. Her poetry is quite sensuous. In fact, some people find it quite sensual.
228. Set it down here. The computer was sitting here a minute ago. (To set takes an object. Remember,
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 objects can sit.)
229. The moon shone brightly over the old theater where movies were shown nightly. [Shined is an
acceptable substitute for shone.]
230. His explanations were simple but not to the point of being simplistic.
231. She chose this site because of its view. The sight of the old house brought tears to her eyes. She
would cite the passage from Genesis.
232. The old man would often complain about money and scrimp, but he would never skimp when it came
to his own clothing.
233. The stationery department, where they sell envelopes and writing paper, is in a stationary place.
234. There is a town statute making it against the law for people of small stature to climb on the park's
statue of the mayor.
235. When you swallow, food goes to your stomach. He was punched in the abdomen.
236. Sympathy — see empathy
237. Take that horrible thing away. Bring me some aspirin.
238. The highly touted critic would taunt his taut-lipped brother whenever he thought he had taught him a
lesson.
239. I'm taller than my father. Let's eat first; then we'll go to the movies.
240. The bridge that spans the Connecticut River, which flows into Long Island Sound, is falling down.
WHICH VERSUS THAT

The word which can be used to introduce both restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses, although many writers use it
exclusively to introduce nonrestrictive clauses; the word that can be used to introduce only restrictive clauses. Think of
the difference between
o "The garage that my uncle built is falling down." and
o "The garage, which my uncle built, is falling down."
I can say the first sentence anywhere and the listener will know exactly which garage I'm talking about — the one my
uncle built. The second sentence, however, I would have to utter, say, in my back yard, while I'm pointing to the
dilapidated garage. In other words, the "that clause" has introduced information that you need or you wouldn't know
what garage I'm talking about (so you don't need/can't have commas); the "which clause" has introduced nonessential,
"added" information (so you do need the commas).
We recommend Michael Quinion's article on the usage of which and that in his World Wide Words.
Incidentally, some writers insist that the word that cannot be used to refer to people, but in situations where the people
are not specifically named, it is permissible.
The students that study most usually do the best.
(But we would write "The Darling children, who have enrolled in the Lab School, are doing well.")

241.
242. They're driving their new car over there this afternoon.
243. He threw a baseball right through the neighbor's front window. The neighbor made a thorough report
to the police. [The word thru is not standard English.]
244. In two hours, it's going to be too hot to go to town.
245. They endured a torturous journey up the long and tortuous tributary of the Amazon.
246. That trooper was a real trouper.
247. The politician's speech managed to be both turgid and turbid at the same time.
248. It seemed so utterly unconscionable that the elderly couple should be robbed while they were
unconscious.
249. Although the former mayor's career was unexceptionable, his personality was so bland that he was
regarded as an unexceptional candidate for congress.
250. Verbal — see oral
251. Is being venal listed among the venial sins?
252. His waist continued to grow and grow, but no food was allowed to waste in his house!
FORMS OF WAKE AND AWAKE

Both verbs have approximately the same meaning — to rise or rouse from sleep — and can have both

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transitive (I woke up the dog.) and intransitive (I am waking up.) meanings. "Awaken" is a bit more formal
(some would say stuffy). "To wake" is nearly always a phrasal verb, accompanied by "up," except in the
sense of keeping watch near a corpse before burial.
The passive forms of these verbs are the same as the passive forms of to speak. We would say "Angry
words have been spoken," and we would say "The children have been woken/awoken/woken up by the
thunder."

person present past perfect form participle form

I wake up/ I woke up/ I have woken up/ I am waking up/

first
awake/awaken awoke/awoken have woken/have awoken am awaking/am awakening

he wakes up/ he woke up/ he has woken up/ he is waking up/

third
awakes/awakens awoke/awoken has woken/has awoken is awaking/is awakening
253.
254. I used to wonder how he could just wander around the city like that.
255. Well — see good
256. Where were you? We're over here.
257. I don't know whether we'll go or not. I think it depends on the weather.
258. Which — see that
259. She ate the whole donut, hole and all.
260. Whose book is that? Who's there? [Works like his and he's]
261. Visiting the reeking wrack and ruin of an old shipyard, we racked our brains trying to remember the
author of "The Wreck of the Hesperus," which tells how an iceberg wreaked havoc on a ship.
262. You're doing your own homework, I hope.

Second Quiz on the Notorious Confusables

Third Quiz on the Notorious Confusables

Fourth Quiz on the Notorious Confusables

Fifth Quiz on the Notorious Confusables

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Special Quiz on Its/It's and There/Their/They're

Special Quiz on Lie/Lay and Sit/Set

Special Quiz on Except/Accept and Affect/Effect

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