🤔 Confusing Words in English
Learn some confusing words in English and test your knowledge.
🤔 Confusing Words in English
Nowadays it’s easier for everyone to correct spelling using a spell-check. The problem you sometimes face however is that your word might be spelled correctly, but it may be the wrong word!
English is full of confusing words that sound alike but are spelled differently. It’s also full of words that share similar (but not identical) meanings that are easy to misuse.
Try our mini- quiz to test your knowledge of commonly confused and misused words in English. Then look at the explanations and examples below.
EXPLANATIONS OF SOME CONFUSING WORDS
Among/Between
Among expresses a collective relationship of several items. Between expresses the relationship of one thing to another thing or to many other things. Example: The toy sheep is between the books.
Breath/Breathe
Breath is a noun; it’s the air that goes in and out of your lungs. Breathe is a verb; it means to exhale or inhale.
Lay/Lie
To lay means to put or to place. To lie means to recline. Be careful, though. The past tense of to lay is laid. The past tense of to lie is lay. Example: The dog lay on the sofa.
Lead/Led
Lead, when it rhymes with “bed,” refers to a type of metal. Led is the past tense of the verb to lead, which means to guide or to be first. Example: Lead pencils do not contain any lead.
It's/Its
It’s is a contraction of “it is”. Its is a possessive pronoun that means “belonging to it”
Then/Than
Than is used for comparisons. Then is used to indicate time or sequence.
Who's/Whose
Who’s is a contraction of “who is”. Whose is a possessive pronoun that means “belonging to [someone]” Example: Whose bag is this?
Hope/Wish
Although both of them speak about things in the future they need different grammar patterns.
Wish is usually used in the past tense, though it can be used in present tense. It often talks about regrets or wants. It is also used in the phrase “to make a wish”.
Hope is used as a form of future tense, though it can also be used for the present tense. It often focuses on aspirations.
Disinterested/Uninterested
Disinterested means impartial, so a judge or an examiner should be a disinterested party assessing someone. Uninterested means bored or not wanting to be involved with something.
Stationary/Stationery
Stationary means unmoving. Stationery refers to writing, school and office materials like pens, paper etc.
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