Confusing Words
Here are some of the
most commonly confused English word pairs. They have been chosen especially for
ESL learners. The list is not complete, if you have any commonly confused words
that you feel should be included. Send me an esl.guide@about.com.
beside / besides
beside: preposition
meaning 'next to', 'at the side of'
Examples:
I sit beside John in
class.
Could you get me that book? It's beside the lamp.
Could you get me that book? It's beside the lamp.
besides: adverb
meaning 'also', 'as well'; preposition meaning 'in addition to'
Examples:
(adverb) He's
responsible for sales, and a lot more besides.
(preposition) Besides tennis, I play soccer and basketball.
(preposition) Besides tennis, I play soccer and basketball.
clothes / cloths
clothes: something you
wear - jeans, shirts, blouses, etc.
Examples:
Just a moment, let me
change my clothes.
Tommy, get your clothes on!
Tommy, get your clothes on!
cloths: pieces of
material used for cleaning or other purposes.
Examples:
There are some cloths
in the closet. Use those to clean the kitchen.
I have a few pieces of cloth that I use.
I have a few pieces of cloth that I use.
dead / died
dead: adjective
meaning 'not alive'
Examples:
Unfortunately, our dog
has been dead for a few months.
Don't touch that bird. It's dead.
Don't touch that bird. It's dead.
died: past tense and
past participle of the verb 'to die'
Examples:
His grandfather died
two years ago.
A number of people have died in the accident.
A number of people have died in the accident.
experience /
experiment
experience: noun
meaning something that a person lives through, i.e. something that someone
experiences. - also used as an uncountable noun meaning 'knowledge gained by
doing something'
Examples:
(first meaning)His
experiences in Germany were rather depressing.
(second meaning) I'm afraid I don't have much sales experience.
(second meaning) I'm afraid I don't have much sales experience.
experiment: noun
meaning something that you do to see the result. Often used when speaking about
scientists and their studies.
Examples:
They did a number of
experiments last week.
Don't worry it's just an experiment. I'm not going to keep my beard.
Don't worry it's just an experiment. I'm not going to keep my beard.
felt / fell
felt: past tense and
past participle of the verb 'to feel'
Examples:
I felt better after I
had a good dinner.
He hasn't felt this well for a long time.
He hasn't felt this well for a long time.
fell: past tense of
the verb 'to fall'
Examples:
He fell from a tree
and broke his leg.
Unfortunately, I fell down and hurt myself.
Unfortunately, I fell down and hurt myself.
female / feminine
female: the sex of a
woman or animal
Examples:
The female of the
species is very aggressive.
The question 'female or male' means 'are you a woman or a man'.
The question 'female or male' means 'are you a woman or a man'.
feminine: adjective
describing a quality or type of behaviour that is considered typical for a
woman
Examples:
He's an excellent boss
with a feminine intuition.
The house was decorated in a very feminine manner.
The house was decorated in a very feminine manner.
its / it's
its: possessive
determiner similar to 'my' or 'your'
Examples:
Its color is red.
The dog didn't eat all of its food.
The dog didn't eat all of its food.
it's: Short form of
'it is' or 'it has'
Examples:
(it is) It's difficult
to understand him.
(it has) It's been a long time since I had a beer.
(it has) It's been a long time since I had a beer.
last / latest
last: adjective
usually meaning 'final'
Examples:
I took the last train
to Memphis.
This is the last test of the semester!
This is the last test of the semester!
latest: adjective
meaning 'most recent' or 'new'
Examples:
His latest book is
excellent.
Have you seen his latest painting?
Have you seen his latest painting?
lay / lie
lay: verb meaning 'to
put down flat' - past tense - laid, past participle - laid
Examples:
He laid his pencil
down and listened to the teacher.
I usually lay my pies on the shelf to cool.
I usually lay my pies on the shelf to cool.
lie: verb meaning 'to
be down' - past tense -lay (be careful!), past participle - lain
Examples:
The girl lay on the
bed asleep.
At the moment, he's lying on the bed.
At the moment, he's lying on the bed.
lose / loose
lose: verb meaning 'to
misplace'
Examples:
I lost my watch!
Have you ever lost anything valuable?
Have you ever lost anything valuable?
loose: adjective
meaning the opposite of 'tight'
Examples:
Your trousers are very
loose!
I need to tighten this screw. It's loose.
I need to tighten this screw. It's loose.
male / masculine
male: the sex of a man
or animal
Examples:
The male of the
species is very lazy.
The question 'female or male' means 'are you a woman or a man'.
The question 'female or male' means 'are you a woman or a man'.
masculine: adjective
describing a quality or type of behaviour that is considered typical for a man
Examples:
She's a very masculine
woman.
His opinions are just too masculine for me.
His opinions are just too masculine for me.
price / prize
price: noun - what you
pay for something.
Examples:
The price was very
cheap.
What's the price of this book?
What's the price of this book?
prize: noun - an award
Examples:
He won a prize as best
actor.
Have you ever won a prize in a competition?
Have you ever won a prize in a competition?
principal / principle
principal: adjective
meaning 'the most important'
Examples:
The principal reason
for my decision was the money.
What are the principal irregular verbs?
What are the principal irregular verbs?
principle: a rule
(usually in science but also concerning morals)
Examples:
It's the first
principle of aerodynamics.
He has very loose principles.
He has very loose principles.
quite / quiet
quite: adverb of
degree meaning 'very' or 'rather'
Examples:
This test is quite
difficult.
He was quite exhausted after the long journey.
He was quite exhausted after the long journey.
quiet: adjective
meaning the opposite of loud or noisy
Examples:
Could you please be
quiet?!
She's a very quiet girl.
She's a very quiet girl.
sensible / sensitive
sensible: adjective
meaning 'having common sense' i.e. 'not stupid'
Examples:
I wish you would be
more sensible about things.
I'm afraid you aren't being very sensible.
I'm afraid you aren't being very sensible.
sensitive: adjective
meaning 'to feel very deeply' or 'to hurt easily'
Examples:
You should be careful
with David. He's very sensitive.
Mary is a very sensitive woman.
Mary is a very sensitive woman.
shade / shadow
shade: protection from
the sun, a dark area outside on a sunny day.
Examples:
You should sit in the
shade for a while.
It's too hot. I'm going to find some shade.
It's too hot. I'm going to find some shade.
shadow: the dark area
created by something else on a sunny day.
Examples:
That tree casts a
large shadow.
Have you every noticed your shadow getting longer as it gets later in the day?
Have you every noticed your shadow getting longer as it gets later in the day?
some time / sometimes
some time: refers to
an indefinite time in the future
Examples:
Let's meet for coffee
some time.
I don't know when I'll do it - but I will do it some time.
I don't know when I'll do it - but I will do it some time.
sometimes: adverb of
frequency meaning 'occasionally'
Examples:
He sometimes works
late.
Sometimes, I like eating Chinese food.
Sometimes, I like eating Chinese food.
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