Pairs of words (commonly confused)

English (Précis and Composition) · Vocabulary · Words. The idea in plain words, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid and a worked example, written and checked by Mega Lecture.

Test this topic freeAll English (Précis and Composition) topics

The idea

Some English words look or sound almost alike but differ in meaning. The paper gives a sentence with a blank and offers both words of such a pair, usually with two other look-alikes.

Two questions settle most of them. First, what part of speech does the blank need? Affect is normally a verb and effect is normally a noun, so the grammar of the sentence decides. Second, what meaning does the sentence need? Stationary and stationery are different words with different meanings, and only one fits.

Learn each pair with one short sentence of your own, and with a memory aid where one exists. This works better than learning definitions alone.

Rules to remember

Common mistake

Candidates choose by sound alone. Decide first whether the blank needs a noun, a verb or an adjective, then test the meaning of each word in the sentence.

Worked example

The new tax had an ____ effect on small traders. A averse, B adverse, C adverb, D advert.

  1. The blank stands before the noun effect, so it needs an adjective that describes a result.
  2. Adverse means harmful or unfavourable and describes things: adverse effects, adverse weather.
  3. Averse means unwilling or opposed and describes people: he is averse to risk.
  4. C and D are nouns and cannot describe effect.

Answer: B, adverse.

Ask about this

Type what you are stuck on. The helper finds the explanation, worked examples and the notes to read, free and instant.

Read the full notes

Keep going

← AntonymsOne-word substitutes and spelling →Take a English (Précis and Composition) test