We had a lot of fun compiling this list of commonly misunderstood, misused, and misspelled English words. You may find some that are interesting, some surprising, and hopefully, some that are educational. Enjoy!
– a –
abjure To renounce
adjure To command, as under oath
accept To receive with consent
except To exclude; to object (take exception to)
acclamation Loud expression of approval, praise, or assent
acclimation Acclimatization, especially under controlled (as laboratory) conditions
adherence Act of adhering
adherents Followers
affect To have an influence on
effect To make; to bring about
aid Help
aide Assistant
all ready Set to go
already Previously
all ways Total number of methods
always At all times; invariably
amend To set right; to make emendations in
emend To correct
ante- (Prefix) Before
anti- (Prefix) Against
anyone Anybody
any one One of two or more (Any one of you would help anyone in trouble.)
anyway Nevertheless
any way No matter what means or method
– b –
baited Nagged or teased; set a trap
bated Restrained, reduced (bated breath)
bare To uncover or reveal
bear To carry or support; endure
bridal Pertaining to a bride
bridle Headgear for a horse
– c –
Calvary Hill near Jerusalem
cavalry Horsemen; mounted troops
cannon Artillery piece
canon Regulation; rule; dogma
canvas Firmly woven cloth; a sail
canvass Detailed examination, survey
capital Goods; an important city
capitol Building; usually found in a state or a national capital
carat Unit of weight (also spelled karat)
caret Wedge-shaped mark
censor To inspect conduct, morals, documents
censure To find fault with
complement Something that completes
compliment Expression of esteem; flattering remark
confidant One to whom secrets are entrusted (male)
confidante One to whom secrets are entrusted (female)
confident Full of conviction or assurance
conscience Consciousness of right or wrong
conscious Perceiving or noticing; awake
– d –
disburse To pay out
disperse To break up; to spread
discreet Prudent; using good judgment
discrete Individually distinct; noncontinuous
dissidence Dissent; disagreement
dissidents Those who differ or disagree
– e –
ensure To make certain; to insure
insure To give, take, or procure insurance on; to take necessary measures
everyone Everybody
every one Each one
exalt To raise high; to glorify
exult To rejoice
exceptionable Objectionable
exceptional Rare; better than average
explicit Free from ambiguity
implicit Implied
explode To burst (out) violently
implode To burst inward
– f –
farther At or to a greater distance or more advanced point
further In addition; moreover
fay Fairy; elf
fey Crazy; touched
flammable Inflammable
inflammable Able to be set on fire
flaunt To display in a gaudy manner
flout To scorn; to mock (He flouts convention.)
forbear To abstain; to forego
forebear Ancestor
fortuitous Happening by chance; accidental
fortunate Lucky
– g –
gaff Sharp hook for spearing fish
gaffe Social blunder
gibe To utter taunting words
jibe To be in accord; (nautical) to shift suddenly
gorilla Ape
guerrilla One who engages in irregular warfare
graffiti Plural of graffito
graffito Words or drawing scratched or scribbled on a wall
– h –
hail To welcome
hale Healthy
hangar Shelter for an airplane
hanger One who hangs; loop or device for hanging
homogeneous Of the same or a similar kind of nature
homogenous Relating to mating like with like
hyper- (Prefix) Above or beyond (hypertension: high blood pressure)
hypo- (Prefix) Less than or below normal
hypercritical Excessively critical
hypocritical Characterized by hypocrisy
– i –
indeterminable Impossible to discover or decide
indeterminate Not fixed in extent or character; vague
indiscreet Imprudent
indiscrete Not separated into parts
inequity Injustice; unfairness
iniquity Wickedness
its Possessive pronoun (Note: It never takes an apostrophe!)
it’s Contraction of it is
– j –
jam Crush; difficult spot; jelly
jamb Side of a door or window
judicial Pertaining to courts of law
judicious Wise; discreet
juridical Of or relating to the administration of justice
– k –
knave Dishonest or unscrupulous man
nave Main part of church interior
– l –
lade To load
laid Past tense of lay (He laid it down.)
[layed] No such word!
leach To subject to the action of percolating liquid (leaching field)
leech Sucking worm
legislator One who legislates
legislature Body of persons having power to make laws
lets Allows
let’s Contraction of let us
loath Unwilling; reluctant
loathe To detest
– m –
mantel Shelf above a fireplace
mantle Cloak
marshal Officer in charge of prisoners; leader of parade
Marshall Common surname
material Matter; goods
matériel Equipment and supplies used by an organization
mean A middle point between extremes
mien Bearing; demeanor
misogamy Hatred of marriage
misogyny Hatred of women
moral Significance or lesson to be drawn from a story
morale Individual’s mental and emotional condition
mucous (Adjective) Secreting or containing mucus
mucus (Noun) Viscid bodily secretion
– n –
nauseated Affected with nausea
nauseous Causing nausea
neither Not either
nether Situated down or below
– o –
obsequies Funeral rites; a funeral
obsequious Excessively or sickeningly respectful
odious Hateful; detestable
odorous Smelly
omnipotent Having unlimited power or very great power
omniscient Knowing everything
ordinance Authoritative decree or direction
ordnance Military supplies, weapons, ammunition, and so forth
– p –
palate Roof of the mouth
palette Thin board on which a painter mixes pigments
pallet Small temporary bed; portable platform
palpate To examine by touch
palpitate To beat rapidly; to throb
parlay To increase or otherwise transform into something of much greater value
parley To confer; to discuss terms with an enemy
peal To ring (as a bell)
peel To strip off an outer layer
pedal (Noun) Foot lever; (verb) to ride a bicycle
peddle To sell or offer to sell from place to place
petal Portion of a flower
pediatrist Specialist in children’s diseases
podiatrist One who takes care of feet
pendant Something suspended, as an ornament
pendent Supported from above, suspended
penitence Feeling of remorse for wrongdoing
penitents Persons who show remorse for wrongdoing
precedence Fact of preceding in time; priority (Sometimes pronounced with long “e” in second syllable.)
precedents (Legal) Adjudged cases or decisions considered as authority for later similar case
premise Something taken for granted
premises Tract of land with buildings thereon; house or other building
prescribe To lay down as a guide, direction, or rule of action; to order the use of as remedy
proscribe To condemn or forbid as harmful; prohibit (These two words have almost exactly opposite meanings.)
presumptive Giving grounds for presumption
presumptuous Behaving with impudent boldness
primer (Long “i”) Substance used to prepare a surface for painting; a detonator for explosives
primer (Short “I”) Elementary textbook
primmer More prim
principal Person who has controlling authority; leading performer
principle Rule or code of contact
prophecy Prediction
prophesy To foretell
– r –
rein To check or stop
reign To rule
rack To cause to suffer torture; to stretch violently
wrack To ruin utterly; to destroy (You rack your brains; wracking would destroy them.)
rational Having reason or understanding
rationale Underlying reason; basis
remuneration Payment for services rendered
[renumeration] No such word!
resume To get, take, or occupy again
résumé Summary
retch To try to vomit
wretch Miserable and unhappy person; a vile person
ring To sound (as a bell); to reverberate; to encircle
wring To squeeze or twist, especially so as to make dry
– s –
saccharin Sugar substitute
saccharine Intensely and unpleasantly sweet
seasonable Suitable for the season
seasonal Of a season or seasons
secretively Carried out with secrecy
secretly Kept from knowledge or view
sensual Physical; gratifying to the body
sensuous Swelling, rolling, or sweeping forward, like waves of the ocean
shear To cut (as hair or wool)
sheer To deviate from a course; swerve
sleight Stratagem; dexterity (sleight of hand)
slight Slim; frail; meager
stanch To restrain the flow (as of blood)
staunch Firm in attitude, opinion, or loyalty
stationary Immobile; fixed
stationery Writing paper
straight Direct; uninterrupted; upright
strait (Adjective) Narrow, constricted; (noun) an isthmus (Strait of Gibraltar, straightjacket)
systematic Relating to or consisting of a system
systemic Relating to or common to a system; affective the body generally
their Possessive pronoun
there In that place
they’re Contraction of they are
tort Wrongful act
torte Kind of rich, round layer cake
tortuous Winding; circuitous; tricky or crooked
torturous Causing torture; cruelly painful
turbid Obscure; muddy
turgid Swollen; pompous
– u –
[unequivocably] No such word!
unequivocally Leaving no doubt; unambiguous
unwanted Not wanted
unwonted Rare; unusual
urban Of, relating to, or constituting a city
urbane Suave; sophisticated
– v –
vain Conceited
vane Device showing wind direction
vein Narrow channel; lode; blood vessel
valance Short curtain
valence Capacity of an atom to combine with another or others
variance Dispute; deviation
variants Persons or things exhibiting usually slight differences
veracious Truthful
voracious Ravenously hungry
vertex Highest point of something
vortex Whirling mass of fluid; something resembling a whirlpool
vice Moral fault or failing
vise Tool with tight-holding jaws
– w –
wail Mournful cry
wale Rib in fabric; ridge
whale Sea mammal
wait Delay
weight Heaviness
waive To relinquish voluntarily
waiver Voluntary relinquishment of a right or privilege
waver To vacillate
warrantee Person to whom a warranty is made (Note: Never is properly used as a verb.)
warranty A guarantee (Note: This is a noun only; the verb is warrant.)
way Thoroughfare
weigh To ascertain the heaviness of
whey Thin part of milk
weak Lacking strength
week Seven days
weather State of atmosphere as to heat, cold, and so forth
whether If it be the case that
whither To which place
wither To dry up
whose Of or relating to whom or which, especially as possessor or possessors
who’s Contraction of who is or who has
– y –
y’all You-all
yawl Kind of sailboat
yowl Long, loud, mournful wail or howl
yore Time long past
your Personal pronoun
you’re Contraction of you are
