When it comes to the English language, there is a plethora of words where one word can be easily confused with another word. This article breaks down some of the most commonly confused words in English along with the differences between them. It also gives some advice on how to avoid making these mistakes.
Introduction To English Difference Between Articles
One of the quirks that makes English hard to comprehend is the subject-verb agreement. Other concepts such as auxiliary verbs, phrasal verbs, verb forms and the sheer vastness of the English vocabulary can make learning the language very intimidating.
Another common issue faced by English speakers is when they confuse words that are seemingly alike. For instance, a writer might use ‘he’s’ when they actually mean ‘his.’ Similarly, the words ‘their,’ ‘there’ and ‘they’re’ have the same pronunciation and can be easily confused with one another.
Commonly Confused Words In English
There are many words in the English language that share the same spelling or pronunciation but their usage and meaning varies with context. Following are the commonly confused pairs of words.
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You might have heard ‘lamb’ and ‘sheep’ being used interchangeably, so have you thought whether both these terms are the same or not? To make...
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Have you ever thought about why some women are referred to as ‘lady’ whereas some are referred to as ‘girl’? What is the point of difference...
One of the most commonly confused words in the English language is ‘from’ and ‘since’. Most of us have faced confusion while using these words,...
Have you made any mistakes while using the words ‘where’ and ‘were’? Do not worry - it's not only you but many people new to the English language...
You might have heard the word ‘trip’ and ‘tour’ used quite frequently but have you ever wondered what these two terms exactly mean? Most students...
We all know what ‘him’ and ‘her’ represent but do you know when to use these words? Most confusion arises when students don’t understand when and...
One of the most common confusions that students face is while they are using the words ‘everyday’ and ‘every day’. Most of the time, they use...
Have you ever faced confusion about the usage of ‘get’ or ‘got’ in a sentence? Or have you noticed that there's a difference in the tone when we...
Everyone is accustomed to the words ‘lunch’ and ‘dinner’, but in some cultures, there’s no thing as lunch but rather one single meal for the...
Most of us know what ‘his’ and ‘her’ represents but do we know how to use these words appropriately? Most students face difficulty in using these...
It is no secret that English grammar can be confusing at times. Much of this confusion can be attributed to the way that the language has...
Practice with a ‘c’ and practise with an ‘s’ form one of the most commonly confused pair of words in the English language. The difference between...
What’s the difference between ‘illness’ and ‘sickness’? Do they mean the same thing? Or is there a difference between these terms? When you say...
Tenses seem to be one of the most confusing grammar topics in the English language, especially with the simple future and future continuous...
Can you use the word ‘people’ and ‘persons’ interchangeably? Do they mean the same thing? This confusion often leads students to mix these terms...
What’s the difference between ‘people’ and ‘peoples’? Is ‘peoples’ the plural form of the word ‘people’? Or does the word ‘peoples’ mean...
Most of us have used ‘no’ and ‘not’ many times in sentences, but sometimes while using them, many of us get confused. To make sure that students...
Why is English Grammar Important?
English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with over one billion speakers. Moreover, English is not a difficult language for most non-native English speakers to learn but, because the grammar is so complex, it can be difficult to remember all of these rules. Regardless, good grammar is paramount for effective communication.
English is the most influential language of the business world as well as academia, hence, being proficient in English grammar can be beneficial for one’s career as well as academic pursuits.
Many would consider English to be quite difficult to comprehend due to its vast vocabulary, complex rules and structures. Also concepts such as homophones and homographs, double negatives, subject-verb agreement make English a ‘tricky’ language for many non-native speakers. However, if you begin to learn a few words and phrases on a daily basis, and make an effort to understand your errors and correct them, learning the language can be an interesting, engaging and fruitful process.
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