Commonly Misspelled or Confused Word Pairs | MLA Format
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Commonly Misspelled or Confused Word Pairs

This page contains some of the most commonly misspelled or confused word pairs; words that sound like each other but are spelled differently and have different meaning. These are known as homophones.

WordsMeaning
Accept
Except
receive
other than
Affect
Effect
to influence; an emotional response
result
All ready
Already
prepared
by this time
Allusion
Illusion
indirect reference
faulty belief or perception
Assure
Ensure
Insure
state positively
make certain
indemnify
Bare
Bear
naked
carry; an animal
Board
Bored
get on; flat piece of wood
not interested
Brake
Break
stop
shatter, destroy; a gap; a pause
Capital
Capitol
seat of government; monetary resources
building that houses government
Cite
Sight
Site
credit an authority
ability to see; a view
a place
Complement
Compliment
to complete or supplement
to praise
Desert
Dessert
abandon; sandy wasteland
sweet course at conclusion of meal
Discreet
Discrete
tactful, reserved
separate or distinct
Elicit
Illicit
draw out, evoke
illegal
Eminent
Immanent
Imminent
well known, respected
inherent
about to happen
Fair
Fare
lovely; light-colored; just
fee for transportation
Forth
Fourth
forward
after third
Gorilla
Guerrilla
an ape
kind of soldier or warfare
Hear
Here
perceive sound
in this place
Heard
Herd
past tense of hear
a group of animals
Hole
Whole
opening
complete
Its
It’s
possessive form of it
contraction for it is
Know
No
understand or be aware of
negative
Later
Latter
following in time
last in a series
Lessen
Lesson
make less
something learned
Loose
Lose
not tight
misplace
Passed
Past
past tense of pass
after; events occurring at a prior time
Patience
Patients
calm endurance
people getting medial treatment
Peace
Piece
calm or absence of war
part of something
Plain
Plane
clear, unadorned
woodworking tool; airplane
Persecute
Prosecute
harass
take legal action against
Personal
Personnel
relating to oneself
employees
Precede
Proceed
come before
go ahead, continue
Principal
Principle
most important; head of a school
basic truth, rule of behavior
Raise
Raze
lift up or build up
tear down
Right
Rite
Write
correct
ritual
compose; put words into a text
Scene
Seen
section of a play; setting of an action
visible
Stationary
Stationery
fixed in place or still
paper for writing
Straight
Strait
unbending
water passageway
Than
Then
compared with
at that time; next
Their
There
They’re
possessive form of they
in that place
contraction for they are
To
Too
Two
toward
in addition, also
number after one
Waist
Waste
 middle of body
leftover or discarded material
Which
Witch
one of a group
person with magical powers
Who’s
Whose
contraction for who is
possessive of who
Your
You’re
possessive of you
contraction for you are
{ 2 comments… add one }
  • JPhodestin EZ Johnson June 6, 2021, 5:29 am

    Very good I like the teaching

  • Darryl Jefferson March 23, 2016, 3:18 pm

    This site is wonderful. This is just what I was looking for plus some. I teach high school and I have found it absolutely astonishing that 11th and 12th graders don’t know the differences between these homophones. Thank you for this site!!!!

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