Confusing Words A - Series

CONFUSING WORDS A - SERIES

Some words sound the same or "seem" to mean the same but are in effect very different. Here is a list of such confusing words. Know them well so that you can be on guard against misusing them.

Ø  ABLUTION (washing the body as a religious rite) - We usually pray after our morning ablutions.

WASHING (cleaning, bathing) - She was washing her clothes.

Ø  ABLE (power or strength in general) - He is able to run.

CAPABLE (power or strength in particular) - He is capable of running for two hours continuously.

Ø  ACCEPT (receive, admit, approve) - I accept your offer.

EXCEPT (prevent from being included, considered or accepted) - Except you all members were present.

Ø  ACCESS (approach, reach, enter) - I have no access to the minister.

EXCESS (too much) - Excess of anything is bad.

Ø  ACCESSARY (a helper or associate, usually in a crime; this word may be spelt as "accessory" also) - He was an accessary to the murder.

ACCESSORY (spare part, extra) - Please also purchase the car's accessories from the same shop.

Ø  ADMIT (accept, allow entry or participation) -- 1. I admit my mistake. 2. He was admitted to the college.

CONFESS (accept that one has done something wrong or bad) - He refused to confess in spite of the overwhelming evidence of his crime.

Ø  ADVICE (noun) - 1. It is a good advice. 2. Avoid showering unwanted advice.

ADVISE (verb) - 1. It is good of you to advise me. 2. Do not advise someone unless he or she asks for it.

           INFORM (verb -- to tell, communicate) - I shall inform his parents if he goes to the                   cinema daily.

Ø  AFFECT (verb -- to influence, to induce) - Your absence will affect your score.

EFFECT (noun -- consequence; verb -- to produce) 1. Your absence will have a bad effect on your score. 2. The citizens must act together to effect a change in the community's living conditions.

Ø  AFFECTATION (pretence, artificiality of manner, insincere behaviour) - His words and deeds are so full of affectation that one is wary of trusting him at all.

AFFECTION (love, affinity, attachment) - Every mother has great affection for her children.

Ø  AFFLICT (hurt, injure, pain, cause suffering) - This infection afflicts men and women alike.

INFLICT (force someone to experience something unpleasant; impose) - The suffering the epidemic inflicted on children was unimaginable.

Ø  ALE (beer) - He needed some ale every day to stay in good spirits.

AIL (be ill, cause suffering) - In spite of the tests, the doctors still cannot tell what ails him.

Ø  ALTER (change, transform) - There will be a lot of confusion if you keep altering the schedule.

ALTAR (a place of offering) - He sacrificed his personal interests at the altar of national progress.

Ø  ALLUDE (to hint at) - In his speech he was alluding to the previous regime.

ELUDE (escape physically; escape understanding by; avoid fulfilling, answering or performing) - 1. The chase went on for long but in the end the thief managed to elude the police. 2. The professor provided many examples but the crux of the theory eluded us. 3. Her telephone number eluded me when I needed it the most and I managed to remember it just when I was dropping off to sleep.

Ø  ALL TOGETHER (all in one place) - We are all together to celebrate this special occasion.

ALTOGETHER (wholly, entirely) - He is altogether mistaken in his view.

Ø  ALLUSION (indirect reference) - You can check up this allusion from the Indian mythology.

ILLUSION (a deceptive appearance) The glamour of the skyscrapers is an illusion as it hides the poverty below.

DELUSION (a mistaken or unfounded opinion or idea; mistaken psychological belief in the face of evidence to the contrary) 1. His clothes create a delusion of grandeur 2. I was labouring under the delusion that the company would honour the contract.

Ø  ALUMNA/ALUMNAE (female graduate/graduates)        

ALUMNUS/ALUMNI (male graduate/graduates) 

Ø  ALREADY (beforehand) - 1. I already know the result. 2. He is already in service.

ALL READY (completely prepared) - I have the information all ready for you.

Ø  ALL WAYS (every direction, every road) - All ways have been cleared for the ministers caravan.

ALWAYS (adverb) (at all times) One must always keep a cool head.

Ø  ALTERNATIVE (choice, substitute, unusual) 1. There is no alternative to hard work. 2. He .. -as quite famous for his work in alternative cinema but failed in commercial films.

CHOICE (act of choosing or selecting; something selected; of superior grade) - 1. She finally made the choice. 2. This is a choice collection of stamps.

ALTERNATE (every other) - Business was brisk on alternate days.

Ø  AMATEUR (nonprofessional, dabbler) - The company chairman is an amateur hockey player.

PROFESSIONAL (expert, veteran) - India can't win the match unless the players show a professional attitude.

Ø  AMIABLE (lovable, kind, benign) - The workers liked the new supervisor because he was very amiable.

AMICABLE (friendly, harmonious) - After a long discussion, they came to an amicable settlement.

AMENABLE (manageable, obedient, willing to comply) - The trade union was fortunately amenable to the offer,

Ø  AMEND - To improve

EMEND - (of a text) remove errors, edit

Ø  AMBIGUOUS (vague, puzzling, cryptic, having more than one meaning) - His rather ambiguous statements made it clear that he did not have a good grasp of the subject.

EQUIVOCAL (intentionally ambiguous or misleading) - Politicians are notorious for their splendid equivocal statements!

Ø  ANXIOUS (sense of worry and suspense) -- I was anxious about my brother's welfare in the remote location.

EAGER (sense of joyful expectation) - The participants were eager to know the names of the winners.

Ø APPRAISE -- Estimate the value of

 APPRISE - To inform

Ø  ARTIST (someone who makes images or things that are beautiful or express feelings) - Picasso was a famous artist.

ARTISTE (professional entertainer esp. singer, dancer or actor) - The artistes presented a folk dance.

Ø  ASCENT (upward climb) - The ascent in this company's hierarchy is a tiring job indeed.

ASSENT (to agree) - He has finally given his assent to the imposition of President's rule in the state.

Ø  AUTARCHY – Despotism

AUTARKY - Economic Self-Sufficiency

Ø  AVOCATION (hobby) - His avocation is playing chess.

VOCATION (occupation, employment) - Trading in fine textiles is his vocation,