Having a vivid imagination and great storytelling ability is fantastic, but if you misuse words, people are unlikely to listen and take you seriously.
It is so important to choose the right words when you are writing and communicating. It can mean the difference between being understood or written off. There are some words that sound similar and even look similar, yet have drastically different meanings.
So, here are some of the top most commonly confused words with an explanation to help you choose the right one.
1) Accept vs. Except
Accept – to agree to, receive or do
Except – not included
Examples: Most businesses in this country accept credit cards. All shirts can be worn except tank tops.
2) Affect vs. Effect
Affect – to change or make a difference to
Effect – a result, to bring about a result
This one is huge, and one of the most common grammar errors. To make it a bit clearer, think of “affect” as more of an action (to affect something), where “effect” would be the result.
Examples: The humidity affected my hair. The humidity had no effect on my hairdo.
Tip: Most of the time “affect” is used as a verb and “effect” as a noun.
3) Assure vs. Ensure
Assure – a promise
Ensure – to make sure something will happen
Examples: This extra food will ensure that you do not go hungry. I assure you that you will not be hungry.
Extra: Then there is also “insure”, which is to cover with an insurance policy.
Example: I will insure my home for extra protection.
4) Isle vs. Aisle
Isle – an island (as in The Isle of Innisfree)
Aisle – is a passage between rows of seats (an aisle in a movie theater)
Examples: Ask the bride if you can walk her down the aisle to get married. Iguanas inhabit islands and isles of the Caribbean.
5) Imply vs. Infer
This is another tricky one.
Imply – to suggest in an indirect way
Infer – to draw a conclusion
Examples: Are you implying that I’m a liar, sir? I inferred from his letter that he wants to resign.
The English language is full of many more words like this, but no worries. Quiz-Tree is here to help. Quiz-Tree.com is full of fun and educational quizzes to help you with your spelling and grammar woes; so come on over for a visit and let’s take a quiz!