Commonly Confused Words

Now that we have finished the most common mistakes college students make in terms of commas, it is important to mention that many college students make mistakes in terms of word choice. 7.8% of students make a mistake in regards to word choice, according to a 1988 study (Connors, R. J., & Lunsford, A. A., 1988).

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Here is a list of the commonly confused words (Lunsford, A., 2008).

A lot and alot

• A lot is a phrase that describes the group of a noun
• "A lot of ducks gathered at the pond."
• Alot is a word that is mistakenly used in place of "a lot"
• "You will never find the word 'alot' in any dictionary."

Accept and except

• Accept is a word that describes when a person gives a sense of permission
• "I will accept the terms of the agreement."
• Except is a word that describes when an object has been excluded
• "I like all dogs, except for a Weimaraner."

Affect and effect

• Affect is a word, as a verb only, and describes influence
• "The wind will affect the rain patterns."
• Effect is a word, as a noun only, and describes influence
• "The effect of the tornado caused houses to be ruined."

All ready and already

• All ready is a phrase that describes a preparation
• "The meal was all ready to eat."
• Already is a word, as an adverb only, that describes a quality of readiness
• "I was already hungry by the time I sat down to eat." 

Altogether and all together

• Altogether is a word, as an adverb only, that describes the entire status of an object
• "The painting was altogether beautiful in an eerie way."
• All together is a phrase that describes the state of togetherness
• "All together, we looked like a group of misfits and nerds."

Among and between

• Among is a word that describes when an object has been found near another object
• "The grass looked clean among the piles of raked leaves."
• Between is a word that describes when an object has been stuck against another object
• "I found this book between the history and fantasy sections of the library."

Apart and a part

• Apart is a word that describes the state of being apart
• "Apart from the yellow frame, the picture looked gorgeous."
• A part is a phrase that describes a single noun as an individual
• "A part of me wanted to run away from the screaming crowd."

Cite, sight, and site

• Cite is a word, only as a verb, that describes a quote on a document
• "Never forget to cite your sources on a research project."
• Sight is a word, only as a noun, that describes the quality of vision
• "The sight of the nation's flag inspired the patriots."
• Site is a word, only a noun, that describes a specific place with a specific boundary
• "The construction site had been vacant for some time."

Complement and compliment

• Complement is a word that describes a quality that creates a beneficial influence between any two objects
• "Our personalities complement one another."
• Compliment is a word that describes an act that gives praise
• "I will give a compliment when it is needed to keep the workers happy."

Farther and further

• Farther is a word that describes a specific distance
• "The farther I go, the more I realize I have yet to accomplish."
• Further is a word that describes an uncertain distance 
• "Any further and I would have perished in the dry desert of the Sahara."

It's and its

• It's is a shorthand for the phrase "it is"
• "It's going to be a long day."
• Its is the possessive pronoun of the pronoun "it"
• "The monster ate its bones and belched loudly."

Lay and lie

• Lay is a word, unattached to a preposition, that describes the act of laying 
• "I will lay in the grass to rest."
• Lie is a word, always attached to a preposition, that describes the act of laying 
• "I need to lie down for a nap."

Lose and loose

• Lose is a word that describes the act of a loss
• "I will lose the game at this rate."
• Loose is a word that describes the state of non-togetherness
• "The feathers fit like a loose clump in my hand."

Than, their, and they're

• Than is a word that uses a comparison with another object
• "I will be prettier than her when we compete at the dance."
• Their is a word that describes the possession of an object by a group
• "That rock is their diving board to the waterfall."
• They're is a shorthand for the phrase "they are"
• "They're coming to greet us soon, be ready."

Then and than

• Then is a word that describes a later period in time
• "I ate a cheese dog and then took a nap."
• Than is a word that uses a comparison with another object
• "I will be prettier than her when we compete at the dance."

Too, two, and to

• Too is a word that describes an extremeness or a degree 
• "I am too smart for my own good."
• Two is a word that describes the presence of two objects
• "There are two eyes on a human's face."
• To is a word that describes the act of being toward
• "I went to the football game."

Who and whom

• Who is a word, as a subject only, that describes an unknown noun
• "Who ate my pizza?"
• Whom is a word, as an object only, that describes an unknown noun
• "To whom it may concern, I was about to eat that pizza."

Who, which, and that

• Who is a word, as a subject only, that describes an unknown noun
• "Who ate my pizza?"
• Which is a word that takes the place of a noun in question
• "Which of you ate my pizza?"
• That is a word that describes a reference to a group or an individual object
• "That perfect pizza was what I have been wanting this whole time."

You're and your

• You're is a shorthand for the phrase "you are"
• "You're going to eat your vegetables young lady."
• Your is a word that describes a possessive object for the pronoun "you"
• "I accidentally ate your pizza, I am sorry."

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Review

Tips on How to Prevent the Use of a Wrong Word

• Rely on your eyes, many of the similar sounding words in the English language will pass through a spelling checker or a grammar checker
• Read backwards and zoom-in closely to see the text from another fresh perspective
• Consult an online dictionary if in doubt on a word's usage
• First type "define:X" into the Google search engine
• Replace X with the word you need to search quickly
• Next, check the category of the word
• Ask yourself if the word fit as a noun, adverb, preposition, verb, or adjective

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Sources