9 pairs of words in English that confuse absolutely everyone (2023)

We all know that English is a crazy language.

Many different words have the same spelling and pronunciation.

Some of themWords are confusing even for native speakers, specially inWrite.

To help you, we created this list. You will find something in it.Pairs of English words with similar sounds that confuse peopleall the time.

Content

• 9 English Word Pairs That Can Confuse Even Native Speakers
• • 1. Lose and lose
  • 2. Unsubscribe and resubscribe
  • 3. Advice and advice
  • 4. Affect and effect
  • 5. Praise and praise
  • 6. Selfless and disinterested
  • 7. Bear and Not
  • 8. And so on
  • 9. Hang Up and Hang Up
• Know the differences and don't get confused

Download:This blog post is available as a convenient, portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here for a copy. (Discharge)

9 English Word Pairs That Can Confuse Even Native Speakers

1. Lose and lose

We write them differently andexpressdifferently, but English speakers still use these words incorrectly. Fortunately, they are easy to tell apart.

Lose– pronounced with a “z” sound – is a verb that means not to have, not to find or not to earn. You lose your phone or get lost while driving somewhere.

• I don't want my football team to do this.losethe game.

• she goesloseyour money when you play with it.

Lose– with an “s” sound – on the other hand, it is an adjective that means free, unbound or not fixed. It is also a verb that means to untie or drop something.

• The door handle fell off because it was toolose.

• AloseThe sweater feels very comfortable.

Otherscommon mistakes people makemeans the word loser and means a stupid, clumsy or unlucky person. You might say, "You're a loser." But don't call someone a "loser." If you do, you will be the loser!

2. Unsubscribe and resubscribe

This one is a bit more difficult. These two words have identical spellings, except for the hyphen, and opposite meanings.

Give up-without the hyphen- means to leave work and the "s" is pronounced like a "z".

• My boss didn't want to raise my salary, so I decided to do it.give up. This will be my last week at work.

Give up– with the hyphen – means to re-sign a contract, and usually also means that you have chosen to do soStay at your current job!With umzeichen, the "s" is pronounced like "s" and the first syllable is stressed.

• I love my current job, so I'm happy.resignedfor another year

3. Advice and advice

With these words, we have similar spellings, similar meanings, and only a slight difference in pronunciation.

Advice- with sound "s" - is a noun. You can give some to your friend.Advice.

• My father gave me a pieceAdvice- "Always be on time".

Advice- with sound "z" - is a verb. With this word you canadviceyour friend The meaning of the two words is basically the same.

• Elladevicesthat I invest my money more carefully.

4. Affect and effect

Once again, the main difference between these two words is the grammar, although they are pronounced slightly differently. Usually,affectis a verb andIt's doneis a noun, and they are used to talk about the results or consequences of certain actions.

• I worry about your lazy habitsaffectYour studies (your lazy habits will have a negative impactIt's donein study).

• Before starting an argument with your boss, think it througheffectsYour actions (before starting an argument, think about what your actions will be)affectstate of death).

5. Praise and praise

praise—When someone says to you, "I really like your shirt," they're paying you a compliment. In other words, they praise you. As a verb and a noun, praise means to say something nice about someone.

• UEpraisedmy sister about her delicious cooking (verb).

• tell her to mi hermana onepraiseto its delicious cuisine (noun).

add– is when two things go well together or complement each other. This word is often used in food and fashion to describe corresponding styles or ingredients.

• My blue tie reallyaggregatemy white shirt (my blue tie and my white shirt go well together).

• this wineaggregatethe meat dish good.

6. Selfless and disinterested

Many native speakers use these two words interchangeably: bored or uninterested. Surely this is the meaning ofdisinterested, but it is not the meaning of disinterested. the true meaning ofdisinterestedis impartial, objective or does not take sides in a dispute. A judge hearing a court case must be disinterested, but definitely not disinterested!

• The children wanted to play outside and were verydisinterestedwith each study.

• Sometimes a stranger can make adisinterestedand make fair decisions more easily than a family member.

Many people today believe that selflessness can also mean selflessness. But it's still useful to know the difference.

7. Bear and Not

Carry– as a verb – has several meanings, including holding or bearing heavy weight and bearing or enduring hardship. We are not talking about big hairy bears that live in the forests.

• Don't get on that old chair, it can'tcarryyour weight.

• Can'tcarrysee my son suffer.

No, however, is an adjective meaning bare or uncovered, or a verb meaning to uncover or reveal.

• Visitors to the temple are not required to havenoArms or legs, so wear long pants and a jacket (adjective).

• UEnomy arm to show you my new tattoo (verb).

8. And so on

These two are very confusing. On and on have the same meaning but are used in different situations. They are also pronounced similarly, but with a difference:Fellmidistant.

advance- comdistant– used when dealing with physical distance.

• As a passenger in a car, you can ask the driver, "How muchadvanceuntil we reach our goal?

• In a race, you might say, "She ranadvanceand faster than him.

advance- comFell -It is used for more abstract situations.

• The team representative told me: “If you have anyadvanceComplaints, please let me know.”

• The teacher told us: “If you have anyadvanceQuestions you can ask me at the end.

In these examples, the complaints and questions are not physical things, so you can't use the word anymore. Look again at the difference between these two words in context:

if we handle someadvanceTonight we are too tired to continue driving tomorrow.

We should discuss this issue.advancebefore we make a decision.

9. Hang Up and Hang Up

The difference between hangman and hangman can be deadly.

suspendedit is mainly the past tense of the verb to hang.

• I hung the painting on the wall and hung my clothes on the clothesline.

strung upis the deadly exception, as it is the past tense of Hang in a very specific situation. Hanging can also mean executing a criminal by hanging him on a rope. In this case, the past tense of Hang is hung.

• The judge sentenced him for being the murdererstrung up.

• the criminal wasstrung upin prison

Know the differences and don't get confused

English words like that can be very confusing, right?

Fortunately, it's easier to avoid mistakes when you know the differences. especially if it's youBy the wayEnglish, most people won't notice if you mix these words with similar sounds. In fact, native speakers do this all the time. But when writing, pay attention to these words and make sure you use the correct word.

Remember to check your spelling and think about the situation you find yourself in. Did you say something nice to someone? that was apraise, Noadd. Are you going to leave your job or are you going to rehire? Being aware of context differences can help you avoid mistakes. Context (along with practice) is key!

Certain language learning programs can help with context-based practice. an example isfluenteU, which uses authentic English videos with interactive subtitles so you can see which word is being used at the correct time. You can click on a word to see its definition and usage examples in sentences and other clips, then check spelling and spoken vocabulary with quizzes.

Constant exposure is really the best way to master these words. Once you're familiar with them, you can show your knowledge to native speakers who still fall for these word tricks.

Download:This blog post is available as a convenient, portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here for a copy. (Discharge)