Commonly Confused Word Pairs 1

beside / besides

beside: preposition meaning 'next to', 'at the side of'

Examples:

I sit beside John in class.
Could you get me that book? It's beside the lamp.

besides: adverb meaning 'also', 'as well'; preposition meaning 'in addition to'

Examples:

(adverb) He's responsible for sales, and a lot more besides.
(preposition) Besides tennis, I play soccer and basketball.

clothes / cloths

clothes: something you wear - jeans, shirts, blouses, etc.

Examples:

Just a moment, let me change my clothes.
Tommy, get your clothes on!

cloths: pieces of material used for cleaning or other purposes.

Examples:

There are some cloths in the closet. Use those to clean the kitchen.
I have a few pieces of cloth that I use.

dead / died

dead: adjective meaning 'not alive'

Examples:

Unfortunately, our dog has been dead for a few months.
Don't touch that bird. It's dead.

died: past tense and past participle of the verb 'to die'

Examples:

His grandfather died two years ago.
A number of people have died in the accident.

experience / experiment

experience: noun meaning something that a person lives through, i.e. something that someone experiences. - also used as an uncountable noun meaning 'knowledge gained by doing something'

Examples:

(first meaning)His experiences in Germany were rather depressing.
(second meaning) I'm afraid I don't have much sales experience.

experiment: noun meaning something that you do to see the result. Often used when speaking about scientists and their studies.

Examples:

They did a number of experiments last week.
Don't worry it's just an experiment. I'm not going to keep my beard.

felt / fell

felt: past tense and past participle of the verb 'to feel'

Examples:

I felt better after I had a good dinner.
He hasn't felt this well for a long time.

fell: past tense of the verb 'to fall'

Examples:

He fell from a tree and broke his leg.
Unfortunately, I fell down and hurt myself.

female / feminine

female: the sex of a woman or animal

Examples:

The female of the species is very aggressive.
The question 'female or male' means 'are you a woman or a man'.

feminine: adjective describing a quality or type of behaviour that is considered typical for a woman

Examples:

He's an excellent boss with a feminine intuition.
The house was decorated in a very feminine manner.

its / it's

its: possessive determiner similar to 'my' or 'your'

Examples:

Its color is red.
The dog didn't eat all of its food.

it's: Short form of 'it is' or 'it has'

Examples:

(it is) It's difficult to understand him.
(it has) It's been a long time since I had a beer.


last / latest
last: adjective usually meaning 'final'

Examples:

I took the last train to Memphis.
This is the last test of the semester!

latest: adjective meaning 'most recent' or 'new'

Examples:

His latest book is excellent.
Have you seen his latest painting?

lay / lie

lay: verb meaning 'to put down flat' - past tense - laid, past participle - laid

Examples:

He laid his pencil down and listened to the teacher.
I usually lay my pies on the shelf to cool.

lie: verb meaning 'to be down' - past tense -lay (be careful!), past participle - lain

Examples:

The girl lay on the bed asleep.
At the moment, he's lying on the bed.

lose / loose

lose: verb meaning 'to misplace'

Examples:

I lost my watch!
Have you ever lost anything valuable?

loose: adjective meaning the opposite of 'tight'

Examples:

Your trousers are very loose!
I need to tighten this screw. It's loose.

male / masculine

male: the sex of a man or animal

Examples:

The male of the species is very lazy.
The question 'female or male' means 'are you a woman or a man'.

masculine: adjective describing a quality or type of behaviour that is considered typical for a man

Examples:

She's a very masculine woman.
His opinions are just too masculine for me.

price / prize

price: noun - what you pay for something.

Examples:

The price was very cheap.
What's the price of this book?

prize: noun - an award

Examples:

He won a prize as best actor.
Have you ever won a prize in a competition?

principal / principle

principal: adjective meaning 'the most important'

Examples:

The principal reason for my decision was the money.
What are the principal irregular verbs?

principle: a rule (usually in science but also concerning morals)

Examples:

It's the first principle of aerodynamics.
He has very loose principles.

quite / quiet

quite: adverb of degree meaning 'very' or 'rather'

Examples:

This test is quite difficult.
He was quite exhausted after the long journey.

quiet: adjective meaning the opposite of loud or noisy

Examples:

Could you please be quiet?!
She's a very quiet girl.

sensible / sensitive

sensible: adjective meaning 'having common sense' i.e. 'not stupid'

Examples:

I wish you would be more sensible about things.
I'm afraid you aren't being very sensible.

sensitive: adjective meaning 'to feel very deeply' or 'to hurt easily'

Examples:

You should be careful with David. He's very sensitive.
Mary is a very sensitive woman.

shade / shadow

shade: protection from the sun, a dark area outside on a sunny day.

Examples:

You should sit in the shade for a while.
It's too hot. I'm going to find some shade.

shadow: the dark area created by something else on a sunny day.

Examples:

That tree casts a large shadow.
Have you every noticed your shadow getting longer as it gets later in the day?

some time / sometimes

some time: refers to an indefinite time in the future

Examples:

Let's meet for coffee some time.
I don't know when I'll do it - but I will do it some time.

sometimes: adverb of frequency meaning 'occasionally'

Examples:

He sometimes works late.
Sometimes, I like eating Chinese food.

Too vs. Two vs. To

Too means "also" and is generally used at the end of a sentence. "Too" also indicates too much of a particular quality.
That car is too expensive for me!
I'd love to come to the party, too.

Two is the written form of the number 2.
There are two applicants for the job.
She has two cats.

To is generally used as a preposition. It is also used as part of the infinitive form of verbs.
I gave the book to him.
The verb "to understand" is irregular.

How to "Travel" in Words

Here are the many words which refer to travel and how to use them :


*journey
Can be used to refer to travel, but more often than not tends to be used more figuratively e.g. "my journey through life's ups and downs"
*trip
Often refers to going somewhere more long distance e.g. "we are going on a trip overseas" or "we are going on a road trip to Scotland" but can also mean something shorter e.g. "day trip" or "day trippers" (think of the Beatles song!)
*crossing
Normally refers to going over water by any means e.g "crossing the Atlantic by plane", or "crossing the Channel by ferry". Note that one wouldn't normally say "crossing the Channel by tunnel" as one would be going under the water :)
*voyage
Typically only used if one is going by ship, also the French "bon voyage" is also used with the same meaning in English to mean "have a good trip"
*outing
Typically a special trip somewhere e.g. "a family outing".

Random Words 9

soil - n. earth in which plants grow

The soil isn't very rich in our backyard.

I bought some soil to put into the garden.

loyal - adj. showing strong friendship and support for someone or something

He remained loyal to his boss until the very end.

You can trust me. I'm a very loyal person.

urge - v. to advise strongly; to make a great effort to get someone to do something

I urge you to get plenty of sleep before the tournament.

His teacher urged him to study hard for the test.

shelter - verb / noun
to protect or give protection to; n. something that gives protection; a place of safety

He gave shelter to lost animals.

This building will shelter us from the rain.

manufacture - v - to make goods in large amounts

That factory manufactures basketballs.

Our plants in Georgia manufacture t-shirts.

propose - v -to present or offer for consideration

I'd like to propose a toast to John and his new bride Jane!

Jennifer proposed a new addition to the staff.

loan - n - money borrowed that usually must be returned with interest payments; something borrowed

I will repay my loan at the end of the month.

John finished paying off his loan last week.

negotiate - v - to talk about a problem or situation to find a common solution

I need to negotiate a raise.

If we negotiate a fair deal, we'll have a great year.

skill - n - the ability gained from training or experience

HIs considerable skills helped him find a new job.

Do you have any gardening skills?

pure - adj - free from anything that is different or that reduces value; clean

You can drink from that bottle. The water is pure.

This gold is almost 99% pure.

owe - v - to pay or have to repay (usually money) in return for something received

Can you pay for lunch? I'll owe you.

He owes Tom $60.

What are Phrasal Verbs? - Phrasal Verbs Explained for ESL Students

What are Phrasal Verbs? - Phrasal Verbs Explained for ESL Students

Random Words 8

cooperate - v. to act or work together

Let's cooperate and get this work done quickly.

She agreed to cooperate with the police to help catch the criminal.

distance - n. the amount of space between two places or objects ("The distance from my house to your house is two kilometers.")

It's quite a distance to the next town.

What's the distance between your house and your neighbor?

sympathy - n- a sharing of feelings or emotions with another person, usually feelings of sadness

I felt a great deal of sympathy for his difficult position.

She expressed her sympathy at our loss.

incident - n- an event or something that happens

A strange incident happened to me on my way to work this morning.

The judge fined everyone involved in the incident.

interfere - v- to get in the way of; to work against; to take part in the activities of others, especially when not asked to do so

Her mother constantly interfered with her work.

I don't mean to interfere, but don't you think that's too expensive.

headquarters - n- the center from which orders are given; the main offices of a business or organization

Our headquarters are located in London.

My boss flew back to headquarters for the quarterly meeting.

below - adj- lower than

You'll find the dishwashing powder below the sink.

Should I hang this picture above or below the calendar?

swallow - v- to take into the stomach through the mouth

He swallowed the rest of his sandwich and got in the taxi.

That bite is too big to swallow!

frighten - v- to cause great fear

The clown frightened the young children.

Let's go to the haunted house. I'll bet that will frighten you!

willing - adj-being ready or having a desire to ("They are willing to talk about the problem.")

Are you willing to join me tomorrow?

I think he is willing to do the job.

'a pipe dream'

A pipe dream is a plan or a dream for the future that could never come true or be achieved.

The idea of a perfect world in which everyone lives in peace and harmony is just a pipe dream. 

Pipe dreams only ever come true in the movies.

Origin: Metaphorical, and probably related to the fact that the drug opium can be smoked in a pipe, and when it is taken people often have very pleasant, dream-like experiences.

'run to'

to ask someone to help or protect you when you should be able to look after yourself

(run to sb) You're in your thirties, so you shouldn't still have to run to your parents for help when things go wrong.

He's such a baby. He goes running to a teacher whenever the other kids tease him.

Random Words 5

deep - adj. going far down; a long way from top to bottom

reduce - v. to make less or smaller in number, size or amount; to cut
speed v. to make something go or move faster; n. the rate at which something moves or travels; the rate at which something happens or is done
depression - n. severe unhappiness; a period of reduced business and economic activity during which    many people lose their jobs
bed - n. a sleeping-  place
crash - v. to fall violently; to hit with great force
forget - v. to not remember
building - n. anything built for use as a house, factory, office, school, store or place of entertainment
most - ad. greatest in size or amount

Random Words 7

attempt - v - to work toward something; to try; to make an effort
He will attempt to get his homework in on time.
Fred attempted to get a new job, but had difficulties.


evidence - n - material or facts that prove something; a reason for believing
There was no evidence of any crime.
The detective searched the scene for evidence.


harvest - v - to gather crops;
              n. the crop after it is gathered
This year's harvest was very good. There were lots of tasty vegetables!
I'm going to help my father harvest the fruit in our garden.


smash - v -to break or be broken into small pieces by force; to hit or move with force
The young boy smashed his mother's favorite vase.
Be careful or you'll smash into a tree!


bright - adj -

giving much light; strong and clear in color

Could you turn that light in the other direction? It's much too bright.

The sun is very bright today.

leak - v - to come out of or to escape through a small opening or hole (usually a gas or liquid)
The hose is leaking. Get some tape to cover the hole up.
I think your cup might be leaking.

"put up with"

If you put up with something, you accept it even though you don't like it.

Synonyms: tolerate, stand, endure

(put up with sb) We've been putting up with these noisy neighbours for long enough. I'm going to complain to our landlord. 

(put up with sth) I'm going to buy an air conditioner. I can't put up with the heat any longer!

"kick the habit "

If you kick the habit, you manage to stop doing something that has become a bad habit.

I wish I could stop smoking cigarettes but I just can't kick the habit.

Rashid used to bite his fingernails but his girlfriend made him kick the habit.

Note: "Kick a habit" can be used when talking about habits in general, as in "Kicking a habit isn't easy."

Useful links to learning Vocabulary

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Random Words 6

motion - n. a movement; a continuing change of position or place

He saw a motion in the corner of the room.

The cat's motion is fascinating.

trap - v. to catch or be caught by being tricked; to be unable to move or escape; n. a device used to catch animals

He set a trap to catch the mice.

I've been trapped by an awful man!

urgent - adj. needing an immediate decision or action

Please tell Mr. Simmons that it's urgent.

He felt an urgent need to visit his best friend.

criticize - v - to say what is wrong with something or someone; to condemn; to judge

He didn't want to criticize her performance.

Would you like to criticize your work?

solid - adj- having a hard shape with no empty spaces inside; strong; not in the form of a liquid or gas

The sculpture is made of solid marble.

He has a solid knowledge of mathematics.

Collocation Lists

Do	Make	Have	Take
do business	make a difference	Have a bath	take a break
do nothing	make a mess	have a drink	take a chance
do someone a favor	make a mistake	have a good time	take a look
do the cooking	make a noise	have a haircut	take a rest
do the housework	make an effort	have a holiday	take a seat
do the shopping	make furniture	have a problem	take a taxi
do the washing up	make money	have a relationship	take an exam
do your best	make progress	have a rest	take notes
do your hair	make room	have lunch	take someone's place
do your homework	make trouble	have sympathy	take someone's temperature

Break	Catch	Pay	Save
break a habit	catch a ball	pay a fine	save electricity
break a leg	catch a bus	pay attention	save energy
break a promise	catch a chill	pay by credit card	save money
break a record	catch a cold	pay cash	save one's strength
break a window	catch a thief	pay interest	save someone a seat
break someone's heart	catch fire	pay someone a compliment	save someone's life
break the ice	catch sight of	pay someone a visit	save something to a disk
break the law	catch someone's attention	pay the bill	save space
break the news to someone	catch someone's eye	pay the price	save time
break the rules	catch the flu	pay your respects	save yourself the trouble

Keep	Classifiers	Come
keep a diary	a ball of string	come close	come right back
keep a promise	a bar of chocolate	come complete with	come second
keep a secret	a bottle of water	come direct	come to a compromise
keep an appointment	a bunch of carrots	come early	come to a decision
keep calm	a cube of sugar	come first	come to an agreement
keep control	a pack of cards	come into view	come to an end
keep in touch	a pad o	come last	come to a standstill
keep quiet		come late	come to terms with
keep someone's place		come on time	come to a total of
keep the change		come prepared	come under attack

Go		Get
go abroad	go mad	get a job	get permission
go astray	go missing	get a shock	get pregnant
go bad	go on foot	get angry	get ready
go bald	go online	get divorced	get started
go bankrupt	go out of business	get drunk	get the impression
go blind	go overseas	get frightened	get the message
go crazy	go quiet	get home	get the sack
go dark	go sailing	get lost	get upset
go deaf	go to war	get married	get wet
go fishing	go yellow	get nowhere	get worried

Time		Bus English
bang on time	right on time	annual turnover	draw a conclusion
dead on time	run out of time	bear in mind	draw your attention to
early 12th century	save time	break off negotiations	launch a new product
free time	spare time	cease trading	lay off staff
from dawn till dusk	spend some time	chair a meeting	go bankrupt
great deal of time	take your time	close a deal	go into partnership
make time for	time goes by	come to the point	make a profit
next few days	time passes	dismiss an offer	market forces
past few weeks	waste time