- adoptive with adopted: children are adopted, but parents are adoptive.
- adverse, 'unfavourable, bad', with averse, which means 'strongly disliking or opposed to', as in I am not averse to helping out.
- affect and effect: affect means 'make a difference to', whereas effect means 'a result' or 'bring about (a result)'.
- ambiguous with ambivalent: ambiguous primarily means 'having more than one meaning, open to different interpretations', while ambivalent means 'having mixed feelings'.
- amoral with immoral: amoral means 'not concerned with morality', while immoral means 'not conforming to accepted standards of morality'.
- appraise with apprise: appraise means 'assess', while apprise means 'inform'.
- augur, 'be a sign of (a likely outcome)', with auger (a tool used for boring).
- censure with censor: censure means 'express strong disapproval of', whereas censor means 'suppress unacceptable parts of (a book, film, etc.)'.
- climactic, 'forming a climax', with climatic, which means 'relating to climate'.
- complacent, 'smug and self-satisfied', with complaisant, which means 'willing to please'.
- complement, 'a thing that enhances something by contributing extra features', with compliment, which means 'an expression of praise' or 'politely congratulate'.
- continuous and continual: continuous primarily means 'without interruption', and can refer to space as well as time, as in the cliffs form a continuous line along the coast; continual, on the other hand, typically means 'happening frequently, with intervals between', as in the bus service has been disrupted by continual breakdowns.
- council, an administrative or advisory body, with counsel, advice or guidance.
- councillor with counsellor: a councillor is a member of a council, whereas a counsellor is someone who gives guidance on personal or psychological problems.
- credible with creditable: credible means 'believable, convincing', whereas creditable means 'deserving acknowledgement and praise'.
- definite ('certain, sure') with definitive, which means 'decisive and with authority'.
- desert (a waterless area) with dessert (the sweet course)!
- discreet, 'careful not to attract attention or give offence', with discrete, which means 'separate, distinct'.
- draft and draught. In British English draft means 'a preliminary version' or 'an order to pay a sum', whereas a draught is a current of air or an act of drinking; in North American English the spelling draft is used for all senses. The verb is usually spelled draft.
- egoism and egotism: it is egotism, not egoism, that means 'excessive conceit or self-absorption'; egoism is a less common and more technical word, for an ethical theory that treats self-interest as the foundation of morality.
- envelop with envelope: envelop without an e at the end means 'wrap up, cover, or surround completely', whereas an envelope with an e is a paper container used to enclose a letter or document.
- exceptionable ('open to objection; causing disapproval or offence') with exceptional ('not typical' or 'unusually good').
- fawn with faun: a fawn is a young deer, and a light brown colour; a faun is a Roman deity that is part man, part goat.
- flaunt with flout; flaunt means 'display ostentatiously', while flout means 'openly disregard (a rule)'.
- flounder with founder: flounder generally means 'have trouble doing or understanding something, be confused', while founder means 'fail or come to nothing'.
- forego and forgo: forego means 'precede', but is also a less common spelling for forgo, 'go without'.
- grisly with grizzly, as in grizzly bear: grisly means 'causing horror or revulsion', whereas grizzly is from the same root as grizzled and refers to the bear's white-tipped fur.
- hoard with horde: a hoard is a store of something valuable; horde is a disparaging term for a large group of people.
TO BE CONTINUED...
No comments:
Post a Comment