Commonly Confused Words

At a glance 10 rules

1. 1Affect acts, effect endsAffect is the verb (influence); effect is the noun (result), as in 'take effect'. Exception: effect is also a verb meaning bring about ('effect a change').
2. 2Noun or verb firstFind the part of speech the blank needs: advice (noun) vs advise (verb), artistic (adjective) vs artisan (noun). It often kills two options at once.
3. 3Principal or principlePrincipal: main, or the head of a school or college. Principle: a rule or belief. Memory hook: a principLE is a ruLE.
4. 4Spelling hooksStationery (e for envelopes) is paper and pens; stationary (a for at rest) is not moving. Compliment (i: I like it) is praise; complement completes.
5. 5Look-alike verbsAppraise a thing's value, apprise a person of news; precede comes before, proceed goes on; allude hints at, elude escapes.
6. 6Imminent or eminentImminent: about to happen. Eminent: famous and respected. Immanent: present within, inherent.
7. 7The cred- familyCredible: believable. Creditable: deserving praise. Credulous: too ready to believe. Incredulous: unwilling to believe.
8. 8Same root, new senseArtistic: showing skill in art. Artful: crafty. Artificial: man-made or fake. Artisan: a craftsperson, a noun.
9. 9Respectively or respectfullyRespectively: in the order already named. Respectfully: with respect. Respectably: decently. Use respectively to pair two lists in order.
10. 10More trap pairsDisinterested: impartial; uninterested: bored. Lose: fail to keep; loose: not tight. Averse: unwilling; adverse: harmful. Ingenious: clever; ingenuous: innocent.