WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED

1. Affect: (to act upon or to pretend) the extreme cold affected his health. The
culprit affected madness to escape punishment
Effect: (to bring about) Ashoka effected many reforms in the country.
2. Adverse: (hostile) The offer was not promoted because there was an adverse
report against him.
Averse: (harbouring dislike to) He is averse to violent methods. What cat is
averse to finish?
3. Accelerate: (to increase the speed) He suddenly accelerated the car; it shot
forward and soon disappeared from view.
Expedite: (to assist and hasten the progress of) all steps were taken to
expedite the formation of the new state
4. Application: (the process of applying; enforcement) the application of the
tax measures will cause hardship especially to the middle incoming group.
Implication: (meaning implied but not explicitly stated) the implications of
his statement are far-reaching
5. Ancient : (very old) Some people harp on the ancient glory of Indian culture
Antique: (old-fashioned; after the manner of ancients) in the museum we
have some remarkable relics of antique sculpture.
6. Apprehend: (to grasp, to get a hold on the meaning of a thing)
Comprehend: (to understand fully) I can apprehend the bare principles of
the Theory of Relativity but I cannot comprehend the full implications of
that theory.
7. Ascent: (climbing up) The ascent of Everest by Tenzing and Hillary was a
great achievement

WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED

Assent: (official concurrence or sanction) The bill passed by the parliament,
has to obtain the royal assent
8. Amiable: (lovable) His amiable qualities endear him to everybody
Amicable: (friendly) we have arrived at an amicable settlement of the
dispue.
9. Adapt: ( make something suitable to or for a purpose) Success often
depends on your ability to adapt yourself to changing circumstances.
Adopt: (to take a person into a new relationship) The merchant who had no
children of his own adopted Aravind as his heir.
10.Apposite: (relevant, suitable) He illustrated his argument with apposite
quotations
Opposite: (contrary) The two cars were speeding in opposite directions
11.Allusion: (reference) W.B. Yeasts makes several allusions to Indian
mythology in his poems.
Illusion: (false notion) Dont be under the illusion that any foreign power
will fight your battles for you.
12.Abstract: (a brief summary) He gave an abstract of the whole novel in
about 300 words
Extract: (a passage taken from a book, etc) This is an extract from Miltons
Paradise Lost.
13.Avert: (to turn away, ward off) We must make every effort to avert a Third
World War.
Invert: (to turn upside down) He inverted the bottle to show that there was
not a drop left.
14.Attenuate: ( to make thin) The bill was actually passed in and attenuated
form because of the several amendments suggested by the members.

WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED

Extenuate: (to diminish, lessen) It was a very vicious act and there is
nothing but the criminals youth to extenuate it.
15.Accept: (to receive with favour) I accepted their invitation.
Except: (to exclude, leave out) He was expected from the general pardon.
16.Aught: (anything) For aught we know he may be innocent.
Ought: (should) We ought to support the United Nations.
17.Advise: (verb) I advised him to study law.
Advice: (noun) His advice was most helpful.
18.Affection: (love) he was great affection for his younger brother.
Affectation: (pretence or artificiality) I hate affectation in speech or manner.
19.Artful: (cunning) he was clever, artful rogue.
Artificial: (not natural) These are artificial flowers.
20.Artist: (one who practices the fine arts, especially painting) Leonardo da
Vinci was a highly imaginative artist
Artisan: (one who follows the one of the useful crafts) Government has a
scheme to help the artisans-especially the weavers and ivory workers-to find
a market for their products.
21.Accede: (agree) The principal acceded to the request of the students and
granted them a holiday.
Exceed: (be greater than) Balance your budget and see that your expenditure
does not exceed your income.
22.Beside: (by the side of) The castle stood beside the lake.
Besides: (in addition) Besides my two sons my nephews too have enjoyed
the army.
23.Beneficial: (useful) Regular exercise to beneficial to health.
Beneficent: (kind, doing good) Ashoka was a beneficent ruler.

WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED

24.Bridal: (or bride or wedding) She looked lovely in her bridal dress.
Bridle: (control) you must learn to bridle your tongue.
25.Canon: (a rule or principle) We must not violate the canons of law.
Cannon: (a heavy gun) some of our cannon have arrange of over twenty
miles.
26.Canvas: a tent is made of canvas.
Canvass: (to request votes) The candidates have been to vigorously
canvassing the support of the voters.
27.Council: (as assembly of advisers, leaders etc) Under Presidents rule the
Governor carries on the administration with the help of the council of
advisers.
Counsel: (advice) Bacons aim in writing his essays was to impart moral
and social counsel to his readers.
28.Corporal: (physical) The hoarders and blackmarketeers should be give
corporal punishment.
Corporate: (of or belonging to a body politic) we should try to enrich the
corporate life of the community by co-operating with other for the welfare
of society.
29.Continual : (frequent) The speaker was continually interrupted by some
back-benchers.
Continuous: (unceasing) There was continuous rain for two days and all the
rivers in the area were flooded.
30.Childlike: (like a child) He has a childlike simplicity about him
Childish: (immature) His conduct is extremely childish.
31.Congenial: (suitable, agreeable) in congenial surroundings a childs mind
develops very well.

WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED

Congenital: ( from birth) His blindness is congenital.
32.Capture: (seize) He was captured by his enemies.
Captivate: (fascinate) he was captivated by her beauty.
33.Ceremonious: (observing formalities) The visitor was welcomed
ceremoniously and introduced to the Governor.
Ceremonial: (connected with the ceremony) The banqueting hall is used
only on ceremonial occasions.
34.Collisions: (violent contact) yesterday there was a collision between a bus
and lorry.
Collusion: (secret understanding in order to deceive somebody) the engineer
in collusion, with the contractor, cheated the Government of a lot of money.
35.Compliment: (expression of regard) Please, convey my compliments to
your brother.
Complement: (full number required) The ship has its full complement of
sailors.
36.Confident: (sure) I am confident of success of this time.
Confidential: (trusted, secret) I shall tell you something but keep it
confidential.
37.Comprehensive: (exhaustive) This book give a comprehensive account of
the new taxation laws.
Comprehensible: (understandable) You must present your ideas in a lucid
and comprehensible manner.
38.Confirm: (ratify) The decisions of the Board were later confirmed by the
council.
Conform: (comply with) This practice does not conform to the rules laid
down by the committee.

WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED

39.Contagious: (spreading by contact) Leprosy is a contagious disease.
Contiguous: (adjoining bordering) china has claimed the certain Russian
territories contiguous to her borders.
40.Dependent: (adjective) he is dependent upon his uncle for his educational
expenses.
Dependant: (noun) besides his children he has several dependants to take
care of.
41.Destiny: (fate) it is character that decides our destiny-not external
circumstances.
Destination: (goal) after walking through the jungle for three days, we
reached our destination-a santal village.
42.Dual: (double) He plays a dual role in the film.
Duel: (a combat between two persons) Fighting a duel with ones rival for
the love of a lady was very common in France in the eighteenth century.
43.Disease: (illness) smallpox is a terrible disease.
Decease: (death) After his fathers decease, Pratap sold the house and went
abroad.
44.Distinct: (separate) These two words are quite distinct, thought they sound
alike.
Distinctive: (characteristic) What is distinctive of the Gurkha in his utter
fearlessness.
45.Disposal: (sale, getting rid of) These shop-soiled articles are for quick
disposals at low prices.
Disposition: (arrangement) The disposition of troops on the border is a
military secret.
46.Eligible: (qualified) you are not eligible for the post.

WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED

Illegible: (unreadable) his hand-writing is illegible.
47.Elusive: (evading notice) he is a rather elusive person.
Illusive: (deceptive) the hope of striking oil in the new well proved illusive.
48.Emigrate: (to leave ones country with a view to setting in a foreign
country) Several Indians have emigrated to Australia in the last few years.
Immigrate: (to come into a country to settle there) Britain is trying to check
the immigration of coloured people into that country.
49.Eminent: (illustrious) A.K. Roy is the most eminent lawyer in Calcutta.
Imminent: (about to happen) Another confrontation between the jews and
the arabs is imminent.
50.Estimate: (calculation) Before starting any work one must prepare an
estimate of the expenditure involved.
Estimation: (opinion) in my estimation, the Chinese are not likely to
precipitate a war in the near future.
Esteem: (respect) I hold Nehru in high esteem.
51.Facilitate: (make easy) Audio-visual aids will facilitate the teaching of
science subjects in particular.
Felicitate: (congratulate) we held a meeting to felicitate Niranjan de on his
getting the Padma Bhushan.
52.Fain: (gladly) I would fain oblige you in this matter but there are
insuperable difficulties in doing so.
Feign: (pretend) He feigned madness to escape punishment.
53.Flagrant :( glaring, scandalous) It was a flagrant violation of the terms of
the agreement.
Fragrant: (sweet-smelling) the air was fragrant with the odour of a
thousand flowers.

WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED

54.Graceful: (full of grace) she was charming and graceful.
Gracious: (full of kindness) the princess was very gracious, and readily
agreed to preside over the Womens Conference.
55.Imaginary: (not real) he tends to worry over imaginary fears.
Imaginative: (gifted with imagination) words worth was a very imaginative
poet.
56.Industrial: (pertaining to industry) Indias industrial development in recent
years has been remarkable.
Industrious: (hard-working) industrious students should be encouraged and
rewarded.
57.Ingenuous: (frank, open) his ingenuous nature has made him popular.
Ingenious: (clever) he has invented and ingenious device for making sugar
out of coal.
58.Judicial: (legal) he is working in the Judicial Department
Judicious: (prudent) he made a judicious selection of the light essays as
well as thought-provoking ones to be included in the book.
59.Junction: (meeting place) we stopped at the junction to make the enquires.
Juncture: (grave situation) at this juncture I am unable to give you any such
guarantee as you ask for.
60.Luxurious: (given to luxury) he is living a luxurious life in the city,
neglecting his old parents in the village.
Luxuriant: (rich in growth) the growth of the paddy was luxuriant after the
application of fertilizers.
61.Momentary: (lasting for a moment) I experienced a momentary pang as I
heard the sad news.

WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED

Momentous: (very important) In 1942 the congress working committee took
the momentous decision that a quit india movement should be started.
62.Masterful: (imperious) he was very masterful and would not allow any
argument or protest.
Masterly: (skilful) he gave a masterly analysis of the situation facing the
country.
63.Metal: (substance like iron, gold, etc.) Iron is perhaps the most useful of
metals.
Mettle: (quality, courage) he proved his mettle by facing the situation with
supreme tact and confidence.
64.Official: (pertaining to an office) the minister paid and official visit to Delhi
to take part in a conference.
Officious: (offering service that is not wanted) when I stayed in the Guest
House I found the caretaker too officious and meddlesome.
65.Popular: (liked by the people) Nehru was a very popular leader.
Populous: (thickly inhabited) Calcutta is a very populous city.
66.Principal: (chief) cotton is the principal export from Bombay.
Principle: (general law as guide to action) we must follow certain moral
principles .
67.Reverend: ( worthy of reverence) he was a reverend old gentleman with a
tall stature and a flowering beard.
Reverent: (feeling reverence) we entered the ashram in a very reverent
mood.
68.Stationary: (motionless) in the olden days people believed that the earth
was stationary.

WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED

Stationery: (writing materials) I want to buy some good stationery for the
office.
69.Sanguine: (hopeful) I am not very sanguine about getting their support in
this matter.
Sanguinary: (bloody) It was a sanguinary fight and many of our men were
killed.
70.Verbal: (relating to words) this is only a verbal distinction without any real
difference in meaning.
Verbose: (wordy, prolix) his style of writing is too verbose.
71.Wave: (brandish) the robber waved a pistol and threatened the passengers.
Waive: (relinquish) I shall not waive my right to this house, unless you
promise to allot a bigger one to me later.

Source: contemporary English

Grammar by David Green