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CONFUSING
WORDS 3
VOCABULARY, PRONUNCIATION
& GRAMMAR LESSON
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1 luggage - /ˈlʌɡɪdʒ/
baggage - /ˈbæɡɪdʒ/
Luggage and baggage are near-perfect synonyms of each
other.
Both mean: suitcases or other bags in which to pack personal
belongings for travelling

Check in your luggage at the desk.

Collect your baggage from the carousel.

Baggage is mildly preferred over luggage in American English,

and the opposite in British English.

Baggage has an additional meaning which luggage does not

have:
Baggage can also be used to describe things that make
progress or freedom more difficult. You can think of baggage
in this sense as a virtual suitcase/burden (e.g emotions) that
you have to carry with you, making things more difficult.
I love him but I don’t think it will work - he has too much
baggage!
This could mean that he has a lot of other emotional ties, like
an ex-partner or children.We cannot use luggage to describe
this.
2 stationery - /ˈsteɪʃənri/
stationary - /ˈsteɪʃənri/
stationery (noun) - materials for writing and for using in an
office, for example paper, pens and envelopes
stationary (adj.) - not moving; not intended to be moved

The van that was carrying the office stationery crashed into a
stationary vehicle.
You remain stationary and I’ll go and pick up the stationery.

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3 desert - /ˈdezət/
dessert /dɪˈzɜːt/

desert - a large area of land that has very little water and very
few plants growing on it
dessert - sweet food eaten at the end of a meal

This dessert is delicious - can I have the recipe?

If you go to the desert make sure to drink lots of water.

4 beside - /bɪˈsaɪd/
besides - /bɪˈsaɪdz/

besides (prep.) - in addition to somebody/something; apart

from somebody/something

We have lots of things in common besides football.

besides (adverb) - used for making an extra comment that

adds to what you have just said

I don’t want to go to the concert. Besides, I’ve lost my ticket.

beside (prep.) - next to or at the side of somebody/something

I sat beside him all night long.

5 capital - /ˈkæpɪtl/
capitol - /ˈkæpɪtl/

capital - the most important town or city of a country or

region, where the government operates from

London is the capital of England.

capitol - a building in each U.S. state where politicians meet to

work on new laws

They met in the capitol to discuss the new legislation.

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6 aspire - /əˈspaɪə(r)/
inspire - /ɪnˈspaɪə(r)/
aspire - to have a strong desire to achieve or to become
something

She aspired to be an olympic gymnast.

inspire - to give somebody the desire, confidence or

enthusiasm to do something well

You inspired me to pursue a career in scientific research.

7 breath - /breθ/
breathe - /briːð/
breath (noun) - the air that you take into your lungs and send
out again

Your breath smells of garlic!

breathe (prep.) - to take air into your lungs and send it out
again through your nose or mouth

Don’t breathe on me after eating garlic!

8 complicated - /ˈkɒmplɪkeɪtɪd/
capitol - /ˈkɒmpleks/

Both are sometimes interchangeable, but here is an easy way

to remember the general rule:

complicated - opposite of easy (difficult to understand)

The project is very complicated. I will try to explain later

complex - opposite of simple

The design of the tapestry was very complex.

(but not necessarily difficult to understand)

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9 presume - /prɪˈzjuːm/
assume - /əˈsjuːm/
These are near synonyms, but one implies more confidence.
Both mean 'to take something as true'
If someone makes an informed guess based on reasonable
evidence, they are presuming.
if someone makes a guess based on little or no evidence, they
are assuming.
to presume - to suppose that something is true, although you
do not have actual proof

I presume that her jewellery was very expensive.

to assume - to think or accept that something is true but

without having proof of it

I can’t believe you’re here! I assumed that you wouldn’t come.

10 lonely - /ˈləʊnli/
alone - /əˈləʊn/
lonely (adj.) - unhappy because you have no friends

alone (adj) - without any other people

When I lived alone I felt very lonely.

I’m alone but I’m not lonely.

Activity
1. I am worried I'll never settle down as I have so much
emotional _________. (luggage/baggage)
2. Please could you go to the office depot and pick up some
more _________? (stationary/stationery)
3. That _________ is so dry I can hardly eat it! (desert/dessert)
4. I have a lot of hobbies ________ knitting. (beside/besides)
5. Stockholm is the ___________ of Sweden. (capital/capitol)
6. You _________ me to be a better person. (aspire/inspire)
7. Why do you __________ so loudly? (breath/breathe)
8. When she lived _______ she struggled with feeling ______.
(lonely/alone)

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Answers
ylenol ,enola .8
ehtaerb .7
eripsni .6
latipac .5
sediseb .4
tressed .3
yrenoitats .2
egaggab .1

The End

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