Confusing Words in English

Confusing Words in English
big, great, high, large or tall
When do we use big, great, high, large and tall?
Word Explanation Example
big large in size, degree or amount a big stone
a great success
great much bigger than average
a great time
measurement from the bottom to the top a high mountain
high
greater than normal a high level
a large country
large big in size and quantity
a large number of people
tall greater height than average a tall man
► We use high or tall when we talk about buildings.

borrow or lend
When do we use borrow and lend?
borrow to take and use sth. that belongs to sb. else I'd like to borrow your umbrella.
lend to give sth. to sb. that belongs to you I can lend you my umbrella.
bring or take
When do we use bring and take?
bring to come to a place Can you bring me the Coke, please?
to carry or move sth. from one place to Can you take the book to the library,
take
another please?
country or land
When do we use country and land?
it has a government France is a country in Europe.
country
outside towns I like to live in the country.
ground This land is very dry.
land on earth (but not sea) I was happy to be on land again.
in literature the Land of the Rising Sun

disability, handicap or impairment
When do we use disability, handicap and impairment?
When you are disabled it can be

even more difficult to find a job,
used to refer to an on-the-job injury
especially if you have limitation
because of your disability.
disability
One is ›On disability‹ when they are

being paid by their employer while disability benefit
recovering from the injury.
a specific ailment, injury, or

infirmity that a person suffers from
which limits their abiltity to
function in a normal capacity
Handicap parking spaces are
handicap restricted to authorized vehicles 24
This is the official term used when hours daily.
the Department of Motor Vehicles
issues a special permit to allow the
driver to park their car in a
designated area, for example.
the broadest term – it can mean that

there is a disability or handicap, OR The man was driving a car
impairment
it can mean that the person has had while impaired by alcohol.
too much too drink
All three terms are pretty much interchangeable in many instances but most of the time
each is used in a certain way.
do, go or play
When do we use do, go and play?
do the shopping
do be active
do gymastics
go fishing
go to go somewhere to do something
go sailing
play cards
play a game
play handball
electric, electrical, electronic or elect
ronically
When do we
use electric, electrical, electronic and electronically?
electric* used with special nouns My father used to play an electric guitar.
electrical* used with general nouns We must save electrical energy.
electronic adjective I like electronic music.
electronically adverb The report has to be handed in electronically.
* The two words are pretty much interchangeable
good or well
When do we use good and well?
used as an adjective → to describe a noun You speak good English.
good
Your English is good.
used as an adjective (with a verb, e.g. be, feel,
That dress looks good on
look, smell, sound, taste → to describe a noun)
you.
used as an adverb → to describe a verb You speak English well.
well
used as an adjective when we talk about a
physical state (healthy, not ill) → to describe I'm very well, thank you.
a noun
have or have got
When do we use have got and when have

In British English have got is used quite often, in other areas it is common to use the
main verb have.
1. Affirmative sentences
have have got
I have a brother. I have got a brother.

have have got
I've got a brother.
You have got a sister.
You have a sister.
You've got a sister.
He has got a cat.
He has a cat.
He's got a cat.
She has got a dog.
She has a dog.
She's got a dog.
It has got Bluetooth.
It has Bluetooth.
It's got Bluetooth.
We have got books.
We have books.
We've got books.
You have a nice room. You have got a nice room.

have have got
You've got a nice room.
They have got pets.
They have pets.
They've got pets.
have got is often used in its contracted form even in written language.
2. Negations
have have got
I have not got a brother.
I do not have a brother.
I haven't got a brother.
I don't have a brother. I've not got a brother.*
You have not got a sister.
You do not have a sister.
You haven't got a sister.
You don't have a sister. You've not got a sister.*
He does not have a cat. He has not got a cat.
He hasn't got a cat.
have have got
He doesn't have a cat. He's not got a cat.*
She has not got a dog.
She does not have a dog.
She hasn't got a dog.
She doesn't have a dog. She's not got a dog.*
It has not got Bluetooth.
It does not have Bluetooth.
It hasn't got Bluetooth.
It doesn't have Bluetooth. It's not got Bluetooth.*
We have not got books.
We do not have books.
We haven't got books.
We don't have books. We've not got books.*
You have not got a nice room.
You do not have a nice room.
You haven't got a nice room.

have have got
You don't have a nice room. You've not got a nice room.*
They have not got pets.
They do not have pets.
They haven't got pets.
They don't have pets. They've not got pets.*
* This form is rarely used.
3. Questions
have have got
Do I have time? Have I got time?
Do you have pets? Have you got pets?
Does he have a computer? Has he got a computer?
Does she have a mobile phone? Has she got a mobile phone?
Does it have mudguards? Has it got mudguards?
Do we have ketchup? Have we got ketchup?
Do you have a yellow car? Have you got a yellow car?

have have got
Do they have nice teachers? Have they got nice teachers?
There can be negations in questions too.
have have got
Don't you have a brother? Haven't you got a brother?
4. Be careful
4.1. The contracted forms 've or 's are only used with have got – not with have.
right wrong
I've got a new mobile phone. I've a new mobile phone.
He's got a new car. He's a new car.
4.2. Do not use an auxiliary with have got – only with have. Be careful when using
negations.
right wrong
Have you got a garden? Do you have got a garden?
Do you have a pet? Have you a pet?

right wrong
They haven't got a brother. They haven't a house.
4.3. have cannot always be substituted with have got. You can only

substitute have with have got when you talk about possession and relationships.
have got have
I've got a brother. I have a brother.
wrong: I had got an accident. I had an accident.
wrong: We had got lunch. We had lunch.
► In American English have is dropped in informal speech like in the following example.
We've got a problem. → We got a problem.
it's or its
When do we use it's and its?
Short/contracted form of it is It's a boy.
it's
Short/contracted form of it has It's been raining for five hours now.
Possessive determiners never have This building is famous

its
apostrophes. for its windows.
jail or prison
When do we use jail and prison?
a temporary place of detention, typically for a

span of less than one year
He was released after

jail awaiting trial in jail.
Someone awaiting trial, for example, will be kept
in a jail. This is usually a place under a county or
city authority in the USA.
If the person is convicted for, say two years, he

They were sent to a high-
or she would be transferred to a ›prison‹ to serve
prison security prison in New
out the sentence. Prisons are under the authority
Jersey.
of states or the federal government in the USA.
 In the UK only prison is used.
 In Australia both words can be used as synonyms.
Thanks to Jaqueline and Vicky
listen or hear
When do we use listen and hear?
hear to be aware of sounds in your ears I can hear music in Peter's room.
listen to pay attention to sb./sth. that you Peter often listens to music when he's
(to) can hear at home.
life, live or lives
When do we use life and when live, lives?
live [lɪv] to live (verb) I live in France.
he lives [lɪvz] Peter lives in Poland.

life [laɪf] state of living I read a book about the life of Mark Twain.
lives [laɪvz] plural of life Many people lost their lives in the war.
not recorded We watched the live coverage of the Formula I.
live [laɪv]
not dead We really saw a live rattlesnake.
look, see or watch
When do we use look, see and watch?
look to pay attention, to try to see what is

Look at the board, please.
there; seem
look up (e.g. dictionary) You can look up the words in the

dictionary.
visual impression come to the eyes Can you see the blue car over there?
see
understand I see what you mean.
watch look for a time; like to look He watches TV in the evenings.
make or do
When do we use make and do?
We make birdhouses every winter.
The pupils make a lot of noise in

make to create sth. (you often use your hands)
the break.
She makes me happy.
an action you do not mention by name, They do their homework in the

mostly mental work afternoon.
do
I often do the shopping in the

mostly referred to the topic ›work‹
evenings.
There are no clear rules whether to use do or make: Have a look in a good dictionary,
like to OALD, or use ›make‹ it is more likely to be right.
mistake, error or fault
When do we use mistake, error and fault?
This essay is full of

sth which produces an unwanted result
mistake spelling mistakes.
(mostly done by a person)
Sorry, I've made a mistake.
The essay contains a number of

error often used in scientific texts
typing errors.
fault a mistake for which your are to blame, It was not his fault that his team
weakness lost the match.
much, many – a little, a few
1. When do we use much and when many?

 much: uncountable nouns (milk, marmalade, money, time etc.)
 many: countable nouns (bottles of milk, jars of marmalade, dollars, minutes etc.)
Examples:
 How much money have you got?
 How many dollars have you got?
In informal English these questions are often answered with a lot of, lots of. There is no
much difference between the two phrases.
2. When do we use a little/little and when a few/few?

 a little: non countable nouns (milk, marmalade, money, time etc.)
 a few: countable nouns (bottles of milk, jars of marmalade, dollars, minutes etc.)
Examples:
 He has a little money left.
 He has a few dollars left.
We use few and little without the article a to point out a more negative meaning.

Examples:
 A few students of our school know this. (There are some student who know it.)
 Few students know this. (It is almost unknown.)
play, game or match
When do we use play, game and match?
often used for free-time

play The children spent hours on play.
activities
The Olympic Games take part every four

game often used for competitions
years.
They are playing an important match on

match a real sports competition
Sunday.
's, is or has
What is the difference between 's, is and has?
In spoken English the words is and has are sometimes contracted to 's.
Have a look at the following examples:
1. He's listening to music. → He is listening to music.
2. He's listened to music. → He has listened to music.
In sentence 1. the 's is followed by listening. This verb has the ending -ing. It is Present
Progressive (is + infinitive + -ing).
In sentence 2. the 's is followed by listened. This verb has the ending -ed. It is Present
Perfect (regular: hass + infinitive + -ed or irregular: has + 3rd column of the irregular
verbs).
's tells you whether you have to use is or has.
say or tell
When do we use say and tell?
to say something (say is followed

Andrew said that Max was right.
immediately by a noun clause)
say
If you want to put a personal object after say, He said to his father that Max
use the word to. was right.
to tell someone something (tell is followed by Can you tell me the way to the

tell
an object noun or pronoun) station, please?
Note:
 In formal situations, the verb must be formed in the past tense. Andrew told me
that he was right.
 Informal it is ok to say: Andrew told me that he is right.
Look at the following examples:
 Some might say that he was right. (some people believe)
 It is said to bring good luck. (in the sense of ›always‹)
 No one goes home without my say-so. (used as a statement)
 Let me have my say. (say is used as a noun)
see, visit, attend or go to
When do we use see, visit, attend and go to?
see to go and see sb./sth. Come and see us tomorrow.
to go and see sb./sth. (sounds more Lots of tourists visit the Tower every

visit
official) day.
attend to go regularly to a example3 I attend a university.
I go to university.
go to to go somewhere
We go to a party every Friday.
since or for
When do we use since and for?
since a point in time (starting time of the He has been playing tennis since four
action) o'clock.
since 1996
since Christmas
since last year
since my childhood
a period of time (how long something

lasts)
for three hours
He has been playing tennis for two

for
for a week hours.
for 10 minutes
for a long time
sky or heaven
When do we use sky and heaven?
sky the space above the earth where you see the sun, clouds etc. a blue sky
sunny skies
the place where God lives; good people go there after death to be in heaven
heaven
paradise heaven on earth
some and any – English Grammar
When do we use some and when any?

We use some and any for an amount which is not known e.g. Have you got any crisps?
Use of some and any
 some: affirmative statements, offers, requests and in questions when you expect
the answer ›yes‹
 any: negative statements, questions
Have you got any bananas? No, we haven't got any. But we've got some oranges.
Exceptions:
I would like to buy fruit at a market. I see the man has wonderful apples so I can ask
him:
 Can I have some of these apples?
If I do not see apples or if I am not sure whether there are apples at all I use any in this
question.
 Have you got any apples?
street or road
When do we use street and road?
Let's meet in the High Street and then

go shopping.
in a village, town or city with houses
on each side
street
This village has only one street.
street map: used for towns/cities London Street Map
road Most road accidents are caused by

in general
careless driving.
a way for travelling They are always on the road.
to connect villages and towns The road to Norwich has been closed.

road map: used for areas/countries Scotland Road Map
Note:
There is no strict definition for street/road. The word Road is also used in towns. This is
because these roads connected villages or town in former times. Today they are in a
village or a town (suburb).Have a look at the London Tube Stations. Nearly all stations
with Street in it are in the centre of the city (except: Tottenham Court Road, Edgeware
Road, Glouchester Road).
Stations with ›Road‹ Stations with ›Street‹
Abbey Road Baker Street (city centre)
Blackhorse Road Bond Street (city centre)
Bow Road Cannon Street (city centre)
Caledonian Road Goodge Street (city centre)
Camden Road Great Portland Street (city centre)
Devons Road High Street Kensington (city centre)
Edgeware Road (city centre) Liverpool Street (city centre)
Finchley Road Old Street (city centre)

Stations with ›Road‹ Stations with ›Street‹
Glouchester Road (city centre) Shoreditch High Street (city centre)
Holloway Road Stratford High Street
Kilburn High Road Warren Street (city centre)
Latimer Road Watford High Street
Leayton Midland Road
Leystone High Road
Preston Road
Tottenham Court Road (city centre)
Walthamstow Queen's Road
then or than
When do we use then and than?
(1) at a time in the past or

(1) They have not visited her friends since then.
future
(2) next (2) First I get up, then I have breakfast.
then
(3) He had a cup of coffee, and then two glasses

(3) additional information
of milk.
(4) logical result (4) If you fail that test, then you'll be suspended.
than comparison of two things The yellow car is faster than the black one.
there is – there are
1. Use of there is, there are in sentences and questions
Singular Plural
Affirmative
There is a cat in the room. There are two cats in the room.
sentences
Negative sentences There is not a cat in the There are not two cats in the

room room.
Singular Plural
There is no cat in the room. There are no cats in the room.
Questions Is there a cat in the room? Are there two cats in the room?
2. Contracted forms of there is, there are
 Contactions are only possibe from there is – there's
 The form there're is not used.
 Do not form contracted forms in questions with is there/are there.
Singular Plural
Affirmative
There's a cat in the room. There are two cats in the room.
sentences
There's not a cat in the

room.
There are not two cats in the
room.
Negative sentences There isn't a cat in the
room.
There's no cat in the room. There are no cats in the room.
Questions Is there a cat in the room? Are there two cats in the room?
► In informal English you may hear the contracted form there's used with plural nouns.
This is grammatically not correct.
there, their or they're
When do we use there, their and they're?
there in, at or to that place Could you put the books there, please?
they're short form of they are They're reading a book.
their determiner belonging to them What colour is their car?
These words are homophones and are sometimes confusing for learners of English as a
second language.
this, that – these, those
When do we use the this and that – these/those?

We use:
 this and that in the singular,
 these and those in the Plural.
Generally speaking, we use this/these to refer to people and things, situations and

experiences that are close to the speaker or very close in time. We use that/those to
refer to people and things, situations and experiences that are more distant, either in
time or physically.
 This is a great game. (We are watching the game.)
 That was a great game. (The game is over.)
The demonstrative determiner and the demonstrative

pronoun
demonstrative determiner (together with a noun): This book is new.
demonstrative pronoun (stand on its own): This is a new book.
to, too or two
When do we use to, too and too?
He walks to school.
preposition
to They fly to Budapest.
before an infinitive I don't know what to do.
too also, as well He sings and plays the drums too.

sth is more than necessary This T-shirt is too large.
two number We arrived in Rome two hours ago.
were, where, we're or wear
When do we use were, where, we're and when wear?
 The children were at the beach

were this morning.
Past of to be in the plural
 There were pencils on the desk.
 question word  Where is John?

where
 place  I don't know where to go.
we're contracted form of we are We're from England.
to have sth on your body

wear She often wears T-shirts.
(clothing, decoration, etc.)
when or if
When do we use when and if?
you are sure that something will When I'm in Paris, I'll visit you. (I'm sure,
when
happen that I'm going to Paris.)
you are not sure that something If I'm in Paris, I'll visit you. (I'm not sure, that
if
will happen I'm going to Paris.)
ATTENTION! – You can both use when and if when you talk about things that happen
repeatedly (in generalizations).
 When you freeze water, it expands.

 If you freeze water, it expands
which or what
When do we use which and what?
Which lemonade do you like – green or

which You have a limited choice of things.
pink?
You have an unlimited choice of

what What lemonade do you like?
things.
With nouns that refer to people, sometimes which is used – even if there is an unlimited
choice.
It is often possible to use what or which, like in the following example.
 What is the largest country in the world?

 Which is the largest country in the world?
BUT – if you choose sth from a group of things, use which.
 Here are three apples. Which would you like?
while or during
When do we use while and during?
Actions are/were happening at the

same time (the actions do not
I was listening to the radio while I was
while influence each other). The
cleaning the kitchen.
word while starts a subordinate
clause.
during Something happens from the I went

beginning to the end of a period or at

some time between it. The
shopping during my lunchbreak.
word during is a preposition. It is
followed by a noun.
who's or whose
When do we use who's and whose?
contracted form of who

Who's from Wales? = Who is from Wales?
is
who's
contracted form of who Who's broken the window? = Who has broken the

has window?
whose possessive Whose textbook is this?

wife, woman, lady – husband, man,
gentleman
When do we use wife/husband, woman/man and
when lady/gentleman?
wife/husband married Will you be my wife?
woman/man female/male human being Are women better drivers than men?
lady/gentleman polite form She's trying to be a lady.
False Friends/True Friends (English-German)
alse friends in English and German

Vocabulary
In the table below there are words which can be confusing for German speakers. In the
first column you can see the English word, in the second the correct German translation
and in the third the ›false friend‹. In the last column you can see the correct English
translation of this word.
This list is not complete. If you know more words, send them by e-mail, please.
English German Correct English
False Friend
Word Translation Translation
-- -- Messie hoarder
-- -- Hometrainer
exercise bikes
-- -- Schwarzarbeiter clandestine worker
-- -- Showmaster host
A Levels / High School

abattoir Schlachthof Abitur Diploma (Irland: Leaving
Certificate)
actual wirklich, tatsächlich aktuell topical, current, up-to-date
alley Gasse, Gang Allee avenue
also auch also so
BE: A & E (accident and

emergency department)
ambulance Krankenwagen Ambulanz
AE: ER (emergency room)
ankle Fußknöchel Enkel grandchild
announceme Ansage, Durchsage Annonce advertisement

False Friend
nt
apart auseinander, einzeln apart fancy
arm Arm arm poor
art Kunst Art way, sort, kind
backside Hinterteil Rückseite back
bald kahl (Glatze) bald soon
barman,
barmaid,
bartender Barkeeper barkeeper Gastronom, Gastwirt
data projector, computer

Beamer BMW (Automarke) Beamer
projector
bench Bank (zum Setzen) bank Bank (Geldinstitut)
Bestie (in der

beast Umgangssprache Biest (wild) animal
auch Biest möglich)
billion Milliarde Billion trillion

False Friend
biro Kugelschreiber Büro office
bloody steak verdammtes Steak blutiges Steak rare steak
board Tafel Bord shelf
body Körper Body bodysuit
bodybag Leichensack Bodybag mono-strap backpack
bone Knochen Bein leg
Box
box Schachtel (loud)speaker
(Lautsprecher)
brand Marke Brand fire
brave mutig brav good, well-behaved, honest
brief kurz Brief letter
briefcase Aktentasche Brieftasche wallet
bright hell breit wide

False Friend
office
Schreibtisch,
Büro
bureau Kommode
bureau = true friend
(FBI = Federal Bureau of
Investigation)
by
nicht später als bis until, some time before
(date/time)
café kleines Restaurant Kaffee coffee
Gehilfe des
callboy Souffleurs (Theater) Callboy male prostitute
oder: Hotelboy
Calm down. Beruhige dich. Komm herunter. Come down.
(Visiten)Karte,
card (Land)Karte map
Karton
caution Vorsicht Kaution bail, deposit
chance Zufall, Glück Chance opportunity
Figur, Rolle (Film,

character -- --
Theater)
chef Küchenchef Chef boss

False Friend
chief Häuptling
crisps
Pommes Chips*
chips
chips
circle Kreis Zirkel pair of compasses
city Großstadt City

centre, center
clever
clever klug crafty
(gerissen/schlau)
Schrank (meistens
Klosett toilet
closet für Kleidung)
college Hochschule Kollege colleague
concept Begriff, Idee
Konzept draft
conception Empfängins
concern Belang, Anliegen, Konzern (corporate) group, affiliated

False Friend
Angelegenheit group
concrete Beton konkret specific
Einverständnis,
concurrence Konkurrenz competition
Mitwirkung
confession Beichte, Geständnis Konfession denomination, religion
consequent daraus folgend konsequent consistent
Getreide, Mais Korn grain

corn
costume Verkleidung Kostüm (Mode) suit
craft Handwerk Kraft strength
critic Kritiker Kritik criticism
curious neugierig kurios strange
Termine,
Verabredungen
dates Daten (Computer) data
Datteln
False Friend
decent anständig dezent discreet, modest
überlaufen
defect (politisch), aber defekt defective, fault, out of order
auch: der Defekt
delicate empfindlich delikat delicious; exquisite
wahnsinnig
demented dementiert denied, refuted
(demenzkrank)
desert Wüste Dessert dessert
direction Richtung Direktion management
director Regisseur Direktor headteacher, headmaster
dome Kuppel Dom cathedral
dose dosis Dose can, tin
dumb** stumm dumm foolish, silly, stupid
eagle Adler Igel hedgehog
verlobt; besetzt
engaged engagiert committed
(Telefon, WC)
False Friend
equal gleich egal to be all the same, identical
etiquette Etikette Etikett label, price tag
irgendwann;
eventually eventuell possible
schließlich
evergreen immergrüne Pflanze Evergreen oldie
fabric Stoff Fabrik factory
Mißerfolg,
failure Fehler mistake
Versagen
familiar bekannt, vertraut familiär family
famous berühmt famos splendid
Vorstellung, Fantasie
fantasy imagination
Einbildung (Kreativität)
fart Furz Fahrt journey
fast schnell fast almost
Krankheit (z.B.
fever Fieber temperature
Gelbfieber)
False Friend
fire Feuer Feuer (Feuerzeug) lighter
jmd. schmeicheln
flatter flattern to flap, to flutter
Komperativ von flat
Fleisch (als Teil des Fleisch (zum

flesh meat
Körpers) Essen)
floor Fußboden Flur hall
in front of
for für, denn vor
before
for 10 years seit 10 Jahren seit 1996 since 1996
formula Formel Formular form
stinkig, Foul;
foul; fowl faul lazy
Geflügel
Bruchteil,
fraction Fraktion parliamentary party, group
Bruchzahl
fund Fonds Fund discovery

False Friend
gaffer Vorarbeiter Gaffer gaper
genial angenehm, froh genial brilliant
Geist (z.B. aus einer

genie Genie genius
Lampe - Aladdin)
gift Geschenk Gift poison
girdle Hüfthalter Gürtel belt
glance Blick Glanz glory, shine
gracious gütig, liebenswürdig graziös graceful
reason
(Erd)boden,
ground Grund
gemahlen
grounds (Motiv)
guesthouse Pension Gasthaus restaurant, pub
guilty schuldig gültig valid
grammar school, high

gymnasium
Turnhalle Gymnasium
(gym)
school
False Friend
mobile , mobile
phone
griffbereit,
handy brauchbar, Handy
praktisch, nützlich
cellphone , cellular
phone
happen geschehen, ereignen Happen snack
hardly kaum hart hard
herd Herde Herd cooker, stove
heft Gewicht Heft exercise book, magazine
weiterführende
high-school Bildungseinrichtung Hochschule college, university
(Sekundarstufe)
trousers
hose Schlauch Hose
pants
Heimleiter
housemaster Hausmeister caretaker, janitor
(Internat)
False Friend
housework Hausarbeit Hausaufgaben homework
human
menschlich
human (Eigenschaft des humane
(Charakterzug)
Menschseins)
hut Hütte Hut hat
I can ich kann ich kenne I know
Kaffee mit
iced coffee Eiskaffee ice cream with coffee
Eiswürfeln
idle untätig eitel vain
intriguing faszinierend intrigant scheming
irritate jemanden verärgern irritieren to confuse
isoliert (z.B. isoliert (z.B.

isolate insulate
einzeln) Fenster)
justice Gerechtigkeit Justiz legal authorities
kiss; peck Kuss; Küsschen Kissen cushion
kitchen Küche Kittchen prison

False Friend
(Gefängnis)
warehouse, storehouse,
lager (Lager)bier Lager
depot
lake See Lake brine
learned,
gelernt gelehrt scholary
learnt
lecture Vortrag Lektüre reading
lemon Zitrone Limone lime
list Liste List trick
loan Kredit, Darlehen Lohn wages
lyrics Liedtext Lyrik poetry
Filialleiter, chief executive officer

manager Manager
Verwalter (CEO)
Landkarte,
map Mappe (Hefter) folder
Stadtplan
mark Note (Zensur) Marke brand

False Friend
spezielle
marmalade Marmelade (aus Marmelade jam
Zitrusfrüchten)
massive riesig massiv solid
meaning Bedeutung Meinung opinion
meet treffen Miete rent
menu Speisekarte Menü set meal
mess Unordnung Messe fair; mass
mice Mäuse Mais

corn , maize
dung (Stall), rubbish

mist leichter Nebel Mist
(Quatsch)
mode Modus Mode fashion
Obstsaft. Traubensaft
most am meisten Most
(süddt. Obstwein)
mundane alltäglich, profan mondän fashionable, chic
murder Mord Mörder murderer

False Friend
musical box Spieldose Musikbox juke-box
must not etwas nicht dürfen nicht müssen not to have to
note Notiz Note (Zensur) mark
Schild, Beachtung,
notice Notiz note
Benachrichtigung
novel Roman Novelle novella
objective Ziel Objektiv lens
classic car , old car,

old-timer Veteran Oldtimer
vintage car , veteran
car (before 1916)
ordinary gewöhnlich ordinär vulgar
packet Packung, Schachtel Paket parcel
lächerlich, albern, emotional, dramatic,

pathetic pathetisch
jämmerlich emotive
False Friend
Schirmherr,
patron Patrone cartridge
Stammkunde
Payback
payback Rache, heimzahlen -
(Rabattsystem)
personal persönlich Personal personnel, staff
Schädling;
pest Pest plague
Quälgeist
petroleum Erdöl Petroleum paraffin, kerosene
photograph Foto, Bild Fotograf photographer
physician Arzt Physiker physicist
pickle Essiggurke Pickel pimple, spot, zit
plate Teller Platte slab, platter, record
pole Stange Pole Polish
poor arm pur pure
pregnant schwanger prägnant concise

False Friend
Konservierungsmitt
preservative Präservativ condom
el
principal hauptsächlich prinzipiell fundamental
untersuchen,
probe erforschen, Sonde Probe rehearsal, sample
(Medizin)
process Verfahren, Methode Prozess (Gericht) trial, legal proceedings
procurer Zuhälter Prokurist attorney
programme
Sendung Programm (TV) channel
(TV)
Beförderung,
promotion Promotion doctorate, PhD
Werbung
prospect Aussicht Prospekt brochure, leaflet
Protokoll (bei
einer minutes (of a meeting)
Verhandlungsordnu Besprechung)
protocol ng, Protokoll (bei
Hofe)
Protokoll (EDV) log
provision Versorgung, Provision commission

False Friend
Vorkehrung
übernatürlich, aber
psychic psychisch psychological
auch: psychisch
public Öffentlichkeit Publikum audience
öffentliche public
public
Aufbahrung (eines public viewing presentation/performance/sh
viewing
Leichnams) ow
rabbit Hase Rabatt discount
rat Ratte Rat advice
Maß, Menge,
rate Rate instalment
Rendite
receipt Quittung
Rezept (Arzt) prescription
recipe Kochrezept
Rückforderung,
reclamation Reklamation complaint
Wiedergewinnung
rent mieten Rente pension

False Friend
rentable mietbar rentabel profitable
rock Stein, Fels Rock skirt
roman römisch Roman novel
jewelry
schmuck Depp, Schwachkopf Schmuck
jewellery
gewissenhaft, ruthless, merciless,

scrupulous skrupellos
penibel, pingelig unscrupulous
sea das Meer (die See) der See lake
Suchender,
searcher Sucher (Kamera) (view)finder
Suchtrupp
sect Sekte, Konfession Sekt sparkling wine
self-
verlegen selbstbewusst self-confident
conscious
sense Sinn Sense scythe
sensible vernünftig sensibel sensitive

False Friend
serious ernst seriös respectable
shellfish
Schalentier Schellfisch haddock
(crustacean)
Silikon
Silizium (Polymerverbindu
silicon (chemisches ng, silicone
Element, Hableiter) Dichtungsmasse,
Implantatmaterial)
sin Sünde Sinn sense
Unterkleid/
slip
Unterrock
Slip, Schlüpfer knickers , panties
, briefs
slipper Pantoffel
smoking Rauchen Smoking tuxedo, dinner jacket
snake Schlange Schnecke snail, slug
spanner Schraubenschlüssel Spanner peeping Tom
spices Gewürze Speisen dishes

False Friend
spinner Kreisel Spinner idiot, nutcase
Spott ridicule, mockery
spot Fleck, Punkt
(Werbe)spot commercial, advert
stadium Stadion Stadium stage
Heftklammer,
staple Krampe; Stapel stack, pile, mount
Hauptprodukt
stark schlicht, einfach stark strong, powerful, heavy
still (immer) noch still quiet
Stock (Etage) floor
stock Vorrat, Bestand
Stock (Holz) stick
stool Hocker, Stuhl chair
Strom (Energie) electricity
stream Bach, Flüsschen
Strom (Fluss) river

False Friend
strong stark streng strict
study Arbeitszimmer Studium studies
stuff Zeug, Sachen Stoff material
suit Anzug Suite suite
mitfühlend,
sympathetic sympathisch nice, pleasant, likable
verständnisvoll
tablet Tablette Tablett tray
Tachometer,
tachometer Drehzahlmesser speedometer, speedo
Tacho
theme Motto Thema subject, topic
tier Reihe Tier animal
to be thick dumm, blöd sein dicke Freunde sein to be close friends
to become werden bekommen to get
jemandem die
to blame (sich) blamieren to make a fool of oneself
Schuld geben
False Friend
to conserve einsparen konservieren to preserve
regulieren, kontrollieren
to control to check, to monitor
beherrschen, steuern (überprüfen)
to fabricate erfinden, ausdenken fabrizieren to manufacture, to produce
befestigen; etwas
to fasten fasten to fast
schließen
to grab nach etwas greifen graben to dig
to irritate jemanden verärgern irritieren to confuse
to leave for für immer to end up on the best of

im Guten gehen
good weggehen terms
to lock zuschließen locken to lure, to entice
to mince etwas hacken Minze mint
to mob umringen, umlagern mobben to bully
etwas zufällig
to overhear überhören not to hear s.th.
mitbekommen
to oversee beaufsichtigen übersehen to overlook

False Friend
to overtake überholen übernehmen to take over
to prove beweisen prüfen to check
to
realise
einsehen, begreifen realisieren to implement, to liquidate
to
realize
to resign zurücktreten resignieren to give up
to ring klingeln, anrufen ringen to wrestle, to struggle
to see sehen der See lake
to send verschicken senden (TV) to broadcast
übrig haben, jmd.

to spare sparen to save
verschonen
ausgeben (Geld)
to spend spenden to donate
verbringen (Zeit)
to spot entdecken spotten to mock

False Friend
ziellos
to wander wandern to walk
umherstreifen
to wink zwinkern winken to wave
to wonder sich fragen sich wundern to be surprised
toll Maut toll great
undertaker Leichenbestatter Unternehmer entrepreneur, employer
waistcoat, cardigan
Unterhemd Weste
vest
vest
vital lebensnotwendig vital full of life
wall Mauer, Wand Wall embankment, rampart
wand Zauberstab Wand wall
warehouse Lagerhaus Warenhaus department store
wellness Wohlbefinden Wellness hotel spa

False Friend
health farm
Wellness holiday pampering weekend
if (condition)
when wann wenn
when (time)
where wo wer who
while während weil because, as
to whimper winseln Wimper eyelash
who wer wo where
wide breit weit (entfernt) far
I will ich werde ich will I want (I would like)
* The German Chips are crisps in British English, in American English the German word
for Chips is a true friend. Here Kartoffelchips are potato chips.
** dumb can mean dumm in informal English – to play dumb
There are also false friends in spoken language, e.g.

English Word German Translation FalseFriend Correct English Translation
missed Daneben!
Mist! Damn!
mist Nebel, Dunst
Gebühr
fee Vieh livestock
Grundbesitz
Thanks to Achim, Alexej, Anna, Annika, Anita, Barbara, Bernhard, Brigitte, Carmen,
Christian, Christiane, Christoph, Claudia, Daniel, Derya, Dierk, Don, Erwin, Eva, Felix,
Frederik, George, Glenn & Helga, Haid, Hans-Hermann, Heidrun, Jean, Joachim, Joe,
Joseph, Juergen, Kat, Ken, Kitty, Klaus, Manfred, Marianne, Marion, Martin, Matt,
Michael, Mike, Mina, Mirko, Nina, Oliver, Otto, Paul, Pete, Peter, Prof. Dr. Braun, Robert,
Simon, Simone, Stefan, Susan, Susanne, Sylvia, Tom & Silke, Tilly, Torsten, Uli, Vanessa,
Winfried, Wolf-Dietrich, Wolfgang for the words.

Confusing Words in English

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Confusing Words in English

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Confusing Words in English

Word Explanation Example

big large in size, degree or amount a big stone

great much bigger than average

measurement from the bottom to the top a high mountain

greater than normal a high level

large big in size and quantity

tall greater height than average a tall man

► We use high or tall when we talk about buildings.

Word Explanation Example

lend to give sth. to sb. that belongs to you I can lend you my umbrella.

Word Explanation Example

bring to come to a place Can you bring me the Coke, please?

Word Explanation Example

it has a government France is a country in Europe.

outside towns I like to live in the country.

ground This land is very dry.

land on earth (but not sea) I was happy to be on land again.

in literature the Land of the Rising Sun

Word Explanation Example

When you are disabled it can be

One is ›On disability‹ when they are

a specific ailment, injury, or

the broadest term – it can mean that

Word Explanation Example

Word Explanation Example

electric* used with special nouns My father used to play an electric guitar.

electrical* used with general nouns We must save electrical energy.

electronic adjective I like electronic music.

electronically adverb The report has to be handed in electronically.

* The two words are pretty much interchangeable

used as an adjective → to describe a noun You speak good English.

used as an adverb → to describe a verb You speak English well.

When do we use have got and when have

have have got

I have a brother. I have got a brother.

You have a nice room. You have got a nice room.

You've got a nice room.

have got is often used in its contracted form even in written language.

have have got

I don't have a brother. I've not got a brother.*

You don't have a sister. You've not got a sister.*

He does not have a cat. He has not got a cat.

He doesn't have a cat. He's not got a cat.*

She doesn't have a dog. She's not got a dog.*

You have not got a nice room.

You do not have a nice room.

You haven't got a nice room.

You don't have a nice room. You've not got a nice room.*

* This form is rarely used.

have have got

Does he have a computer? Has he got a computer?

Does she have a mobile phone? Has she got a mobile phone?

Do you have a yellow car? Have you got a yellow car?

Do they have nice teachers? Have they got nice teachers?

There can be negations in questions too.

have have got

Don't you have a brother? Haven't you got a brother?

I've got a new mobile phone. I've a new mobile phone.

He's got a new car. He's a new car.

Have you got a garden? Do you have got a garden?

Do you have a pet? Have you a pet?

They haven't got a brother. They haven't a house.

4.3. have cannot always be substituted with have got. You can only