Commonly confused words

1. ??????????????? Commonly confused words

2. ACCEPT - to receive • He enthusiastically accepted the trophy for his winning entry in the contest. • EXCEPT - apart from; excluding; to take or leave out • She had visited every community in Colorado, except the tiny town of Tincup. 1st set

3. ALL READY - complete; prepared • He was certain it was all readyfor scrutiny, but soon discovered it was still full of errors. • ALREADY - by this time; previously • His book was already in print when they discovered it wasn't factual. 2nd set

4. ALLUSION - an indirect reference • The scholar made an allusionto William H. Prescott's work. • ILLUSION - a false perception; a magic trick • The illusion was not convincing, as the cards were visible up his sleeve. 3rd set

5. ALTOGETHER - completely; entirely; all in all • The study was full of inaccuracies, although its conclusions weren't altogether wrong. • ALL TOGETHER - in unison; gathered, with everyone in one place • We were all togetherat the book club when we discovered all the typographical errors. 4th set

6. BRAKE - a mechanical device that causes a vehicle to slow or stop • The driver had to brake to avoid hitting a dog that had wandered onto the road. • BREAK - to shatter; destroy • He would have to breakall the rules to get elected after he was caught lying again. 5th set

7. CAPITAL - an upper case letter; seat of government; assets, funds or financial resources • His company had sufficient capitalto open new facilities in the state capital of Topeka. • CAPITOL - the actual building in which the legislature of a country or state meets • The governor gave a speech on fighting crime at the capitol. 6th set

8. CENT - a coin of this value; a penny • Bananas are on sale for just 29 cents a pound. • SENT - past tense and past participle of send • He sent a postcard, but forgot all about the recent postage increase. • SCENT - a smell; aroma; a clue by which something is tracked or discovered • The scent was captivating in the perfume bottle, but smelled like rotten onions once applied. • SENSE - any of the five senses; a feeling or perception; sound judgment • He ended up in Two Egg, Florida, due to his terrible senseof direction. 7th set

9. CITE - refer to; to quote; document • The research paper would ultimately cite twelve sources that were later proven not to exist. • SIGHT - vision; spectacle • The snow-covered peaks surrounding Mammoth Mountain are a sight to behold. • SITE - location; position; place • The site of the new bank will be just down the street from its current location. 8th set

10. COMPLEMENT - something that completes; • rings to perfection; is in harmony withThe wine complemented the lavish feast. • COMPLIMENT - an expression of praise or flattery • She received many compliments on her new book, until they discovered it was all plagiarized. 9th set

11. CONSCIENCE - principles; a sense of right and wrong; ethics • The politician claimed his conscience kept him from cheating on his wife. • CONSCIOUS - awake; aware; mindful • Both passengers remained conscious following the auto accident. 10th set

12. COUNCIL - a group that consults or advises • The city council voted unanimously to outlaw smoking in bars and restaurants. • COUNSEL - to advise • The student was counseled before deciding which course she would take. 11th set

13. FORMALLY - officially; in a polite, mannered fashion • The Governor formally signed into law a new ordinance on jaywalking. • FORMERLY - previously; in the past • The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, formerly known as the INS, opened its new headquarters today. 12th set

14. HEAR - to perceive sound • He claimed he could hear the footsteps of approaching zombies. • HERE - at this place; at this point in time • Although there was no evidence to support his claim, the frantic man continued to insist zombies had been right here in this room. 13th set

15. ITS - of, or belonging to • The book and itsauthor were both found to be lacking in credibility. • IT'S - contraction for "it is” • It'sgoing to take months before all the errors are documented. 14th set

16. LOSE - to misplace; be defeated; not win • He was certain to lose the election because of the infamous video. • LOOSE - not tight; baggy • The lawyer's pants were so loose that they actually fell to his ankles, causing him to trip and fall. 15th set

17. PASSED - to go by; to have moved • He was killed as he passed the truck on a blind curve. • PAST - belonging to a earlier time; long-ago • In the past he had been a respectable attorney, but was disbarred after he tried to bribe a judge. 16th set

18. PRECEDE - to come before • The King always precedes his entourage. • PROCEED - to go forward; carry on • He would proceed with the task, though he knew it was a lost cause. 17th set

19. PRINCIPAL - a person who has authority; primary; most important • The popular high school principal, later became the district superintendent. • PRINCIPLE - a fundamental truth; the original source; integrity • He was a man of principle. 18th set

20. ROLE - one's position; a part in the theatre, movies or television • Angela Lansbury played the role of Jessica Fletcher, on the long-running television series, Murder, She Wrote. • ROLL - revolve; turn over • The car rolled several times before coming to rest on its roof. 19th set

21. STATIONARY - motionless; standing still • Contrary to the Senator's testimony, the police report indicated his car was not stationary at the time of the accident. • STATIONERY - writing paper and envelopes • She purchased office supplies downtown at the new stationery store. 20th set

22. THAN - used with comparisons • I'd rather hear the truth, no matter how unpleasant, than some preposterous lie. • THEN - at that time; after that • He signed the ethics bill, thenwent and spent the night with his mistress. 21st set

23. THEIR - possessive form of they • Theirscientific study was full of inaccuracies and falsified data. • THERE - indicates location; in attendance • He went there to do some research on former U.S. Secretary of State John W. Foster. • THEY'RE - contraction for "they are” • They'regoing to fire him because he faked patient data in the medical study. 22nd set

24. THROUGH - from side to side; into or out of • Passing through the tunnel is quicker than ever, now that time warp technology is used to move traffic. • THRU - abbreviated slang for through; NOT appropriate in standard writing • When will he be thru with this endless lecture? • THREW - past tense of throw • The politician threw a punch at the reporter when informed his marital indiscretion had been caught on tape. 23rd set

25. TO - toward; in the direction of; on the way to • She went tothe library to get a copy of To Build a Fire by Jack London. • TOO - also; in addition; excessively • There are far too many errors on the Web. • TWO - the number 2 • "The Barefoot Boy" and "Barbara Frietchie" are two of John Greenleaf Whittier's most celebrated poems. 24TH SET

26. WHO'S - contraction of "who is" "who was" or "who has“ • Who'sgoing to wash the dirty windows? • WHOSE - belonging to • Whosecar is parked in my parking space? 25TH SET

27. YOU'RE - contraction of "you are" • You'rebarking up the wrong tree if you think you're and your are interchangeable. • YOUR - belonging to; done by you • Our records indicate that this is your car. 26TH SET