{"id":3008,"date":"2017-05-30T01:35:43","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T08:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordcounter.net\/blog\/?p=3008"},"modified":"2017-05-30T02:41:04","modified_gmt":"2017-05-30T09:41:04","slug":"10-commonly-confused-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordcounter.net\/blog\/2017\/05\/30\/103008_10-commonly-confused-words.html","title":{"rendered":"10 Commonly Confused Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

Precise word choice and syntax is important when writing for a broad audience, as it increases the potential for a greater number of readers to understand the writer\u2019s message. Writers also need to be aware of the expectations of specific target audiences in relation to the language they use. The selected writing style, genre and\/or medium will guide writers in appropriate word choice and syntax. Academic or scholarly writing, for instance, is more formal and impersonal than other styles, so the writer\u2019s word choice and syntax needs to meet the expectations of an academic audience. Writers can improve the clarity and conciseness of their writing by adhering to the guidelines for a particular writing style and being aware of commonly confused words.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many pairs or groups of words in the English language that are commonly confused because they are spelt or pronounced similarly, but they have different meanings. These are called: homonyms. There are also homophones, which are words that have comparable meanings, but are not similar in how they are spelt or pronounced. When these words are used incorrectly in a sentence they can cause misunderstanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listed below are ten commonly confused words in the English language.<\/span><\/p>\n

Homonyms<\/h2>\n

Who or whom<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

These two words are confusing because they are both used to describe actions related to people. The easiest way to remember how to use each of these words correctly is to use \u201cwho\u201d when the person is doing the action and \u201cwhom\u201d when the action is being done to a person.<\/span><\/p>\n

Affect or effect<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cAffect\u201d is to cause change and \u201ceffect\u201d is the result of that change. For example, intoxication affects driving ability. There are many harmful effects of drinking and driving.<\/p>\n

Although or while<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

These two words are often used interchangeably as linking words to show relationships between ideas, but to ensure clarity for the reader, \u00a0\u201calthough\u201d should used to contrast two ideas, and \u201cwhile\u201d should be used to indicate two opposing periods of time.<\/p>\n

Adverse or averse<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cAdverse\u201d means unfavourable, harmful or antagonistic and is often used to describe conditions or effects. \u201cAverse\u201d is almost exclusively used to describe a strong oppositional opinion. <\/span><\/p>\n

Accept or except<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cAccept\u201d means to agree or willingly take something that is offered. \u201cExcept\u201d suggests exclusion or not belonging to the group.<\/span><\/p>\n

Homophones<\/h2>\n

That or which<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u201d is used when what follows is necessary to understand the meaning of the sentence. \u00a0\u201cWhich\u201d is unrestrictive meaning that the information that follows is an aside or nonessential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Infer or imply<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cImply\u201d is when a person provides hints or makes suggestions when they construct texts, and \u201cinfer\u201d is when readers deduce meaning from texts. <\/span><\/p>\n

Whether or if<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWhether\u201d, or sometimes \u201cwhether or not\u201d, is used to indicate a choice between alternatives. \u201cIf\u201d is often used conditionally, meaning that whatever follows the condition is dependent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Presently or currently<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cPresently\u201d means soon and \u201ccurrently\u201d means now. In British English, presently can mean at present. This isn’t the case in American English, where – in most cases – it means “shortly”. Presently can have that meaning in British English, too. If you are based in the U.S. and want to say that something is happening right now, it’s better to use “now” or “currently”.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since or because<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cSince\u201d refers to the time between the present moment and the referenced past event. \u201cBecause\u201d is used to demonstrate the causation or causal relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additional resources<\/h2>\n

Two essential desk reference titles that offer clarification on confusing words are: The Right Word: Making Sense of the Words That Confuse<\/em> by Elizabeth Dorothy Morrison and The Careful Writer<\/em> by Theodore M. Bernstein.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Precise word choice and syntax is important when writing for a broad audience, as it increases the potential for a greater number of readers to understand the writer\u2019s message. Writers also need to be aware of the expectations of specific target audiences in relation to the language they use. The selected writing style, genre and\/or …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[903],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-word-choice"],"yoast_head":"\n10 Commonly Confused Words - Word Counter Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wordcounter.net\/blog\/2017\/05\/30\/103008_10-commonly-confused-words.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Commonly Confused Words - Word Counter Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Precise word choice and syntax is important when writing for a broad audience, as it increases the potential for a greater number of readers to understand the writer\u2019s message. 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