Homonyms & Other Confusing Words

Homonyms are words that look or sound the same or similar but have very different meanings, such as to, two, and too.

Getting caught using the wrong word can not only disrupt your reader, it can also hurt your grade. Here is a list of some of the most common homonyms and other confusing words students may want to keep their eye on.

Aid: something that helps
Aide: an assistant or person who offers aid

Aisle: a straight space between two sets of objects 
I’ll: contraction of “I will”
Isle: an island

Accept: consent to receive something 
Except: does not include

Affect: the act of making a difference (verb) 
Effect: the consequence of an action (noun)

All together: all in one place or together 
Altogether: completely, totally

Allusion: indirect or passing reference 
Illusion: a deceptive appearance; impression

Allusive: working by reference (related to allusion) 
Elusive: difficult to find, catch, or achieve

Altar: a religious object 
Alter: to change

Angel: a heavenly being
Angle: the space between two straight lines

Ascent: a climb or walk uphill 
Assent: agreement

Attain: to achieve something 
Obtain: to get or acquire something

Beat: to violently hit, repeatedly; to defeat 
Beet: a root vegetable

Bough: the main branch of a tree 
Bow: to bend at the waist

Buy: to purchase
By: near or close to
Bye: what you say when you leave someone

Cache: a collection of similar items or 
Cash: paper money

Cannon: a large piece of artillery
Canon: a criterion by which something is judged; a collection of religious books

Capital: a city that functions as the seat of government; assets available for production; uppercase letters 
Capitol: building occupied by a State legislature

Cereal: breakfast food
Serial: coming out in a series instead of as a whole

Compliment: a nice thing someone says to another 
Complement: adds to something in a way that enhances it

Chord: collection of musical notes played at the same time
Cord: a long thin flexible string or rope

Confidant: a person you entrust with secret knowledge 
Confident: self-assured

Conscience: one’s moral compass 
Conscious: to be awake and aware of one’s surroundings

Council: a group of people 
Counsel: advice

Criterion: the standard by which something is judged 
Criteria: plural of criterion

Currant: a fruit
Current: flow of water or liquid

Desert: a very dry environment 
Dessert: a sweet dish

Die: to pass away; perish
Dye: to change color by immersion

Diner: a restaurant
Dinner: the afternoon/evening meal

Discover: to be the first person to find something that already existed
Invent: to create something for the first time

Dual: having to do with two 
Duel: a fight between two people

Elicit: to draw out
Illicit: illegal; forbidden by law

Emigrate: to leave one’s own country for another 
Immigrate: come to live permanently in a foreign country

Eminent: the leading example 
Imminent: close; nearby

Emit: to give off 
Omit: to leave out

Envelop: to surround
Envelope: object for containing letters

Evoke: to call out; bring to consciousness 
Invoke: to appeal to something

Explicit: stated plainly and fully 
Implicit: hinted at; implied

Farther: used for greater physical distance 
Further: used for greater metaphorical distance

Flair: eccentric characteristic
Flare: an object used to provide light; an eruption from a star

Flea: small bug often found on animals 
Flee: to run away

Flew: past tense of fly
Flu: virus
Flue: object that opens or closes a chimney

Forbear: to restrain 
Forebear: ancestor

For: preposition used to show purpose 
Fore: word shouted by golfers at a stray ball 
Four: a number

Formally: politely; in a formal manner 
Formerly: used to be

Gait: a walking style, often of horses
Gate: portion of a fence that opens or closes

Good: of acceptable quality; used for nouns (ex. Snow is good.)
Well: acceptable action; used for verbs and adverbs (ex. I feel well.)

Gorilla: large primate
Guerrilla: fighters who do not engage an enemy directly

Hangar: where airplanes are stored 
Hanger: object for holding clothes

Hanged: past of hang when referencing capital punishment
Hung: past of hang (suspended in air)

Hardy: robust
Hearty: loudly vigorous and cheerful

Heroin: highly addictive drug 
Heroine: female hero

Hoard: to gather in excess 
Horde: an unruly group; mob

Hoarse: sounding rough 
Horse: animal

Idol: object of worship 
Idle: to stay still, rest

Incidence: the rate of occurrence 
Incidents: series of events

Incite: to cause to happen
Insight: deep or intuitive understanding

Its: belonging to “it” 
It’s: contraction of “it is”

Lay: to put down an object
Lie: to rest oneself; to tell something that is untrue

Lead: to go first in a group; graphite of a pencil 
Led: past tense of leading a group

Lessen: to make less 
Lesson: a teaching

Lets: to allow
Let’s: contraction of “let us”

Literally: actual, real (except in slang when it means metaphorically)
Figuratively: not literal, an exaggeration

Loose: not tight
Lose: to be deprived of something; to not win in competition

Mantle: loose sleeveless cloak
Mantel: horizontal beam above a fireplace

Meet: to encounter for the first time 
Meat: flesh prepared for eating 
Mete: to give out; dispense

Medal: an award
Meddle: to interfere
Metal: group of elements that are malleable, fusible, and ductile
Mettle: a person’s ability to cope

Moral: a guiding principle
Morale: collective feeling of confidence

Naval: having to do with a navy 
Navel: belly button

Ordinance: a law or rule 
Ordnance: an explosive

Palate: roof of the mouth
Palette: a thin board used by artists 
Pallet: an object used in shipping items

Peak: top of an object (mountain) 
Peek: to glimpse
Pique: to gain interest

Pedal: object depressed with a foot to move 
Peddle: to sell or dispense

Premier: first in importance
Premiere: the first appearance or showing

Prey: animal/object hunted by a predator 
Pray: religious petition

Principal: a person in charge of a school 
Principle: a rule or law

Quit: to cease 
Quiet: silent 
Quite: very

Rack: object for hanging items 
Wrack: to wring out

Rain: precipitation
Rein: object to control animals 
Reign: to rule over

Respectfully: with respect, politely 
Respectively: in order

Right: correct
Rite: ritual
Wright: a builder
Write: to mark on paper in a meaningful way

Sensual: sexual in nature 
Sensuous: related to the senses

Set: to put down
Sit: to rest on one’s bottom

Shear: to cut
Sheer: translucent, see-through

Shall: future tense for intent in the first person (British); also used in legal and lofty prose
Will: future tense for intent in the second and third person (British); used in all future tense in American dialect

Sole: heel; only
Soul: immaterial essence of a person

Stationary: to remain still 
Stationery: paper for writing letters

Statue: a physical likeness of a person 
Statute: a law

Tack: a pin
Tact: adroitness or sensitivity in a difficult issue

Than: introducing second object in comparison; used in expression introducing a contrast or exception
Then: afterwards, following, because of

Their: belonging to them
There: a place that is not close 
They’re: contraction of “they are”

To: expressing motion; used to create an infinitive 
Too: also
Two: number

Troop: a group of soldiers 
Troupe: a group of performers

Vain: to be obsessed with oneself
Vane: object for showing the direction of the wind 
Vein: blood vessel in the body

Weather: the atmospheric conditions at one moment 
Whether: expressing doubt or choice between alternatives

Your: belonging to you
You’re: contraction of “you are”