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Commonly Confused Words

Confused by two similar words? Every "vs" comparison on FreeDict in one place — affect and effect, who and whom, fewer and less — with clear answers and examples of when to use each.

affect vs effect
"Affect" is almost always a verb meaning to influence or change something ("The rain affected our plans"). "Ef...
complement vs compliment
A "compliment" (with an I) is a nice thing you say to someone — praise. A "complement" (with an E) is somethin...
fewer vs less
Use "fewer" for countable things — items you could count one by one ("fewer apples", "fewer people"). Use "les...
imply vs infer
The SPEAKER or writer implies — suggests something without saying it directly ("Her tone implied she was annoy...
it's vs its
"It's" (with an apostrophe) is always a contraction of "it is" or "it has" — never possession. "Its" (no apost...
lay vs lie
"Lay" means to put or set something down and needs an object — you lay something ("lay the book down"). "Lie"...
then vs than
Use "than" for comparisons ("faster than", "better than"). Use "then" for time or sequence ("first this, then...
who vs whom
Use "who" when it's the subject doing the action ("Who called you?" — he called). Use "whom" when it's the obj...