Commonly confused words

aardvark vs armadillo

Unrelated animals on different continents that look alike because they do the same job. Aardvarks are African,...

aboard vs abroad

Aboard means on or onto a ship, plane, train or other vehicle — <em>all aboard</em>, <em>welcome aboard</em>....

abstract vs concrete

Concrete refers to what exists physically and can be seen, touched, heard or measured: <em>She put the concret...

accent vs account

An accent is a way of pronouncing a language, or emphasis, or a mark over a letter. An account is a report, a...

accept vs except

Accept is a verb meaning to receive or agree to something: "She accepted the job offer." Except is usually a p...

accuracy vs precision

<em>Accuracy</em> is how close a value is to the truth; <em>precision</em> is how fine or how repeatable it is...

acrobatics vs gymnastics

Gymnastics is a codified competitive sport with defined apparatus, rules and scoring. Acrobatics is the broade...

acropolis vs parthenon

The Acropolis is the hill and the whole fortified complex on top of it. The Parthenon is one building on that...

active vs passive

In the <strong>active</strong> voice the subject performs the action: <em>the committee rejected the proposal<...

actual vs theoretical

Actual describes what really happened or exists, measured in the world. Theoretical describes what should happ...

acute vs chronic

Acute means sudden in onset and short in duration: <em>she was admitted with acute appendicitis</em>. Chronic...

adapt vs adopt

To adapt is to modify something so it fits new circumstances. To adopt is to take something up, unchanged. A c...

adaptability vs flexibility

Flexibility is bending to accommodate a change — adjusting a plan, a schedule or an approach. Adaptability is...

addition vs edition

An <em>addition</em> is something added to what was already there: "the conservatory is a recent addition to t...

addition vs addiction

Addition is adding — the sum, or something added. Addiction is a compulsion to keep using a substance or repea...

adultery vs fornication

Both are religious and legal terms for sex outside marriage, distinguished by whether anyone involved is marri...

adverse vs averse

Adverse means unfavourable or harmful, and describes conditions or effects — adverse weather, adverse reaction...

advice vs advise

Advice is a noun: the guidance itself, as in <em>her advice saved me a fortune</em>. Advise is a verb: the act...

aerobic vs anaerobic

Aerobic means requiring oxygen; anaerobic means proceeding without it. In exercise, aerobic activity is sustai...

affect vs effect

"Affect" is almost always a verb meaning to influence or change something ("The rain affected our plans"). "Ef...

affect vs impact

Affect is the standard verb meaning to influence — the delay affected the schedule. Impact as a verb means the...

agoraphobia vs claustrophobia

Claustrophobia is fear of enclosed spaces — lifts, tunnels, small rooms. Agoraphobia is often described as fea...

aid vs aide

Aid is help — foreign aid, first aid — and also the verb, to aid. An aide is a person who assists someone, typ...

aircraft vs airplane

Aircraft is the umbrella term for anything that flies with a crew or payload — aeroplanes, helicopters, glider...