Commonly confused words

fair vs fare

Fair means just or reasonable, light in colour, or an event like a funfair — "that's not a fair test", "a coun...

faith vs fate

<strong>Faith</strong> is trust or belief that you choose to place in someone or something — "I have faith in...

fancy vs fantasy

A <strong>fancy</strong> is a light, passing liking or whim — "She took a fancy to the blue one." A <strong>fa...

farther vs further

The traditional rule: farther for physical distance, further for degree or extent — farther down the road, fur...

fascism vs nazism

Nazism is a form of fascism, not a synonym for it. Fascism is the broader category — authoritarian, nationalis...

fascism vs socialism

They sit on opposite sides of most political axes. Socialism seeks collective or state ownership of the means...

faze vs phase

To faze is to disconcert or unsettle — it didn't faze him. A phase is a stage in a process, and as a verb mean...

feat vs feet

A <em>feat</em> is an impressive achievement: "Getting it finished in a week was quite a feat." <em>Feet</em>...

fell vs felt

Fell is the past tense of fall — it describes dropping or going down: "He fell off his bike." Felt is the past...

femininity vs feminism

Femininity is a set of qualities and behaviours culturally associated with women. Feminism is a political move...

fewer vs less

Use "fewer" for countable things — items you could count one by one ("fewer apples", "fewer people"). Use "les...

final vs finale

Final is mainly an adjective meaning last or settled: "the final chapter", "the decision is final". A finale i...

fiscal vs physical

Fiscal means relating to money — especially public finance, tax and budgets: <em>The government announced a fi...

flair vs flare

Flair is a natural talent or stylishness — a flair for languages, dressed with flair. A flare is a sudden burs...

flat vs sharp

In music, a flat (♭) lowers a note by a semitone and a sharp (♯) raises it by a semitone: B♭ sits just below B...

flaunt vs flout

To flaunt is to display something ostentatiously — flaunt your wealth. To flout is to openly disregard a rule...

flounder vs founder

To flounder is to struggle clumsily and without progress — floundering through a presentation. To founder is t...

flour vs flower

Flour is the powder you bake with: "Sift the flour into the bowl." A flower is the blossom on a plant: "She pi...

for vs since

<em>For</em> is followed by a length of time: 'We've lived here for three years.' <em>Since</em> is followed b...

forego vs forgo

Forgo means to give something up or do without it — forgo the dessert. Forego means to go before, and now surv...

formally vs formerly

Formally means in a formal way — officially, or according to convention: "He was formally introduced to the bo...

former vs latter

When you have named exactly two things, former points back to the first one and latter to the second. "We cons...

formerly vs formally

Formerly means previously: "the building was formerly a school." Formally means in an official or proper way:...

forth vs fourth

Fourth is the ordinal number: "she finished fourth" or "the fourth of July." Forth means forward, onward or ou...