Some English words look or sound so much alike that even good writers mix them up. Below are 8 easily confused pairs, such as affect and effect or its and it's, with what each word means and an example of each.
Writing can be hard. It can take a long time to work out what you want to say and how you want to say it, and then you still have to sit down and write it. Even then you are not done. Before you send your email or publish your article, you have to do the housekeeping: read it through carefully, run it through the Spell Checker, and look out for the words in this list.
The trouble with these words is that so many people misuse them. When you see the wrong form often enough, it gets hard to remember which one is correct.
8 easily confused words
Affect vs. effect
Affect is usually a verb and means "to influence". Effect is usually a noun and means "a result".
- The noise was affecting my state of mind.
- The music had a calming effect.
Effect can also be a verb, but then it means "to bring about": The new manager effected many changes.
Biweekly vs. semiweekly
Semiweekly is an adjective that means twice a week. Biweekly usually means every two weeks, and as a noun, a biweekly is a magazine that comes out every two weeks. Some dictionaries also list "twice a week" as a meaning of biweekly, though, so if the difference matters, write "every two weeks" or "twice a week".
Disinterested vs. uninterested
Disinterested is an adjective that means impartial: a disinterested person has nothing to gain or lose from the outcome. Uninterested means not interested, or indifferent.
- Find a disinterested person to mediate.
- I am uninterested in seeing that movie.
Fewer vs. less
Fewer means a smaller number and is used for things you can count. Less means a smaller amount and is used for things you cannot count, such as milk, water, or time.
- There are fewer people than before.
- There is less milk than before.
Figuratively vs. literally
Figuratively means in a symbolic way, as a metaphor: what you say is not true word for word. Literally means actually, in the exact sense of the words, and the adjective literal means "actual" or "word for word".
- They figuratively lost everything at the casino. (They lost a lot, but not really everything.)
- The old door literally fell off its hinges.
- This is a literal translation.
Many people use literally just for emphasis, as in "I literally died laughing". In careful writing, keep it for things that are really true.
It's vs. its
These two are among the most easily confused words, but there is an easy test. It's is a contraction of "it is" (or "it has"). Its is the possessive form of it. If you can put "it is" in the sentence, write it's; if you cannot, write its.
- It's raining again.
- The dog wagged its tail.
The its and it's rule has more examples.
Principal vs. principle
As a noun, a principal is a person who holds the most important position, such as the head of a school. As an adjective, principal means "main" or "most important". A principle is a rule, a belief, or a standard that you follow.
- A good way to remember this one: the principal of your school is your "pal".
- The principal reason for the principal's decision was her principles.
There is more on this pair in principle vs. principal.
Your vs. you're
This pair is easy to tell apart, too. You're is a contraction of "you are", while your is the possessive form of you.
- You're going to get this wrong if you don't check your writing for mistakes.
See when to use your and you're for the full rule.
Check your text for them
The list of easily confused words is very long, but these pairs are some of the most common. Use them to check your next article, so that your writing looks professional, sharp, and correct. A dictionary check alone does not catch these mix-ups, because both words of each pair are spelled correctly. The AI Spell Checker reads whole sentences, so it also catches a real word in the wrong place.