English vocabulary has many problematic or confusing words or word pairs that can cause confusion for any writer.
The most common reason is because they are one of the two types of homonyms.
Homophones are words that sound the same but differ in meaning or spelling. Homographs are spelled the same but differ in meaning or pronunciation.
It always pays to check your writing carefully to avoid making mistakes with confusing words.
Our list of articles covers some of the most commonly confused words to help you improve your writing.
The two words, centurion and centenarian, sound similar, but they have quite different meanings. A Roman officer in charge of about 100 soldiers was called a centurion, and the word also appears today in sports, business, and pop culture writing. On the other hand, a centenarian always refers to someone who has reached 100 years…
I noticed arcane and archaic used in two news articles covering the same subject. The articles were about the strange and confusing rules in the US Senate. At first glance, it made no difference in understanding both texts, so are the two words interchangeable? Well, after some research, I have to say that both words…
Arcane And Archaic Explained For More Accurate Writing Read More »
Confusing words are one of the sneakiest little traps that always lie in wait for writers. Some words sound the same, some look alike, while others can have meanings that are just slightly different, but enough to change the sense of a sentence. Getting these types of words wrong can make your writing confusing, awkward,…
Why Confusing Words Are Always A Trap For Writers Read More »
Why will I have no truck with trucks or even lorries? It’s not that I have anything against trucks, even though I don’t wish to own one. What’s hiding behind this odd idiom is a meaning that most people have forgotten. And it has nothing to do with powerful motors, wheels, or horsepower. The origin…
When talking about language and vocabulary evolution, we usually say that new words are coined, not invented or created. The phrase sounds a little odd because people invent machines, create stories, and discover new cures, so why do we treat new words differently? In part, the answer lies in the history of the word coin,…
We’ve all experienced the discomforting sensation of an empty stomach. But are you suffering from hunger pains or hunger pangs? For a writer, it’s yet another fixed expression where the similarity between two words can cause confusion. Luckily, the two versions of this expression are generally accepted, but pangs is considered the most correct form.…
Hunger Pangs Or Hunger Pains – Which One Is Correct? Read More »
If you had asked me yesterday about this fixed expression, I would have said that when worse comes to worst is the correct form. However, when I stumbled upon a text that used the phrase when worst comes to worst, I wondered if my assumption was correct. The trouble with assumptions is that you can…
Free rein and free reign not only sound the same but seem to have similar figurative meanings related to freedom. Yes, the correct form of the phrase in writing is free rein, but there is more to the story. You often see free reign used in the same sense, and for good reason. Not because…
Free Rein And Free Reign – Which One Is Correct? Read More »
You might use this phrase only occasionally, but it’s easy to get it wrong in writing. One fell swoop is the correct form of the expression. When you hear people using the phrase to say that something happened suddenly, it usually sounds like one foul or fowl swoop. It’s rare to hear people pronounce it…
Is It One Fell Swoop, Foul Swoop, Or Fowl Swoop? Read More »
When a magician performs magic tricks, especially with cards, are the illusions a sleight of hand or a slight of hand? You could ask the same question about the skills of a nimble-fingered pickpocket. The correct form of the expression is sleight and not slight. However, if you were writing 200 years ago, slight was…
Sleight Of Hand Or Slight Of Hand Is A Tricky Choice Read More »
