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The following is a list of the most commonly confused words that would be helpful in
identifying grammatically erroneous sentences, choosing the appropriate word and fill
in the blanks type of questions:
1. Sympathy, empathy, apathy
Sympathy: feelings of pity and sorrow
Empathy: experience of understanding another person's condition from their
perspective
Apathy: lack of concern
2. Compliment, complement
Compliment: praise
Complement: something that completes
3. Confectionery, confectionary
Confectionery: sweet items selling shop
Confectionary: sweet items
4. Strait, straight
Strait: a naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two
larger bodies of water
Straight: in a single direction, without a bend
5. Rode, road
Rode: past tense of ride
Road: a path
6. Accept, except, expect
Accept: tolerate or submit to
Except: other than
Expect: regard as likely to happen
7. Moral, morale, mural
Moral: concerned with principles of right and wrong behaviour
Morale: confidence, enthusiasm, and discipline
Mural: work of art involving a wall
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8. Advice, advise
Advice (noun): opinion or recommendation
Advise (verb): to offer advice
9. Lead, led
Alter: to change
Metal: an element which is strong, shiny, and can be moulded into sheets and wires
Reign: rule
Taut: tight
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15. Adverse, averse, everse, subverse, perverse
Adverse: unfavorable
Averse: opposed to
Everse: to overthrow
Mate: partner
Isle: island
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21. Amoral, immoral
Assistant: helper
Assistance: help
Elude: avoid
Elusion: avoidance
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28. Beside, besides
Beside: next to
Besides: in addition to
Allot: to divide
A lot: many
Breath: the air taken into the lungs for the process of breathing
Quiet: silent
Quite: absolute/complete
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36. Chose, choose
Choose: select
Raze: destroy
Borne: carried/transported
Wont: habit
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43. Buy, bye, by
Capital: a city or town that houses the administrative center of a region, wealth
Break: separate
Brake: a device to slow down a vehicle (noun); the process of slowing down a moving
vehicle (verb)
Guerrilla: a small faction that is at war with a significantly larger group and operating
in the form of short, surprise attacks
Manor: a house
Waist: past of human body below the ribs and above the hips
Waste: unproductive
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50. Rational, rationale
Whole: complete
Hole: a gap
Reverent: respectful
Two: a couple
Thorough: detailed
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58. Patients, patience
Waive: give up
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66. Piece, peace
Piece: a part
Cite: quote
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73. Elicit, illicit
New: recent
Dye: colour
Ordinance: an order
79. Know, no
Know: be aware of
No: negative
Plain: simple
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81. Its, its
Its: contraction of it is
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89. Forth, Fourth
Dairy: a place where milk and milk products are processed or stored
Coarse: rough
Conscious: aware
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96. Hear, here
Cloth: garment
Altogether: completely
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