Some words are easy to confuse, and choosing the right word is important. Words that sound alike can be spelled differently, and words that are not acceptable usage are mistakenly used for the appropriate words. You may have to choose between words that are very similar but not interchangeable. Always check a dictionary if you are uncertain about using a word. However, you should remember that words can sometimes develop a different meaning over time. Here is a valuable list of many of the commonly confused words that frustrate writers.
a, an: Use the article a before words that begin with consonant sounds and words that begin with a "yew" sound: a bag, a plan, a historic treaty, a union, a one-armed man (one is pronounced as if it begins with a w). Use an before words that begin with a vowel sound: an advertisement, an hour (the h is silent), an NBC executive (NBC sounds as if it begins with e).
alot, a lot: A lot is a colloquial expression meaning very much or very many; avoid using it in formal writing. Alot is a misspelling of a lot.
a while, awhile: These words mean essentially the same thing, but there is a distinction to be aware of. While means period of time, and therefore it is correct to write He left for a while. However, awhile means for a period of time, with the for as part of the definition. Therefore, it is correct to write He waited awhile but not He waited for awhile.
accept, except: Accept means to receive or to agree with: I accept the gift; I accept your proposal. Except as a preposition means leaving out or (as a verb) to exclude: Everyone except you is invited; He was excepted from the requirement.
adapt, adopt: When you adapt something, you change it to suit a purpose, such as adapting a novel for a screenplay, or adapting yourself to a new environment. When you adopt something, you take it as it is and make it your own. For example, the local chapter of a club may adopt its national organization's constitution.
adverse, averse: Adverse means unfavorable. Adverse conditions make a trip unlikely. Averse means disinclined or reluctant: The secretaries are averse to changing the dress code.
advice, advise: Advice is a noun: Take my advice. Advise is a verb: I advise you not to go.
affect, effect: The most common mistake here is to confuse the verb affect with the noun effect. The verb affect means to influence, while the noun effect means result. The decision to strike affects us all because the effect of a strike at this time will be devastating. (If you can put the in front of it, the word is effect.) Less frequently, effect is used as a verb meaning to bring about, to accomplish: Harris effected a change in company policy. Still less frequently, and with the accent on the first syllable, affect is used as a noun meaning an emotion or mood as a factor in behavior or a stimulus arousing an emotion or mood. The use of this noun is limited to psychology.
aid, aide: Aid means assistance (noun) and to assist (verb). It doesn't mean a person who is an assistant. That word is aide: Her aide spoke to the press.
all ready, already: All ready means all prepared. I am all ready to go on the picnic. Already means by or before the given or implied time: I was already aware that the plan wouldn't work.
all right, alright: All right, meaning safe, is correct; His performance was all right. Alright is an incorrect spelling.
all together, altogether: All together means all at one time or in one place: When we rescued the five men, they were all together on the ledge. Altogether means completely, in all. Altogether, we rescued five men.
allude, refer: To allude to something is to speak of it without specifically mentioning it: When he said his father was unable to care for himself, he was probably alluding to the filthy house and empty refrigerator. To refer to something is to mention it directly: He referred to the filthy house and empty refrigerator as evidence that his father couldn't live alone.
allusion, illusion, delusion: An allusion is an indirect reference: When she spoke of Robert's listening to the ghost of his father, it was an allusion to Hamlet's behavior in Shakespeare's play. An illusion is a false idea or unreal image: The security system created the illusion that they were safe. A delusion is a false belief, usually pathological: Suffering from the delusion that he was Superman, he tried to fly.
altar, alter: The noun altar is a platform used for sacred purposes, while the verb alter means to change: Reverend Wolfe asked them not to alter the altar.
alternate, alternative; alternately, alternatively: Alternate as an adjective means every other. They meet on alternate Mondays. Alternative means providing a choice between things: The alternative plan is to meet on alternate Tuesdays.
As adverbs, alternately means one after the other, whereas alternatively means one or the other: The day was alternately sunny and stormy. He could have decided to stay home or, alternatively, to dress lightly but carry a raincoat and umbrella.
amid, amidst: You may use either. Amid is more common in America, and amidst is more common in Britain.
among, between: In general, use between for two items or people and among for more than two items or people: The money was to be divided between Romy and Jonathan; The money was to be divided among Romy, Jonathan, and Brian. Among suggests a looser relationship than between, and therefore when three or more things are brought into a close, reciprocal relationship, such as they would be with a treaty, between is better than among: The treaty between Germany, France, and Italy was never ratified,
amount, number: Amount refers to a bulk or mass: No amount of money would be enough. Number refers to individual countable items: He took a large number of stamps and not He took a large amount of stamps.
analysis, analyzation: Always use analysis: Bradford's analysis (not analyzation) of the situation is inadequate in several ways.
any one, anyone: Use any one when you are referring to a particular person or thing: Any one of the three girls is qualified. Otherwise, use anyone: Anyone can pick up a free copy.
any way, anyway, anyways: Use any way as an adjective-noun pair. I can't think of any way we can lose. Anyway is an adverb meaning in any case: Our star player was sick, but we won the game anyway. Anyways is substandard and always incorrect in formal writing.
avenge, revenge: To avenge is to punish a wrong with the idea of seeing justice done. Revenge is harsher and/or less concerned with justice than with retaliating by inflicting harm: Her father avenged her death by working to have the man arrested, tried, and convicted, while her boyfriend took revenge by killing the man's wife.
average, mean, median: Statistically, the average of a group of numbers is the result of dividing their sum by the number of quantities in the group. (For example, the average of 3, 4, 6, and 7 is 20 divided by 4, or 5.) Average is also used outside statistics to mean ordinary, typical. The mean is the same as the average. (For example, the mean temperature of a day whose low is 30 degrees and whose high is 60 degrees is 45 degrees—30 plus 60 is 90 divided by 2 equals 45.) The median is the point in a series of ascending or descending numbers where half the numbers in the series are on one side and half on the other. (For example, in the series 5, 7, 9, 12, and 16, the median is 9.)
beside, besides: Beside means next to, at the side of, besides means in addition to: Besides, I don't want to spend my life beside the dump.
biannual, biennial: Biannual means twice a year, biennial means every two years.
bimonthly, biweekly: Bimonthly can mean either every two months or twice a month. Biweekly can mean either every two weeks or twice a week. Because of these dual meanings, it is clearer to use terms such as twice a month and every two months instead.
bloc, block: Use block except when referring to a coalition of people or nations. Then the word is bloc: The gun-control bloc (not block) defeated the amendment.
can, may: Can means having the power to do something and may means having permission to do it. However, current usage allows the use of both to indicate permission: The president says Mr. Downie can speak at the meeting, The president says Mr. Downie may speak at the meeting. May is more formal, but can is not wrong.
capital, capitol: Use capital when referring to the city that is the seat of a government; use capitol when referring to the building where a legislature meets: The capital of California is Sacramento. When we arrived there, we toured the capitol and other government buildings.
censor, censure: To censor something is to edit, remove, or prohibit it because it is judged objectionable; to censure someone is to strongly condemn him or her as wrong: The vice principal censured the class president for her fiery speech, but he didn't censor the speech.
cite, site, sight: Cite is a verb meaning to summon before a court of law, to mention by way of example, or to officially mention as meritorious: I am citing you for creating a public nuisance; I cited the first chapter of the book as proof of my argument; The young officer was cited for bravery. Site is a noun meaning location or scene: We drove quickly to the site of the murder. Sight is also a noun, meaning the ability to see or something seen. From the hill, the stormy ocean was a beautiful sight.
compare with, compare to; contrast with, contrast to: To compare things means to cite their similarities, differences, or both. To contrast means to cite differences.
Use compare to when stating a likeness between things: The final scene in the novel can be compared to the final scene in the play, since both show a reconciliation of opposing forces. Use compare with when showing similarities, differences, or both: Compared with what was budgeted for prisons, the amount budgeted for crime prevention was small, but both amounts were up from last year's.
Use contrast to when showing things with opposite characteristics: The Smiths' peaceful marriage is in contrast to the Nelsons' bitter relationship. Use contrast with when juxtaposing things to illustrate their differences: They contrasted Mr. Headley's plan for bringing in new businesses with Ms. Friedman's.
complement, compliment: As a noun, complement means something which completes or perfects something else, and, as a verb, to accompany or complete something else: His creativity was the perfect complement to her determination, The wine complemented the main course. Compliment as a noun means something said in praise, and as a verb to praise: Her compliment about his dancing pleased him, he in turn complimented her on her gracefulness.
compose, comprise: Compose means to make up. Two senators from each state compose the U.S. Senate. Comprise means to include: The U.S. Senate comprises two senators from each state. The most common mistake is to use comprise for compose. Remember that the whole comprises the parts, not the other way around. Also, don't use the phrase is comprised of.
conscience, consciousness: Conscience is an inner voice, a sense of right and wrong, whereas consciousness is simply awareness, or the ability to think and feel: Consciousness of the old woman's plight didn't seem to bother his conscience. The adjectival forms are conscientious which means scrupulous, painstaking, or acting in accordance with conscience, and conscious, which means awake or aware.
contemptible, contemptuous: Contemptible means deserving contempt, while contemptuous means showing or feeling contempt: We were contemptuous of their feeble explanation for their contemptible behavior toward the animals.
continual, continuous: Something that is continual is repeated often. Something that is continuous goes on without interruption: I made continual requests for a seat change because of the baby's continuous crying.
council, counsel: Council, a noun, is a committee or an administrative body. Counsel as a noun is advice, an exchange of ideas, or a lawyer or group of lawyers: Her counsel advised her that she should first seek counsel from an expert and then approach the town council. Council is never a verb. Counsel as a verb means to give advice. She counseled him to increase his investments in the stock market.
denote, connote: Denote refers to the dictionary definition of a word: The noun "rose" denotes a particular flower. Connote means what a word may imply or suggest. For example, the noun rose can connote youth, beauty, the impermanence of beauty, freshness, etc. Connotations include all the suggestions and overtones that are beyond a word's dictionary definition.
device, devise: A device (noun) is an instrument, either something concrete like a can opener or something abstract like a plan. Devise, a verb, means to create or fashion a device: They devised an ingenious device for pitting olives.
different from, different than: When comparing two things, use different from: The movie is different from (not than) the book. My goals are different from (not than) yours. If different introduces a subordinate clause, use the subordinating conjunction than: The true story was different than I had believed.
dilemma, problem: Don't use dilemma carelessly to mean problem. A dilemma means a choice between two unattractive alternatives: Her dilemma was whether to put up with her neighbor's noise or to give up the inexpensive apartment. A problem doesn't necessarily involve such a choice: The problem of how to provide universal health care plagued us, not The dilemma of how to provide universal health care plagued us.
discreet, discrete: If you are discreet you are careful about what you do and say; you show prudence and good judgment. Discrete, however, means separate and distinct. It was discreet of the maid to divide the laundry into discrete piles, one of Bob's clothes and one of Tony's.
disinterested, uninterested: Disinterested means impartial, and uninterested means lacking interest. A jury that is disinterested is desirable; a jury that is uninterested is not, because the members may doze off during the trial.
dual, duel: Dual is an adjective meaning double or twofold, while duel is a noun meaning a fight or contest.
e.g., i.e: The abbreviation e.g. (from the Latin exempli gratia) means for example. Do not confuse it with the abbreviation i.e. (from the Latin id est), which means that is (to say). Use e.g. (which should be preceded and followed by commas) when you are citing some but not all examples: He took many camping items with him, e.g., a tent, a cooking stove, a lantern, and a sleeping bag. Do not use etc. with e.g. because the idea of more examples than are being cited is already present in e.g. Use i.e., also enclosed in commas, when you are presenting an equivalent of the preceding term: He will study the document, i.e., the committee's official confirmation. In a formal essay you should write out for example and that is rather than using the abbreviations.
emigrate, immigrate: When you leave a country, you emigrate from it. When you come into a country, you immigrate to it: His parents, who emigrated from Russia, immigrated to the United States.
eminent, imminent, emanate: Eminent means prominent, while imminent means about to happen: The eminent lawyer was in imminent danger of being shot. Emanate means to issue from a source: A ghostly light emanated from the cloud.
entitled, titled: Use entitled to mean the right to have or do something: The Doyles were entitled to the money. Do not use it to mean titled. The book is titled (not entitled) The Habitats of Wolves.
envelop, envelope: Envelop is a verb meaning to cover completely or surround: The fog envelops the town. Envelope is a noun meaning something that covers, such as an envelope for a letter.
envy, jealousy: Although sometimes used synonymously, envy and jealousy have different meanings. Envy is the desire for something that someone else has, or a feeling of ill will over another's advantages in general: My envy of your success has made me bitter. Jealousy is a resentful suspicion that someone else has what rightfully belongs to the jealous person: Out of jealousy, he followed his wife; The favored treatment of the daughter created jealousy in the son.
et al., etc.,: The abbreviation et al. (Latin et alit) means and others. It, rather than etc., should be used to refer to additional people: The research paper was prepared by S. Robinson, F Lupu, I Alderson, et al. Use this abbreviation only in informal writing and in bibliographical entries or similar citations. The abbreviation etc. (Latin et cetera) also means and others, but it is used with things, not people: Don't forget to collect test papers, pencils, scratch pads, etc. Although etcetera or etc. is acceptable in instructional texts with many examples or in informal reports, use and so forth in the text of a formal essay. If you use the phrase such as before a list of items, don't use etc.: Gym equipment, such as basketballs, nets, and towels, will be provided not Gym equipment, such as basketballs, nets, towels, etc., will be provided.
every one, everyone: Every one means each one of a group of particular items or people: Every one of those people who came to the party early left drunk. Everyone means all, everybody: Everyone left the party drunk.
farther, further: Use farther in referring to physical distance: I walked farther than you. Otherwise, use further: I will question the suspect further; She went further with her claims.
faze, phase: Faze is a verb meaning to disturb or daunt, phase is a noun meaning a period or stage: This phase of her son's behavior didn't faze her. As a verb, phase (with in) means to introduce or carry out in stages: They phased in the new equipment at the plant.
fewer, less: Use fewer for individual countable items or people; use less for bulk or quantity: We expected fewer (not less) people to come; They stole less (not fewer) than twenty dollars. (Here, twenty dollars is a single quantity, a lump sum.)
flair, flare: If you have a flair for something, you have a natural talent for it: Her flair for putting people at ease impressed us. A flare is a flame or bright light. Flare as verb means to blaze brightly or burst out suddenly. Flair is never a verb.
flaunt, flout: Flaunt means to make a gaudy or defiant display of something. It is sometimes confused with flout, which means to scorn or mock: He flouted (not flaunted) convention by wearing jeans to the black-tie dinner; She flaunted (not flouted) her company car in front of the clerks.
forward, foreword: Forward means ahead, or at or toward the front. Don't use it when you mean foreword, an introductory statement at the beginning of a book.
fortunate, fortuitous: Fortunate means lucky, having good fortune. Fortuitous means happening by chance. A fortuitous event isn't necessarily favorable: It was merely fortuitous that she was standing at the cliff's edge when the landslide began, but she was fortunate enough to escape death.
fulsome, abundant: Don't use fulsome when you mean abundant (profuse or great quantity). Fulsome means excessive or offensive. Therefore, receiving fulsome praise for an action is not something to be happy about, while receiving abundant praise is.
gamut, gauntlet: Gamut means the entire range or extent: His reactions ran the gamut from rage to apathy. Don't confuse this word with gauntlet. Gauntlet has two meanings. First, it refers to a glove which in the days of chivalry was thrown to the ground to announce a challenge. Therefore, throwing down the gauntlet has become a figure of speech meaning to challenge: A fifty-year-old woman entered the race, thus throwing down the gauntlet before the younger runners. Second, gauntlet was also once a form of punishment in which a person ran between two rows of men who struck him. It has also become a figure of speech: In trying to promote her idea, she was forced to run the gauntlet between those who thought it was too ambitious and those who thought it wasn't ambitious enough.
grisly, grizzly: A crime is grisly (that is, ghastly, terrifying); a bear, or someone whose hair is partially gray, is grizzly: Meeting a grizzly bear in the woods could be a grisly experience.
hanged, hung: Although the usual past and past participle of hang is hung, hanged is still preferred when referring to people: We hung the paintings yesterday
historic, historical: If something is historic, it figures in history. If something is historical, it pertains to history. Betsy Ross's home is a historic building, the Alamo is a historic site, the moon landing is a historic event. On the other hand, you may take a historical tour of Washington, read a historical novel by Irving Stone, or buy a book of historical maps.
ignorant, stupid: Don't use stupid when you mean ignorant. If you are ignorant of something, you simply don't know it: I was ignorant of the plans to rebuild the area when I suggested we make some repairs. If you are stupid, you are lacking normal intelligence: Because he was considered stupid, he was not allowed to join the corps.
implicit, tacit, explicit: Implicit means implied or unstated; however, it can also mean without reservation, which sometimes causes confusion. In a statement such as The consequences of the action were implicit in the letter, it is obvious that the meaning is implied. But the meaning is ambiguous in a statement such as Their trust in the committee was implicit. Does implicit mean the trust was implied rather than stated, or does it mean the trust was beyond question? It would be better to say either Their trust in the committee was left implicit (that is, unstated) or Their trust in the committee was absolute. Tacit means unspoken, not expressed openly, and is therefore similar to one of the meanings of implicit. Tacit, however, is used in reference to speech rather than general expression: Although he didn't specifically address her, his speech gave her the tacit approval she needed to continue her project. Explicit is the opposite of implicit, means clearly stated: The professor was explicit in presenting the course requirements.
imply, infer: Imply means to suggest something indirectly. Infer means to conclude from facts or indications. If I imply by yawning that I'm tired, you might infer that I want you to leave. Think of implying as done by the actor, inferring as done by the receiver.
The most common error is to use infer when imply is correct: To influence the buyer, the owner implied (not inferred) that the property would increase in value within a few months; All the reports implied (not inferred) that the death was a suicide.
incredible, incredulous: Incredible means unbelievable or so astonishing as to seem unbelievable, whereas incredulous means skeptical or unbelieving: We were incredulous as we listened to his incredible story about being abducted by aliens. Avoid the colloquial (and imprecise) use of incredible to mean striking or very, as in That's an incredible dress you're wearing, or I was incredibly sad.
inflammable, flammable: Inflammable and flammable both mean easily set on fire, will burn readily. Because people might think inflammable means not easily set on fire (as inactive means not active, incoherent means not coherent, etc.), those who deal with fires and fire insurance argue that flammable should be used for warning signs and labels.
irregardless, regardless: The use of irregardless has become an epidemic, but it is not an acceptable word. The word is always regardless: Regardless of what you think, the changes will be made. With people who know language, irregardless is a glaring error.
its, it's: Its is the possessive of it: The tree lost its leaves. It's is a contraction meaning it is: It's too bad we can't come.
lay, lie: These verbs cause trouble for many people. If you mean repose, use lie. If you mean set or put, use lay. An easy way to remember which one to use is to recognize that lie does not take an object and lay does: I lie down for a nap everyday, The dog lies by the fire; I lay the paper on the table, I lay myself down (here myself becomes the object). The past tense and the past participles of lie are lay and lain: I lay down for a nap yesterday, I have lain down every afternoon this week. The past and past participle of lay are laid and laid: I laid the paper on the table yesterday; I have laid it in the same spot for years.
lead, led (verbs): Led is the past tense of lead: Last week he led the march; I usually lead it, but I was ill.
libel, slander: Legally, slander means to defame someone orally, as in a speech or public remark. Libel is to defame someone by any other means, such as in print, pictures, films, or signs.
like, as: Both as and like can be used as prepositions: He sleeps like a baby; We see this as an alternative. But only as is a subordinating conjunction, so when you are introducing a clause, don't use like: The storm started after lunch, just as (not like) I said it would, He smiled as (not like) his brother used to when I gave advice.
lightning, lightening: Lightning is a flash of light. Lightening means getting lighter.
limp, limpid: Don't use limpid as a synonym for limp. Limpid means crystal clear, not wilted or lacking in stiffness or backbone (limp): Instead of the limp (not limpid), frail young girl who had come to our door, we were now faced with a strong, self-confident woman with a steady, limpid gaze.
literally, figuratively: Literally means true to the meaning of the words, or precisely as stated. It is often misused to mean almost or definitely, as in I literally died when he chose me. If you literally died, you would be talking from beyond the grave. In the sentence I literally died when he chose me, died is being used not literally but figuratively, that is, as a metaphor for the overwhelming reaction you experienced. To convey your emotion metaphorically, you could say, I almost died when he chose me. Use literally only when referring to the meaning precisely as stated: By blocking the door, he literally refused to let anyone leave the room; The literal subject of the poem is the flowers, but the poet is using them figuratively to represent the impermanence of beauty.
loath, loathe: Loath is an adjective meaning reluctant. Loathe is a verb meaning to despise. I am loath to admit that I loathe David.
lose, loose: Lose means to be unable to find. Loose, an adjective, means unrestrained or inexact: I lose the loose change I keep in my pocket; The poem loses its power in such a loose translation. Loose is used less frequently as a verb. It means to set free or make less tight. She loosed the snake into the crowd; He loosed (more commonly, loosened) the victim's clothing.
nauseous, nauseated: When you're sick to your stomach, you're nauseated. The thing that made you sick—for example, rotten meat—is nauseous. Twirling the baby and throwing him up in the air makes him nauseated (not nauseous). The baby would be nauseous only if the sight of him made someone else feel nauseated.
noisome, noisy: Noisome is not a fancy version of noisy. Noisome means harmful or offensive, especially related to smell.
oral, verbal, written: Oral means uttered, spoken. Verbal means of, in, or by means of words, whether the words are spoken or written. An oral agreement is an unwritten agreement. A verbal agreement can be either a spoken or written agreement. To avoid confusion, use oral or written instead of the ambiguous verbal. Reserve verbal for situations in which you are distinguishing communication in words from other types of communication, such as sign language and body movements.
passed, past: Passed is a verb: I passed the test; We passed the old barn on our way here. Past is either a noun, an adjective, or a preposition—but never a verb: The past haunts us; His past sins caught up with him; The lake lies past the barn.
precede, proceed: Precede means to go before in time, place, rank, etc.: His remarks preceded the musical program. Proceed means to move forward: Before we proceed, we should be sure of the rules. Since the meaning of proceed includes the idea of moving forward, don't use it as a fancy word for go, particularly in situations when the movement isn't forward: They went back (or returned) to the car not They proceeded back to the car.
predominant, predominate: Predominant is an adjective meaning having authority or influence over others, being superior, or being most frequent: The predominant group at the convention was opposed to his candidacy, and therefore he lost. The predominant reason they gave for their opposition was his moral character. Predominate is a verb meaning to be dominant. Noise and confusion predominated at the convention.
preventive, preventative: Preventive and preventative mean the same thing—something that prevents—but choose preventive: Our goal is to take preventive measures so that a riot after the game will be unlikely.
principal, principle: Principal as an adjective means first in importance. As a noun, principal means the head of a school. The principal reason that Nelson was chosen to be principal of our school was her dedication. Principle is a noun meaning a fundamental truth or law upon which others are based, or a rule of conduct: The principal's principles were questioned by the parent group.
prone, supine: If you are prone, you are lying face downward. If you are supine, you are lying face upward.
prostate, prostrate: The prostate is a male gland. Prostrate, an adjective, means lying prone or overcome. The common misuse is prostrate for prostate: He has recovered from prostate cancer
ravage, ravish: Ravage means to destroy violently or to devastate, while ravish means to abduct, to rape, or to transport with joy or delight: The troops ravaged (not ravished) all the cities they entered; The villain ravished (not ravaged) the beautiful maiden; The soprano's voice ravished (not ravaged) his ears and left him with a beatific smile.
rebut, refute: The common error is to use refute for rebut. When you rebut an opponent's argument, you speak or write against it. When you refute an argument, you actually disprove it. Whether you have refuted your opponent's argument is often a matter of opinion. Avoid using it loosely: The government spokesperson rebutted (not refuted) the argument that the war on drugs had been a disaster
recur, reoccur: Recur and reoccur mean the same thing—to happen again. But careful writers make a fine distinction. Reoccur is used to mean to happen one more time, while recur indicates a repetition more than once, usually according to a schedule or pattern: Her terror reoccurred when she saw her attacker in the courtroom, but The recurring movement of the tides changed the shoreline.
regretfully, regrettably: Regretfully means filled with regret. Don't use it in place of regrettably, which means in a manner that calls for regret. Regrettably (not regretfully), the militia was too late to save the small village. The soldiers watched regretfully as the buildings burned.
reticent, reluctant: Don't use reticent as a synonym for reluctant. Reticent means disinclined to speak, not just disinclined or unwilling (reluctant): The group was reticent about its reluctance to admit new members.
shall, will: Will has generally replaced shall in modern usage. In the future tense I and we can be accompanied by shall rather than will, but will is more common. Shall is also sometimes used to indicate a commanding tone (You shall eat everything on your plate), or determination (We shall overcome). Will is acceptable in these cases; shall creates a more formal effect.
sit, set: Sit usually doesn't take an object: I sit down. Set usually does: I set the book down. Don't use them interchangeably: Set (not Sit) that load down and sit (not set) down and talk to me. Sit can take an object when it means to cause to sit, to seat: I sat Grandpa in the easy chair and called the doctor. Set doesn't take an object when it means to sit on eggs; to become firm (Let the cement set overnight); to begin to move (We set forth yesterday); or to sink below the horizon (The sun sets).
some time, sometime, sometimes: Some time is a span of time: Some time passed before she came in. Sometime means at an unspecified time: We should get together sometime. Sometimes means at times: Sometimes I'm so nervous I can't sleep.
stationary, stationery: Confusion of these two words is a spelling problem: Stationary means still, at rest; stationery is paper.
tack, tact: One meaning of the noun tack is a course of action or policy, especially one differing from a preceding course, as in the sentence He decided to take a different tack. A common mistake is to use the noun tact in such contexts. Tact means, among other things, sensitive skill in dealing with people, or diplomacy.
than, then: Don't use then (which means at that time) in comparisons. Use than: He is wiser than (not then) his father was then.
their, there, they're: Their is the possessive form of they; there usually refers to place or is used in impersonal constructions (there is, there are); they're is a contraction of they are. Notice the correct uses of these words in the following sentence: There is no question that their friends live there and that they're willing to help.
themselves, theirselves: Themselves, which is an emphatic form of them, is correct, as in, The authors themselves left the theater; theirselves is not acceptable usage.
thus, thusly: Use thus, meaning in this way, not thusly; as in, Thus, it came to pass.
to, too: To has several meanings, the first being toward. Too means also or more than enough: I walked to the river, which was too wild for me to swim in. My father thought so too.
tortuous, torturous: Tortuous means full of twists and turns: a tortuous mountain road, a tortuous plot. Torturous means severely painful, agonizing. The trek across the Sahara was torturous.
toward, towards: You may use either, but toward is used more frequently in America, while towards is used more often in Britain.
usage, use, utilize: Usage means established practice. Don't use it as a substitute for the noun use: Use (not Usage) of gloves is recommended. A more common tendency is to replace the verb use with utilize and the noun use with utilization, but this is not recommended. Prefer use: We want to use (not utilize) our assets wisely, Use (not Utilization) of out-of-date equipment has become a major problem.
waive, wave: The correct expression is to waive one's rights not to wave one's rights. Waive means to relinquish; wave means move to and fro.
weather, whether: Weather is the state of the atmosphere, while whether means if.
whose, who's: Whose is the possessive of who. Who's is a contraction of who is: Who's going to tell me whose jacket this is?
your, you're: Your is the possessive of you. You're is a contraction of you are: You're certain this is your jacket?
