There are a lot of words in English that look or sound alike but have different meanings, such as affect and effect or cite and site. It’s easy to get them confused!

Here’s a quick-reference list of pairs of words that regularly cause people problems.

Definition

  • accept: To receive something offered
  • except: To exclude something or to leave it out

Examples

  • accept: Pat accepted the scholarship to Duke.
  • except: The scholarship covered everything except a meal plan.

Definition

  • advice: A noun that refers to a recommendation regarding a decision or a course of action
  • advise: A verb that refers to the act of giving advice

Examples

  • advice: Greg took his doctor’s advice about lowering his cholesterol.
  • advise: I would advise Greg to eat oatmeal every day.

Definition

  • affect: A verb that means to influence
  • effect: A noun that means result

Examples

  • Caffeine affects people in different ways.
  • Hyperactivity is one effect of caffeine.

Definition

  • all right: To be satisfied with, or that everything is satisfactory
  • alright: A misspelling of “all right”

Examples

  • Jason was worried about leaving his son at the daycare for the first time, so he called every hour to make sure everything was all right.

Definition

  • all ready: To be prepared, that everyone or everything is prepared
  • already: Before now, by this time, or previously

Examples

  • My parents were all ready to eat dinner when I stopped by for surprise visit.
  • Unfortunately, I had already eaten too much at a potluck before I arrived.

Definition

  • a lot: Refers to many or several
  • alot: A misspelling of “a lot”
  • allot: To distribute or assign a portion

Examples

  • A lot: There were a lot of complaints about the rent increase and recently added policies.
  • Allot: Tenants were allotted one parking space per unit.

Definition

  • among: Used when referring to three or more items or people
  • between: Used when referring to two items or people

Examples

  • Jen divided the project among the editorial, creative, and marketing departments.
  • Final decisions, however, would be made between herself and the director.

Definition

  • cite: A verb that means to acknowledge, quote, or mention.
  • sight: Both a noun that refers to a view or the ability to see and a verb that means to see
  • site: A noun that refers to a place or location

Examples

  • To avoid accidental plagiarism, always cite the sources you use in every paper.
  • A lunar eclipse on a clear night is an incredible sight to behold.
  • Be careful around that construction site.

Definition

  • farther: Used to refer to a physical or tangible distance.
  • further: Used to refer to an addition when there is no physical distance involved.

Examples

  • The new hospital is farther down the street than the old one.
  • There needs to be further advancements in the medical field to fight cancer.

Definition

  • fewer: Used to refer to items that can be counted
  • less: Used to refer to items that cannot be counted or that are referred to as a whole

Examples

  • Frozen yogurt has fewer calories than ice cream.
  • Also, without toppings, frozen yogurt has less saturated fat than ice cream.

Definition

  • its: The possessive form of the pronoun it
  • it’s: The contraction for “it is”

Examples

  • This laptop battery loses its charge quickly.
  • It’s time to buy a new battery.

Definition

  • me: Used when it is the object of a sentence (An object receives the action or verb)
  • myself: A reflexive pronoun (Used only when you have already talked about that person in the sentence)

Examples

  • My parents delegated me as the coordinator of all family events.
  • As the coordinator, I have to plan the annual family reunion either by myself or with very little assistance.

Definition

  • then: Used when referring to time or to mean “next” and “in that case”   
  • than: Used when comparing

Examples

  • Run background checks on the top applicants. Then we can set up interviews.
  • Julia is taller and more slender than he.

Definition

  • that: Used when introducing information that identifies what is being talked about
  • which: Used when introducing extra information in a sentence
  • who/whom: Used instead of that or which when referring to people

Examples

  • The lemon cake that you brought into the office last week was delicious.
  • The lemon cake, which is an old family recipe, is quite easy to make.
  • My grandfather is the one who discovered the recipe in an old shoebox.

Definition

  • their: The possessive form of the pronoun “they”
  • they’re: The contraction for “they are”
  • there: Indicates a position/place or acts as a placeholder at the beginning of a sentence

Examples

  • Their application for a loan is approved.
  • They’re paying the college tuition in full.
  • A copy of the contract is over there.

Definition

  • to: Meaning toward or as part of an infinitive verb (“to” + verb)
  • too: Meaning excessively or also

Examples

  • Javier is moving to Boston to attend law school.
  • His younger brother Oscar wants to move to the east coast too.

Definition

  • who: Used as a subject pronoun
  • whom: Used as an object pronoun

Examples

  • I know a woman who can cater the party for a reasonable price.
  • This woman, whom I have known for ten years, is a terrific chef.

Definition

  • your: The possessive form of the pronoun “you”
  • you’re: The contraction for “you are”

Examples

  • Your older sister is very funny and smart.
  • It’s obvious that you’re related to her.