TAKE THE TEST--Confusing Words

[Msinha]

Confusing Words
a vs. an
Rule. Use a when the first letter of the word following has the sound of a consonant. Keep in mind that some vowels sound like consonants when they’re sounded out as individual letters.
Examples:
• a finger
• a hotel
• a U-turn (pronounced You-turn)
• a HUD program
• a NASA study
Rule. Use an when the first letter of the word following has the sound of a vowel. Remember that some consonants sound like vowels when they’re spoken as individual letters.
Examples:
• an FBI case (F is pronounced ef here)
• an honor (H is silent here)
• an unusual idea
• an HMO plan (H is pronounced aitch here)
• an NAACP convention (N is pronounced en here)
Deciding whether to use a or an before abbreviations can be tricky. The abbreviation for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) causes confusion because it can be pronounced as a word (fak), or one letter at a time (F-A-Q). Using the guidelines above, one would say a FAQ when it is pronounced as one word, and an FAQ when it is pronounced one letter at a time.

accept
except to agree; to receive

but, with the exception that
ad
add advertisement
to perform addition

ades
aides
AIDS
aids
fruit drinks
people who help; assistants
acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
helps, assists
adverse

averse
unfortunate; strongly opposed (refers to things, not people)
Examples: an adverse reaction to the medication
adverse weather conditions
having repugnance (refers to people)
Example: He is averse to a military draft.

advice (noun)
advise (verb) recommendation
the act of giving a recommendation

affect vs. effect
Rule 1. Use effect when you mean bring about or brought about, cause or caused.
Example: He effected a commotion in the crowd.
Meaning: He caused a commotion in the crowd.
Rule 2. Use effect when you mean result.
Example: What effect did that speech have?
Rule 3. Also use effect whenever any of these words precede it: a, an, any, the, take, into, no. These words may be separated from effect by an adjective.
Examples: That book had a long-lasting effect on my thinking.
Has the medicine produced any noticeable effects?
Rule 4. Use the verb affect when you mean to influence rather than to cause.
Example: How do the budget cuts affect your staffing?
Rule 5. Affect is used as a noun to mean emotional expression.
Example: She showed little affect when told she had won the lottery.

ail
ale to be ill; to cause pain or distress
malt beverage more bitter than beer
air
err
heir
what we breathe
make a mistake
one who inherits something
aisle
I’ll
isle
passageway
contraction for I will
a small island

all
awl
entire, everything
a tool

allot
a lot
to parcel out

allude
elude
illude to refer indirectly
Example: He alluded to his past as a spy.
avoid capture
Example: The fugitive eluded the police for a month.
mislead
Example: He illuded her about his age.

allusion
illusion
an indirect mention of something
false perception

ambiguous
ambivalent
to have more than one meaning
Example: The law was ambiguous.
to have mixed feelings
Example: She is ambivalent about her wedding dress.

amicable
amiable
friendly (refers to things, not people)
friendly (refers to people)
Example: The amiable couple had an amicable divorce.
among
between involves three or more
Example: Who among us has not lied?
involves just two
Example: She couldn’t decide between Chinese and Thai food.
amount
number used for things not countable
Example: We couldn't handle that amount of ill will.
used for things that can be counted
Example: The number of accidents increased by ten percent.

ant
aunt
a bug
the sister of a parent
ante
auntie

a bet placed before playing
affectionate term for a parent’s sister
anxious
eager to have anxiety or worry
Example: She is anxious about taking the test.
excited
Example: She is eager to get a puppy.
any more
anymore something additional or further
Example: It didn’t rain any more this year than last year.
any longer, nowadays
Example: Harry doesn’t travel anymore.
appraise
apprise to put a value on something
to notify
arc
ark arch, crescent, half moon
a vessel or a refuge
ascent (noun)
assent (noun or verb)
consent movement upward
enthusiastic agreement; to agree
agreement
assistance (noun)
assistants (noun) help
people who help
assumption
presumption an idea not based on evidence
an idea based on evidence
assure
ensure
insure to promise or say with confidence
to make sure something will/won't happen
to issue an insurance policy