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Flashcards in Commonly Confused Words Deck (17)
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1
Q

When do you use farther and when do you use further?

A

Farther for physical distance; further for metaphorical distance.

Example: I can run farther when I’m being chased by a rabid dog. When I finally reached my girlfriend’s house, I realized our romance wouldn’t go any further.

2
Q

Name the difference between imply and infer

A

To imply is to suggest; to infer is to conclude.

Example: His tattoo of her name on his neck implied they were more than friends. I infer from her smile that she likes the tattoo.

3
Q

What is the difference between straight and strait?

A

Straight is used for orderliness and directness.

Strait usually refers to something constricted, such as a narrow passage of water connecting two seas.

Example: Make sure your necktie is straight when commanding your crew, as this strait is difficult to navigate.

4
Q

What is the difference between coarse and course?

A

Coarse is an adjective meaning rough or vulgar.

Course is a noun meaning a route or a part of a meal, or a verb meaning “to flow”.

Example: The asphalt on the race course is pretty coarse.

5
Q

What is the difference between loathe and loath?

A

If you loathe (verb) something, you hate it.

When you are loath (adjective) to do something, it means you are unwilling or reluctant.

Example: I’m loath to give you money because I loathe money-grubbing people like you.

6
Q

What is the difference between flaunt and flout?

A

Flaunt is to show off or display proudly.

Flout is to dismiss authority with contempt.

Example: A teenager might flout her curfew so she can flaunt her new outfit at the party.

7
Q

What is the difference between precede and proceed?

A

Precede means “to come before” while proceed means “to begin” or “to go forward”.

Example: The written test precedes the driving exam. If you pass both, you can proceed to pick up your license.

8
Q

What is the difference between segway and segue?

(seh-gway)

A

A Segway is a wheeled personal transporter; a segue is an unbroken transition.

Example: While riding around on his Segway and talking on the phone, he managed to segue from the topic of economics to politics.

9
Q

What is the difference between i.e. and e.g.?

A

i.e. stands for “id est”, which means “in other words”.

e.g. stands for “exempli gratia”, which means “for example”.

Example: If you continue this behavior, the principal will remove you from school. i.e. You’ll be expelled.

She may inform you in various ways, e.g. via letter, a phone call to your parents, or even a personal visit.

10
Q

What is the difference between confidant and confident?

A

Confident is an adjective describing someone who has confidence or certainty.

Confidant is a noun and is used for someone you entrust to keep your secrets. (It is also pronounced “confi-dahnt”)

Example: I am confident that I can trust my confidant to keep this secret.

11
Q

What is the difference between phase and faze?

A

A phase (n) is a stage of a process; (v) to do something in gradual steps.

A faze (v) is to disturb or unsettle.

Example: My colleague was fazed by my deep knowledge about the phases of the moon.

12
Q

What is the difference between borne and born?

A

Born means “brought to life by birth”, while borne is the past participle of “to bear” such as to carry, withstand, and produce.

Example: When the baby was born, he carried a pathogen that originated from labradors. i.e. It was a labrador-borne disease.

13
Q

What is the difference between forgo and forego?

A

To forgo something means to go without, while forego means to go before something.

Example: We have our foregoing generations to thank for having been willing to forgo steam-powered cars.

14
Q

Is it deep-seated or deep-seeded?

A

deep-seated

Example: I have a deep-seated fear of heights: my legs start shaking, my heart pounds in my chest, and I get dizzy.

Deep-seeded does not really exist as a compound word, unless you’re really into gardening and have your own lingo.

15
Q

Do you achieve peace of mind or piece of mind when attending a meditation class?

A

peace of mind

You can give someone a piece of your mind when they double park, but when you want to feel at ease, you need to achieve peace of mind.

16
Q

What is the difference between perspective and prospective?

A

Perspective is the way you look at something, while prospective means probable or potential.

Example: The prospective candidate had an interesting perspective on marketing.

17
Q

What is the difference between exacerbate and exasperate?

A

Exacerbate means to worsen, while exasperate means to irritate.

Example: The manager became exasperated when he found out that the intern had exacerbated the financial situation.