Commonly Confused Words
1. Acclamation & Acclimation
Acclamation means a loud shout or other demonstration of welcome, goodwill, or approval.
Usage Example: His plan for revival of the company was received with acclamation.
Acclimation means adaptation to a new climate (a new temperature, altitude or environment).
Usage Example: They took a long time to get acclimatised to the new surroundings.
2. Acetic, Ascetic & Aesthetic/esthetic
Acetic means of, containing, producing, or derived from acetic acid or vinegar.
Usage Example: Acetic acid is known to soften and lubricate the skin.
Ascetic means a person who leads an austerely simple life, especially one who abstains from the normal pleasures of life or denies himself or herself material satisfaction.
Usage Example: Even though he was surrounded by luxuries, he lived the life of an ascetic.
Aesthetic means relating to pure beauty rather than to other considerations.
Usage Example: Their living room was aesthetically designed.
3. Adapt, Adept & Adopt
Adapt means to make suitable to requirements or conditions; adjust or modify fittingly.
Usage Example: The screenplay was adapted to the novel.
Adept means very skilled; proficient; expert.
Usage Example: He is adept at handling many things at the same time.
Adopt means to choose or take as one's own; make one's own by selection or assent.
Usage Example: It needs a mature mind to adopt new theories and principles.
4. Adduce & Deduce
Adduce means to bring forward in argument or as evidence; cite as pertinent or conclusive.
Usage Example: The lawyer adduced new evidence to the case.
Deduce means to derive as a conclusion from something known or assumed; infer.
Usage Example: Human beings are blessed as they are able to deduce the right from the wrong.
5. Adjoin & Adjourn
Adjoin means to be in connection or contact.
Usage Example: They met at the point where their estates adjoin.
Adjourn means to defer or postpone (a matter) to some future time, either specified or not specified.
Usage Example: The meeting of the municipal body was adjourned to next month.
6. Adverse & Averse
Adverse means unfavorable or antagonistic in purpose or effect, being or acting in a contrary direction; opposed or opposing.
Usage Example: The adverse winds blew the awning off.
Averse means having a strong feeling of opposition, antipathy, repugnance, etc.; opposed.
Usage Example: People averse to fish could have fried chicken instead.
7. Advice & Advise
Advice means an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action, conduct, etc.
Usage Example: Public opinion differed on the advice offered by the mayor of the city.
REMEMBER: Advice is a noun
Advise means to recommend as desirable, wise, prudent, etc.
Usage Example: Secrecy was advised for the sake of national security.
REMEMBER: Advise is a verb!
This is the essential difference between these two words.
Common Example for both:
I advise you to accept his advice and leave the country.
8. Aerie, Airy & Eerie
Aerie means a lofty nest of any large bird.
Usage Example: The steep mountainous path led to aerie.
Airy means open to a free current of fresh air; breezy.
Usage Example: The house had five large airy rooms.
Eerie means uncanny, so as to inspire superstitious fear; weird.
Usage Example: He was woken up by the eerie midnight howl.
9. Affect & Effect
In general, affect functions as a verb and has the following meanings:
(a) To act on; produce an effect or change in.
Usage Example: She did not let her personal grief affect her professional life.
(b) To assume artificially, pretentiously, or for effect.
Usage Example: She affected a southern accent for her new play.
In general, effect functions as a noun and has the following meanings:
(a) Something that is produced by an agency or cause; result; consequence.
Usage Example: The effects of the battle were profound.
(b) An illusory phenomenon.
Usage Example: The three dimensional effect was phenomenal.
Effect is used as a verb when it means 'to produce, to accomplish, to bring about'.
Usage Example: Do you think a new medicine will effect a change in his condition?
Common example for these two words:
He affected a change in his tone and this had a mesmerizing effect on the audience.
10. Affluent & Effluent
Affluent means having an abundance of wealth, property, or other material goods; prosperous; rich.
Usage Example: The artist was born in an affluent family.
Effluent means something that flows out or forth; outflow; effluence.
Usage Example: A large number of industrial units have been forced to close down due to the massive effluent discharge from them.
11. Accept & Except
Accept is a verb. It means to believe something as valid or correct.
Usage Example: Sneha agreed to accept the terms and conditions of the contract.
Except can be used as a verb, preposition or conjunction. It means to exclude something or someone from a group or category.
Usage Example: She couldn't tell him anything, except that she needed some money.
