When two words sound or look alike, choose by meaning and by the job the word does in your sentence. In “You’re bringing your own lunch,” you’re expands to you are and your tells whose lunch it is. Read the whole sentence before you choose.
Use the quick checks below when you’re editing. For a particular pair, jump to a group or use your browser’s Find command to search this page.
Three quick checks for confusing words
- Try the full words. If “It is too late to leave” makes sense, write “It’s too late to leave.” In “The cat licked its paws,” its tells whose paws.
- Find the word’s job. In “The heat may affect the paint,” the sentence needs a verb meaning influence. In “The heat had an effect on the paint,” an introduces a noun naming a result.
- Say the intended meaning in plain words. In “The shop offers complimentary repairs,” the repairs are free. In “The two tools are complementary,” they work well together.
Grammar and sentence clues
- Their vs. There vs. They’re. Their shows possession, there points to a place or introduces a statement, and they’re means they are.
- Its vs. It’s. Its shows possession. It’s means it is or it has.
- Your vs. You’re. Your shows possession. You’re means you are.
- Who’s vs. Whose. Who’s means who is or who has. Whose asks or tells who something belongs to.
- I vs. Me. Use I as a subject and me as an object. Try the sentence without the other name.
- Who vs. Whom. Who usually acts as the subject. Whom is the formal object form.
- To vs. Too vs. Two. To can mark a destination or introduce a verb. Too means also or signals excess. Two is a number.
- Then vs. Than. Then often marks time or order. Than introduces a comparison.
- Anyway vs. Any Way. Anyway can mean regardless. Any way means any method.
- Weather vs. Whether. Weather describes conditions outdoors. Whether introduces a question or alternatives.
- E.g. vs. I.e.. E.g. introduces examples. I.e. specifies what you mean.
Actions, directions, and roles
- Accept vs. Except. To accept is to receive or agree to something. Except usually means excluding.
- Affect vs. Effect. In the most common uses, affect means influence and an effect is a result.
- Allude vs. Elude. To allude to something is to refer to it indirectly. To elude someone is to escape or evade them.
- Appraise vs. Apprise. To appraise is to assess value or quality. To apprise someone is to inform them.
- Bring vs. Take. Bring generally looks toward the destination or point of reference. Take often looks from the starting point.
- Censor vs. Sensor. A censor suppresses material. A sensor detects a change, such as heat or motion.
- Complement vs. Compliment. A complement completes or goes well with something. A compliment expresses praise.
- Defuse vs. Diffuse. To defuse is to make a tense situation less tense. To diffuse is to spread something out.
- Elicit vs. Illicit. To elicit is to draw out a response. Illicit describes something forbidden.
- Emigrate vs. Immigrate. You emigrate from the country you leave and immigrate to the country where you settle.
- Lay vs. Lie. In the present tense, you lay something down or lie down yourself. Check the guide for past forms.
- Lend vs. Borrow. The giver lends an item. The receiver borrows it.
Descriptions and quantities
- Adverse vs. Averse. Adverse means unfavorable. Someone averse to an idea is reluctant or opposed.
- Biannual vs. Biennial. Biannual usually means twice a year. Biennial means every two years. For an important schedule, spell out the interval.
- Complimentary vs. Complementary. Complimentary means free of charge or expressing praise. Complementary things work well together.
- Discreet vs. Discrete. Discreet means tactful or careful about privacy. Discrete means separate or distinct.
- Dual vs. Duel. Dual describes something with two parts or functions. A duel is a contest between two people.
- Faint vs. Feint. Faint can mean weak or hard to detect, or to lose consciousness. A feint is a deceptive move.
- Historic vs. Historical. Historic usually emphasizes importance in history. Historical means related to the past.
- Loose vs. Lose. Loose means not tight or firmly attached. To lose something is to stop having it.
- Stationary vs. Stationery. Stationary means still. Stationery means writing supplies such as paper and envelopes.
People, things, and places
- Aid vs. Aide. Aid means help or to help. An aide is a person who assists.
- Aisle vs. Isle. An aisle is a passage between rows. An isle is an island.
- Altar vs. Alter. An altar is a table or raised place used in a ceremony. To alter is to change something.
- Bare vs. Bear. Bare means uncovered. To bear is to carry or endure. A bear is also an animal.
- Brake vs. Break. A brake slows or stops motion. A break can be a pause or a fracture.
- Breath vs. Breathe. A breath is the air you take in or let out. To breathe is to take air in and let it out.
- Capital vs. Capitol. Capital can mean a seat of government or financial resources. A capitol is a building where a legislature meets.
- Cereal vs. Serial. Cereal is grain or a food made from it. Serial describes something that occurs in a series.
- Counsel vs. Council. Counsel means advice, an adviser such as a lawyer, or the act of advising. A council is a group that meets to deliberate or decide.
- Forward vs. Foreword. Forward can mean onward or to send something along. A foreword is an introduction to a book.
- Principle vs. Principal. A principle is a rule or belief. A principal may lead a school, and the adjective means main.
- Role vs. Roll. A role is a part or function. A roll can be a rounded object or a list of names. To roll is to move by turning.
- Waist vs. Waste. Waist refers to the body or part of a garment. Waste can mean discarded material or careless use of a resource.
More sound-alikes in context
- Allusion vs. Illusion. An allusion is an indirect reference. An illusion is a false or misleading impression.
- Cite vs. Site vs. Sight. To cite is to name a source. A site is a place or website. Sight can mean the ability to see or something seen.
- Peak vs. Peek vs. Pique. A peak is a high point. A peek is a quick look. To pique interest is to arouse it.
- Rain vs. Reign vs. Rein. Rain falls. A ruler reigns. A rein guides a horse, as in free rein.
- Vain vs. Vein vs. Vane. Vain means proud or futile. A vein can carry blood or run through rock. A weather vane shows wind direction.
Practice choosing the right word
Choose the form that fits and name the clue you used.
- The committee will decide (weather / whether) to postpone the outdoor concert.
- Check the strap before you carry the case. It’s (loose / lose).
- The two workshops follow the same (principle / principal). Everyone gets time to practice.
- The new chart (complements / compliments) the report by showing what changed over time.
- Meet at the building’s only public entrance (e.g. / i.e.), the door on Oak Street.
- What (affect / effect) did the schedule change have on attendance?
Show the answers and the clues
- Whether. The decision is between postponing the concert and going ahead.
- Loose. The word describes a strap that needs tightening.
- Principle. Equal practice time is the guiding rule.
- Complements. The chart adds information that works with the report.
- I.e. The door on Oak Street identifies the one public entrance.
- Effect. The question asks for the result of the change.
When you spot a mix-up in your own work, save the sentence and the clue that helped you fix it. During your next edit, search for both spellings and check the meaning in each sentence. Use the same habit with subject and object pronouns or during a proofreading pass.
