Which Word Is Correct?

English is a very rich language. So rich that there are often groups of words which are similar, but with subtle (or sometimes not so subtle) differences. This article is an attempt to catalog some of these groups, with descriptions of the differences, and tips for using the correct word.

In spoken English, it can be difficult to distinguish between these words, as most are homophones; though there are exceptions, such as loose and lose, which use different sounds for the "s;" or accuracy and precision, which are completely different (and unrelated) words. In written English, the differences are critical, and using the correct word will make your work stand out.

A to D E to L M to R S to Z

A to D

Accept vs. Except

Accept means to take something that is offered, or possibly inclusion.
Except means exclusion.

Accuracy vs. Precision vs. Veracity

Accuracy is closeness to the facts.
Precision is the degree of specificity. (If I say that you are about 1.9 meters tall, give or take, I am quite likely to be accurate, but imprecise. If I say that you are 3.746238 meters tall, I have given precision to within a micrometer, but unless you are a freak of nature, or non-human, my precision is wildly inaccurate!)
Veracity is truthfulness, the opposite of Mendacity. (You are free to doubt my accuracy; if you doubt my veracity, you are defaming me. Them's fightin' words!)

Advice vs. Advise

Advice is a noun, meaning words that are intended to help someone.
Advise is a verb, the action of offering words to help someone.

Affect vs. Effect

Affect is usually a verb, meaning to exert influence over someone or something.
Effect is usually a noun, meaning the influence exerted by someone or something.

Aid vs. Aide

Aid is (physical or verbal) help offered to a person.
Aide is a person who assists someone.

Aisle vs. Isle

An aisle is a passageway between rows of chairs.
An isle is a small piece of land (an Island).

Allowed vs. Aloud

Allowed means permitted; the past tense of "to allow."
Aloud means spoken (as opposed to silent or written).

Allude vs. Elude

Allude means to refer to something indirectly or obliquely.
Elude means to avoid meeting someone or something.

Altar vs. Alter

An altar is a table, usually specifically used in a religious rite.
Alter is a verb, meaning to change something.

Apart vs. A part

Apart (one word, adjective) means separated.
A part (two words, article plus noun) means a constituent of the whole, and not separated.

Bare vs. Bear

Bare is an adjective meaning uncovered or naked.
Bear is a verb, meaning to carry.
Bear is also the large, sometimes dangerous, predatory animal.

Brake vs. Break

Brake is the device that stops or slows a moving vehicle.
Break has several meanings, including fracture, luck, interval.

Breath vs. Breathe

Breath is a noun, describing inhalation and exhalation; you can hold your breath.
Breathe is the verb, the action of inhaling and exhaling. (Sometimes it just means exposure to oxygen, as in "letting the wine breathe.")

Canvas vs. Canvass

Canvas is a noun, a heavy fabric used in painting or sailing.
Canvass is a verb, soliciting or counting votes.

Capital vs. Capitol

Capital is the town or city that serves as the seat of government; or money to be invested.
Capitol is the building in which a legislative body sits (and spends money).

Censor vs. Censure

Censor is the act of hiding something, either for secrecy or to protect others' sensibilities.
Censure is the act of expressing disapproval of some action or inaction.

Cite vs. Sight vs. Site

Cite means to refer to something formally, especially of a written work, by someone else's written work.
Sight is the visual sense; or something one can see.
Site is a (real or virtual) place, often a venue where some event occurs.

Complement vs. Compliment

Complement is something that makes something else whole.
Compliment is an offer of praise; or greeting between peers, or from a higher ranking person to a subordinate.

Continual vs. Continuous

Continual means frequently recurring, with pauses.
Continuous means ongoing, without pause.

Defuse vs. Diffuse

Defuse is a verb, meaning to disarm (a bomb) or de-escalate (a situation)
Diffuse is an adjective, meaning scattered or diluted; or a verb meaning to spread out over a large area.

De-evolve vs. Devolve

To De-evolve (verb) is to move backwards in evolution.
To Devolve (verb) is to delegate power to a lower level. "When the president dies, resigns, or is removed, power devolves upon the vice president."

Desert vs. Dessert

To desert (a person or place) is to leave that person (place) alone. Note that this is related to the differently pronounced desert, a desolate place.
Dessert is the course after the main part of a meal, usually of sweets.

Device vs. Devise

A device (noun) is a mechanism (physical or metaphorical).
To devise (verb) is to create such a mechanism.

Discreet vs. Discrete

Discreet means cautious or careful.
Discrete means separate or distinct.

Disinterested vs. Uninterested

Disinterested means not invested in (as, an outcome); often meaning the financial sense of investment.
Uninterested means bored or uncaring about.

Dual vs. Duel

Dual means in two parts.
Duel is a one-on-one contest.

E to L

Elicit vs. Illicit

Elicit is a verb, meaning to draw out.
Illicit is an adjective, meaning illegal or immoral (not fattening).

Eligible vs. Illegible

Eligible means available to be chosen.
Illegible means unable to be read, as bad handwriting or faded (or foreign) script.

Familial vs. Familiar

Familial means related by blood; literally, part of the same family.
Familiar means recognized, or well-known, and not necessarily related. (It's possible to have a familial relationship with someone you have never met!)

Farther vs. Further

Farther usually refers to physical distance, as in "farther down the road."
Further usually refers to metaphorical distance, as in "further research."

Flair vs. Flare

Flair is distinctive style.
Flare is a sudden burst of light, used for a distress signal or celebration (fireworks)

Forth vs. Fourth

Forth is an adverb meaning forward.
Fourth is the ordinal form of the number four (and an excuse for fireworks).

Hanged vs. Hung

Hanged means killed by being suspended from a rope around the neck.
Hung is any sense of the past tense of the verb "to hang" other than execution.

Hear vs. Here

Hear is to sense with the ears.
Here is "at this place."

Its vs. It's

Its is the possessive pronoun for something owned by a thing, not a person. Pronouns never have apostrophes.
It's is a contraction for "it is" or "it has."

Lay vs. Lie

Lay is a transitive verb (a verb with an object); one may "lay something down."
Lie is an intransitive verb; one may "lie down on the sofa."

Lightening vs. Lightning

Lightening means adding more white to a color, or removing mass from a load.
Lightning is the bright flash that precedes thunder. "The very-temporary lightening of the night sky is caused by lightning."

Loose vs. Lose

Loose is an adjective meaning slack, or a verb meaning to set free.
Lose means to misplace or fail to win.

M to R

Mantel vs. Mantle

Mantel is the shelf over a fireplace, from which Christmas stockings are hung.
Mantle is a covering (as of the light source in a lantern) or the layer beneath the earth's crust. (Also Mickey, who was a contemporary of Willie and The Duke.)

Mean vs. Median (statistics)

In a data set, the Mean is the arithmetic average of all samples.
The Median is the middle value in the sorted list of samples.

Moral vs. Morale

Moral is an adjective describing a sense of right and wrong; or the point of a story or parable.
Morale is a noun, describing a sense of good feelings of a group of people. ("The beatings will continue until morale improves.")

Palate vs. Palette

Palate is the roof of one's mouth, or metaphorically, one's taste in food.
Palette is a board used by an artist to hold dabs of different colors of paint, for immediate use on the canvas; or the total possible colors available on a computer screen.

Peak vs. Peek

Peak is the top of a mountain, or metaphorically the top level of one's performance.
Peek is a quick look at something, often surreptitiously.

Pedal vs. Peddle

A pedal (noun) is a control that one touches with one's foot.
To peddle (verb) is to sell goods or services.

Principal vs. Principle

Principal is usually an adjective, meaning "main" or "head" of something; or sometimes a noun, referring to the person in that position (as a school principal), or the outstanding amount of a loan (not counting interest and other expenses).
Principle is always a noun, referring to a deeply held belief or moral standpoint. "These are my principles. If you don't like them, well, I have others." — Groucho Marx (If I ever call a politician a Marxist, I am usually referencing Groucho, not Karl.)

Profit vs. Prophet

Profit is a noun, meaning net income from commerce, or a verb, meaning to gain from commerce.
Prophet is always a noun, meaning one who predicts the future, especially in the context of religion, where such "predictions" are usually retrospective, and subject to reinterpretation.

Prophecy vs. Prophesy

Prophecy is a noun meaning a prediction meant to be taken as truth.
Prophesy is a verb meaning the act of predicting the future.

Reign vs. Rein

Reign is the ceremonial action of a monarch, or the period during which a monarch holds office; or metaphorically, the time when a sports champion holds that title.
Rein is the rope used to hold a horse or other working animal, or team of animals.

Right vs. Wright vs. Write

Right (adjective) means "correct" (or the opposite of "left," which also has the connotation of correct; compare the Latin words for right and left, respectively dexter and sinister.)
Wright (noun) is a maker or builder, as in shipwright, playwright, or wheelwright.
Write (verb) is to put pen to paper, producing words, or to compose a written work (so a playwright writes plays).

Role vs. Roll

A Role (noun) is a part to play, either in a business or a dramatic work.
A Roll (noun) is a baked good, or a unit of lavatory paper.

S to Z

Stationary vs. Stationery

Stationary is an adjective, meaning "fixed" or "at rest."
Stationery is a noun, meaning supplies for writing (often, particularly writing letters).

Tail vs. Tale

A tail is an appendage at the back end of an animal, or the trailing edge of a long item (such as a freight train).
A tale is a story, which might be told by an idiot, possibly full of sound and fury, and may or may not signify something.

Taught vs. Taut

Taught (verb, past tense of teach) means imparted knowledge.
Taut (adjective) means pulled tight, without slack.

Than vs. Then

Than is a comparison word, as in "I am older than my kid brother."
Then is an adverb, signifying a later time or order.

Their vs. There vs. They're

Their is a possessive pronoun for the third person; nominally plural, though current usage allows a singular person of unspecified gender. (Pronouns never use apostrophes.)
There is an adverb for a place that is distant from the speaker; not here.
They're is a contraction for "they are."

To vs. Too vs. Two

To is a preposition, meaning "intended for" or "moving toward" its object; or the indicator of an infinitive verb.
Too is an adverb, meaning either a surplus ("too much") or "also" ("me too").
Two is the cardinal number after one and before three.

Wear vs. Where

Wear is a verb, meaning to don, or to break through use; or a noun, meaning that an object shows evidence of use (often combined with the rhyming "tear").
Where is an indefinite pronoun, or an adjective, meaning "in what place."

Weather vs. Wether vs. Whether

Weather is a noun, meaning variance from climate (or what's happening outside).
Wether is a noun, meaning a castrated male sheep. (Sometimes a wether wears a bell, and when it is frightened, the ringing bell alerts the whole flock to the danger. This is the source of the term "bellwether," which is used in political analysis to describe a precinct or district that tends to lead others.)
Whether is a conjunction, presenting a choice between alternatives.

Whose vs. Who's

Whose is the possessive pronoun for an indeterminate person. Pronouns never have apostrophes.
Who's is short for "who is."

Your vs. You're

Your is the second person possessive pronoun (pronouns still don't have apostrophes).
You're is a contraction for "you are."

Which Word Is Correct?

A to D

E to L

M to R

S to Z

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