Grammar Girl on commonly confused words

When you are choosing the right word to say or to write it is quite understandable for you to hesitate and wonder whether to use ‘talk’ or ‘speak,’watch’ or ‘see.’

This week I wanted to give you a very small set of useful words with definitions.  Please do reply to this blog with your own pairs of words or with questions about words.

Here are 3 sets of words:

Affect and Effect:

affect means ‘make a difference to’, whereas effect means ‘a result’ or ‘bring about (a result)’.

Desert  and Dessert:

Dessert is a waterless area and dessert is thethe sweet course!

Councillor and Counsellor:

a councillor is a member of a council, whereas a counsellor is someone who gives guidance on personal or psychological problems.

Commonly confused words can be learned with a little help from a teacher and a little work from you.  When you are not sure what they mean, do go to a dictionary and read their definitions.  Remember, building your word power is an important step in your development as a language learner.

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9 Responses to Grammar Girl on commonly confused words

  1. tish

    How about each other and one another?

  2. bumboy

    you have spelt dessert the same when, when explaining the meaning (: x

  3. iraj

    What is the corect answer for 2 mentioned sentances
    The captain and the owmer
    is , are , was , were on board
    The captain and owner of the ship….. is are were on board

  4. Amanda

    Here is another set: quit,quiet,quite

  5. Asseyni

    Other mean that are many thing and an another mean after the other

  6. Asseyni

    I’m sorry “other mean that, they are many thing, so you have to precise the one thing you need. Adn the word another have to be used when speak about ther order

  7. abdul khalak

    sir the explanation of confusable words are excellent. we need more words to clarify
    thank you

  8. ananda

    each other — while talking about more than two items.

    one another — When talking about two items.

  9. jill

    how about take and bring?