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EE英语课堂❤️ 100 Commonly Confused Words in English
Just for Fun
片段讲解秀
from:《蒙娜丽莎的微笑》
喜马拉雅:英美混音的 Estefania
电台;Daily English - EE英语课堂
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Take a look at these two sentences – one of them contains a mistake:
I poured over book after book.
We pored over the catalogues.
Are you uncertain which one is right? There are a lot of words in English that look or sound alike but have very different meanings, such as pore and pour or flaunt and flout. It’s easy to get them confused and most electronic spellcheckers won’t be much help in this type of situation: they can tell you if a word has been spelled wrongly but they can’t generally flag up the misuse of a correctly spelled word.
Here’s a quick-reference list of pairs of words that regularly cause people problems. The words follow the accepted British English spelling. Some of them do have alternative American spellings and you will find these in the dictionary.
accept: to agree to receive or do
except: not including
adverse: unfavourable, harmful
averse: strongly disliking; opposed
advice: recommendations about what to do
advise: to recommend something
affect: to change or make a difference to
effect: a result; to bring about a result
aisle: a passage between rows of seats
isle: an island
all together: all in one place, all at once
altogether: completely; on the whole
along: moving or extending horizontally on
a long: referring to something of great length
aloud: out loud
allowed: permitted
altar: a sacred table in a church
alter: to change
amoral: not concerned with right or wrong
immoral: not following accepted moral standards
appraise: to assess
apprise: to inform someone
assent: agreement, approval
ascent: the action of rising or climbing up
aural: relating to the ears or hearing
oral: relating to the mouth; spoken
balmy: pleasantly warm
barmy: foolish, crazy
bare: naked; to uncover
bear: to carry; to put up with
bated: in phrase ‘with bated breath’, i.e. in great suspense
baited: with bait attached or inserted
bazaar: a Middle Eastern market
bizarre: strange
berth: a bunk in a ship, train, etc.
birth: the emergence of a baby from the womb
born: having started life
borne: carried
bough: a branch of a tree
bow: to bend the head; the front of a ship
brake: a device for stopping a vehicle; to stop a vehicle
break: to separate into pieces; a pause
breach: to break through, or break a rule; a gap
breech: the back part of a gun barrel
broach: to raise a subject for discussion
brooch: a piece of jewellery
canvas: a type of strong cloth
canvass: to seek people’s votes
censure: to criticize strongly
censor: to ban parts of a book or film; a person who does this
cereal: a grass producing an edible grain; a breakfast food made from grains
serial: happening in a series
chord: a group of musical notes
cord: a length of string; a cord-like body part
climactic: forming a climax
climatic: relating to climate
coarse: rough
course: a direction; a school subject; part of a meal
complacent: smug and self-satisfied
complaisant: willing to please
complement: to add to so as to improve; an addition that improves something
compliment: to praise or express approval; an admiring remark
council: a group of people who manage or advise
counsel: advice; to advise
cue: a signal for action; a wooden rod
queue: a line of people or vehicles
curb: to keep something in check; a control or limit
kerb: (in British English) the stone edge of a pavement
currant: a dried grape
current: happening now; a flow of water, air, or electricity
defuse: to make a situation less tense
diffuse: to spread over a wide area
desert: a waterless, empty area; to abandon someone
dessert: the sweet course of a meal
discreet: careful not to attract attention
discrete: separate and distinct
disinterested: impartial
uninterested: not interested
draught: a current of air
draft: a first version of a piece of writing
draw: an even score at the end of a game
drawer: a sliding storage compartment
dual: having two parts
duel: a fight or contest between two people
elicit: to draw out a reply or reaction
illicit: not allowed by law or rules
ensure: to make certain that something will happen
insure: to provide compensation if a person dies or property is damaged
envelop: to cover or surround
envelope: a paper container for a letter
exercise: physical activity; to do physical activity
exorcise: to drive out an evil spirit
fawn: a young deer; light brown
faun: a mythical being, part man, part goat
flaunt: to display ostentatiously
flout: to disregard a rule
flounder: to move clumsily; to have difficulty doing something
founder: to fail
forbear: to refrain
forebear” an ancestor
foreword: an introduction to a book
forward: onwards, ahead
Source: oxforddictionaries.com