10 confused words in English (and how to use them correctly)

Learning English is fun but, like all languages, it comes with some challenges.

English has words that look or sound very similar to each other but have different meanings or are pronounced differently. The good news is that once you’re able to recognise these tricky words, and the common mistakes people make with them, your English will advance much faster. You’ll also pick up some rules and patterns that help you learn new vocabulary and develop your confidence in English.

Here are the 10 most commonly confused words in English, with explanations about why they’re confusing, and simple explanations to help you avoid making mistakes.

1. Pacific / Specific

These two words sound alike. As a result, people often drop the ‘s’ sound when pronouncing ‘specific’ – they would say ‘pecific’, which isn’t a word in English. It’s important to get the pronunciation right because ‘Pacific’ and ‘specific’ have different meanings.

• Pacific: the name of the Pacific Ocean.
  Example: “Hawaii is in the Pacific.”
• Specific: to be clear, exact or detailed.
  Example: “Please give a specific example in your report.”

Tip: Remember that ‘specific’ starts with ‘spe’ like the word ‘speech’, so it relates to saying things clearly.

2. Generally / Genuinely

As you can see, these two words have a similar spelling. We often see English learners mix these words up when writing and speaking.

• Generally: usually, in most cases.
  Example: “Our team generally meets every Monday.”
• Genuinely: truly, honestly.
  Example: “She was genuinely happy with the results.”

Tip: ‘Genuine’ is about honesty. ‘General’ is about most cases.

3. Desert / Dessert

One of the most common language mistakes in both writing and speaking. Although the only difference between ‘desert’ and ‘dessert’ is an extra ‘s’, the pronunciation and the meanings are distinct.

• Desert: a dry, sandy area.
  Example: “Camels live in the desert.”
• Dessert: sweet food at the end of a meal.
  Example: “Chocolate cake is my favourite dessert.”

Tip: Remember that ‘desert’ starts strong ‘des‘ and ends weak ‘ert’, whereas ‘dessert’ starts weak ‘dess’ and ends strong ‘ert’. In dessert, the final ‘e’ is a longer sound.

4. Forth / Fourth

Another common error when writing in English. These words are pronounced the same, but refer to different things.

• Forth: forward, onwards.
  Example: “The team went forth into the mountains.”
• Fourth: the number four in order.
  Example: “She finished fourth in the race.”

Tip: Remember that when you come fourth, you put the ‘u’ in the spelling.

5. Lose / Loose

Even native English speakers sometimes confuse ‘lose’ and ‘loose’. Both words are said the same way, but their meanings are not the same.

• Lose: to misplace something, or to not win.
  Example: “We don’t want to lose this client.”
• Loose: not tight.
  Example: “My jacket is too loose.”

Tip: When writing, remember that you lose the second ‘o’ in ‘lose’. When speaking, overemphasise the ‘oo’ sound in ‘loose’.

6. Meter / Metre

These are commonly misused words because the right option depends where you’re from. British English uses ‘metre’, whereas American English uses ‘meter’. The ‘re/er’ ending commonly changes based on what style of English you’re using.

• Metre: British spelling, a measure of length.
• Meter: American spelling, a measure of length.
  Example: “The desk is two metres long.”

However, in the UK, ‘meter’ can also refer to another thing.

• Meter: British spelling, a device that measures something, like electricity or gas.
  Example: “The electricity meter is outside the house.”

Tip: The pronunciation of both words is the same.

7. Quiet / Quite

These words have all the same letters, but they’re pronounced differently and have different meanings.

• Quiet: silent, not noisy.
  Example: “The library is quiet.”
• Quite: fairly, or completely (depending on the context).
  Example: “The film was quite good.”

Tip: ‘Quiet’ is two syllables when said outloud, while ‘quite’ is just one.

8. Anymore / Any more

‘Anymore’ and ‘any more’ are pronounced the same way and people tend to use them interchangeably. However, there’s a grammatical difference between the words.

• Anymore: usually used in negatives, meaning ‘no longer’.
  Example: “We don’t work with that company anymore.”
• Any more: refers to an amount.
  Example: “Do you have any more questions?”

Tip: ‘Anymore’ refers to time. ‘Any more’ is about quantity.

9. Especially / Specially

Comparable to ‘specific’ and ‘Pacific’, people sometimes drop the ‘s’ on ‘especially’. This is common among people who speak languages where the ‘e’ sound doesn’t feature at the beginning of words. ‘Especially’ and ‘specially’ are spelled and pronounced differently, and have different definitions.

• Especially: used for emphasis, meaning ‘particularly’.
  Example: “I like tea, especially green tea.”
• Specially: used when something is done for a specific purpose.
  Example: “The meeting room was specially prepared for the event.”

Tip: ‘Especially’ is an exception, so it begins with an ‘e’.

10. Lend / Borrow

Not all languages differentiate between the verb to give and receive when it’s a favour or an item that comes from someone else. In English, people can confuse the direction of lending and borrowing something.

• Lend: to give something temporarily.
  Example: “Can you lend me a pen?”
• Borrow: to take something temporarily.
  Example: “Can I borrow your pen?”

Tip: The subject decides the word. If you give, you ‘lend’. If you take, you ‘borrow’.

From confusion to clarity

By taking note of the above confused words in English, you’ll be aware of what not to do. You’ll be more likely to use the right terms in the right places, and your English will be clearer at work, home, and in general conversations.

Try writing your own sentences or saying sentences aloud using the words above to put what you’ve learned into practice. Want more advice, tips, and pathways to fluent corporate English? Get in touch with us.