10 Most Confusing Words in English – Explained with Examples
English be full of tricky word that look or sound similar — but mean totally different thing . Even native speaker mix them up ! In this post , we ’ ll break down the 10 most confusing word pair ( or triplet ! ) in English , so you never second-guess yourself again .
🎯 Why You Should Master These Words
Using the wrong word can completely change the meaning of your sentence . These small mistake often show up in school exam , job interview , essay , or even email . Learning them the right way help you :
- Score better in exams like CBSE, SAT, IELTS, etc.
- Write clearly and professionally
- Avoid embarrassing typo or autocorrect fail
- Boost your confident in English communication
🧠 10 Commonly Confused Words – With Easy Explanations
1. Accept vs Except
- Accept = to receive
✅ I accept your apology. - Except = not including
✅ Everyone came to the party except Riya.
2. Effect vs Affect
- Effect (noun) = result
✅ The medicine had a positive effect. - Affect (verb) = to influence
✅ Cold weather affects my mood.
🔄 Tip: Effect = End result, Affect = Action
3. Lie vs Lay
- Lie = to rest (no object)
✅ I need to lie down. - Lay = to put/place something (needs object)
✅ Lay the book on the table.
🤔 Common Mistake: “I’m going to lay down” ❌
Correct: “I’m going to lie down” ✅
4. Then vs Than
- Then = time
✅ We went to the store, then to the mall. - Than = comparison
✅ She is taller than her brother.
5. Loose vs Lose
- Loose = not tight
✅ My shoes are loose. - Lose = to not win or misplace
✅ Don’t lose your phone again!
6. Your vs You’re
- Your = shows possession
✅ Is this your pen? - You’re = you are
✅ You’re doing great!
7. Its vs It’s
- Its = possessive form of “it”
✅ The cat licked its paw. - It’s = it is
✅ It’s raining outside.
🧠 Tip: If you can replace it with “it is,” use it’s.
8. Farther vs Further
- Farther = physical distance
✅ Delhi is farther from Chennai than Mumbai. - Further = metaphorical/figurative distance
✅ Let’s discuss this further tomorrow.
9. Advice vs Advise
- Advice (noun) = suggestion
✅ She gave me good advice. - Advise (verb) = to give suggestions
✅ Can you advise me on this issue?
10. Principal vs Principle
- Principal = head of a school OR main part
✅ The principal spoke at the assembly.
✅ The principal reason is money. - Principle = moral rule or belief
✅ He never lies. It’s against his principles.
✍️ Quick Challenge – Test Yourself!
Choose the correct word:
- I will (accept/except) the offer.
- The movie had a big (effect/affect) on me.
- Please (lay/lie) down and relax.
- He ran faster (then/than) everyone else.
- She doesn’t want to (loose/lose) her ring.
👉 Want the answers? Scroll down!
✅ Answer Key:
- accept
- effect
- lie
- than
- lose
