SOME COMMON CONFUSING WORDS

SOME COMMON CONFUSING WORDS

İngilizce'de en çok karıştırılan ve dikkat edilmesi gereken sözcükler bu kategoride yer almaktadır.

ADAPT - ADOPT

adopt (verb) to take sb into one's family, to raise sb as one's own child, to take as one's own
adapt (verb) to change or make suitable for a new situation

AFFECT - EFFECT

"Affect" is used as a verb and "effect" is used as a noun.
Something that affects you will have an effect on you.

affect (verb) to have an influence on sb/sth
effect (noun) a change, a result; (verb) to make happen, to achieve.

Your opinion may affect their decision.
Watching television has many effects on children.
The government effected a new policy on international issues.

AMONG - BETWEEN

among is used to indicate a relationship with more than two unspecified items.
between is used to indicate a relationship with two or more distinct items.

There was a small cottage between many trees.
He was between me and you. - The negotiations between the USA, China, Russia, and Japan was on international trade.

ASSURE - ENSURE - INSURE

assure (verb) to convince, to guarantee
ensure (verb) to make sure or certain
insure (verb) to provide, to arrange insurance for sth

They assured the passengers that the bus would be on time.
The precautions of the company ensured passengers' safety.
Did you insure your own car for any losses?

BESIDE - BESIDES

beside: compared with, next to
besides: in addition to, moreover, as well as, also

There is a river beside our house.
Besides being succesful, he is an intelligent and honest one.

CITE - SITE -SIGHT

A reference is cited. A site is a place. Sight is vision.

cite (verb) to acknowledge a source
site (noun) a place or location
sight (noun) ability to see, what is seen

You must cite every reference book you use.
This site is one of the best updated websites in the Internet.
Sight is one of the important senses.

COMPLEMENT - COMPLIMENT

complement (verb) to complete
compliment (verb) to praise

COMPOSE - COMPRISE

The whole comprises the parts while the parts compose the whole.

compose (verb) to form
comprise (verb) to have sb/sth as parts or members, to include

Eleven players compose a football team.
A football team comprise eleven players.

CONTINUAL - CONTINUOUS

continual (adjective) repeated at intervals
continuous (adjective) without interruption

DISCREET - DISCRETE

These words are pronounced alike, but they have entirely different meanings.

discreet (adjective) prudent, cautious, careful, trustworthy, circumspect
discrete (adjective) separate, distant, apart, detached

ECONOMIC - ECONOMICAL

Economic applies to material wealth and to business or household enterprise
Economical means prudent in management, not wasteful, thrifty

"economic resources" - "economical management"

EXPAND - EXTEND

Expand (verb) to become greater in number, in size or in importance.
Extend (verb) to make sth longer or larger, to make sth last longer.

FARTHER - FURTHER

Farther: distance
Further: additional degree, time, or quantity.

"As one goes farther away, his/her ability to hear is further decreased."

ILLEGIBLE - UNREADABLE

illegible (adjective) physically impossible to read
unreadable (adjective) not worth reading

INTERPOLATE - EXTRAPOLATE

interpolate (verb) to insert or introduce between other things or parts
extrapolate (verb) to infer or estimate (unknown information) by extending or projecting known information

LAY - LIE

lay (verb) to put, to place (this verb requires a direct object)
lie (verb) to recline, rest, or stay (this verb cannot take an object)

MORALE - MORAL

morale (noun) willingness or state of mind
moral (noun) ethics; (adjective) right and just

PRACTICAL - PRACTICABLE

practical: useful in actual practice
practicable: capable of being put into practice

PRINCIPAL - PRINCIPLE

principal (noun) head, chief; (adjective) highest, best
principle (noun) law, rule

RECUR - REOCCUR

recur (verb) implies the repetition more than once of an event or experience, sometimes according to a definite pattern.
reoccur (verb) suggests a one-time repetition.

STATIONARY - STATIONERY

stationary: not moving or acting, sth fixed in one place
stationery: writing materials such as paper, pens...

VOYAGE - JOURNEY

voyage: the act of travelling by sea
journey: the act of travelling usually by land

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