Confusing pairs of words...

looksee

Would you accept this clause in the terms and conditions?
Would you except this clause in the terms and conditions?

Two very similar words in reasonably correct sentences, but they have opposite, or at least different, meanings. There are many similar sounding words that can cause confusion if they are transposed - affect and effect are two of the commonest.

Homonyms, homographs and homophones can be included, but contribute your favourites / most irritating / most frequently incorrect, and if you want to offer a sentence to show the difference, please do.

pickarooney

flammable/inflammable

ezra_pound

pickarooney wrote: »

flammable/inflammable

Only these words mean the same thing.

tina1040

What's the difference between assume and presume?

pickarooney

ezra_pound wrote: »

Only these words mean the same thing.

That's what's confusing!

pickarooney

tina1040 wrote: »

What's the difference between assume and presume?

In some contexts non, but each has uses the other one doesn't.

You can't "assume to know" something or "presume the position" for example.

Speedwell

Include/comprise. Jesus, I see these used interchangeably all the time, but they are not interchangeable.

Nauseous/nauseated is another good one. "I'm nauseous," she said. "Oh, you don't look that bad to me," I said.

endacl

Less/fewer

endacl

Random/arbitrary*

*this one is more of a teenager thing.

loremolis

ezra_pound wrote: »

Only these words mean the same thing.

No they don't.

Petrol is inflammable
Diesel is flammable

The first will ignite when a flame is applied
The second will not ignite when a flame is applied but will burn when thrown on a fire.

Second Toughest in_the Freshers

Into The Blue

Practical practicable

Second Toughest in_the Freshers

enormity (a shocking, evil, or immoral act) vs immensity / enormousness


Picture shows the enormity of this storm.

endacl

Telpis.

AMKC

to/too
Through/true

alias no.9

Khaki and Khaki.

One is a yellow/brown colour, the name for which originates from India where it translates as 'soil' and was the colour that white linen army uniforms turned in dusty environments.

The other is a vaguely military green colour for which the word has been incorrectly applied so often that it's almost become an accepted use.

ezra_pound

loremolis wrote: »

No they don't.

Petrol is inflammable
Diesel is flammable

The first will ignite when a flame is applied
The second will not ignite when a flame is applied but will burn when thrown on a fire.

This is completely wrong. There is no difference between the words.

Google it.

tac foley

AMKC wrote: »

to/too
Through/true

Your second example is only valid if you accept the often-heard Irish person's pronunciation the th- sound.

As in three/tree, thought/taught/taut/tort, thanks/tanks et al.

See THIS thread - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=280097

tac

endacl

Presently/currently.

Second Toughest in_the Freshers

tac foley wrote: »

Your second example is only valid if you accept the often-heard Irish person's pronunciation the th- sound.

As in three/tree, thought/taught/taut/tort, thanks/tanks et al.

See THIS thread - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=280097

tac

to through

Mearings

Into The Blue wrote: »

Practical practicable

Anything that can be done and is worth doing is practical. Anything that can be done, whether or not it is worth doing, is practicable.

[The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words. Bill Bryson 1984]

the_pen_turner

legal / illegal always annoys me when talking to someone.

Speedwell

the_pen_turner wrote: »

legal / illegal always annoys me when talking to someone.

Holy hell, what is it you're asking them to do?

my3cents

affect effect

As in, how do you affect the effect?

Not to be confused with the Irish ahhh-feck.

Yakuza

Some people confuse "a lot" with "allot" or even invent their own "alot".

Pherekydes

In a similar vein/vain, no one and noone. See what I did there?

Pherekydes

I heard a govt minister talking about incidences.

When did incidences become the plural of incident?

Incidence/incidents/incidences

tac foley

board/bored

then/than

compliment/complement

tac

my3cents

No ones mentioned there, their or they're yet. I wouldn't call them confusing but plenty of times in other forums here you'll see there used to mean any one of the three

Speedwell

my3cents wrote: »

No ones mentioned there, their or they're yet. I wouldn't call them confusing but plenty of times in other forums here you'll see there used to mean any one of the three

Good point. I don't think many people are confused about what they mean when they use or hear them, though.

Who/whom is confusing though (and I fly the flag of using the conjunctive sparingly).

pickarooney

alias no.9 wrote: »

Khaki and Khaki.

One is a yellow/brown colour, the name for which originates from India where it translates as 'soil' and was the colour that white linen army uniforms turned in dusty environments.

The other is a vaguely military green colour for which the word has been incorrectly applied so often that it's almost become an accepted use.

Isn't the first one what you turn in the ignition in Boston?

Pherekydes wrote: »

I heard a govt minister talking about incidences.

When did incidences become the plural of incident?

Incidence/incidents/incidences

When they happen at the same time, coincidences.