English Vocabulary for learners

CONFUSING WORDS-2

Words that are often confused or misused in English
from: 'backward / backwards' to: 'currant/current'

backward/backwards
- Backward (adjective) means not advanced/not intelligent, unable to learn as much as others.
  (Nowadays it is more acceptable to say that someone has learning difficulties.)
  "The teachers thought the child was backward."
  
  Backward (adjective) also means towards the back or the rear.
  "The skater did an incredible backward somersault."
  
  Backwards (adverb) means a movement directed behind or to the rear.
  "The force of the explosion threw him backwards."
berth/birth
- Berth means a bed or a bunk on a ship, a train, etc..
  It also refers to a place for a boat to stay in a harbour.
  "She booked a berth on the ferry."
  
  Birth means the start of life; the arrival of a baby or an animal.
  "The young couple proudly announced the birth of their first child."

beside/besides
- Beside means next to.
  "Please leave the pen beside the book."
  
  Besides means in addition to.
  "What else do you like besides pizza?"
break/brake
- To break means to separate something into small pieces; to smash.
  "If the glass falls on the floor it will break ."
  
  To brake means to slow down a vehicle or stop it be using the brake.
  "She had to brake hard to avoid the dog."
breath/breathe/breadth
- A breath means an amount of air inhaled or exhaled..
  "He took a deep breath before diving into the pool."
  
  To breathe means the action of taking air into your lungs.
  "It was difficult to breathe in the stuffy room."
  
  The breadth of something is the distance from side to side.
  "Rich carpeting covered the breadth of the room."
  
  ‘Breadth’ can also refer to the range or extent or something.
  "I was amazed by the breadth of her knowledge on the subject."
briefly/shortly
- Briefly means for a short time or in a few words.
  "Alex worked briefly as a waiter when he was a student."
  "The letter briefly outlined the proposal."
  
  Shortly means soon, or a short period of time before or after something.
  "Lunch will be served shortly."
  "Jack arrived shortly before the plane landed."
  
  Shortly can also mean ‘sharply’ or ‘in a rude or impatient way’.
  "I’m in a hurry." said the boss, shortly.
broach/brooch
- To broach means to raise a subject.
  "He promised to broach the subject at the next meeting."
  
  Brooch refers to a piece of jewellery.
  "The Queen wore a beautiful diamond brooch."
cache/cash
- A cache is a hidden store of items, or the place where they are kept.
  "The police found a cache of arms behind the house."
  
  Cash is money in the form of notes and coins.
  "You can pay by cheque or in cash"
canvas/canvass
- Canvas is a noun meaning a strong tightly-woven cloth used for tents, sails, sports shoes, oil paintings, etc.
  "Many holiday-makers wear canvas shoes in the summer."
  
  The verb to canvass means to go through an area to try to obtain votes.
  "The candidate set out to canvass the whole district."
censor/censure
- To censor means to examine (e.g. a book/film/letter) and suppress unacceptable parts.
  "The letters the prisoner received were censored."
  
  To censure means to express severe disapproval or strong criticism of something.
  "The Minister was censured for not reacting more quickly to the situation."
childish/childlike
- Childish means immature or silly behaviour.
  If an adult is childish, they behave in a way that would be expected of a child.
  "Don’t be so childish –tell me where you hid my phone!"
  
  Childlike describes a person who has the qualities of a child (innocence, simplicity, credulity…), or has the physical appearance of a child.
  "He has almost childlike admiration for circus performers.”
  “She was slim and graceful with a childlike face.”
coarse/course
- Coarse means:
  1) rough or uneven
  "The coarse fabric irritated the baby's skin."
  
  2) rude or offensive language.
  "Not everyone likes him because he often tells coarse jokes."
  
  Course means:
  1) A series of classes or lessons
  "Tom is doing a computer course at the moment. "
  
  2) Part of a meal
  "The main course is grilled salmon."
complement/compliment
- A complement is something additional that enhances or makes something even better.
  "The music complements her voice perfectly."
  
  To compliment someone is to express approval, praise or admiration.
  "She complimented the actor on his performance. "
consist of / consist in
- To consist of means to be made up of different parts or elements.
  "What does a full English breakfast consist of?"
  
  To consist in means to have as an essential feature.
  "His value consists in his talent as a negotiator."
continual/continuous
- Continual refers to something that occurs frequently or regularly, with interruptions, something that starts and stops, for example: a constant cough.
  "Unfortunately we had continual rain, with some sunny breaks. "
  "The teacher was annoyed by the students' continual interruptions."
  
  Continuous means never-ending, nonstop. It refers to something that continues without interruption, for example: time.
  "The scene was filmed in one continuous take."
  "Rivers flow in a continuous stream."
counsel/council
- To counsel means to give advice or recommend a course of action.
  "Experts were available to counsel the families of the victims."
  
  A council is a group of people elected to make decisions or administer an area.
  "The town council has decided not to finance the project. "
cue/queue
- A cue is a signal, reminder or prompt e.g. for an actor.
  "The door slamming was his cue to go on stage."
  
  A queue is a line of people or vehicles.
  "There was a long queue in front of the cinema."
currant/current
- A currant is a small black dried grape, used especially in cakes.
  "I used to love my grandmother's currant buns."
  
  A current is a continuous movement of ocean water from one location to another.
  "The swimmer was swept away by a strong current."
  
  The adjective current describes something that is happening now.
  "I like to keep up-to-date on current events."

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CONFUSING WORDS-2

Words that are often confused or misused in English from: 'backward / backwards' to: 'currant/current'

Words that are often confused or misused in English
from: 'backward / backwards' to: 'currant/current'