English Vocabulary for learners
CONFUSING WORDS-3
Words that are often confused or misused in English
from: 'decent/descent'
to: 'forward/foreward'
- decent/descent
- Decent means 'suitable, appropriate, socially acceptable'.
"Make sure you wear decent clothes at the interview."
A descent is a downward movement
"The plane began its descent towards the airport.”
- Decent means 'suitable, appropriate, socially acceptable'.
- defuse/diffuse
- Defuse has two meanings:
1) Make a situation calmer, less tense or less harmful.
"His intervention defused the rising tension and prevented an escalation of violence."
2) Remove the fuse from a device so that it cannot explode.
"Police have defused a bomb found in a train station."
Diffuse means to spread in all directions.
"The scented candles diffused a pleasant fragrance in the room."
"The sun's rays diffused through the clouds"
- Defuse has two meanings:
- deprecate/depreciate
- Deprecate means to disparage, belilttle, criticize or disapprove of something.
"In her article she deprecated the standard American diet."
Depreciate means to lose value.
"Our house has depreciated in value in the last year."
"You should sell your stock in the company before it depreciates!”
- Deprecate means to disparage, belilttle, criticize or disapprove of something.
- disinterested/uninterested
- Disinterested means impartial, unbiased,
neutral or not influenced by personal interest.
"My advice to you is totally disinterested."
Uninterested means not interested in something or not care about it.
"The old man is uninterested in the results of the elections."
- Disinterested means impartial, unbiased,
neutral or not influenced by personal interest.
- draft/draught/drought
- A draft refers to the preparatory version of a document.
"The draft was altered several times."
A draught means a current of cool air.
"Please close the door. I feel a draught."
Drought is a period of abnormally dry weather when there is little or no rain.
"Farmers are suffering from this year's severe drought."
- A draft refers to the preparatory version of a document.
- dual/duel
- Dual means having two parts.
"A car used to teach people to drive has dual controls."
A duel means a combat fought between two persons in the presence of witnesses.
"Lord Weatherington was killed in a duel."
- Dual means having two parts.
- economic/economical
- Economic means relating to the economy or financial situation.
"Public spending depends on the economic situation of the country."
Economical means to be thrifty : find ways of spending less money or use resources efficiently.
"Buying in large quantities is usually more economical than buying items individually."
- Economic means relating to the economy or financial situation.
- elicit/illicit
- Elicit means to provoke or get a response.
"The clown elicited lots of laughter from the children."
Illicit means illegal or unlawful.
"An illicit copy of the software was installed on the computer."
- Elicit means to provoke or get a response.
- eminent/imminent
- Eminent means renowned and respected in a profession.
"The operation was performed by an eminent heart surgeon."
Imminent refers to something about to happen or impending.
"The area was evacuated because of imminent flooding."
- Eminent means renowned and respected in a profession.
- especially/specially
- Especially means to single out one person or thing above all others.
"She likes all her teachers, especially Mrs. Brown."
Specially means for a special purpose.
"A cake was specially made for the occasion."
- Especially means to single out one person or thing above all others.
- everyday/every day
- Everyday describes ordinary normal things or occurences.
"I don’t wear my everyday clothes on special occasions."
Every day means every single day.
"Jack takes the bus to work every day. "
- Everyday describes ordinary normal things or occurences.
- expand/expend
- Expand means to increase in size, number, volume, importance etc.
“Reading will expand your vocabulary.”
Expend means to use or spend effort, time,money, etc.
“Some nations expend great resources on war.”
- Expand means to increase in size, number, volume, importance etc.
- farther/further
- Farther refers to distance.
"The train station is farther away than the bus stop."
Further refers to something additional.
"For further information please call 123456."
(NB: In British English both 'farther' and 'further' are used for distance.)
- Farther refers to distance.
- forward/foreword
- Forward means onward, ahead of you or towards the future.
"As soon as the door opened the car moved forward "
Foreword means an introduction to a book written by someone other than the author.
"The foreword to his latest book was written by a famous scientist.."
- Forward means onward, ahead of you or towards the future.
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