English Vocabulary for learners
CONFUSING WORDS-4
Words that are often confused or misused in English
from: 'hard/hardly'
to: 'lose/loose'
- hard/hardly
- Hard can be an adjective or an adverb. It means 'tough', 'difficult' or 'with difficulty/effort'.
"The cheese is very hard."
“Her explanation was hard to understand.”
“He is working hard for his exams.”
Hardly is an adverb meaning 'scarcely', 'barely', 'only just'
“There is hardly any milk left.”
“Don't worry. The stain is hardly noticeable.”
- Hard can be an adjective or an adverb. It means 'tough', 'difficult' or 'with difficulty/effort'.
- hear/here
- Hear: If you 'hear' something, your ears detect the sound of it.
"Call me if you hear the baby crying."
Here: If something is 'here' it is near you when you speak.
"Come and sit here beside me."
- Hear: If you 'hear' something, your ears detect the sound of it.
- heroin/heroine
- Heroin: A powerful illegal drug.
"He died from an overdose of heroin. "
Heroine:
1) A woman admired for her achievements.
"She was a heroine of the Resistance during World World II. "
2) The main female character in a story, play or film.
"As expected, the heroine fell in love with a brave warrior."
- Heroin: A powerful illegal drug.
- hoard/horde
- To hoard means to collect or accumulate.
"Some animals hoard food for the winter."
A horde means a large group of people.
"Hordes of people turned up to see the event."
- To hoard means to collect or accumulate.
- imply/infer
- To imply means to suggest something without saying anything explicit.
"He implied that the man was dishonest without giving any reason."
To infer means to deduce from evidence and reasoning.
"From the facts provided we can infer that the man is dishonest."
- To imply means to suggest something without saying anything explicit.
- incite/insight
- To incite means to encourage or provoke action.
"He incited the group to protest against the new rule."
Insight means accurate or deep understanding of complex matters.
"The professor was a man with considerable insight. "
- To incite means to encourage or provoke action.
- later/latter
- Later means 'at some time after the present moment'
"The children are already here; my husband will arive later."
The latter is the second of two items, people or things previously mentioned.
“Beef or chicken? The latter is cheaper.”
- Later means 'at some time after the present moment'
- lessen/lesson
- To lessen means to decrease, diminish or reduce.
"The new measures are intended to lessen the risk of fires."
A lesson is something that is taught or that you learn.
"Max is taking driving lessons."
- To lessen means to decrease, diminish or reduce.
- loathe/loath
- To loathe means to detest or dislike intensely.
"She loathes spiders ...in fact, insects of all sorts!"
Loath is an adjective meaning reluctant or unwilling
"He was loath to admit that he had failed the exam."
- To loathe means to detest or dislike intensely.
- lose/loose
- Lose is a verb. If you lose something you no longer have it.
"Put the address in your wallet so that you don't lose it."
Loose is an adjective meaning not tightly fitted or unattached.
"I have a loose tooth. I need to go to see the dentist."
"There were two loose horses in the field."
- Lose is a verb. If you lose something you no longer have it.
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