It’s hard to deny the fact that the English language has a lot of commonly confused words. They either look alike, sound alike or, worst of all, look and sound alike (but have completely different meanings). Here is a collection of some of the commonly misused words that you often encounter.
Commonly Confused Words in English
There are many commonly confused words in the English language. Below is a list of commonly confused words for ESL Learners.
TO vs TOO
What is the difference between To vs Too?
To
- Is a preposition
Examples: She stood up and walked to the window.
- Shows the infinitive form of a verb
Examples: Are you ready to start?
Too
- Means “as well” or “also”
Examples: “I’m feeling hungry.” – “Me too.”
- Conveys the idea of “in excess”
Examples: I ate too quickly and got hiccoughs.
WHO vs WHOM
The difference between who vs whom in English.
Who
- Is a subject pronoun
- Used to ask which person does an action or which person is a certain way
Examples: Who are you?
Whom
- Is an object pronoun
- Used to ask which person receives an action
Examples: I met a man with whom I used to work.
JUST vs ALREADY
How to use Just vs Already correctly?
Already
Means “even”, “something has happened earlier”
Examples: He hasn’t already read this book.
Just
Means “just before”, “a short time ago”
Examples: Mr. Thomas has just bought a new shirt.
LESS vs FEWER
What’s the difference between Less vs Fewer?
Less
- Used when talking about things that are uncountable or have no plural
- Is compatible with collective nouns, non-countable nouns, and volumes
Examples: We must try to spend less money.
Fewer
- Used when talking about things or people in the plural
- Used countable nouns and individual items
Examples: She needs fewer clothes this month.
MUCH vs MANY
How to Use Much vs Many Correctly?
Much
- Means a large amount of, or a lot in quantity
- Used with uncountable nouns. It is mainly used in negative and interrogative clauses.
Examples: I don’t have much money.
Many
- Means a large number of, or a lot in number
- Used with countable nouns. It is mainly used in questions, affirmative sentences, and negations
Examples: How many people were there at the concert?
SOME vs ANY
Differences between Some vs Any in English.
Some
Used to mean “a little” and “a few“
Examples: He has bought some tropical fruits.
Any
Used to mean “no” or “zero“
Examples: Do you have any tickets for the concert?
DESPITE vs ALTHOUGH
Learn the differences between Despite vs Although.
Despite
- Is a preposition
- After despite we use a noun or a pronoun
Examples: Despite all the difficulties, he still remains optimistic.
Although
- Is a subordinating conjunction
- After although we use a clause
Examples: Although she often disagreed with me, she was always courteous.
List of Commonly Confused Words | Picture
Commonly Confused Words in English
Please check the ”already” vs.” just” table (examples).