COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS
Homonyms: same sound different spelling and meaning
• Instruction: Analyze each statement and choose the correct word that should
complete the sentence..
• 1. We should prepare for an (eminent, imminent ) typhoon.
• 2. Teachers should try to (illicit, elicit ) ideas from the students.
• 3. A true friend doesn’t ( desert, dessert ) you in times of difficulties
• 4. I don’t know ( whose, who’s) bag is this.
• 5. The bride walks down the (isle, aisle) with her groom.
• 6. You need to study hard to earn a (decent, descent ) work .
• 7. We should not ( lose , loose ) sight of a better tomorrow.
• 8. Good rapport boosts the ( moral, morale ) of the employees
• .9 We need a good ( site, cite ) for this project.
•
• 10 He lost a great opportunity because of (sheer, shear) ignorance.
• 11. The examination is (quiet, quite ) difficullt for me.
• 12. It’s nice to wear ( loss, loose ) shirt during summer.
• 13 Children love to eat the ( yolk, yoke) of an egg.
• 14 My mom ( passed, past ) away when I was 20 years old.
• 15. You must ( bear, bare ) in mind that you are special and amazing .
• 16. I like ice cream for (desert, dessert)
• 17. I’m glad to know that ( your, you’re) doing well in school.
• 18. The (ascent, assent) to the mountain is difficult during rainy days.
• 19. The commuters are complaining because of an increasing (fare, fair)
• 20 The (corpse, corps) was in the state of decomposition when the police
found it..
• 21. They work hard to (affect, effect) change in the system.
• 22. Getting rich is just an ( illusion, allusion )
• 23. Can you ( site,cite ) an example of a figure of speech?
• 24. Tardiness (affects, effects) your academic performance.
• 25.The cottage is nowhere in (cite, site, sight)
• 26. This is the (site, cite, sight) for the new gymn.
• 27. He received a (compliment, complement ) from his teacher.
• 28. They had an (elicit, illicit) relationship before.
• 29. The blue dress (complements, compliments) her eyes.
• 30. He made an (allusion, illusion ) to the works of Shakespeare.
• 31. You need to (breath, breathe) fresh unpolluted air.
• 32. The guard is (stationary, stationery) at his post.
• 33.Do you think you can (adapt, adopt) to your new environment?
• 34.We are not prepared to discuss the issue any (farther, further).
• 35. We need to strengthen our (moral, morale ) fiber.
• 36 She is an (alumna, alumnus) of a prestigious school.
• 37.I always write my love letter in a scented (stationary, stationery)
• 38. He is a member of the student ( council, counsel)
• 39. You need to see our guidance (counselor, councilor) right now.
• 40. The seasoning (compliments, complements) the dish.
• 41 The guerillas devised (ingenious, ingenuous) ways of outsmarting the
Japanese.
• 42 Because of extreme heat, plants (whether, wither).
• 43. Farmers attach a (yoke, yolk) to an ox in order to plow a field.
• 44. The laborers have (coarse,course) hands.
• 45. Our speaker is an (eminent, imminent ) politician.
• 46. They want to (emigrate, immigrate) to the US.
• 47. The couple opted to ( adapt, adopt) a child.
• 48. The judge has given his verdict. For the accused the (die, dye ) is cast.
• 49. You need to follow the rules (weather, whether) you like it or not.
• 50. The writer gave full (rein reign) to his imagination.
• ANSWER KEY
• 1. imminent 11. quite 21 effect
• 2. elicit 12. loose 22. illusion
• 3. desert 13. yolk 23. cite
• 4. whose 14. passed 24 affect
• 5. aisle 15. bear 25 sight
• 6. decent 16. dessert 26 site
• 7. lose 17. you’re 27 compliment
• 8. morale 18. ascent 28 illicit
• 9. site 19. fare 29 complements
• 10. sheer 20 corpse 30 allusion
• 31 breathe 41 ingenious
• 32. stationary 42 wither
• 33. adapt 43 yoke
• 34. further 44. coarse
• 35 moral 45. eminent
• 36. alumna 46. immigrate
• 37. stationery 47. adopt
• 38. council 48. die
• 39. counselor 49. whether
• 40. complements 50. rein
