25 Confused Homonym Pairs

25 Confused Homonym Pairs 25 Confused Homonym Pairs 25 Confused Homonym Pairs By Mark Nichol Dozens of homonyms, words that sound like other words but are spelled differently, are sometimes confused for their near doppelgngers. This post lists and defines twenty-five frequently confused word pairs, in which the first word is usually used mistakenly in place of the second one. (Definitions for words are simplified and not comprehensive.) 1. add: increase ad: abbreviation for advertisement 2. aid: help aide: one who helps 3. block: area bounded by streets, or an obstacle or a solid object bloc: group with ideas or ideology in common 4. cannon: piece of artillery canon: collection of works, or regulation, or standards or rules or a collection of them 5. canvas: durable, heavy protective material canvass: debate, examine, or go out in search of responses 6. chomp: bite down champ: bite down (same meaning, but idiom is â€Å"champ at the bit†) 7. compliment: praise complement: complete or enhance 8. conscious: aware conscience: adherence to or regard for fairness or moral strength 9. council: deliberative or legislative body counsel: legal adviser 10. discrete: separate discreet: modest, prudent, unobtrusive 11. fair: event for entertainment, exhibition, and trade fare: specific type of food 12. phase: carry out or introduce a stage, or adjust for synchronicity faze: disturb 13. flare: signal fire or light, or a reflecting or bright, unsteady light or a sudden outburst, an outward spreading or something that spreads flair: style, or talent or tendency 14. forward: ahead of foreword: brief introductory section of a book 15. hardy: audacious, brave, durable hearty: healthy, vigorous, enthusiastic, or unrestrained, or full of appetite 16. isle: truncated form of island aisle: passage between groups of seats 17. ordinance: law or rule ordnance: ammunition and explosives 18. premier: best, or a political leader premiere: first performance or showing of a form of entertainment 19. principal: leader of a school, or a leading person in an organization principle: code, idea, or law 20. roll: list or other document, or material held as or in a roll role: function, or character or part played 21. tact: diplomacy or discretion tack: approach or course 22. team: group organized to achieve a goal or to compete teem: be filled to overflowing or present in large quantities 23. tenant: renter tenet: something generally held to be true 24. troop: unit of military personnel troupe: group of performers 25. wreck: destroy wreak: cause, inflict Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of HumorDoes "Mr" Take a Period?5 Examples of Insufficient Hyphenation