Have you ever been confused when you are writing and have to choose between words like "there, their and they're" or "affect and effect"? Well, you are not alone! These are among (not between) some of the most commonly confused words in English.
Commonly Confused Words (also sometimes called homonyms, commonly misused words, common mistakes, etc.) are often included on tests like the CAHSEE, the SAT, the CST, and the English Benchmark. Often, you just need to study and learn them to get them right.
One way to learn the rules when it comes to commonly confused words is to use tricks or mnemonic devices such as "The principal is your pal" to remember the difference between (not among) the words Principal and Principle.
Below you will find some links to websites that provide lists, tricks and tools, practice quizzes, etc. to help you learn proper usage. Good luck!
Here is a copy of the
List of Commonly Confused Words we went over in class (of course, it doesn't cover ALL of them).
Here is a
handy chart listing many of the words.
This list is pretty long.
This one focuses mostly on verbs and has
examples with pictures!
This
list of commonly confused words and phrases comes from the style guide at Sparknotes.
You can take a practice quiz
here and
here.
