Abhirupa Purkayastha – Simplifying Life

“I except that their was a monkey“, you must be wondering that what happened to me. Nothing, I am perfectly ok and preparing for my debt arbitrator exams. Many of us make these mistakes. The correct sentence is “I accept that there was a monkey“. Their and there is one of the most commonly misused homonym (In linguistics, a homonym is one of a group of words that share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings). Here is a rundown of 50 homonym words that (unconsciously) confuse a content writer.

1. Accept
   Example: He did not accept your leave application.
   Except
   Example: Everyone in the room except Rita come out.
2. Access
   Example: Please provide your access details.
   Excess
   Example: An excess of eating is not healthy.
3. Advise
   Example: You advise him to continue his further studies.
   Advice
   Example: Do not ignore doctor’s advice.
4. Affect
   Example: Smoking will affect your health.
   Effect
   Example: It was the result of the magnetic effect.
5. Antic
   Example: His clown like antic behavior surprised me.
   Antique
   Example: The showpiece was an antique one.
6. Altar
   Example: I am studying the history of Christian history.
   Alter
   Example: Please go to the shop to alter the dress.
7. Ascent
   Example: The story of his ascent to success was a remarkable one.
   Assent
   Example: The bride’s father gave his assent to the marriage proposal.
8. Adapt
   Example: It takes time to adapt to new culture.
   Adept
   Example: She is adept in handicrafts.
9. Apposite
   Example: He is famous for his apposite speeches.
   Opposite
   Example: Opposites attract.
10. Apprise
    Example: Would you like to apprise the students about the hike in fees?
    Appraise
    Example: Appraise the situation before you act.
11. Accessory
    Example: The Gucci handbag that she carries is her all time favorite accessory.
    Accessary
    Example: She was an accessary to the crime.
12. Aural
    Example: Usually a migraine is preceded by aural effects.
    Oral
    Example: He was going for an oral surgery.
13. Auxiliary
    Example: There are no auxiliary branches of this shop.
    Axillary
    Example: The doctor looked at the axillary gland.
14. Ablution
    Example: Ablution is the ritual washing of a priest’s hands or of sacred vessels
    Oblation
    Example: In earlier days, child oblation was practiced to please gods.
15. Ail
    Example: Your untimely work schedule will ail you someday.
    Ale
    Example: Ale was a common drink in olden days.
16. Assay
    Example: Assay the sample properly to see how much enzyme is present.
    Essay
    Example: He wrote great essays on socialism.
17. Allay
    Example: The doctor is trying hard to allay the crying child.
    Alley
    Example: There is an old alley in the town.
18. Angle
    Example: The angle between perpendicular lines is 90degrees.
    Angel
    Example: Anny was as innocent as an angel.
19. Bail
    Example: The guilty was soon released on bail.
    Bale
    Example: Transport the bale of cotton to another city.
20. Bridal
    Example: The bridal dress was prepared by the girl’s aunt.
    Bridle
    Example: The movement was an attempt to bridle the power of the dictator.
21. Born
    Example: He was born on 14 th of March.
    Borne
    Example: Great difficulties were borne by the people of this country to get freedom.
22. Bore
    Example: The movie was a complete bore.
    Boar
    Example: We caught the boar in jungle.
23. Beside
    Example: I want to sit beside you.
    Besides
    Example: I do not want to go to the movie, besides, we can not afford it.
24. Blew
    Example: The wind blew from the east
    Blue
    Example: The color of the sky is blue.
25. Birth
    Example: The couple celebrated the birth of their first child.
    Berth
    Example: Sleeping on the berth of a train is not all a comforting experience.
26. Cession
    Example: How much land did the US acquire from the Mexican cession?
    Session
    Example: The session with the marriage counselor went well.
27. Chord
    As noun
    Example: The diameter is the longest chord of a circle.
    As verb
    Example: The musician taught me how to play the major chord.
    Cord
    Example: Tie the bundle with a cord.
28. Corps
    Example: The doctors in the Army Medical Corps demanded for a hike in their salary.
    Core:
    Example: The executive board is the core of the organization.
29. Check
    Example: Check for the errors in your credit report.
    Cheque
    Example: We withdraw money from our bank by writing a cheque.
30. Canvas
    Example: Canvas paintings are put on sale in the art exhibition.
    Canvass
    Example: After the election, the members of the student union were assigned to canvass the campus to find out the opinions of the students about the key issues.
31. Complement
    Example: A glass of wine is a perfect complement to a scrumptious sea food meal.
    Compliment
    Example: Do not compliment people unnecessarily in parties, they might take it badly.
32. Confident
    Example: If you have not done anything wrong then be confident in the courthouse.
    Confidant
    Example: He shares all the private matters with his confidant.
33. Canon
    Example: Canon law governs the Roman Catholic churches.
    Cannon
    Example: In olden days, cannons were used in wars.
34. Calendar
    Example: I have marked the date on my calendar.
    Calender
    Example: Calender is no longer used to smooth or glaze papers.
35. Desert
    Example: Sahara is the second largest desert.
    Dessert
    Example: Strawberry short cake was served to the invitees as the dessert.
36. Dying
    Example: People were dying due to the epidemic.
    Dyeing
    Example: The workers were busy dyeing the clothes.
37. Dear
    Example: During the Christmas time we love to buy gifts for our near and dear ones.
    Deer
    Example: The hunter was trying hard to shoot the deer.
38. Dissent
    Example: He is going to dissent whatever I speak in the meeting, so, you guys have to support me.
    Descent
    Example: His slow descent from the mountain was a cause of worry for his family members.
39. Device
    Example: Cell phone is indeed a useful device to communicate with people.
    Devise
    Example: Do not devise plans to harm him.
40. Dual
    Example: Robert Stevenson penned down the dual life led by a doctor in his novel Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
    Duel
    Example: A duel was fought between the kings to settle the dispute.
41. Diverse
    Example: India is known for its diverse culture.
    Divers
    Example: Divers face many challenges while working underwater.
42. Deference
    Example: A knowledgeable man will always pay deference to greater men.
    Difference
    Example: Our difference of nature is the root of all the problems.
43. Eminent
    Example: The seminar was attended by eminent scholars.
    Imminent
    Example: The army chief announced today that there is no imminent danger of war now.
44. Emigrant
    Example: The emigrant leaves his land to reside in some other country.
    Immigrant
    Example: She is an immigrant from Sweden, but she has adapted herself well with her surroundings.
45. Fair
    Noun
    Example: Some men love fair women.
    Example: I went to the book fair yesterday.
    Adjective
    Example: He was a fair referee, thus all the charges of bias against him were dropped.
    Fare
    Noun
    Example: Bus fare has gone up again.
    Verb
    Example: Fare well in your exams.
46. Human
    Example: To explain the dichotomy of human nature is quite a tough job.
    Humane
    Example: In our pursuit of making fast money, we must not let our humane qualities die.
47. Lessen
    Example: The medicine will lessen your pain.
    Lesson
    Example: We must learn some kind of a lesson from our past mistakes.
48. Loose
    Example: Loose clothing is the latest vogue.
    Lose
    Example: Children often lose their money in school.
49. Ordinance
    Example: The Government has recently passed an ordinance banning child labor.
    Ordnance
    Example: Ordnance factories supply ammunitions to the army.
50. Physic
    Example: A physic can surely cure your health problems.
    Physique
    Example: an athlete must have a good physique.

It’s just 50 pairs of homonyms, there are more…..and I intend to cover them too!

Update –

A new list of 50 confusing words. You might like to read it.