Confusing Words, Including Heteronyms; Or Why English is Difficult to Learn

By Charlotte Smith

This book was written for those who already have some knowledge of English and want to improve. It was written especially for ESL students and uses English words that are similar to the same word in Spanish whenever possible. It also tries to educate the reader about a variety of subjects whenever possible.

The sentences are short and informal. "Confusing Words" includes when to use fewer and less, bring and take, may and can, lend and borrow, and farther and further, to list a few. It also lists some common homophones--words that sound alike. Heteronyms are words that look alike but may be pronounced differently, like present, record, and wound.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9781685263508

Charlotte Smith

Charlotte Smith (1749–1806) was an influential English poet and novelist of the Romantic era. Born in London, she experienced numerous personal and financial challenges throughout her life, which deeply influenced her writing. Smith gained recognition with the publication of her acclaimed collection of poems 'Elegiac Sonnets' in 1784.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Confusing Words

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Heteronyms: Words Spelled Alike but Pronounced Differently

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

W

References

About the Author

cover.jpg

Confusing Words, Including Heteronyms; Or Why English is Difficult to Learn

Charlotte Smith

ISBN 978-1-68526-349-2 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88851-344-6 (Hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-68526-350-8 (Digital)

Copyright © 2023 Charlotte Smith

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

To my grandsons August and Levi

Confusing Words

Now I will be honest with you. I was born in the South, so expressions like fixing to occasionally slip from my mouth. Sometimes, I am guilty of using double negatives or saying ain't or dropping the -ing from words like dancing or singing. I am also guilty of using slang and idiomatic expressions. I may say gonna. I may say dudn't or idn't or wudn't, even though I have lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, since 2005. When I arrived in Santa Fe and could see the obvious differences in our accents, I tried to do better until some cute younger men said, Oh, no, don't try to change it. We think it's cute and sexy.

So I stopped trying. Oh, brother. I may sound like a hillbilly, but if you give me a grammar exam, I will probably ace it. This book is about words that are confusing: some are homophones (that's another entire book of mine), which are words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings, like sea and see. Most are words that are similar. Some I clarify regarding usage.

Remember: Nouns are persons, places, or things. Verbs show action or state of being. Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns and answer the questions which, what kind of, and how many. Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. Adverbs usually answer the questions when, where, and how. They modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Prepositions show a relation to another word such as above or to. An example of an interjection is Fire! Finally, conjunctions like and and but connect.

Indulge me for a moment as I talk about something that really bothers me: people in high places who say between you and I instead of between you and me. The former is never correct. Between you and me is a prepositional phrase. Between is the preposition, one of our eight parts of speech, and the objects of the preposition are you and me. An object of a preposition must be a noun or pronoun. Therefore, this is the reason we need object pronouns like you and me and not a subject pronoun like I. How can people like teachers, preachers, and television personalities not pick up on this?

Pay close attention when you read about how to use fewer and less. This is another one that can nearly ruin my day, but it is so simple: use fewer with plural nouns and less with singular nouns. Pay attention to how many times it is misused on television. You'll be yelling at the television like me. Here are some examples: less food, less money, less time, fewer books, fewer cars, and fewer jobs. Simple, huh?

Can I go to the bathroom? I don't know. Can you? Can you walk into the bathroom, close the door, pull your pants down or whatever, and stand up or sit down to relieve yourself? I mean, are you physically able to do this? That's what can I go to the bathroom? means. We're supposed to say May I go to the bathroom?. In any other situation similar to this, may implies permission, and can refers to ability. Another good example is May I help you?

The following is a short and long vowel chart to help you pronounce some of the words:

The rest of the letters are consonants. However, y may also sound like long i or long e. Finally, if you see two or more consonants in a row, they make one smooth sound. Sometimes one or more of them may be silent. This section is for people who know quite a lot of English. However, sometimes I have helped with pronunciation to make it easier for you.

They say English is one of the hardest languages to learn, and here are some reasons why.

A

a, an

Use a before a word that starts with a consonant. Use an before a word that starts with a vowel (a, e, i, o, or u).

She just had a baby.

I boiled an egg.

abjure, adjure

Abjure is a verb meaning to avoid. Adjure is a verb meaning to command. The e in both words is silent.

She was baptized, only to abjure Christianity in the future.

The judge adjured the witness to tell the truth.

accept, except, expect

Accept is a verb meaning to receive or to agree to. Except means other than, but, or leaving out when used as a preposition. Except is a conjunction in sentences like I did not tell her anything except that she should break up with him. Expect is a verb meaning to look forward to.

The actress walked to the microphone to accept the award.

He accepted his dad's advice reluctantly.

I had everything in my purse except my wallet.

I expect I will receive an A in English.

access, excess, assess

Access as a noun means a way of entering a place. As a verb, it means to enter a place or to get or look at data or a file. Excess as a noun means an amount more than necessary. It can be used as an adjective as in excess fat. Assess is a verb meaning to evaluate the quality or value of.

I had access to the building.

I was able to access the information I needed.

I eat carbohydrates in excess.

A man will come out today and assess the value of my land.

adapt, adopt, adept

Adapt is a verb meaning to change or to adjust. Adopt is a verb meaning to accept. Adept is an adjective meaning very skilled at something. Adept may also be used as a noun.

The animal adapted to its new climate.

The couple adopted the child.

He was adept at karate.

addition, edition

Addition is a noun meaning an increase. Edition is a noun meaning copies printed at one time.

The addition of twenty-five dollars to my paycheck was a surprise.

First editions of books are worth a lot of money.

adverse, averse

Both words are adjectives. Adverse means unfavorable. Averse means having a dislike or opposition to something.

Raising taxes had an adverse effect.

She was not averse to talking badly about her enemy.

advice, advise

Advice (the c sounds like an s) is a noun that means counsel given to a person. Advise (the s sounds like a z) is a verb that means to give advice or counsel. The e at the end of both words is silent.

I gave my best friend some advice.

My father advised me to get a summer job.

affect, effect

These words can be both a noun and a verb, and the accent would be on the second syllable. Affect, as a verb, means to influence or to pretend. As a noun, it means desire or emotion, and the accent may actually be on either syllable. Effect, as a noun, means a result. With an s on the end, it means personal belongings. It may mean elements of a play, movie, etc. As a verb, it means to cause something to happen.

My poor grades will affect my chances of getting into college.

Her personality gave a flat affect.

The fertilizer had a positive effect on my plants.

Special effects in movies are amazing.

My latest grades effected an improvement in my chances of getting into college.

ain't

Ain't is an informal contraction for am not or are not or is not. Ain't is in the dictionary, but it is nonstandard English. Try to avoid using ain't. Instead, say the following.

He is not a fan of heavy metal.

We are not going shopping today.

air, heir

These words sound very much alike. Air as a noun means a gas consisting mostly of oxygen and hydrogen or an impression given by someone or something. As a verb, it means to express one's opinion in public. An heir is one who is legally entitled to another's property upon that person's death.

The air was smoky due to fires.

I don't like to air my complaints in public.

We are the heirs to Mother's property.

aisle, isle

These two words sound alike and are homophones. The a is silent. The s is silent in both words. The e is silent in both words. Aisle is a noun meaning a passageway. An isle is a small island. It is a noun.

The bride walked down the aisle.

An example of an isle is one of the tiny ones in the Philippines.

a long, along

These words sound alike. A long is used when referring to the length of something. Along is a preposition meaning beside.

It seemed a long time until the weekend.

We walked along the beach.

a lot, allot

These words sound alike. A lot means many. It should always be written as two words. It should not be used in formal writing. It is better to use many. Allot is a verb meaning to give something to someone as a share.

A lot of my friends take Spanish. (It is better to say, Many of my friends take Spanish.)

The teacher allotted equal time to each student.

all, any

Do not use any in place of any other or all.

She liked broccoli better than any other vegetable.

Of all the short story writers, O. Henry is my favorite because he likes surprise endings.

all ready, already

These words sound alike. All ready means totally ready and is written as two words. Already is an adverb that means by this time or before.

We were all ready to go on vacation.

We had already eaten before we went to the wedding.

all right, alright

These words sound alike. All right used as an adjective means satisfactory. It should be written as two words. As an adverb, it means to a satisfactory extent. Alright is not standard English and should not be used.

Are you all right?

Everything will be all right.

all together, altogether

These words sound alike. All together means as a group.