Commonly Confused Words

Commonly confused English words — its/it's, affect/effect, then/than, and more — with a one-line rule for telling them apart.

• its / it's: its = possessive (belonging to it): The dog wagged its tail. it's = 'it is' or 'it has': It's raining.
• your / you're: your = possessive (belonging to you): Is this your bag? you're = 'you are': You're late.
• there / their / they're: there = place: Put it there. their = possessive: Their car broke down. they're = 'they are': They're coming.
• who's / whose: who's = 'who is' or 'who has': Who's calling? whose = possessive: Whose coat is this?
• then / than: then = time/sequence: We ate, then left. than = comparison: She's taller than him.
• affect / effect: affect = verb, to influence: The news affected her. effect = noun, a result: The effect was immediate.
• loose / lose: loose = adjective, not tight: The screw is loose. lose = verb, to misplace or fail to win: Don't lose your keys.
• complement / compliment: complement = something that completes: A good wine complements the meal. compliment = praise: She gave him a compliment.
• stationary / stationery: stationary = not moving: The car remained stationary. stationery = paper and writing supplies: We ordered new stationery.
• principal / principle: principal = head of a school, or most important: the principal reason. principle = a fundamental rule or belief: a principle of physics.
• farther / further: farther = physical distance: The station is farther than I thought. further = figurative or additional: Let's discuss this further.
• fewer / less: fewer = with countable nouns: fewer apples. less = with uncountable nouns: less time.
• accept / except: accept = to agree to receive: I accept your offer. except = excluding: Everyone came except John.
• advice / advise: advice = noun: Can I give you some advice? advise = verb: I advise you to leave early.
• practice / practise: In British English, practice is the noun and practise is the verb: football practice / practise your English. American English uses practice for both.
• desert / dessert: desert = a dry, sandy region (or to abandon): the Sahara desert. dessert = a sweet course after a meal: chocolate cake for dessert.
• breath / breathe: breath = noun: Take a deep breath. breathe = verb: Remember to breathe.
• weather / whether: weather = climate conditions: nice weather today. whether = introduces a choice/condition: I don't know whether to go.
• quiet / quite: quiet = silent, calm: Please be quiet. quite = fairly, or completely: It's quite cold today.
• discreet / discrete: discreet = tactful, careful not to attract attention: a discreet conversation. discrete = separate, distinct: three discrete stages.
• elicit / illicit: elicit = to draw out a response: to elicit information. illicit = illegal or forbidden: illicit drugs.
• envelop / envelope: envelop = verb, to surround completely: Fog enveloped the city. envelope = noun, for mailing letters: seal the envelope.
• cite / site / sight: cite = to quote as evidence: to cite a source. site = a location: a building site. sight = the ability to see, or a view: a beautiful sight.
• bare / bear: bare = uncovered, plain: bare feet. bear = the animal, or to carry/endure: I can't bear the noise.
• peace / piece: peace = absence of conflict: world peace. piece = a part of something: a piece of cake.
• altogether / all together: altogether = entirely, in total: That's altogether wrong. all together = everyone/everything in one place or at once: We arrived all together.
• everyday / every day: everyday = adjective, ordinary: everyday life. every day = each day: I go running every day.
• who / whom: who = subject of a verb: Who called you? whom = object of a verb or preposition: To whom should I address this?