WORD PROBLEMS

Accent/Ascent/Assent

Accent - to emphasize or stress
Ascent - a going up or rising movement
Assent - to agree

We must accent the positive aspects of the merger. 

The balloon made a rapid ascent to a high altitude. 

Will you give your assent to this arrangement?

Accept/Except

Accept - to receive
Except - to the exclusion of

Please accept this gift as a token of my appreciation. 

All documents have been signed except those on the desk. 

Adapt/Adept/Adopt

Adapt - to adjust to a situation
Adept - skillful
Adopt - to put into practice or to borrow

We were able to adapt to the new working arrangement. 

You've become very adept at dealing with irate customers. 

Can we adopt the amendments to our sick leave policy? 

Adjacent/Contiguous/Conterminous

Adjacent - close to, nearby
Contiguous - sharing the same boundary
Conterminous (also coterminous ) - contained within one boundary

The school was adjacent to stores in the shopping outlet. 

A wooden fence offered some privacy for the contiguous lots. 

The conterminous United States excludes Alaska and Hawaii. 

Adverse/Averse

Adverse - unfavorable
Averse - having a dislike for something

An adverse ruling negated our attempts at reconciliation. 

He was averse to working with the management team. 

Advice/Advise

Advice - recommendations
Advise - to make a recommendation or make recommendations

We took his advice and contracted with a licensed plumber for

the repair of the frozen pipes. 

I would advise you to look carefully at all aspects of the new

job before you decide to move on. 

Affect/Effect

Affect (as a verb) - to change or influence
Affect (as a noun) - the subjective impression of feeling or emotion
Effect (as a noun) - a result or consequence
Effect (as a verb) - to cause

Loud noises can affect your ability to concentrate. 

His strange affect was very disconcerting. 

What effect did the decision have on your responsibilities? 

Can you effect the change within the designated time frame?

Allusion/Illusion/Delusion

Allusion - reference to something
Illusion - a mistaken impression
Delusion - a false belief

Your allusion to the results of the study helped convince me. 

The illusion that was created was one of total innocence. 

Your fear of being severely criticized is just a delusion. 

Alternate/Alternative

Alternate - occurring in turns, every other one
Alternative - allowing for a choice between two or more options

Black stones and white stones were placed in alternate lines. 

We considered a number of alternative proposals.

Among/Between

Among - any of more than two choices
Between - either of two choices

The gifts were divided among all who attended. 

The choice is basically between good and evil. 

Anyone/Any One

Anyone - any person
Any one - a specific person or object

The story might have been about anyone. 

Any one of the proposals could have accomplished the task. 

Assure/Insure/Ensure

Assure - to cause to feel confident (refers to persons)
Insure - to make certain, guarantee (financial )
Ensure - to make certain, guarantee

I can assure you that when you insure your property against

loss by fire, you will ensure your peace of mind.

Biannually/Biennially

Biannually - two times a year
Biennially - every two years

We convene biannually, on January 30 and July 30. 

The group meets biennially in May of odd-numbered years.

Bimonthly/Semimonthly

Bimonthly - every two months, or twice a month
Semimonthly - twice a month

Our bimonthly meetings are held in February, April, June,

August, October, and December. 

Semimonthly reviews are published on the 5th and 20th of

every month. 

Can/May

Can - ability, or permission, or possibility
May - permission, or possibility

You can reach your goal if you'll only put forth a little more

effort. (ability) 

(Can or May) I help you to complete the assignment that was

given to you by Mr. Finchell? (permission) 

I noticed that William (can or may ) make errors if

he is not careful. ( possibility) 

The issue may not seem vital, but it is. (possibility) 

Capital/Capitol

Capital - invested money, or the central city or site of government, or an uppercase letter
Capitol - the main government building

Can sufficient capital be raised to finance the expansion? 

Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska. 

THIS SENTENCE IS WRITTEN IN CAPITAL LETTERS. 

The museum is located in the capitol rotunda. 

Carat/Caret/Karat

Carat - the weight of a gem
Caret - a mark showing an insertion
Karat - a unit for the purity of gold

The wedding ring that Michael gave Elizabeth had a 2.6 carat

diamond setting. 

A caret is a proofreading symbol used to indicate where

something is to be inserted in a line of printed matter. 

Her necklace is 18-karat gold.

Cite/Sight/Site

Cite - to quote
Sight - vision
Site - a location

Please cite a specific reference that will support your claim. 

We lost sight of the ship when it passed beyond the horizon. 

The proposed site for the new plant is still a matter of concern. 

Complement/Compliment

Complement - completing or adding to something
Compliment - an expression of praise

Our work will complement the activities of the task force. 

I'd like to compliment you on your excellent achievement. 

Comprise/Compose

Comprise - to include or contain
Compose - to make up from many parts

The Union comprises 50 states. (The whole contains the parts.) 

Fifty states compose the union. (The parts make up the whole.) 

Continual/Continuous

Continual - intermittent, but frequently repeated
Continuous - without interruption

The continual banging of the shutters was annoying. 

The protest group maintained a continuous vigil at the prison. 

Council/Counsel/Consul

Council - a group of people
Counsel - to advise, or advice, or an attorney
Consul - a foreign representative

The student council decided to relocate the candy machines. 

Please counsel us concerning our team's responsibilities. 

We appreciate your counsel in this matter. 

Will you be represented by counsel at this hearing? 

The Japanese consul helped to clarify the issues in dispute. 

Councilor/Counselor

Councilor - a member of council
Counselor - an advisor or an attorney

The councilor proposed that the bond issue be placed on the

April election ballot. 

The camp counselor was very skilled at resolving the many

disputes that arose during the two-week session.

Credible/Creditable/Credulous

Credible - believable
Creditable - praiseworthy
Credulous - gullible

Do you believe John will be viewed as a credible witness? 

She gave a creditable performance under stressful conditions. 

Because Mary is so credulous, she is often victimized. 

Disburse/Disperse

Disburse - to pay out
Disperse - to scatter

The treasurer will disburse the accrued funds as directed. 

The police were called to disperse the crowd that had gathered.

Discreet/Discrete

Discreet - tactful or prudent
Discrete - separate or individual

I trust you'll be discreet about the content of our discussion. 

These are discrete occurrences and clearly unrelated. 

Disinterested/Uninterested

Disinterested - neutral or unbiased
Uninterested - without interest

He was chosen as a disinterested third-party observer. 

Fred seemed uninterested in the results of the survey. 

Elapse/Lapse

Elapse - to pass by or slip
Lapse - to drift, or to discontinue, or to terminate

Allowing time to elapse between readings affects data validity. 

Do not permit the electorate to lapse into a state of apathy. 

The subscription will lapse unless it is immediately renewed. 

Eminent/Imminent

Eminent - outstanding or prestigious
Imminent - very near or impending

The eminent physicist described his current research project. 

We were in imminent danger of losing our life's savings. 

Envelop/Envelope

Envelop - to enclose or to encase
Envelope - something that encloses or contains

We will envelop the pod with a plastic overlayment. 

Please open the envelope and distribute its contents. 

Farther/Further

Farther - more distant (physical distance )
Further - more remote ( time or degree)

The mountains are farther away than they may appear. 

Nothing could be further from the truth. 

Fewer/Less

Fewer - smaller in number ( refers to things that can be counted)
Less - smaller in amount or degree ( refers to mass items that cannot be counted)

The gauge indicated fewer gallons of solvent in the container today. 

The gauge indicated less solvent in the container today. 

Forward/Foreword

Forward - moving frontward
Foreword - the introduction to a book

The car lurched forward and struck the tree.

Acknowledgments were given in the foreword to the book.

Imply/Infer

Imply - to suggest or hint
Infer - to draw a conclusion or to deduce

You imply that the results of the study may be biased. 

I infer from your report that you are highly displeased. 

Irregardless/Regardless

Irregardless - (unacceptable version of regardless)
Regardless - heedless or unmindful

He decided to proceed, regardless of the consequences. 

Its/It's

Its - (the possessive form of it)
It's - (the contraction of it is)

The plane was on its final approach when it crashed. 

It's a pleasure to be associated with this company. 

Later/Latter

Later - coming after something else
Latter - the second of two objects or persons

We intend to present the final results of the investigation at a

later date. 

The committee had considered either rebuilding the structure

or relocating to another site. Because of the high costs

involved in construction, they chose the latter alternative.

Lay/Laid/Laid

Lay, Laid, Laid - to put or place ( principal parts of lay)

Please lay the book on the table. 

We laid the bricks in a random pattern on the patio. 

Our study has laid a firm foundation for future discussions.

Lie/Lay/Lain

Lie, Lay, Lain - to rest or recline ( principal parts of lie)

The Indian ruins lie several miles south of this mesa. 

When I lay down last night, I fell asleep immediately. 

The rubbish had lain there for nearly a week. 

Maybe/May be

Maybe - perhaps
May be - possibility

Maybe the problem cannot be effectively resolved. 

The alternative may be too risky.

Practical/Practicable

Practical - useful, reasonable
Practicable - feasible, possible

Jim developed a practical method for gathering relevant data. 

The solution is not practicable at this time. 

Precedence/Precedents

Precedence - an established priority
Precedents - an example or instance, as in a legal case

Your needs take precedence over the needs of our agency. 

Several precedents were established by the recent verdict.

Principal/Principle

Principal - main or chief, or referring to capital
Principle - moral standard, or law

The principal means of transportation was the bicycle. 

How much of my payment was applied to the loan principal? 

Our decision was based on principle rather than expediency. 

The principle of jet propulsion is fairly easy to comprehend. 

Raise/Raised/Raised

Raise, Raised, Raised - to move (something) upward (principal parts of raise)

Can we raise the required amount by Friday? 

We raised the beam to a higher position in the structure. 

They had raised enough money to cover the start-up costs.

Respectfully/Respectively

Respectfully - with deference or esteem
Respectively - in the sequence named

We were not treated very respectfully when we made our

appearance at the reception. 

The number of deliveries in May, June, and July were,

respectively, 25, 39, and 48. 

Rise/Rose/Risen

Rise, Rose, Risen - to stand up or move upward (principal parts of rise)

Please rise from your bed and answer the door. 

The price of commodities rose with inflation. 

The balloon had risen to a very high altitude.

Set/Set/Set

Set, Set, Set - to place, or establish ( principal parts of set)

They set the computers on the table in the hall and then

returned to their work stations. 

Yesterday we set a record for the number of customer calls

successfully handled. 

After I had set the operational parameters, I left the room to

allow the committee to conduct its activities. 

Sit/Sat/Sat

Sit, Sat, Sat - to rest or recline ( principal parts of sit)

Castles usually sit at the top of hills. 

We sat in the restaurant and waited for the rain to stop. 

The boxes had sat in the warehouse all morning. 

Stationary/Stationery

Stationary - fixed in one spot
Stationery - writing paper

The stationary object glowed brightly in the northeastern sky. 

Do we have any  stationery  with our corporate letterhead? 

Than/Then

Than - (used in comparisons )
Then - at that time

The project took more time to complete than we had originally

projected. 

Until then, let's not get too excited about our chances to win

the contract award. 

Their/There/They're

Their - (possessive pronoun )
There - in that place
They're - (contraction for they are )

While in the lab, they wore protective gear over their work

uniforms to reduce the possibility of contamination. 

The computer disks were placed there for safekeeping, but

someone apparently borrowed them. 

Does anyone know where they're taking the boxes that I 

specifically requested be left in the warehouse?

To/Too/Two

To - (preposition)
Too - excessively, or also
Two - (number)

Take the problem to your immediate supervisor for resolution

before approaching me with it. 

We are taking entirely too much time wrestling with this

relatively unimportant issue. (excessively) 

We must carefully consider the leave requests of the other

people in the department, too. ( also) 

Take two aspirins and call me in the morning. 

Toward/Towards

Toward, Towards - in the direction of, or before in time (Either form is correct, although toward is preferred.)

By moving your desk toward the far wall, you'll create more

room for the lateral file. 

Toward morning the rain began, and the unsettled weather

conditions persisted for the remainder of the day. 

Who/Whom

Who - (relative pronoun, subjective case )
Whom - ( relative pronoun, objective case)

Do you know who will be representing our position in the

upcoming contract negotiation with Zolotow Electronics? 

Are you the individual with whom I corresponded? 

Your/You're

Your - (possessive form of you)
You're - (contraction of you are)

If you'll give me your undivided attention, I'll be able to

review the contract terms rather quickly. 

I once owned the car that you're now driving.