44 Grammar Confusions - Part 1 of 2

List of Confusions:

• Advance vs Advanced
• Affecet vs Effect
• Altogether vs All Together
• Amount vs Number
• Amused vs Bemused
• Apart vs A Part
• Appraise vs Apprise
• Breath vs Breathe
• Breach vs Breech
• Bring vs Take
• Depreciate vs Deprecate
• Deserts n. v. vs Desserts
• Diffuse vs Defuse
• Disinterested vs Uninterested
• e.g. vs i.e.
• Economic vd Economical
• Emigrate vs Immigrate
• Flaunt vs Flout
• Grisly vs Grizzlly vs Grizzled
• Home in vs Hone in
• Hord vd Hoard

And now, let's dive in 🏊‍♂️

📌 The pronunciation symbols used are in American English using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

Advance vs Advanced

Advance: /ədˈvæns/ - (verb) to move forward, make progress, or pay or lend money before it is due.

Example: He advanced his career by taking on new responsibilities.

Advanced: /ədˈvænst/ - (adjective) more highly developed or skilled; at a higher level.

Example: She took an advanced course in mathematics.

Affect vs. Effect:

Affect: /əˈfɛkt/ - (verb) to produce a change or influence something.

Example: The rainy weather affected our travel plans.

Effect: /ɪˈfɛkt/ - (noun) a result or consequence of something.

Example: The effect of the new policy was felt immediately.

Altogether vs. All Together:

Altogether: /ˌɔl.t̬əˈɡeð.ɚ/ - (adverb) entirely, completely, or overall.

• Example: Altogether, it was a successful project.

All Together: /ˌɔl ˈtəɡəðər/ - (adverb) in a group, all at once.

• Example: Let's sing the song all together.

Amount vs. Number:

Amount: /əˈmaʊnt/ - (noun) a quantity of something that cannot be counted.

• Example: There was a large amount of snow on the ground.

Number: /ˈnʌm.bər/ - (noun) a quantity of something that can be counted.

• Example: There were a number of people at the event.

Amused vs. Bemused:

Amused: /əˈmjuːzd/ - (adjective) entertained or finding something funny.

• Example: She was amused by the comedian's jokes.

Bemused: /bɪˈmjuːzd/ - (adjective) confused or puzzled.

• Example: He was bemused by the instructions and needed further clarification.

Apart vs. A Part:

Apart: /əˈpɑrt/ - (adverb) separated or away from something.

• Example: The two houses were located several miles apart.

A Part: /ə ˈpɑrt/ - (noun phrase) a piece or section of something.

• Example: The puzzle was missing a part.

Appraise vs. Apprise:

Appraise: /əˈpreɪz/ - (verb) to assess the value or quality of something.

• Example: The real estate agent will appraise the house before putting it on the market.

Apprise: /əˈpraɪz/ - (verb) to inform or notify someone.

• Example: Please apprise me of any changes to the schedule.

Breath vs. Breathe:

Breath: /brɛθ/ - (noun) the air taken into or expelled from the lungs.

• Example: She took a deep breath before speaking.

Breathe: /briːð/ - (verb) to inhale and exhale air.

• Example: He had to remember to breathe deeply during his meditation practice.

Breach vs. Breech:

Breach: /britʃ/ - (noun) a violation of a law, agreement, or rule; a gap or break in something.

• Example: The company was fined for the breach of privacy laws.

Breech: /briːtʃ/ or /britʃ/ - (noun) the lower part of the body where the buttocks and thighs meet; also, a type of gun-loading mechanism.

• Example: The hunter used a breech-loading rifle on his hunting trip.

Bring vs. Take:

Bring: /brɪŋ/ - (verb) to come carrying something to a place.

• Please bring your textbooks to class tomorrow.

Take: /teɪk/ - (verb) to go with something and carry it away from a place.

• Don't forget to take your umbrella when you leave the house.

Depreciate vs Deprecate

Depreciate: /dɪˈpriʃiˌeɪt/  is a verb that means to decrease in value over time. It is often used in the context of assets or investments.

• If you buy a car for $20,000 and its value goes down to $15,000 a year later, you can say that the car has depreciated in value.
• The value of my car has depreciated significantly since I bought it new.
• Some people believe that modern art has no value, while others would argue that it should not be depreciated simply because it is not representational.
• He didn't mean to depreciate her efforts, but his tone came across as dismissive. 

Deprecate: /ˈdɛprəˌkeɪt/ on the other hand, is a verb that means to express disapproval of something or to belittle it. It can also mean to discourage or advise against something.

• You might deprecate violence or hate speech, or you might deprecate a particular course of action because you think it is likely to fail.

Deserts n. v. vs Desserts

Deserts (with one "s") is both a noun and a verb.

Desert (noun): /ˈdɛz.ərt/ or /dɪˈzɝt/ - as a noun - refers to a barren, dry, and often sandy region with little rainfall, vegetation, or water sources.

• The Sahara Desert in Africa is known for its extreme heat and dryness.
• The Atacama Desert in South America is one of the driest places on Earth.

Desert  (verb): /dɪˈzɜrt/ - as a verb - means to abandon or leave someone or something behind, often as a punishment. 

• If someone commits a crime, they may be deserted by their friends and family.

Desserts /dɪˈzɜrts/ (with two "s") is a noun that refers to sweet foods that are typically eaten after the main course of a meal. Examples of desserts include cakes, pies, ice cream, cookies, and pastries.

• A chocolate cake with vanilla frosting can be a delicious dessert to enjoy after dinner.

So, the two words have completely different meanings and are not related to each other in any way. Remember to double-check your spelling to ensure you're using the correct word in your writing or conversation.

Diffuse vs. Defuse:

Diffuse: /dɪˈfyuz/ - (verb) to spread or scatter widely.

The light was diffuse, casting shadows across the room.

Defuse: /diˈfyuz/ - (verb) to make a situation less tense or dangerous.

• The police officer worked to defuse the situation before it escalated.

Disinterested vs. Uninterested:

Disinterested: /dɪsˈɪntrəstɪd/ - (adjective) unbiased or impartial; having no stake in the matter.

• The judge was disinterested in the outcome of the case.

Uninterested: /ʌnˈɪntrəstɪd/ - (adjective) lacking interest or enthusiasm.

• The students were uninterested in the lecture and started to doze off.

e.g. vs. i.e.:

e.g.: /ˌiːˈdʒiː/ - an abbreviation for "exempli gratia" which means "for example."

• He likes outdoor activities, e.g., hiking and camping.

i.e.: /ˌaɪˈiː/ - an abbreviation for "id est" which means "that is."

I need some basic cooking tools, i.e., a pan and a spatula.

Economic vs. Economical:

Economic: /ˌiːkəˈnɑmɪk/ - (adjective) related to the economy or economics.

The government introduced new economic policies to boost growth.

Economical: /ˌiːkəˈnɑmɪkl/ - (adjective) using resources efficiently; cost-effective.

• The hybrid car is more economical than the gas-guzzling SUV.

Emigrate vs. Immigrate:

Emigrate: /ˈɛmɪɡreɪt/ - (verb) to leave one's own country and settle in another.

• Many people emigrated from Ireland to America during the potato famine.

Immigrate: /ˈɪmɪɡreɪt/ - (verb) to come to a new country to settle there.

• The family immigrated to Canada from South Africa for better opportunities.

Flaunt vs. Flout:

Flaunt: /flɔnt/ - (verb) to show off ostentatiously.

• He flaunted his wealth by driving around in a luxury sports car.

Flout: /flaʊt/ - (verb) to openly disregard a law or rule.

• The company decided to flout the safety regulations by not providing workers with protective gear.

Grisly vs. Grizzly vs. Grizzled:

Grisly: /ˈɡrɪzli/ - (adjective) means something that is gruesome, causing horror or disgust. It  refers to a type of bear or something that is grayish in color, relating to or resembling a grizzly bear.

• The grisly murder scene was too much for the detective to handle.
• The horror movie had many grisly scenes.
• We saw a grizzly bear on our hike in the Rocky Mountains.

Grizzled: /ˈɡrɪzəld/ - (adjective) having gray or streaked hair or fur, often due to age.

• The old man had a grizzled beard that reached his chest."

Home in vs Hone in:

"Home in" /hoʊm ɪn/ means to move or aim towards a target or destination. 

• "The missile was programmed to home in on the enemy base."

"Hone in" /hoʊn ɪn/ means to focus or refine one's skills or attention towards a specific goal.

• "I need to hone in my cooking skills before the competition."

Hoard vs Horde:

"Hoard" /hɔrd/ means to accumulate or store up large quantities of something. 

• "He hoarded a collection of rare stamps."

"Horde" /hɔrd/ refers to a large group of people or animals that move together. 

• "The horde of fans rushed towards the stage after the concert."

To see Part 2 click here

Reference:

Frost, J. (2019, September 11). 44 Common Confusions to Annoy the Grammar Police - Part 1/2 (Infographic). Retrieved from https://www.grammarcheck.net/common-confusions-infographic-part-1-of-2/

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