Before I open up the discussion for a list of “5 Confusing English Word Sets Everyone Should Know” let me add here a line comprising the word “dyed” with the phonetic sound similar to that of “died”, Try the pronunciation of these two, Sounding Same? But these do have different meanings and usage as well.
The sentence goes as,
“Yesterday I accidentally swallowed some food coloring. My doctor says I am ok, but I feel as if I have dyed a little inside.”
There are so many other confusing word sets that may confuse even the native speakers equally. Let us jot down a few of them in our blog.
Lose vs Loose
The first one is Lose /luːz/ and pronounced with ‘z’ sound at the end.
The second one is Loose /luːs/ and has the sound of ‘s’ in the ending.
Examples Are
Lose
Become unable to find (something or someone).
“I’ve lost the car keys”
Be deprived of something
“I’ve lost my appetite”
Loose
(If there is a garment) not fitting tightly or closely
“she slipped into a loose T-shirt”
Not tightly fixed in a place; We can take the example of “a loose tooth”
Bear And Bare
The first one is Bear /beər/ with the middle spelling of ‘ea’.
The second one is Bare /bɛː/ with the middle spellings of ‘ar’
Examples Are
Bare
(of a human or part of the someone’s body) not clothed or covered, and we call it Bare.
“he was bare from the waist up”
Without addition; basic and simple.
“he outlined the bare essentials of the story”
Bear
To accept or tolerate something, especially an unpleasant one;
The strain must have been enough to bear but she bore it well.
Tell me now! I can’t bear the suspense!
Disinterested And Uninterested
The first one is Disinterested /dɪsˈɪnt(ə)rɪstɪd/ with the prefix ‘Dis’
The second one is Uninterested /ʌnˈɪnt(ə)rɪstɪd/ with the prefix of ‘Un’
There is a slight difference between both of these, let us see what is that.
Examples Can Be
Uninterested
Not interested in something or someone.
“I was totally uninterested in people”
Disinterested
Not influenced by considerations of personal advantage. This also stands for if someone is not taking part in an argument. It can also stand for someone who is impartial and not taking sides.
The decision-maker in a dispute between two parties should be disinterested, but definitely not uninterested!
Why you are reluctant to give disinterested advice the family members of Elena?
Affect And Effect
The first one is Affect ə-ˈfekt starting with the letter ‘a’
The second one is Effect /ɪˈfɛkt/ starting with the letter ‘e’
Examples Are
Affect
To have or keep an influence on someone, or to cause a change in something;
Both buildings were badly affected by the fire.
Effect
A change which comes in the response of an action.
“the lethal effects of hard drugs”
Consider the effects of your words before you say them openly.
Advice And Advise
The first one is Advice /ədˈvʌɪs/ with the last sound of ‘s’
The second one is Advise /ədˈvʌɪz/ with the last sound of ‘z’
Examples Are
Advice is a noun. It is used when someone is adding his opinion to give guideline to someone.
Guidance offered with regard to cautious future action.
“my advice is to see your doctor”
Advise is a verb. It is used when someone is going to recommend somone about something.
Offer suggestions to someone.
“I advised him to go home”
These differences are very much important for not only the non-native speakers but equally important for the natives as well. While speaking these words a speaker may differentiate them by his or her expressions and gestures. But it is significant whenever someone is writing these words. A slight mistake or error can behave as a blunder, which is irreversible especially when there some official task or an educational document submitted by a student.
Consider understanding the difference of the confusing word sets mentioned above and others like these, like Subject and Subject with the difference of stress pattern in the latter one, Resign and Re-sign and so on.
