Vocabulary Building 101

Commonly Confused words in the English Vocabulary

To build a good and reliable vocabulary of English words, you should be able to understand the proper meaning and correct usage of the words. The Oxford English Dictionary alone lists about 600,000 words leaving out technical and scientific terms. With this vast list, it's really easy to get confused on when some common terms should be used. Some words are even spelled alike or sound alike.

So, I have listed a few of the commonly confused words to iron out some word meaning and usage confusion:

1. Aid versus Aide

Aid means to help or give what is needed. Aide, on the other hand means an assistant.

For Example:

Food and clothing were given to aid the earthquake victims in getting back on their feet.

My boss' aide always does what my boss says.

2. Affect versus Effect

Affect is a verb which means to change or to influence while Effect is a noun which means the result or outcome of a cause.

For Example:

His closing words affected my decision to go to college.

The rain's effect to plant and animal survival is crucial to humanity too.

3. Breath versus Breathe

Breath is the noun referring to the air we inhale or exhale while Breathe is the verb meaning to take in air or to exhale.

For Example:

He took a deep breath after his presentation on stage.

You need to breathe deeply when running in a marathon so you don’t lose on air.

4. Cash versus Cache

Cash refers to money like bills and coins while Cache means a storage place.

For Example:

It's seldom I bring cash since I have a lot of credit cards in my wallet.

Clear the cache on your browser once in awhile so temporary and unnecessary internet information is deleted.

5. Compliment versus complement

Compliment is noun which is an expression of praise or admiration for a thing or person. Complement can be a noun but most of the time is a verb that means a to help or to support to improve something or someone.

For Example:

The judges of the contest gave compliments to the winners.

The wife complements her husband in many ways.

These are just a few of the words commonly used yet commonly misused in the English language too. There are a lot of helpful references with complete word lists which serve as a guide to clear things out when it comes to proper English word usage. The dictionary and thesaurus alone can give you a clearer idea on when a word should be used.

Whether English is your first language or you're learning English as a Second Language, building a clear understanding of word meanings will be useful for you. My advice is for you to take advantage of these helpful guides as well as available programs for vocabulary improvement. Vocabulary Softwares are even at arm's reach now. This should not be hard to find.

Belle Jose is the author of this article on Vocabulary Builder.
Find more information on Vocabulary Software here.