Confusable words : Part 2
11)
ANXIOUS/EAGERMost people use "anxious" interchangeably with "eager," but its original meaning had to do
with worrying, being full of anxiety. Perfectly correct phrases like, "anxious to please"
obscure the nervous tension implicit in this word and lead people to say less correct things
like "I'm anxious for Christmas morning to come so I can open my presents." Traditionalists
frown on anxiety-free anxiousness. Say instead you are eager for or looking forward to a
happy event.
12)
APPRAISE/APPRISEWhen you estimate the value of something, you appraise it. When you inform people of a
situation, you apprise them of it.
13)
ASOCIAL/ANTISOCIALSomeone who doesn't enjoy socializing at parties might be described as either "asocial" or
"antisocial"; but "asocial" is too mild a term to describe someone who commits an antisocial
act like planting a bomb. "Asocial" suggests indifference to or separation from society,
whereas "anti-social" more often suggests active hostility toward society.
14)
ASSURE/ENSURE/INSURETo "assure" a person of something is to make him or her confident of it. According to
Associated Press style, to "ensure" that something happens is to make certain that it does,
and to "insure" is to issue an insurance policy. Other authorities, however, consider "ensure"
and "insure" interchangeable. To please conservatives, make the distinction. However, it is
worth noting that in older usage these spellings were not clearly distinguished.
European "life assurance" companies take the position that all policy-holders are mortal and
someone will definitely collect, thus assuring heirs of some income. American companies
tend to go with "insurance" for coverage of life as well as of fire, theft, etc.
15)
AURAL/ORAL"Aural" has to do with things you hear, "oral" with things you say, or relating to your mouth.
16)
AVENGE/REVENGEWhen you try to get vengeance for people who've been wronged, you want to avenge them.
You can also avenge a wrong itself: "He avenged the murder by taking vengeance on the
killer." Substituting "revenge" for "avenge" in such contexts is very common, but frowned on
by some people. They feel that if you seek revenge in the pursuit of justice you want to
avenge wrongs; not revenge them.
17)
AVOCATION/VOCATIONYour avocation is just your hobby; don't mix it up with your job: your vocation.
18)
AWHILE/A WHILEWhen "awhile" is spelled as a single word, it is an adverb meaning "for a time" ("stay awhile");
but when "while" is the object of a prepositional phrase, like "Lend me your monkey wrench
for a while" the "while" must be separated from the "a." (But if the preposition "for" were
lacking in this sentence, "awhile" could be used in this way: "Lend me your monkey wrench
awhile.")
19)
BACKWARD/BACKWARDSAs an adverb, either word will do: "put the shirt on backward" or "put the shirt on
backwards." However, as an adjective, only "backward" will do: "a backward glance." When
in doubt, use "backward."
20)
BEMUSE/AMUSEWhen you bemuse someone, you confuse them, and not necessarily in an entertaining way.
Don't confuse this word with "amuse."
Appreciate my post by giving Kudos
...
gmatbusters wrote:
Hello GMAT takers!!!
I have come across the below confusable words in my GMAT verbal preparation so far. I would like to share the same with you guys. I will keep on updating the list. Please feel free to add/update further.
1)
ACCEDE/EXCEED The word exceed comes from the Latin word “excedere,” which means to go out, go forth, go beyond a certain limit, overpass, exceed, transgress.
e.g. If you drive too fast, you exceed the speed limit.
The word accede comes from the Latin word “accedo”, which means to approach. It means "give in," "agree."
e.g. Do not accede too readily to his demands or he will think you are a wimp!
2)
ADAPT/ADEPT/ADOPTADAPT-make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose
ADOPT- choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans; to take on
ADEPT- very skilled or proficient at something.
3)
ADVERSE/AVERSE ADVERSE- adverse is something harmful,
AVERSE- averse is a strong feeling of dislike
4)
ADVICE/ADVISE ADVICE- it is a noun form.
ADVISE - it is verb form.
5)
AESTHETIC/ASCETICAESTHETIC- "Aesthetic" (also spelled "esthetic") has to do with beauty.
AESTHETIC- ascetic" has to do with avoiding pleasure, including presumably the pleasure of looking at beautiful things.
6)
AFFECT/EFFECTAFFECT - Affect is chiefly used as a verb and its main meaning is ‘to influence or make a difference to.
e.g.The pay increase will greatly affect their lifestyle.
EFFECT - Effect, on the other hand, is used both as a noun and a verb, although is more commonly used as a noun. As a noun it means ‘a result or an influence’. Move the cursor until you get the effect you want.
When used as a verb effect means ‘to bring something about as a result’. It’s most often used in a formal context as oppose to everyday English: e.g. Growth in the economy can only be effected by stringent economic controls.
7)
AFFLUENCE/EFFLUENCEAFFLUENCE: Wealth brings affluence;
EFFLUENCE: sewage is effluence.
8)
ALLITERATE/ILLITERATEALLITERATE - Pairs of words with the same initial sound alliterate, like "wild and wooly."
ILLITERATE- Those who can't read are illiterate.
9)
ALLUDE/ELUDEALLUDE is to suggest or indirectly call attention to something, for example:
She had a way of alluding to Jean but never saying her name.
ELUDE means to escape from or avoid someone or something, for example:
The thief eluded the authorities for months.
Or the failure to achieve or attain something, for example:
After three years, the cup still eluded them.
10)
ALLUSION/ILLUSIONALLUSION is a reference, direct or implied, to something or someone. Allusions are often found in books, songs, TV shows, and movies. For instance, the title of Aldous Huxley’s classic novel Brave New World is an allusion to a work by William Shakespeare.
ILLUSION, on the other hand, is something that deceives the mind or senses by creating a false impression of reality. Illusions are often (though not always) related to visual perception, as in optical illusion. A mirage, such as a phenomenon of perceiving a sea of water in a desert, is a type of illusion.
If you feel this post is useful, appreciate it ...
I will keep on adding new words to the list...
Attachments
download.jpg [ 4.31 KiB | Viewed 7341 times ]
close
09 Dec 2017, 19:31
