Author |
Message |
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
09 Dec 2017, 19:31
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...
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
10 Dec 2017, 09:30
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 4106 times ]
_________________
|
|
|
Intern
Joined: 22 Sep 2016
Posts: 6
Location: Cameroon
GPA: 3.21
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
10 Dec 2017, 00:29
Really good Keep up ! Thanks Sent from my SM-N915F using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
14 Dec 2017, 06:36
SC - Confusable words Part-3 21) BENEFACTOR/BENEFICIARYBenefactors give benefits; beneficiaries receive them. We expect to hear of generous benefactors and grateful beneficiaries. 22) BESIDE/BESIDES"Besides" can mean "in addition to" as in "besides the puppy chow, Spot scarfed up the filet mignon I was going to serve for dinner." "Beside," in contrast, usually means "next to." "I sat beside Cheryl all evening, but she kept talking to Jerry instead." Using "beside" for "besides," won't usually get you in trouble; but using "besides" when you mean "next to" will. 23) COMPLEMENT/COMPLIMENT"compliment": nice things said about someone ("She paid me the compliment of admiring the way I shined my shoes."). "Complement," much less common, has a number of meanings associated with matching or completing. Complements supplement each other, each adding something the others lack, so we can say that "Alice's love for entertaining and Mike's love for washing dishes complement each other." Remember, if you're not making nice to someone, the word is "complement." 24) CONSCIENCE, CONSCIOUS, CONSCIOUSNESSYour conscience makes you feel guilty when you do bad things, but your consciousness is your awareness. If you are awake, you are conscious. Although it is possible to speak of your "conscious mind," you can't use "conscious" all by itself to mean "consciousness." 25) COUNCIL/COUNSEL/CONSULThe first two words are pronounced the same but have distinct meanings. An official group that deliberates, like the Council on Foreign Relations, is a "council"; all the rest are "counsels": your lawyer, advice, etc. A consul is a local representative of a foreign government. 26) CREDIBLE/CREDULOUS"Credible" means "believable" or "trustworthy." It is also used in a more abstract sense, meaning something like "worthy": "She made a credible lyric soprano." Don't confuse "credible" with "credulous," a much rarer word which means "gullible." "He was incredulous" means "he didn't believe it" whereas "he was incredible" means "he was wonderful" (but use the latter expression only in casual speech). 27) CREVICE/CREVASSECrevices are by definition tiny, like that little crevice between your teeth where the popcorn hulls always get caught. A huge crack in a glacier is given the French spelling: crevasse. 28) CURRANT/CURRENT"Current" is an adjective having to do with the present time, and can also be a noun naming a thing that, like time, flows: electrical current, currents of public opinion. "Currant" refers only to little fruits. 29) DEFUSE/DIFFUSEYou defuse a dangerous situation by treating it like a bomb and removing its fuse; to diffuse, in contrast, is to spread something out: "Bob's cheap cologne diffused throughout the room, wrecking the wine-tasting." 30) DEPRECIATE/DEPRECATETo depreciate something is to actually make it worse, whereas to deprecate something is simply to speak or think of it in a manner that demonstrates your low opinion of it. People who make unflattering jokes or comments about themselves are self-deprecating.
_________________
|
|
|
Intern
Joined: 25 Sep 2017
Posts: 16
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
10 Dec 2017, 22:23
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... Good post ? Please keep sharing such observations, which ease our prep process. Posted from my mobile devicePosted from my mobile device
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
15 Dec 2017, 19:20
SC - Confusable words Part-4 31) DEVICE/DEVISE"Device" is a noun. A can-opener is a device. "Devise" is a verb. You can devise a plan for opening a can with a sharp rock instead. Only in law is "devise" properly used as a noun, meaning something deeded in a will. 32) DIFFER/VARY"Vary" can mean "differ," but saying "our opinions vary" makes it sound as if they were changing all the time when what you really mean is "our opinions differ." Pay attention to context when choosing one of these words. 33) DISSEMBLE/DISASSEMBLEPeople who dissemble are being dishonest, trying to hide what they are really up to. This is an uncommon word, often misused when "disassemble" is meant. People who disassemble something take it apart--they are doing the opposite of assembling it. 34) EMIGRATE/IMMIGRATETo "emigrate" is to leave a country. The E at the beginning of the word is related to the E in other words having to do with going out, such as "exit." "Immigrate," in contrast, looks as if it might have something to do with going in, and indeed it does: it means to move into a new country. The same distinction applies to "emigration" and "immigration." Note the double M in the second form. A migrant is someone who continually moves about. 35) EMINENT/IMMINENT/IMMANENTBy far the most common of these words is "eminent," meaning "prominent, famous." "Imminent," in phrases like "facing imminent disaster," means "threatening." It comes from Latin minere, meaning "to project or overhang." Think of a mine threatening to cave in. Positive events can also be imminent: they just need to be coming soon. The rarest of the three is "immanent," used by philosophers to mean "inherent" and by theologians to mean "present throughout the universe" when referring to God. It comes from Latin "manere," "remain." Think of God creating "man" in his own image. When a government exercises its power over private property it is drawing on its eminent status in society, so the proper legal phrase is "eminent domain."
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
10 Feb 2018, 00:45
SC - Confusable words Part-5 EMPATHY/SYMPATHYIf you think you feel just like another person, you are feeling empathy. If you just feel sorry for another person, you're feeling sympathy EMULATE/IMITATEPeople generally know what "imitate" means, but they sometimes don't understand that "emulate" is a more specialized word with a purely positive function, meaning to try to equal or match. Thus if you try to climb the same mountain your big brother did, you're emulating him; but if you copy his habit of sticking peas up his nose, you're just imitating him. ENORMITY/ENORMOUSNESSOriginally these two words were synonymous, but "enormity" got whittled down to meaning something monstrous or outrageous. Don't wonder at the "enormity" of the Palace of Versailles unless you wish to express horror at this embodiment of Louis XIV's ego. "Enormity" can also be used as a noun meaning "monstrosity." END RESULT/ENDUsually a redundancy. Only "result" will do fine. ENTOMOLOGY/ETYMOLOGYEntomology is the study of insects, like ants ("ant" looks like "ent-") but etymology is the study of the history of words (from Greek, originally meaning "the true meaning of words").
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
26 Feb 2018, 07:56
SC - Confusable words Part-6 ENVELOP/ENVELOPETo wrap something up in a covering is to envelop it (pronounced "enVELLup"). The specific wrapping you put around a letter is an envelope (pronounced variously, but with the accent on the first syllable). ENVIOUS/JEALOUSAlthough these are often treated as synonyms, there is a difference. You are envious of what others have that you lack. Jealousy, on the other hand, involves wanting to hold on to what you do have. You can be jealous of your boyfriend's attraction to other women, but you're envious of your boyfriend's CD collection. EPIC/EPOCHAn "epoch" is a long period of time, like the Pleistocene Epoch. It often gets mixed up with "epic" in the sense of "large-scale." Something really big has "epic proportions," not "epoch proportions." EPIGRAM/EPIGRAPH/EPITAPH/EPITHETAn epigram is a pithy saying, usually humorous. Mark Twain was responsible for many striking, mostly cynical epigrams, such as "Always do right. That will gratify some of the people, and astonish the rest." Unfortunately, he was also responsible for an even more famous one that has been confusing people ever since: "Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody." it's true that the moon keeps one side away from the earth, but--if you don't count the faint glow reflected from the earth--it is not any darker than the side that faces us. In fact, over time, the side facing us is darkened slightly more often because it is occasionally eclipsed by the shadow of the earth. An epigraph is a brief quotation used to introduce a piece of writing or the inscription on a statue or building. An epitaph is an inscription on a tombstone or some other tribute to a dead person. In literature, an epithet is a term that replaces or is added to the name of a person, like "clear-eyed Athena," in which "clear-eyed" is the epithet. You are more likely to encounter the term in its negative sense, as a term of insult or abuse: "the shoplifter hurled epithets at the guard who had arrested her." EPITOMY/EPITOMENothing makes you look quite so foolish as spelling a sophisticated word incorrectly. Taken directly from Latin, where it means "abridgment," "epitome" is now most often used to designate an extremely representative example of the general class: "Snow White is the epitome of a Disney cartoon feature." Those who don't misspell this word often mispronounce it, misled by its spelling, as "EP-i-tohm," but the proper pronunciation is "ee- PIT-o-mee." The word means "essence," not "climax," so instead of writing "the market had reached the epitome of frenzied selling at noon," use "peak" or a similar word.
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
07 Mar 2018, 09:52
SC - Confusable words Part-7 FAIR/FAREWhen you send your daughter off to camp, you hope she'll fare well. That's why you bid her a fond farewell. "Fair" as a verb is a rare word meaning "to smooth a surface to prepare it for being joined to another." FARTHER/FURTHERSome authorities (like the Associated Press) insist on "farther" to refer to physical distance and on "further" to refer to an extent of time or degree, but others treat the two words as interchangeable except for insisting on "further" for "in addition," and "moreover." You'll always be safe in making the distinction; some people get really testy about this. FASTLY/FAST"Fastly" is an old form that has died out in English. Interest in soccer is growing fast, not "fastly." FATAL/FATEFULA "fatal" event is a deadly one; a "fateful" one is determined by fate. If there are no casualties left lying at the scene--whether mangled corpses or failed negotiations--the word you are seeking is "fateful." The latter word also has many positive uses, such as "George fondly remembered that fateful night in which he first met the woman he was to love to his dying day." FAZE/PHASE"Faze" means to embarrass or disturb, but is almost always used in the negative sense, as in "the fact that the overhead projector bulb was burned out didn't faze her." "Phase" is a noun or verb having to do with an aspect of something. "He's just going through a temperamental phase." "They're going to phase in the new accounting procedures gradually." Unfortunately, Star Trek has confused matters by calling its ray pistols phasers. Too bad they aren't fazers instead.
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
16 Mar 2018, 22:18
SC - Confusable words Part-8 FEARFUL/FEARSOMETo be "fearful" is to be afraid. To be "fearsome" is to cause fear in others. Remember that someone who is fierce is fearsome rather than fearful. FEINT/FAINTA feint, whether in chess or on the battlefield, is a maneuver designed to divert the opponent's attention from the real center of attack. A feint is a daring move. Do not use this very specialized word in the expression "faint of heart" (or "faint at heart"), which implies timidity. FIANCE/FIANCEEYour fiance is the man you plan to marry; your fiancee is the woman you plan to marry. FINE TOOTHCOMB/FINE-TOOTH COMBBrush your teeth, but don't comb them. Although the spelling "fine toothcomb" is common enough to be listed as a variant in dictionaries, it looks pretty silly to people who prefer the traditional expression used to describe examining a territory or subject minutely: going over it with a "fine-tooth comb"--a comb with fine teeth. Some people prefer "fine-toothed comb." FIREY/FIERYit's "fire," so why isn't it "firey"? If you listen closely, you hear that "fire" has two distinct vowel sounds in it: "fi-er." Spelling the adjective "fiery" helps to preserve that double sound.
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
17 Mar 2018, 21:02
SC - Confusable words Part-9 FLAIR/FLARE"Flair" is conspicuous talent: "She has a flair for organization." "Flare" is either a noun meaning "flame" or a verb meaning to blaze with light or to burst into anger. FLAMMABLE/INFLAMMABLEThe prefix "in-" does not indicate negation here; it comes from the word "inflame." "Flammable" and "inflammable" both mean "easy to catch on fire"; but so many people misunderstand the latter term that it's better to stick with "flammable" in safety warnings. FLAUNT/FLOUTTo flaunt is to show off: you flaunt your new necklace by wearing it to work. "Flout" has a more negative connotation; it means to treat with contempt some rule or standard. The cliche is "to flout convention." Flaunting may be in bad taste because it's ostentatious, but it is not a violation of standards. FLESH OUT/FLUSH OUTTo "flesh out" an idea is to give it substance, as a sculptor adds clay flesh to a skeletal armature. To "flush out" a criminal is to drive him or her out into the open. The latter term is derived from bird-hunting, in which one flushes out a covey of quail. If you are trying to develop something further, use "flesh"; but if you are trying to reveal something hitherto concealed, use "flush." FLIER/FLYERAn airplane pilot is a flier, but the usual spelling for the word meaning "brochure" is flyer.
Attachments

images.jpg [ 15.52 KiB | Viewed 3289 times ]
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
24 Mar 2018, 05:30
SC - Confusable words Part-9 FLOUNDER/FOUNDERAs a verb, "founder" means "to fill with water and sink." It is also used metaphorically of various kinds of equally catastrophic failures. In contrast, to flounder is to thrash about in the water (like a flounder), struggling to stay alive. "Flounder" is also often used metaphorically to indicate various sorts of desperate struggle. If you're sunk, you've foundered. If you're still struggling, you're floundering. FOR SALE/ON SALEIf you're selling something, it's for sale; but if you lower the price, it goes on sale. FOR SELL/FOR SALEIf you have things to sell, they are for sale. Nothing is ever "for sell." FOR SURE/SUREIn casual speech, when you agree with somebody's statement, you may say "for sure." Your date says "That was outstanding tiramisu." and you, wanting to show your how in tune you are, reply "For sure!" You can also use the phrase to mean "for certain," as in "I couldn't tell for sure that the bench was wet until I sat on it." But people often substitute this phrase when they should use plain old "sure," as in "I couldn't be for sure." That should be "I couldn't be sure." FOREGO/FORGOThe E in "forego" tells you it has to do with going before. It occurs mainly in the expression "foregone conclusion," a conclusion arrived at in advance. "Forgo" means to abstain from or do without. "After finishing his steak, he decided to forgo the blueberry cheesecake."
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
26 Mar 2018, 08:48
SC - Confusable words Part-10 FORMALLY/FORMERLYThese two are often mixed up in speech. If you are doing something in a formal manner, you are behaving formally; but if you previously behaved differently, you did so formerly. FORESEE/FORSEE"Foresee" means "to see into the future." There are lots of words with the prefix "fore-" which are future-oriented, including "foresight," "foretell," "forethought," and "foreword," all of which are often misspelled by people who omit the E. Just remember: what golfers shout when they are warning people ahead of them about the shot they are about to make is "fore!" FORTUITOUS/FORTUNATE"Fortuitous" events happen by chance; they need not be fortunate events, only random ones: "It was purely fortuitous that the meter reader came along five minutes before I returned to my car." Although fortunate events may be fortuitous, when you mean "lucky," use "fortunate." FOUL/FOWLA chicken is a fowl. A poke in the eye is a foul.
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
26 Mar 2018, 20:25
SC - Confusable words Part-11 FULSOMEBecause its most common use is in the phrase "fulsome praise," many people suppose that this word means something like "generous" or "whole-hearted." Actually, it means "disgusting," and "fulsome praise" is disgustingly exaggerated praise. GAFF/GAFFE"Gaffe" is a French word meaning "embarrassing mistake," and should not be mixed up with "gaff": a large hook. GAMUT/GAUNTLETTo "run a gamut" is to go through the whole scale or spectrum of something. To "run the gauntlet" (also gantlet) is to run between two lines of people who are trying to beat you. And don't confuse "gamut" with "gambit," a play in chess, and by extension, a tricky maneuver of any kind. GANDER/DANDERWhen you get really angry you "get your dander up." The derivation of "dander" in this expression is uncertain, but you can't replace it with "dandruff" or "gander." The only way to get a gander up is to awaken a male goose. GIBE/JIBE/JIVE"Gibe" is a now rare term meaning "to tease." "Jibe" means "to agree," but is usually used negatively, as in "the alibis of the two crooks didn't jibe." The latter word is often confused with "jive," which derives from slang which originally meant to treat in a jazzy manner ("Jivin' the Blues Away") but also came to be associated with deception ("Don't give me any of that jive").
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
29 Mar 2018, 06:08
SC - Confusable words Part-12 GIG/JIG"The jig is up" is an old slang expression meaning "the game is over--we're caught." A musician's job is a gig. GILD/GUILDYou gild an object by covering it with gold; you can join an organization like the Theatre Guild. GOOD/WELL"Good" is the adjective; "well" is the adverb. You do something well, but you give someone something good. The exception is verbs of sensation in phrases such as "the pie smells good," or "I feel good." Despite the arguments of nigglers, this is standard usage. Saying "the pie smells well" would imply that the pastry in question had a nose. Similarly, "I feel well" is also acceptable, especially when discussing health; but it is not the only correct usage. GRAMMER/GRAMMARit's amazing how many people write to thank me for helping them with their "grammer." It's "grammar." The word is often incorrectly used to label patterns of spelling and usage that have nothing to do with the structure of language, the proper subject of grammar in the most conservative sense. Not all bad writing is due to bad grammar. GRATIS/GRATUITOUSIf you do something nice without being paid, you do it "gratis." Technically, such a deed can also be "gratuitous"; but if you do or say something obnoxious and uncalled for, it's always "gratuitous," not "gratis."
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
30 Mar 2018, 23:07
SC - Confusable words Part-13 HAIRBRAINED/HAREBRAINEDAlthough "hairbrained" is common, the original word "harebrained," means "silly as a hare" (the little rabbit-like creature) and is preferred in writing. HANGED/HUNGOriginally these words were pretty much interchangeable, but "hanged" eventually came to be used pretty exclusively to mean "executed by hanging." Does nervousness about the existence of an indelicate adjectival form of the word prompt people to avoid the correct word in such sentences as "Lady Wrothley saw to it that her ancestors' portraits were properly hung"? Nevertheless, "hung" is correct except when capital punishment is being imposed or someone commits suicide. HARD/HARDLYEverybody knows "hard" as an adjective: "Starfleet requires a hard entrance exam." The problem arises when people needing an adverb try to use the familiar pattern of adding -ly to create one, writing things like "we worked hardly at completing the test." The adverbial form of this word is in fact the same as the adjectival form: "hard." So it should be "we worked hard at completing the test." In American English "hardly" always means something like "scarcely," as in "we hardly worked on the test." In British English the word "hardly" is sometimes used to mean "severely, harshly," as in "Trevor felt himself to have been used hardly [badly treated] by the executive committee"; but this pattern is unfamiliar to most American readers. HARDY/HEARTYThese two words overlap somewhat, but usually the word you want is "hearty." The standard expressions are "a hearty appetite," "a hearty meal," a "hearty handshake," "a hearty welcome," and "hearty applause." Something difficult to kill is described as a "hardy perennial," but should not be substituted for "hearty" in the other expressions. "Party hearty" and "party hardy" are both common renderings of a common youth saying, but the first makes more sense.
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
01 Apr 2018, 07:50
SC - Confusable words Part-14 HEADING/BOUNDIf you're reporting on traffic conditions, it's redundant to say "heading northbound on I-5." it's either "heading north" or "northbound." HEAL/HEELHeal is what you do when you get better. Your heel is the back part of your foot. Achilles' heel was the only place the great warrior could be wounded in such a way that the injury wouldn't heal. Thus any striking weakness can be called an "Achilles' heel." To remember the meaning of "heal," note that it is the beginning of the word "health." HEAR/HEREIf you find yourself writing sentences like "I know I left my wallet hear!" you should note that "hear" has the word "ear" buried in it and let that remind you that it refers only to hearing and is always a verb (except when you are giving the British cheer "Hear! Hear!"). "I left my wallet here" is the correct expression. HEARING-IMPAIRED/DEAF"Hearing-impaired" is not an all-purpose substitute for "deaf" since it strongly implies some residual ability to hear.
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
03 Apr 2018, 17:59
SC - Confusable words Part-15 HEAVILY/STRONGLY"Heavily" is not an all-purpose synonym for "strongly." It should be reserved for expressions in which literal or metaphorical weight or density is implied, like "heavily underlined," "heavily influenced," "heavily armed," or "heavily traveled." Not standard are expressions like "heavily admired" or "heavily characteristic of." People sometimes use "heavily" when they mean "heartily," as in "heavily praised." HENCE WHY/HENCEShakespeare and the Bible keep alive one meaning of the old word "hence": "away from here" ("get thee hence"). There's no need to add "from" to the word, though you often see "from hence" in pretentious writing, and it's not likely to bother many readers. But another sense of the word "hence" ("therefore") causes more trouble because writers often add "why" to it: "I got tired of mowing the lawn, hence why I bought the goat." "Hence" and "why" serve the same function in a sentence like this; use just one or the other, not both: "hence I bought the goat" or "that's why I bought the goat." HERBS/SPICESPeople not seriously into cooking often mix up herbs and spices. Generally, flavorings made up of stems, leaves, and flowers are herbs; and those made of bark, roots, and seeds and dried buds are spices. However saffron, made of flower stamens, is a spice. The British pronounce the H in "herb" but Americans follow the French in dropping it. HEROIN/HEROINEHeroin is a highly addictive opium derivative; the main female character in a narrative is a heroine.
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
06 Apr 2018, 19:06
SC - Confusable words Part-16 HIPPIE/HIPPYA long-haired 60s flower child was a "hippie." "Hippy" is an adjective describing someone with wide hips. The IE is not caused by a Y changing to IE in the plural as in "puppy" and "puppies." It is rather a dismissive diminutive, invented by older, more sophisticated hipsters looking down on the new kids as mere "hippies." Confusing these two is definitely unhip. HOARD/HORDEA greedily hoarded treasure is a hoard. A herd of wildebeests or a mob of people is a horde. HOLE/WHOLE"Hole" and "whole" have almost opposite meanings. A hole is a lack of something, like the hole in a doughnut (despite the confusing fact that the little nubbins of fried dough are calleddoughnut holes"). "Whole" means things like entire, complete, and healthy and is used in expressions like "the whole thing," "whole milk," "whole wheat," and "with a whole heart." HOMOPHOBICSome object to this word--arguing that it literally means "man-fearing," but the "homo" in "homosexual" and in this word does not refer to the Latin word for "man," but is derived from a Greek root meaning "same" while the "-phobic" means literally "having a fear of," but in English has come to mean "hating." "Homophobic" is now an established term for "prejudiced against homosexuals."
_________________
|
|
|
Retired Moderator
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 1319
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, General Management
GPA: 3.64
WE: Business Development (Energy and Utilities)
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
Show Tags
10 Apr 2018, 07:55
SC - Confusable words Part-17 HOW TO/HOW CAN IYou can ask someone how to publish a novel; but when you do, don't write "How to publish a novel?" Instead ask "How can I publish a novel?" or "How does someone publish a novel?" If you're in luck, the person you've asked will tell you how to do it. "How to" belongs in statements, not questions. HYPOCRITICAL"Hypocritical" has a narrow, very specific meaning. It describes behavior or speech that is intended to make one look better or more pious than one really is. It is often wrongly used to label people who are merely narrow-minded or genuinely pious. Do not confuse this word with "hypercritical," which describes people who are picky. HYSTERICAL/HILARIOUSPeople say of a bit of humor or a comical situation that it was "hysterical"--shorthand for "hysterically funny"--meaning "hilarious." But when you speak of a man being "hysterical" it means he is having a fit of hysteria, and that may not be funny at all. I/ME/MYSELFIn the old days when people studied traditional grammar, we could simply say, "The first person singular pronoun is "I" when it's a subject and "me" when it's an object," but now few people know what that means.
_________________
|
|
|
|
Re: SC : Confusable words
[#permalink]
10 Apr 2018, 07:55
|
|
|
Go to page
1 2
Next
[ 28 posts ]
|
|
|
|