Words evolve with use and misuse over time, sometimes obscuring their meanings. English is full of confusing words that sound alike but are spelled differently. It’s also full of words that share similar meanings that are easy to misuse. Below are some of the most commonly confused and misused words in English.
To/Till: "To" is used with distance and "till" with time ( Until). We walk to the river and back, I shall stay here till next month.
For/At: "For" is used if the actual sum is mentioned but "at" is used if the actual sum is not given. I bought a book for fifty naiira, I cannot but it at such price.
Note: but if the weight or measure follows the price, 'at' may be used with the actual sum; the cloth was sold at fifty shillings a yard.
Between / Among: "Between" is used for only two while "among" is used for more than two. There was a fight between two boys, divide the apple among you three.
Among / Amongst: "Among" is the preferred and most common variant of this word in American English. "Amongst" is more common in British English. Neither version is wrong.
Beside / Besides: "Beside" means by the side of and "besides" means in addition to. He was just standing beside me, we study french besides English.
Compliment/Complement: A complement is something that completes something else. It’s often used to describe things that go well together: David's green boots were a perfect complement to his jacket. A compliment is a nice thing to say: he received many compliments on his dress.
Steal/Rob : The object to "steal" is the thing taken by a thief such as money, bicycle while the object of "rob" is the person or place from whom the thing is taken such as a man, a house or a bank. Someone has stolen all his money, some men robbed a bank last night.
Revenge/Avenge : To "revenge" oneself is to punish for a wrong done to oneself while to "avenge" is to punish on behalf of another, usually the weak. I revenge myself for the insult, he avenged his son's murder.
Convince and persuade: To "convince" is to make a person believe while to "persuade" means to get a person to do something. I am now convinced of his honesty, we could not persuade him to play.
Defense/defence: "Defense" is standard in American English. "Defence" is found mainly in British English.
Refuse/deny: To "refuse" means not to take what is offered or not to do what one is asked to do. To "deny" means to answer in the negative or to say that a statement is not true. The boy refused to take the money. John denied that he had done it.
Emigrate/Immigrate Emigrate means to move away from a city or country to live somewhere else: David's grandfather emigrated from Canada sixty years ago. Immigrate means to move into a country from somewhere else: his sister immigrated to Ireland in 2004.
Discover/Invent: "Discover" is to find that which has existed before but was unknown and to "invent" is to make that which did not exist before.
E.g./I.e. These two Latin abbreviations are often mixed up, but e.g. means “for example,” while i.e. means “that is.”
Empathy/Sympathy: "Empathy" is the ability to understand another person’s perspective or feelings. "Sympathy" is a feeling of sorrow for someone else’s suffering. A sympathizer is someone who agrees with a particular ideal or cause.
In conclusion, let us endeavor to speak the right English.
It's "spaghetti" not "supergetti"
It's "lagging behind" not "lacking behind"
It's "expatiate" not "expantiate"
It's "penalty" not "penarity"
It's "tuck in" not "tore in"
It is "without mincing words" and not "without mixing words"
It's "steer clear" not "stay clear".
It's "sail through" not "scale through".
It's "standard living" not "sandalili."
It's "oh singers sing on" not "o singo singo"
Its "brisket bone" not "biscuit bone".
It's "rack your brain" not "crack your brain"
It's "the end" or "extreme", not "extreme end'.
It's "put to birth" not "put to bed"
It's a "penthouse" and not "a painthouse".
It's "cervix opened" not "service open"
It's "enmity" not "enemity"
It is "at this juncture" not "junction".
It's "Postpone' not 'Prospone".
It's "as and when due", not "as at when due"
It's "rainy season" not "raining season."
It's "adding salt to injury" and not "adding
insult to injury".
It's "pronunciation" not "pronounciation"
It's "a little" or "a bit" not "a little bit"
It's "fork" not "ferk"
It's "grateful" not 'greatful"
It's "lycra skirt" not "lacra skirt"
It's "national anthem" not "item"
© Olarewaju Aishat Olamide
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