Grammar & Mechanics – Commonly Confused Words

• Accept – It is hard to accept the fact that my daughter is leaving for college.
• Except – Everyone except my mom went to the football game.
• Allowed – Children who are less than four feet tall are not allowed on the new ride at the amusement park.
• Aloud – When I was little, I loved it when my teacher read us books aloud.
• Affect – I wonder how the bad weather will affect the baseball game.
• Effect – The special effect used in the movie was astounding.
• Ant – We had to call an exterminator to get rid of the ant(s).
• Aunt – I am going to visit my aunt and uncle.
• Ate – We ate lunch at a new restaurant today.
• Eight – There are eight girls in my ballet class.
• Blue – The sky is a beautiful shade of blue today.
• Blew – The wind blew so hard, the tree fell over.
• By – I walked by the new store last week.
• Bye – The baby learned to wave bye.
• Buy – I want to buy a new outfit.
• Chilly – The cold air made it chilly outside.
• Chili – My mom made chili last night, but I thought it was too spicy.
• Creak – That old door will creak when it opens.
• Creek – My dad and my brother went to fish at the creek.
• Days – We spent three days at Disney World.
• Daze – I was so tired, I sat as if I were in a daze.
• Dear – My grandparents are wonderful and very dear to me.
• Deer – When we traveled on the country road, we had to drive slowly because of all the deer crossings.
• Flour – My mother uses flour when she bakes a cake.
• Flower – I picked a flower from the rose garden.
• For – I went shopping for my friend’s birthday present.
• Fore – The captain stood at the fore of the boat to explain the trip.
• Four – We had four choices for dessert.
• Forth – You can recycle bottles, jars, cans, and so forth.
• Fourth – The young prince was fourth in line to become king.
• Grate – Before you place the cheeses in the salad, you must grate it.
• Great – We had a great time at the amusement park.
• Groan – We just had to groan because the comedian’s joke was so bad.
• Grown – I hadn’t seen my little cousin in three years and could not believe how much he had grown.
• It’s – It’s a beautiful, sunny day today.
• Its – Their dog lost its collar, so my friends didn’t want to allow their pet out alone.
• Know – How much do you know about the history of the United States?
• No – When asked if they wanted a pop quiz, the students responded with a resounding, “No!”
• Knows – I hope my dad knows the directions to the party so I arrive on time.
• Nose – I forgot to put sunscreen on my nose, so it got too much sun.
• One – Morris was the only one who finished his project.
• Won – Our school won the state wrestling championship.
• Past – In the past, very few students had access to computers.
• Passed – My brother passed his drivers’ test.
• Peal – The church bells will peal at midnight to signal a new day.
• Peel – The recipe called for you to peel the apples before slicing.
• Rain – I hope it doesn’t rain today.
• Reign – The queen’s reign lasted for over 50 years.
• Rein – You must grab the rein of the horse to control him.
• Read (past tense of read) – Last month, I read a book a week.
• Red – The colors of the American flag are red, white, and blue.
• Scent – My aunt’s perfume has a very strong scent.
• Sent – Grandma sent me a new outfit for my birthday.
• Cent – I tried to teach my little cousin that a penny is only worth one cent.
• Sew – I asked my mom to sew a new button on my shirt.
• So – We don’t have any milk, so I must run to the grocery store.
• Sow – The farmer must sow the seeds for the crops to be plentiful.
• Sea – Our cruise was quite an adventure at sea.
• See – Were you able to see the new movie?
• Sun – Staying out in the sun too long is terrible for the skin.
• Son – Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton have one son and one daughter.
• Sum – Four is the sum of two plus two.
• Some – I went out to the mall to window shop at some of the new stores.
• Sweet – I couldn’t eat the ice cream because it was too sweet.
• Suite – The honeymoon couple stayed in the hotel’s bridal suite.
• Than – I enjoy chocolate ice cream much more than vanilla ice cream.
• Then – First, I will wash my car; and then I will wax it.
• Their – Their house burnt down because popcorn was left in the microwave.
• There – Susan’s car is parked over there.
• They’re – They’re (they are) leaving for vacation tomorrow.
• Thyme – My friend uses thyme as one of the spices in her turkey recipe.
• Time – What time does the movie begin?
• Threw – The pitcher threw a great fast ball.
• Through – The bushes were so thick, I couldn’t see through them.
• To – We are going to the movies later today.
• Too – I want to go see the movies, too. / I am so full because I ate too much.
• Two – Two people received minor injuries in the bus accident.
• Weight – After going on a long cruise, I felt like I gained a lot of weight.
• Wait – Mabel can’t wait for her birthday party.
• Warn – I tried to warn my brother about the cold weather in Maine before he moved there.
• Worn – Vicki’s winter coat is all worn out, so she needs a new one.
• Wet – I used my umbrella so I would not get wet in the rain.
• Whet – Watching all those delicious recipes being prepared on television will really whet my appetite.
• Whose – Whose idea was it to go to the beach?
• Who’s (contraction for who is) – Who’s coming with me in my dad’s car?
• Who’s (contraction for who has) – Who’s done their homework?
• Wood – My brothers collected some wood to build a tree house.
• Would – Would you like to go shopping with me?

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