E-nglish usage is actually about the frequent misuse of English words and basic idiomatic expressions. It is about English vocabulary in context with its everyday usage. We can distinguish between "correct" usage that follows certain received prescriptive canons of English style, and "common" usage that follows everyday vernacular patterns of oral or conversational style, including idioms and descriptive speech stylistics. There are enough complexities and irregularities in English to make misuse of words quite common, even for advanced users. Even very practiced experts in English commonly misspell or misuse the wrong word in the wrong place. Many words are difficult to spell, and many others are homophonous, they may sound similiar but may be spelled quite differently. And then many words have multiple meanings that may be very different from one another, therefore words may frequently be used mistakenly. There are other kinds of misuse--malapropisms and Spoonerisms are common, as well as the mispronunciation of difficult words.

A very basic canon of common English usage--simplicity is best. Short words should be preferred over longer words, basic words should be preferred over fancier words. Trying to appear sophisticated is best left to the pontificating pundit, especially for second language learners, and it sets one up from more frequent misuse and misunderstanding than otherwise. On the other hand, one should not be deterred by the fear of making mistakes from regularly enlarging and employing a more sophisticated arsenal of English terms. It seems that a mixed strategy may be the best form of word attack.

Below are word lists of commonly confused words--what are known as "near misses" (not "near missus"). We will append exercises for each of the word sets at a later date.

accede/exceed

accent/ascent/assent

accept/except

access/excess

accidentally/accidental

adapt/adept/adopt

adoptive/adopted

adverse/averse

advice/advise

affect/effect

aggravate/annoy

agree to/agree with

aisle/isle

alley/ally

all ready/already

a lot/allot/alot

altogether/ all together

allude/elude

allusion/delusion/illusion

altar/alter

amend/emend

amount/number

anecdote/antidote

angle/angle

annul/annual

ante-/anti-

anxious/eager

any more/anymore

anybody/any body

anyone/any one

any way/anyway/anyways

appraise/apprise

apt/likely

area/aria

ascent/assent

assistance/assistant

assure/ensure/insure

bare/bear

before/prior to

beside/besides

biannual/biennial

bias/prejudice

bibliography/biography

bizarre/bazaar

blonde/blond

borrow/lend

brake/break

breadth/breath/breathe

bring/take

buy/by

calendar/colander

canvas/canvass

capital/Capitol

casual/causal

cease/seize

censor/censure

cite/sight/site

click/clique

climatic/climactic

clothes/cloths

coarse/course

collision/collusion

coma/comma

command/commend

complement/compliment

complementary/complimentary

comprehensible/comprehensive

compose/comprise

confidant/confident

confidentially/confidently

conscience/conscientious/consensus/conscious

contagious/contiguous

continual/continuous

cooperation/corporation

corps/corpse

costume/custom

counsel/council

credible/creditable/credulous

deceased/diseased

demur/demure

decent/descent/dissent

deference/difference

deposition/disposition

depraved/deprived

deprecate/depreciate

desert/desert/dessert

device/devise

desolate/dissolute

detract/distract

device/devise

die/dye

disapprove/disprove

disassemble/dissemble

disburse/disperse

discomfort/discomfit

discreet/discrete

disinterested/uninterested

dominant/dominate

elapse/lapse/relapse

elicit/illicit

elusive/evasive/illusive

emerge/immerge

emigrate/immigrate

eminent/imminent

envelop/envelope

erasable/irascible

especially/specially

ever so often/every so often

everybody/ every body

everyday/ every day

everyone/ every one

exam/examination

expand/expend

expect/suspect

explicit/implicit

extant/extent

facility/felicity

fair/fare

farther/further

finale/finally/finely

fiscal/physical

flaunt/flout

flounder/founder

formally/formerly

forth/fourth

gibe/jibe/jive

healthy/healthful

historic/historical

human/humane

hypercritical/hypocritical

idea/ideal

imitate/intimate

imply/infer

incredible/incredulous

indigenous/indigent/indignant

infer/imply

ingenious/ingenuous

later/latter

lay/lie

lead/led

leave/let

least/lest

lend/loan

lessen/lesson

lightening/lightning

loose/lose/loss

luxuriant/luxurious

magnet/magnate

maybe/may be

message/massage

moral/morale

morality/mortality

of/off

official/officious

oral/aural

orient/orientate

passed/past

pasture/pastor

patience/patients

peace/piece

percent/percentage

perfect/prefect

perpetrate/perpetuate

perquisite/prerequisite

persecute/prosecute

personal/personnel

peruse/pursue

picture/pitcher

plain/plane

practicable/practical

precede/proceed

presence/presents

preposition/proposition

pretend/portend

principal/principle

quiet/quite/quit

quotation/quote

rain/reign/rein

raise/rise/raze

recent/resent

respectful/respective

respectably/respectively/respectfully

reverend/reverent

restless/resitive

right/rite/write

sensual/sensuous

set/sit

somebody/some body

someone/some one

sometime/sometimes/some time

stationary/stationery

straight/strait

subsequently/consequently

suppose/supposed

taught/taut

than/then

their/there/they're

threw/thorough/through/thru

to/too/two

tortuous/torturous

track/tract

unexceptional/unexceptionable

usage/use/used

use/utilize/utilization

veracious/voracious

which/witch

who's/whose

your/you're