Commonly Confused Words — Choose the correct word in a...

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Why English Has So Many Confusing Words

Have you ever paused mid-sentence, wondering whether to write "their" or "there"? You are definitely not alone. English is a language that borrowed words from many other languages over hundreds of years. That borrowing created many words that sound alike but mean very different things.

Words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings are called homophones (words that share the same sound). Words that look similar but differ in meaning are called homographs. Together, these tricky pairs have confused writers for centuries.

450 AD

Old English Begins

Anglo-Saxon tribes brought Germanic words to Britain. Many of our short, everyday words (like "there" and "their") trace back to this period.

1066

Norman Conquest

French-speaking Normans invaded England. Thousands of French words entered English, creating new pairs of similar-sounding words.

1476

Printing Press Arrives

William Caxton set up England's first printing press. Spellings became more fixed, but pronunciations kept changing — so words that once sounded different began sounding the same.

1755

Johnson's Dictionary

Samuel Johnson published a major English dictionary. It locked in many of the spellings we still use, including confusing pairs like "principal" and "principle."

Today

Standardized Tests

Tests like the SHSAT check whether you can spot the right word in a confusing pair. Knowing these pairs is a practical editing skill you will use for life.

Because English spelling was never fully updated to match how we actually speak, we are left with dozens of word pairs that trip up even strong writers. The key question is: How can you quickly tell which word is correct when two words sound or look almost the same?

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Core Principles for Choosing the Right Word

Before memorizing individual word pairs, it helps to understand a few core ideas. These principles give you a reliable strategy for any confusing pair you meet — even ones you have never seen before.

Context Is King

Always read the full sentence. The words around the blank tell you what part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) is needed. That narrows down which word fits.

Part of Speech Matters

Many confused pairs belong to different parts of speech. For example, "affect" is usually a verb (an action) while "effect" is usually a noun (a thing). Identifying the part of speech solves many problems.

Memory Tricks (Mnemonics)

Short tricks help you remember which word is which. For instance, "principal" ends in "pal" — and the principal is your pal. These little tricks stick in your brain and save time on test day.

Substitution Test

When unsure, try replacing the word with a synonym. If you can swap in "it is," then "it's" is correct. If not, use "its." This trick works for several pairs.

Practice Makes Permanent

The more you practice spotting the right word, the more automatic it becomes. On the SHSAT, speed matters, so building this instinct is important.

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of commonly confused words like identical twins wearing different-colored sneakers. They look the same at first glance, but if you check the details — the context, the part of speech, or a quick memory trick — you can always tell them apart.

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Mapping the Most Common Pairs

The diagram below groups the most commonly tested word pairs into three categories based on why they are confusing: homophones (same sound, different spelling), near-homophones (almost the same sound), and look-alikes (similar spelling but different meaning).

The three columns group confused pairs by the reason they are confusing. On the SHSAT, homophones and near-homophones are the most frequently tested.

Notice that the first column — homophones — is the longest. That is because English has many words that sound identical but are spelled differently. This is why you cannot rely on sound alone. You need to think about meaning and grammar.

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How to Decide: The Three-Step Strategy

When you hit a confusing word pair on the SHSAT, follow this simple three-step process. It works for nearly every pair you will encounter.

Step 1 — Read the Whole Sentence

Do not stop at the confusing word. Read the entire sentence to understand the meaning. Ask yourself: What is the sentence trying to say? This gives you the context you need.

Step 2 — Identify the Part of Speech

Figure out whether the blank needs a noun, a verb, an adjective, or another part of speech. Many confused pairs are different parts of speech. For example, "affect" is a verb and "effect" is usually a noun. If the sentence needs an action word, pick "affect."

Step 3 — Apply a Memory Trick or Substitution

Use a mnemonic or substitution test to confirm your choice. For contractions like "it's" versus "its," try expanding the contraction. "It's" means "it is" or "it has." If the expanded form makes sense in the sentence, the contraction is correct. If not, use "its" (the possessive form, meaning "belonging to it").

Follow these three steps in order whenever you encounter a confusing word pair. Each step narrows your options until you are confident in your answer.

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The Top 10 Pairs You Must Know for the SHSAT

Below is a reference table of the ten most frequently tested pairs. Study the meaning, part of speech, and memory trick for each one.

Top 10 Commonly Confused Pairs for the SHSAT

Word A	Meaning / Use	Word B	Meaning / Use	Memory Trick
their	Possessive — belongs to them	there / they're	"There" = a place; "they're" = they are	"Their" has "heir" — an heir owns things
its	Possessive — belonging to it	it's	Contraction of "it is" or "it has"	Try saying "it is" — if it works, use the apostrophe
your	Possessive — belonging to you	you're	Contraction of "you are"	Try saying "you are" — if it fits, use the apostrophe
affect	Verb — to influence	effect	Noun — a result	RAVEN: Remember Affect Verb, Effect Noun
than	Used for comparisons	then	Refers to time or sequence	"Then" has an E like "when" — both about time
to	Preposition or infinitive marker	too / two	"Too" = also or excessive; "two" = the number 2	"Too" has too many O's
accept	Verb — to receive or agree	except	Preposition — excluding	"Except" starts with "ex-" like "exclude"
principal	Head of a school; main or primary	principle	A rule or belief	The principal is your pal
lose	Verb — to misplace or fail to win	loose	Adjective — not tight	"Loose" has an extra O — like a loose, baggy shirt
who's	Contraction of "who is" or "who has"	whose	Possessive — belonging to whom	Try "who is" — if it works, use the apostrophe

💡 SHSAT Tip

On the SHSAT Revising and Editing Part B, you will read a passage with errors. Confused-word errors are some of the easiest to fix if you have memorized these pairs. Study this table until each memory trick is automatic.

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Worked Example — Fixing a Passage

Let's walk through a sample SHSAT-style sentence together. You will see exactly how the three-step strategy works in action.

📝 Sample Sentence

"The new recycling policy will have a major affect on the school's waste production, and students will need to learn it's rules before the program begins."

Fixing Error #1: "affect" vs. "effect"

Step 1 — Read for MeaningThe sentence says the policy will have a major _____ on waste production. The blank is describing a result — the outcome of the new policy.

Step 2 — Identify Part of SpeechThe word "major" is an adjective sitting right before the blank. Adjectives describe nouns. So the blank must be a noun.

Step 3 — Apply the MnemonicRemember RAVEN: Remember Affect Verb, Effect Noun. We need a noun, so the correct word is "effect."

Change "affect" → "effect"

Fixing Error #2: "it's" vs. "its"

Step 1 — Read for MeaningThe sentence says students need to learn _____ rules. The "rules" belong to the program. So we need a word that shows possession (ownership).

Step 2 — Identify Part of SpeechThe blank comes before the noun "rules." We need a possessive word — something that means "belonging to it."

Step 3 — Substitution TestTry expanding "it's" to "it is": "students will need to learn it is rules." That does not make sense! So "it's" is wrong. The possessive form — "its" (no apostrophe) — is the correct choice.

Change "it's" → "its"

✅ Corrected Sentence

"The new recycling policy will have a major effect on the school's waste production, and students will need to learn its rules before the program begins."

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Tricky Patterns and Common Traps

Some confused-word errors are harder to spot than others. Here are patterns that trip up many students, along with advice for avoiding each trap.

Five Common Traps on the SHSAT

Trap Type	Example of the Mistake	How to Avoid It
Contraction vs. Possessive	"The dog wagged it's tail." (Wrong — should be "its")	Expand the contraction. If "it is" or "who is" doesn't fit, drop the apostrophe.
Sound-Alike Verbs	"She past the ball." (Wrong — should be "passed")	"Passed" is the verb (action). "Past" is a noun, adjective, or preposition.
Comparison Words	"She is smarter then her brother." (Wrong — should be "than")	If you are comparing two things, always use "than." "Then" is for time or sequence.
Double-Duty Words	"The principle reason is cost." (Wrong — should be "principal")	"Principal" can mean main/primary (adjective) or a school leader (noun). "Principle" is always a rule or belief.
Spelling-Only Difference	"I don't want to loose my phone." (Wrong — should be "lose")	"Lose" (one O) is a verb meaning to misplace. "Loose" (two O's) is an adjective meaning not tight.

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of contractions like a suitcase: an apostrophe is the zipper that packs two words into one. If you "unzip" the word and the two words inside don't make sense in the sentence, then you have the wrong suitcase — use the possessive form instead.

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Beyond the Basics — Less Common but Testable Pairs

Once you have mastered the top ten pairs, you should also know a few less common pairs that sometimes appear in harder SHSAT passages. These pairs show up when the test wants to separate strong editors from average ones.

Advanced Confused Pairs

Word A	Meaning	Word B	Meaning
allude	To refer to indirectly	elude	To escape or avoid
complement	Something that completes	compliment	A nice remark or praise
farther	Physical distance	further	Additional or to a greater degree
stationary	Not moving; standing still	stationery	Writing paper and supplies
emigrate	To leave a country	immigrate	To enter a new country

As you move into high school and beyond, you will encounter even more word pairs like "elicit" vs. "illicit" and "allusion" vs. "illusion." The same three-step strategy — context, part of speech, and memory tricks — will work for all of them. Building this habit now gives you a powerful advantage for every standardized test you will take in the future.

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Practice Problems

Try these five problems on your own. For each one, choose the correct word to complete the sentence. Then check the explanation to see if you got it right.

PROBLEM 1 — CONCEPTUAL

Which word is a verb — "affect" or "effect"? Complete the sentence: "The rainy weather will _____ our field trip plans."

PROBLEM 2 — BASIC

Choose the correct word: "The cat licked _____ paw after stepping in the puddle." (its / it's)

PROBLEM 3 — INTERMEDIATE

Find and fix the two errors in this sentence: "Your going to need more then five minutes to finish the assignment."

PROBLEM 4 — APPLIED

Read this short passage and choose the correct words for each blank: "The _____ (principal / principle) announced that every student must _____ (accept / except) the new code of conduct, _____ (accept / except) those who already signed last year's version."

PROBLEM 5 — CRITICAL THINKING

A student writes: "The team walked passed the trophy case and felt the affect of there hard work; the principle effect of winning was a stronger since of pride." This sentence contains four commonly confused word errors. Identify all four and explain why each correction is necessary.

SUMMARY

Lesson Summary

English contains many commonly confused word pairs because the language borrowed from many sources, and spellings froze while pronunciations kept changing. The most important pairs for the SHSAT include their / there / they're, its / it's, affect / effect, than / then, accept / except, and principal / principle.

To choose the correct word every time, follow the three-step strategy: (1) read the full sentence for context, (2) identify the part of speech needed, and (3) apply a memory trick or substitution test. For contractions like "it's," "you're," and "who's," always try expanding them — if the expanded form doesn't make sense, use the possessive version instead. Practice these pairs until choosing the right word becomes automatic, and you will earn valuable points on test day.