"Commonly Confused Words (vol. 1)"
Post on: March 12, 2018
I once attended a seminar on alternative medicine. The presenter explained: “If we apply this herbal ointment on the affected area, the pain will be ELEVATED.
She had obviously confused alleviate with elevate. She used “elevated” which means raised, uplifted, high up, etc. The right word should have been ALLEVIATED which means less severe.
Paiseh (embarrassing) right? Especially so when one is doing a presentation and saying the exact opposite of what was intended. Thankfully the audience was civil and didn’t chastise her for the slip-up.
Most of us can identify with such blunders in our daily use of the English language. Oftentimes we come across such confusing words. Sometimes they look alike, sound alike or even encompass both but have completely different meaning.
I have compiled a list of commonly confused words which we come across in our daily lives.
• Afflict vs. Inflict
i) Afflict means to cause suffering or trouble — The children were afflicted with rashes.
ii) Inflict means to cause by aggressive action; mete out to; serve out to — The truck hit a parked car and inflicted severe damage to it.
• Displace vs. Misplace
i) Displace means to replace, to take the place of; forced to leave their homes due to calamity — The ethnic cleansing displaced many dwellers from the village.
ii) Misplace means to lose something or put it in the wrong place – The elderly tenant misplaces the keys frequently.
• Collaborate vs. Corroborate
i) Collaborate means to aid, cooperate, or work together. -The humanitarian group collaborated with the village headman to build a school.
ii) Corroborate means to strengthen by confirming something- The witness corroborated the defendant’s testimony.
• Distinct vs. Distinctive
i) Distinct means clearly apparent, easily distinguishable -A distinct improvement in my marks was due to tuition.
ii) Distinctive means distinguished or standing out as different. The deejay’s distinctive voice has won the radio station many fans.
• Behest vs. Request
i) Behest means to an authoritative command or urging- At the administrator’s behest, we amended the minutes of the meeting.
ii) Request means to ask for something politely or officially -The couple requested for a room with a scenic view.
• Agnostic vs. Atheist
i) An agnostic feel the existence of God cannot be proved or disproved — Although raised in a religious background, he was an agnostic.
ii) An atheist is someone who believes that God does not exist.
• Biannual vs. Biennial
i) Biannual means twice a year; it is synonymous with semi-annual – The couple made biannual visits to the orphanage.
ii) Biennial means it takes place every other year; once every 2 years – The work permit is due for its biennial renewal.
• Eminent vs. Imminent
iii) Eminent means distinguished; famous – He was renowned as one of the world’s eminent economist.
iv) Imminent means likely to happen; impending; — Although being probed by the tax officers, there was no imminent danger of being imprisoned.
The Jolly Good Times hopes the confusable words have been beneficial. And hopefully, some of the common mistakes we make have been alleviated or eliminated. If it’s been a jolly good read, it has to be shared — Invite your kakis (friends) to Like us on Facebook.
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