"Commonly Confused Words (vol. 2)"
Post on: June 5, 2018
I once attended a seminar on alternative medicine. The presenter explained: “If we apply this ointment to the affected area, the pain will be ELEVATED instantaneously.
She had obviously confused alleviate with elevate. She had 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 the presentation…Thankfully the audience was civil and didn’t embarrass 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.
Discreet vs. Discrete
i) Discreet means being careful in one’s speech or action so as to keep something confidential — we made some discreet enquiries.
ii) Discrete — means separate or distinct. The school counsellors had discrete committees to manage the project.
Appraise vs. Apprise
i) Appraise means to examine or to judge the quality or needs of someone or something — The supervisor appraised the performance of the staff under her purview.
ii) Apprise means to tell or inform — The lead investigator apprised the team on what was going on.
Amuse vs. Bemuse
i) Amuse means to entertain — The clown amused us with his antics.
ii) Bemuse means to puzzle, to confuse — His explanation bemused the class.
Amateur vs. Novice
i) Amateur means someone who is non-professional and not paid for the pursuit — Bryan played amateur football before signing a lucrative deal as a professional.
ii) Novice means a beginner — I am a novice as far as playing the piano is concerned.
Parameter vs. Perimeter
i) Parameter puts limits on how something should happen or be done — the fund-raising organisation has to work within the parameters.
ii Perimeter means the outer edge of an area — My pet cats never leave the perimeter of the fence.
Elapse vs. Lapse
i) Elapse means to pass by — 2 years have elapsed since he was involved in the accident.
ii) Lapse means to discontinue — My insurance policy has lapsed since I had not paid the premiums lately.
Discomfit vs. Discomfort
i) Discomfit means to thwart; to frustrate the plans of — The strategy was drawn to discomfit the foes.
ii) Discomfort means pain or distress — My injured toe caused much discomfort during the soccer match.
Dispose vs. Dispossess
i) Dispose means to give a tendency to; Incline — Consuming unhygienic food disposes one to sickness. It also means to get rid of something, especially by throwing it away.
ii) Dispossess means to force someone to give up the possession of a house or other property — Many people were dispossessed of their homes during the dictator’s regime.
Adverse vs. Averse
i) Adverse means harmful; unfavourable — The newly implemented goods tax is having an adverse effect on the working class.
ii) Averse means opposed to; having a strong dislike to — The teacher is averse to the idea of students bringing mobile phones to school.
Censure vs. Censor
i) Censure means to criticise — The security supervisor was censured for allowing the guards to sleep during duty.
ii) Censor refers to suppressing objectionable material — The movie was censored because of overly violence and sexual connotation.
The Jolly Good Times hope the confusable words have been beneficial. And hopefully, some of the common mistakes we make have been alleviated or eliminated. If it’s been jolly good read, it has to be shared — Invite your kakis (buddies) to like us on our Facebook.
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