Below are 10 pairs of English words that sound very similar but have distinct meanings.
1. Accept vs. Except
2. Complement vs. Compliment
3. Affect vs. Effect
4. Advice vs. Advise
5. Desert vs. Dessert
6. Stationary vs. Stationery
7. Principal vs. Principle
8. Elicit vs. Illicit
9. Than vs. Then
10. Bear vs. Bare
Exercise:
- Fill in the blanks with the correct word from each pair.
a. I can’t _______ the sound of nails on a chalkboard. (bear/bare)
b. The rain didn’t _______ our plans too much. (affect/effect)
c. The teacher’s explanation _______ a great response from the students. (elicit/illicit)
d. I love all fruits _______ bananas. (accept/except)
e. Please remain _______ while we take attendance. (stationary/stationery) - Match the word to its definition: a. Compliment
b. Desert
c. Principal
d. Than
e. Advicei. A polite expression of praise
ii. A dry, barren area of land
iii. The head of a school
iv. Used for comparisons
v. A recommendation for action
