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:

  1. 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)
  2. Match the word to its definition: a. Compliment
    b. Desert
    c. Principal
    d. Than
    e. Advice

    i. 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