There are many words within the English language that are commonly misused. This page is here to guide you to the proper use of these commonly misused words. Each word is defined and, if applicable, each definition is followed immediately by an example sentence for your reference.
Accept, Except
Accept
- Consent to receive a thing offered: I would like to accept this honor.
- Agree to undertake an offered position or responsibility: I accept the challenge.
Except
- Preposition - Not including; other than: She would like one of each except anchovies.
- Conjunction - Used before a statement that forms an exception to one just made: I would have gone for a run, except that I left my shoes at home.
- Verb - Specify as not included in a category or group; exclude.
Affect, Effect
Affect
- Verb - Have an effect on; make a difference to.
- Verb - Pretend to have or feel something.
- Noun - Emotion or desire, esp. as influencing behavior or action.
Effect
- Noun - A change that is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.
- Verb - Cause (something) to happen; bring about.
Capitol, Capital
Capitol
- The seat of the US Congress in Washington, DC.
- A building housing a legislative assembly.
Capital
- Noun - The most important city or town of a country or region, usually its seat of government.
- Noun - The distinct, typically broader section at the head of a pillar or column.
- Adjective - (of an offense or charge) Punishable by the death penalty.
- Exclamation - Used to express approval, satisfaction, or delight: That is a capital idea!
Elicit, Illicit
Elicit
- Evoke or draw out a response or fact from someone by actions or questions: Your actions can elicit a positive reaction.
- Draw forth something that is latent or potential into existence: The sunshine elicits all that is good in us.
Illicit
- Forbidden by law, rules, or custom: That is an illicit item.
Principle, Principal
Principle
- A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.
- A rule or belief governing one's personal behavior.
Principal
- Adjective - First in order of importance.
- Noun - The person with the highest authority or most important position in an organization.
Their, There, They're
Their
- Belonging to or associated with the people or things previously mentioned or easily identified: Chris and John left their car in the garage.
- Belonging to or associated with a person of unspecified gender: Samantha saw that someone left their phone on the table.
There
- In, at, or to that place or position: The pack of wild dogs went over there.
- Used to focus attention on something and express satisfaction or annoyance at it: There, that should do it.
They're
- Contraction of they are: They're going to finish the job.
Then, Than
Then
- At that time; at the time in question: My office was located on the fourth floor then.
- After that; next; afterward: We will fix the problem and then contact the customer.
Than
- Introducing the second element in a comparison: I would rather have a banana than an apple.
- Used in expressions introducing an exception or contrast: She claims not to do anything during lunch other than walk.
To, Too, Two
To
- Preposition - Expressing motion in the direction of a particular location: We are going to the desert.
- Adverb - So as to be closed or nearly closed.
Too
- To a higher degree than is desirable, permissible, or possible; excessively.
- Very: We like boating too.
Two
- Equivalent to the sum of one and one; one less than three.
- A group or unit of two people or things.
Which, That
Which
- Asking for information specifying one or more people or things from a definite set: Which form should I use?
- Used referring to something previously mentioned when introducing a clause giving further information: We should use this form which we used yesterday.
That
- Pronoun - Used to identify a specific person or thing observed by the speaker: That is my car.
- Adjective - Used to identify a specific person or thing observed or heard by the speaker: Look at that sea gull.
- Adverb - To such a degree: Let's not go that far.
- Conjunction - Introducing a subordinate clause expressing a statement or hypothesis: I said that I would walk.
Who, Whom
Who
- What or which person or people: Who is she talking to?
- Used to introduce a clause giving further information about a person or people previously mentioned: She is the one who rides her bike up the hill.
Whom
- Used instead of “who” as the object of a verb or preposition: Whom did you meet with?
Questions
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