Commonly Confused Words

❎Affect vs. Effect ✅Affect is a verb meaning to influence. ✅Effect is a noun meaning result. ▶️While the student didn’t see how studying affected his test-taking, the positive effects soon became clear.

❎Lie vs. Lay ✅Lie is a verb meaning to recline or rest on a surface. ✅Lay is a verb meaning to put or place. ▶️Kim lies down to take a nap every day at 3:30 p.m. Before falling asleep, Kim lays her bracelet on the table.

❎Lose vs. Loose ✅Lose is a verb meaning to misplace. ✅Loose is an adjective meaning slack, moveable, or weak. ▶️I always manage to lose my loose-fitting tank top.

❎Anyway vs. Any way ✅Anyway is an adverb meaning regardless. ✅Any way is a phrase meaning any manner or method. ▶️I don’t want to go to the party, anyway. We could take any way we want to get to the party.

❎Than vs. Then ✅Than is a conjunction used to compare two things. ✅Then is usually an adverb indicating time. ▶️Do you think that Pepsi Cola is better than Coca Cola? We went to the store, and then to a movie.

❎That vs. Which ✅That is used when the phrase or clause that follows it is necessary in the sentence. ✅Which is used when the phrase or clause that follows it is not necessary. ▶️Students that fail to thoroughly proofread often miss unnecessary points. Procrastinated papers, which students write often, fail to lead to the desired grades for their classes.

❎Their vs. There vs. They’re ✅Their is a pronoun that is plural possessive. ✅There is a word that means place. ✅They’re is a contraction that means they are. ▶️Their dog is over there digging through the trash. They’re not the most responsible pet owners.

❎To vs. Too vs. Two ✅To is a preposition indicating direction. ✅Too is an adverb meaning in addition or also. ✅Two is a number. ▶️Too many times, students go to their adviser to set up their classes, but only have two of their five classes picked out.

❎Who vs. Whom ✅Who is a pronoun used as the subject of a sentence. ✅Whom is a pronoun used as a direct object. ▶️Who is responsible for the research on this group project? We assigned research to whom for this group project?

❎Your vs. You’re ✅Your is a pronoun that is second person possessive. ✅You’re is a contraction that means you are. ▶️Your clothes will wrinkle if you’re not careful with the drying cycle you choose.