This is a list of easily-mistaken words - you know, the ones that look or sound similar, but have completely different meanings, such as 'new' and 'knew' - otherwise known as homophones.

Then there are the words which are not strictly speaking homophones, but are often mis-used nonetheless - these can be found here too. Known as catachreses, they are the kind of words that are sometimes used by people trying to make themselves sound more intelligent than they are, as seen in the film Wilt:

Policeman: Are you inferring I'm an idiot?

Wilt: No, I'm implying you're an idiot. You see, the listener infers, the speaker implies.

Now then, homophones should not be confused with homonyms which are, in actual fact, 'Each of two or more words having the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings and origin'*. So that would be things like a chair you sit on and a chair who hosts a meeting...

With your help I can make this list grow!

So far, thanks are due to:

• Jimi X
• zb
• MaW (Ace)
• Lupa Mirabilis, Devilish Fiend
• beeline
• Celt
• Jim Lynn
• Cafram
• MadMunkPR(ACE)?¿
• and Løønytües>> >> Ace up sleeve

for all their help with the content of this page.

• Affect - to have an influence on, to cause a change in
  
  Effect - v. to cause, to bring about; n. result, consequence, impression

• aisle - clear path between seats in a church or hall, eg
  
  isle - small island

• Alternate - proceeding in the manner A-B-A-B, etc. ('A pedestrian crossing has alternate black and white stripes')
  
  Alternative - one of a number of possible options. ('Let's use an alternative route')

• Ate - past tense of to eat
  
  Eight - the number between seven and nine

• Bare - not clothed, without elaboration, without, uncover and expose it to view
  
  Bear - as in teddy bear, a big mammal!

• Boy - young man
  
  Buoy - floating marine marker

• brake - to slow or stop
  
  break - to become seperate pieces

• buy - to pay money for
  
  bye - a contraction of goodbye

• Caught - intercept and hold something that has been thrown
  
  Court - where judicial cases are heard, a place where you can play ball games, an area surrounded by buildings, the process of trying to attract a mate

• Compliment - a flattering remark
  
  Complement - one of a pair of things that go together or compete

• Continually - often, all the time
  
  Continuously - without pausing

• Currant - a small dried fruit made from the a seedless grape
  
  Current - a flow of air, water or electricity

• Discreet - prudent, circumspect
  
  Discrete - distinct, discontinuous, separate

• Draw - to make a picture with pencils, to pull or drag a vehicle, to 'draw to a close', to take in a breath...
  
  Drawer - a lidless box-like compartment, made to slide in and out of a desk or chest

• Elicit - evoke or draw out
  
  Illicit - forbidden by law, rules or customs

• Ensure - to make sure something occurs
  
  Insure - to obtain or provide insurance on

• Fare - what you pay when you get on a bus
  
  fair - treating people equally

• Forth - as in 'and so forth'
  
  Fourth - the number four in a sequence

• Grate - reducing food to small shreads, to have an irritating effect, the metal bit of a fireplace which holds the fuel
  
  Great - brilliant!

• here - in this place
  
  hear - perceive sound with the ears

• Hair - the stuff on your head
  
  hare - an animal a bit like a rabbit

• Infer - to reason or deduce from given evidence.
  
  Imply - to suggest something without explicitly stating it.

• Its - the possessive form of 'it'
  
  It's - the contraction of 'it is'

• meet - to see some people
  
  meat - byproduct of animals

• Pain- nerve stimulus of an unpleasant nature
  
  Pane - sheet of glass.

• Passed - past tense and past participle of the verb pass
  
  Past - is the form to use in all other senses

• peal - ring, as in a bell
  
  peel - (n) outer covering, skin (especially fruit); (v) to remove skin

• pie - pastry crust with filling
  
  pi - (greek letter used to represent) the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter

• piece - part of something
  
  peace - freedom from conflict

• Prescribed - To advise or order
  
  Proscribed - To ban, outlaw or forbid

• Principal - Most important, a head of a school, college or university
  
  Principle - A general rule, a theory underlying a method or way of working.

• raise - to lift up
  
  raze - to flatten to the ground (building, eg)

• reek - to stink bad. Really bad
  
  wreak - to bring about (as in havoc)

• ring - a circlet of metal worn on the finger or toe
  
  wring - to sqeeze by twisting firmly

• rite - ceremonial act or proceedure
  
  write - make words (or other marks) appear
  
  right - something which is due to anyone by just claim and other things

• roll - a list of members of a group, or to turn over and over
  
  role - a part which is played, eg by an actor in a movie

• Root - the bit of the plant below ground, the source or cause of something
  
  Route - a way taken to get from a starting point to a destination

• sale - the act of selling, or to offer various goods at a reduced price
  
  sail - drive a boat by wind power

• see - catch sight of something
  
  sea - a large body of water

• seas - plural of sea
  
  sees - present tense of the act of third person seeing
  
  seize - to grasp or take hold of something

• Sewage - bodily waste
  
  Sewerage - the drainage system

• Sight - the power of seeing, the action of seeing someone or something, a place of interest
  
  Site - an area of ground, a place where an event is occuring

• Sort - a category of things with a common feature
  
  Sought - past participle of seek

• stationary - not moving
  
  stationery - writing materials

• stair - something to climb
  
  stare - a look that endures

• Storey - one level of a building
  
  Story - an account of real or imaginary people and events told for entertainment

• straight - not having a bend or curve
  
  strait - a narrow body of water between two land masses

• Their - the possessive form of 'they'
  
  They're - the contraction of 'they are'
  
  There - a place, eg. 'Over there'

• time - the passage of existence, measured in seconds, minutes, hours etc
  
  thyme - a culinery herb

• Toe - a digit on the foot
  
  Tow - to use a vehicle to pull another along

• Two - one more than one, one less than three
  
  too - as well
  
  to - expressing a direction

• Tortuous - full of twists and turns; lengthy and complex
  
  Torturous - characterized by pain or suffering

• vale - a poetic valley
  
  veil - a scarf worn over the face

• Wait - take some time
  
  Weight - property of an object that makes it heavy

• waist - a slimming at the middle of the trunk or body
  
  waste - to use up or spend without getting true worth or benefit

• Ware - things offered for sale
  
  wear - to have clothing on one's body

• Your - the possessive form of 'you'
  
  You're - the contraction of 'you are'