Complete Lists of Confusing English Words

A

a, an;
abdicate, abrogate, arrogate,
          derogate, delegate, delicate;
abdication, addiction;
Abel, able, -able;
ability, capacity;
abjure, adjure;
ablution, absolution;
abridged, unabridged, expurgated;
abuse, misuse;
accede, exceed;
accelerate, exhilarate;
accelerator, exhilarator;
accept, except, expect;
access, excess, assess;
accessing, assessing;
accidental, incidental,
          accidentally, accidently;
acclamation, acclimation;
acronym, anagram;
acts, ax or axe;
acumen, acute, acuity;
ad, add;
adapt, adept, adopt;
addition, edition;
adds, ads, adz or adze;
adduce, deduce;
adhesion, cohesion, adherence,
          adherents;
adjourn, adjoin;
admission, admittance;
adolescence, adolescents;
adverse, averse;
advice, advise;
aerie, airy, eerie or eery;
affect, effect;
affinity, infinity;
affluence, affluents, influence;
agenda, addenda, addendum;
aggravate, exasperate, irritate, annoy;
agnostic, atheist, deist, theist;
aid, aide;
ail, ale;
air, err, heir;
aisle, isle, I’ll;
all, awl;
alley, ally;
allowed, aloud;
all ready, already;
all right, all-right, alright;
all together, altogether;
allude, elude, refer;
allusion, illusion, delusion, elusion;
all ways, always;
altar, alter;
alternate, alternative;
alumnus, alumni, alumna,
          alumnae;
amateur, novice, neophyte, tyro;
amend, emend;
amiable, amicable;
among, between;
amoral, immoral;
amused, bemused;
angel, angle;
angry, mad;
anguish, languish;
annalist, analyst;
annalize, analyze;
annul, annual, perennial;
antagonist, protagonist;
ante-, anti-;
antecedence, antecedents;
antidote, anecdote;
aphasia, amnesia;
aplomb, a plum;
apposite, opposite;
appraise, apprise;
appreciate, depreciate;
apprehend, comprehend;
arbitrate, mediate;
area, aria;
ark, arc;
arrange, arraign;
artist, artiste;
ascension, assumption;
ascent, assent, accent;
ascetic, acetic;
ask, ax;
ass, asinine;
assassin, assailant;
assassinate, assault, assail;
assimilate, simulate;
assistance, assistants;
assume, presume;
assure, insure;
astrology, astronomy;
ate, eight;
attendants, attendance;
auger, augur;
aught, ought, naught;
aunt, ant;
aureole, oriole;
avenge, revenge;
aver, avert, evert, divert;
aviary, apiary;
award, reward;
away, aweigh;
awful, offal

B

babble, bable;
bad, badly, bade;
bald, bawled;
bale, bail;
ball, bawl;
ballet, ballot, ballad;
balm, bomb;
band, banned;
bands, banns, bans;
barbaric, barbarous, barbarian,
          barbarism;
bard, barred;
bare, bear;
baring, barring, bearing;
baron, barren;
baroness, barrenness;
base, bass, bass;
based, baste;
basis, bases;
Bastille, bastion;
bat, batt;
bate, bait;
bath, bathe;
batted, bated, baited;
bazaar, bizarre;
be, bee, BB;
beach, beech;
beau, bow;
beer, bier;
been, bin;
beet, beat;
beetle, betel;
believe, feel;
bell, belle;
bellow, billow;
benevolence, benediction,
          malevolence, malediction;
beneficent, beneficial;
berry, bury;
berth, birth;
beside, besides;
better, bettor;
biannual, biennial;
bigamy, polygamy, monogamy;
bigoted, biased, intolerant, prejudiced;
bisect, dissect;
bisk, bisque;
billed, build;
bite, byte;
blatant, flagrant;
blaze, blasé;
blew, blue, bleu;
bloc, block;
blond, blonde;
boar, bore, boor, Boer;
board, bored;
boarder, border;
boat, ship;
bode, bowed;
bogey, bogy;
bold, bowled;
bolder, boulder;
boll, bowl;
boors, bourse;
boos, booz;
born, borne;
bourgeois, proletariat;
boy, buoy;
bow, bough;
boy, buoy;
braid, brayed;
brake, break;
braze, braise, brays;
breach, breech;
bread, bred;
breath, breathe, breadth;
brews, bruise;
bridal, bridle;
brief, short;
bring, take;
Britain, Briton, Breton;
broach, brooch;
brochure, leaflet, pamphlet;
brood, brewed;
brows, browse;
buccal, buckle;
bullion, bouillon;
bump, thump;
bungle, bundle;
burley, burly;
burrow, burro, borough;
bus, buss;
bust, burst;
but, butt;
buy, by, bye, bi-;
bi-, semi-;

C

cabal, cable;
cache, cash;
caddie, caddy;
calendar, calender, colander;
calk, caulk;
call, caul;
callous, callus;
Calvary, cavalry, cavalier;
can, may, might;
canapé, canopy;
candid, candied;
cane, Cain;
cannon, canon, canyon;
cant, can’t;
canter, cantor;
canvas, canvass;
capitol, Capitol, capital;
carat, caret, carrot, karat;
careen, career;
caries, carries;
carol, carrel;
carton, cartoon;
casket, gasket; 0
cartridge, cartilage;
cast, caste;
casual, causal;
catholic, Roman Catholic;
caudal, caudle, coddle;
cause, caws;
cease, seize;
-ceed, -sede, -cede;
cede, seed;
ceiling, sealing;
cell, sell;
cellar, seller;
cement, concrete;
censer, censor, censure, sensor;
cent, scent, sent;
cents, scents, sense, cense;
cere, seer, sear;
cereal, serial;
cession, session;
childish, childlike;
champ, chomp;
champagne, champaign;
chance, chants;
chanty, shanty;
charted, chartered;
chaste, chased;
cheap, cheep;
check, Czech;
cheek, chic, sheik;
chew, eschew;
chews, choose, chose;
chilly, chile [also chili or chilli];
choler, collar;
choleric, caloric;
choral, chorale, coral;
circumscribed, circumspect;
cite, site, sight;
cinque, sink, sync.;
clack, claque;
clamber, clamor, clamour;
classic, classical;
claws, clause;
clever, cleaver;
clew, clue;
click, clique, cliche;
climacteric, climactic, climatic;
climb, clime;
clinch, clench;
close, close, clothes;
closure, cloture, cloister;
cloths, close;
coax, cokes;
coal, cole, kohl;
coarse, course;
coco, cocoa;
collision, collusion;
colonel, kernel;
comma, coma;
command, commend;
commence, comments, commerce;
commission, omission;
common, vulgar;
communicate, commute;
complacent, complaisant;
complement, compliment;
complete, finished;
complex, compound;
comprehensible, comprehensive;
compute, commute;
concert, consort;
conservation, conservative, Conservative, conserve;
condone, condom, condominium;
confidant, confidante, confident;
confirm, conform;
congregation, conjugation;
connotation, denotation;
connote, denote;
conscience, conscious,
          conscientious;
consecutive, successive;
consequence, consequents;
console, console;
consonance, consonants;
construction, destruction;
consul, council, consel;
contemptible, contemptuous;
continuous, continual;
continuance, continuation;
controversial, contentious;
converge, diverge;
conversion, diversion;
convince, persuade;
convulsion, revulsion;
coo, coup;
coolly, coolie or cooly, coulee;
coop, coupe or coupé;
cops, copse;
cord, chord, cored;
core, corps, corpse;
corespondent, correspondent;
cornet, coronet;
corporal, corporeal, corpulent;
correspondence, correspondents;
covert, overt;
custom, habit;
costume, custom;
council, counsel;
councilor, counselor;
courier, currier;
covet, covert, overt;
coward, cowered;
crape, crepe;
crawl, trawl;
creak, creek;
crease, creese [also crease or kris];
credible, creditable, credulous,
          credulity;
crevice, crevasse;
crews, cruise;
criterion, criteria;
croak, crock;
crocodile, alligator;
croquet, croquette, crochet;
cubical, cubicle;
cue, queue;
cure, curé;
cursed, cursed;
currant, current;
customer, costumer;
cyclone, hurricane, tornado;
cygnet, signet;
cymbal, symbol;
Cyprus, cypress;

D

daffynition, fictionary;
dairy, diary;
dam, damn;
dammed, damned;
dangle, tangle;
days, daze;
deadly, deathly;
dear, deer;
debar, disbar;
decadence, decadents;
decease, disease;
deceased, diseased;
decent, descent, dissent;
decimate, destroy, demolish;
decisive, incisive;
decompose, discompose;
decorum, propriety;
decree, degree;
deduce, deduct;
defer, differ;
deference, difference;
defective, deficient;
definite, definitive;
defensive, defensible;
defuse, diffuse;
deign, Dane;
delegate, relegate;
denounce, renounce;
dense, dents;
dependence, dependents;
deposition, disposition;
depravation, deprivation;
depraved, deprived;
deprecate, depreciate;
descendant, descendent;
descent, dissent;
desirable, desirous;
desperate, disparate, desperado;
dessert, desert, desert;
desolate, dissolute;
detract, distract;
device, devise;
deviser, devisor, divisor;
dew, do, due;
diagnosis, prognosis;
diced, minced;
dictionary, glossary, thesaurus;
dies, dice;
diffident, dissident;
differentiate, distinguish;
digest, digest;
digress, regress;
diminish, minimize;
dine, dyne;
dingy, dinghy;
dire, dyer;
direct, erect;
disapprove, disprove;
disaster, holocaust, tragedy;
disburse, disperse;
discomfort, discomfit, disconcert;
discreet, discrete;
discuss, discus, cuss;
disinterested, uninterested;
dispassionate, unimpassioned;
displace, misplace;
disposal, disposition;
dissidence, dissidents;
distinct, distinctive;
distracted, distrait, distraught;
divers, diverse;
divorce, divorcé, divorcee,
          divocée;
divulge, disclose;
doc, dock;
doe, dough, do;
does, does, doze;
done, dun;
dope, dupe;
douse, dowse;
dove, dove;
draft, draught;
droop, drupe;
dual, duel;
ducked, duct;
dye, die;
dyeing, dying;
dynamic, dynamite;

E

earn, urn;
earthly, earthy;
eave, eve;
either, ether;
effective, efficient, effectual;
egoism, egotism;
egoist, egotist;
egress, ingress;
either ... or, neither ... nor;
elegy, eulogy;
elicit, illicit, licit;
eligible, legible;
elude, delude, deluge;
elusive, delusive, illusive;
emanate, eminent, imminent,
          immanent, immediate;
emerge, emerse, immerge;
emeritus, merit, meritorious;
emersion, immersion;
emigrate, immigrate;
emit, omit;
empathy, sympathy;
ensure, insure;
entry, entrée;
envelop, envelope;
envy, covet, desire;
epidemic, endemic, pandemic;
epigram, epigraph;
epitaph, epithet;
equable, equitable;
erasable, irascible;
errant, arrant;
erratum, errata;
erotic, exotic;
eruption, irruption;
essay, assay;
etymology, entomology;
euphemism, dysphemism,
         cacophemism;
evoke, invoke;
evolution, revolution;
evolve, devolve;
exalt, exult;
exceed, excel;
exceptional, exceptionable;
exercise, exorcise;
exhaustive, exhausting,
          exhaustible;
expand, expend;
expanse, expense;
expedience, expedients;
explicit, implicit;
expletive, explicative, epithet;
explosion, implosion;
expose, esposé;
expostulate, postulate;
extant, extent;
extemporaneous, impromptu;
extort, export;
extract, excerpt;
extraneous, intrinsic;
exude, exclude;
eyelet, islet;

F

fable, foible;
façade, veneer;
facet, faucet;
facetious, fictitious;
facilitate, felicitate;
fain, feign;
faint, feint;
faker, fakir;
fare, fair;
farm, pharm;
farther, further;
faun, fawn;
faze, phase, phrase;
feet, feat, fete;
ferment, foment;
ferry, fairy;
ferrule, ferule;
fete, fate;
feted, fated;
fetid, feted;
few, phew;
fewer, less;
fiancé, fiancée;
final, finally, finale, finely;
find, fined;
fineness, fnesse;
finish, Finnish;
fir, fur;
fish, fishes;
fisher, fissure;
flagrant, blatant;
flammable, inflammable;
flight, plight;
flare, flair, flayer;
flea, flee;
flecks, flex;
flesh, flush;
flesh out, flush out;
fleshly, fleshy;
flew, flu, flue;
flight, plight;
flip, flip-flop, flippant;
flotsam, jetsam;
flounder, founder;
flour, flower;
flout, flaunt;
flow, floe, flux;
foul, fowl;
for, fore, four;
foreword, forward;
formally, formerly;
fort, forte;
forth, fourth;
fortuitous, fortunate;
foul, fowl;
fraise, frays, phrase;
fraught, wrought;
friar, fryer;
frieze, freeze;
frustrate, fluster;
fuddle, muddle;
furry, fury;

G

gaff, gaffe;
gage, gauge;
gain, gainly;
gait, gate;
gall, Gaul;
galley, gallery;
gamble, gambol;
gambling, gamboling;
gamut, gambit;
gantlet, gauntlet;
gaol, jail;
gap, gape;
gargle, gargoyle;
gays, gaze;
geek, freak;
gel, jell;
generic, genetic;
genes, jeans;
genius, genus, genre;
gentle, gentile or Gentile,
          genteel;
gesture, jester;
ghastly, ghostly;
gibe, jibe, jive;
gild, guild;
gilt, guilt;
gist, jest;
glance, glimpse;
glutton, gluten, glut;
gobble, binge;
gobbler, gobbler;
googol, google, goggle;
gore, goer;
gored, gourd;
gorge, gouge;
gorging, gouging;
gorilla, guerilla;
gourmand, gourmet;
graduate, graduate from;
graft, graphed;
great, grate;
Greece, grease;
greave, grieve;
grill, grille;
grip, grippe;
grisly, grizzly;
groan, grown;
guarantee, guaranty;
guest, guessed, quest;
guise, guys;

H

hail, hale;
halve, have;
handsome, hansom;
hangar, hanger;
hanged, hung;
hardy, hearty;
hare, hair;
hart, heart;
haul, hall;
have, got, have got;
haven, heaven;
hay, hey;
hays, haze;
heal, heel;
healthful, healthy;
hear, here;
heard, herd;
hearsay, heresy;
heroin, heroine;
hertz, hurts;
hi, hie, high;
him, hymn;
higher, hire;
historic, historical;
ho, hoe;
hoar, hoer, whore;
hoard, horde, whored;
hoarse, horse;
hole, whole, holistic;
holy, holey, wholly, holly;
homonyms, homophones,
          homographs, heteronyms;
homophobia, homosexualphobia;
honorarium, stipend;
hoop, whoop;
hose, hose;
hostel, hostile;
hour, our;
hue, hew;
human, humane;
humble, pride;
humerus, humorous;
hurdle, hurtle;
hyperbola, hyperbole;
hypercritical, hypocritical;
hyperthermia, hypothermia;

I

I, aye, eye;
idle, idol, idyl;
ileum, ilium;
illegible, ineligible, eligible;
immoral, immortal;
impassable, impassible;
impetuous, vehement;
impinge, infringe;
imply, infer, insinuate;
impostor, imposure;
imprudent, impudent;
impunity, immunity;
in, inn;
inane, insane;
incidence, incidents;
incite, insight;
incoherent, inchoate;
incredible, incredulous;
indeterminable, indeterminate;
indigenous, indigent;
indignant, indigent, indignity;
indict, indite;
inequity, iniquity;
inert, insert;
infectious, contagious;
infidel, infidelity;
informer, informant;
ingenious, ingenuous;
innocence, innocents;
insidious, invidious;
insoluble, insolvable, insolvent;
inspire, expire, aspire;
inspiration, expiration;
instance, instants;
instigate, institute;
integration, segregation;
intelligible, intelligent, intellectual;
intense, intents;
intension, intention;
interment, internment;
intermural, intramural;
intern or interne, inter;
international, intranational;
interstate, intrastate;
intimate, intimate, imitate;
invade, inveighed;
invoke, revoke;
iron, ironic;
irreverent, irrelevant;
irruption, eruption;
its, it’s;

J

jam, jamb or jambe;
jibe, gibe;
jinks, jinx;
joust, just;
junction, juncture;
judicial, judicious;
jurist, juror;

K

key, quay;
kill, kiln;
knave, nave;
knell, knoll;
knickers, nickers;
knot, not;
knotty, naughty;
knit, nit;
knock, nock;
know, no;

L

laboratory, lavatory;
lacks, lax;
lade, laid;
lain, lane;
lam, lamb;
lame, lamé;
lapse, laps, Lapps, elapse, relapse;
largest, largess, largesse;
lascivious, licentious, lust;
last, latest;
later, latter, ladder;
lateral, literal;
lath, lathe;
lather, leather;
latitude, longitude;
laudable, laudatory;
lay, lei;
leach, leech;
lead, lead, led;
leak, leek;
lean, lien;
leased, least;
leeward, windward;
lend, loan, borrow;
lesson, lessen;
let, leave;
levee, levy;
liable, libel, slander;
liable, likely;
liar, lyre;
liberal, libertarian, libertine, liberty;
lichen, liken;
lie, lye;
lie, lay;
lightening, lightning;
linage, lineage;
linear, lineal;
links, lynx;
liqueur, liquor;
literal, littoral;
literary, literate;
litigation, mitigation;
livid, vivid;
llama, lama;
lo, low;
load, lode, lowed;
loam, loan, lone;
loath, loathe;
local, locale;
lock, loch;
locks, lox;
loom, loon, lune;
loose, lose;
loot, lute;
lore, lower;
lucre, looter;
lumbar, lumber;
lung, lunge;
luxurious, luxuriant;

M

macrocosm, microcosm;
madam, madame;
magnet, magnate;
maid, made;
mail, male;
main, mane, Maine;
maize, maze;
majority, plurality, minority;
mall, maul;
manner, manor;
mantel, mantle;
manual, Manuel;
mare, mayor;
marital, martial, marshal;
mark, marque;
marquee, marquis;
marten, martin;
mask, masque;
massage, message;
massed, mast;
massive, missive;
masterful, masterly;
material, materiel or matériel;
maybe, may be;
mean, mien;
meat, meet, mete;
medal, meddle;
mediate, meditate, medicate;
medium, media, median;
meeting, meting;
melody, medley, malady;
merry, marry, Mary;
metal, mettle;
meteor, meteorite;
mewl, mule;
mews, muse, Muse;
milestone, millstone;
militate, mitigate;
millenary, millinery;
mince, mints;
miner, minor;
minute, minuet;
misocapnist, capnophobia;
missal, missile;
mist, missed;
mite, might;
moan, mown;
moat, mote, molt;
mode, mowed;
mogul, mongrel;
momentous, momentary;
monologue, dialogue;
monopoly, polypoly;
mood, mooed;
moose, mousse, mouse;
moot, mute;
moral, morale;
morality, mortality;
morbid, sordid;
more, mower;
morn, mourn;
morning, mourning;
motif, motive;
motto, mottle;
mucous, mucus;
mulched, mulcted;
muscle, mussel;
musical, musicale;
mustard, mustered;

N

nauseated, nauseous;
naval, navel;
nay, nee or née, neigh;
need, knead, kneed;
negligent, negligible;
never, ever;
new, gnu, knew, nu;
news, gnus;
nice, gneiss;
night, knight;
nom de plume, pseudonym, pen name;
none, nun;
nose, knows, noes, nos;
nugget, nougat;

O

oar, o’er, or, ore;
oath, minced oath;
obscene, lewd;
observance, observation;
obsolete, obsolescent, archaic, archaism;
obstacle, impediment;
oculist, optician, ophthalmologist,
          optometrist;
ode, owed;
official, officious;
one, won;
opaque, transparent;
optimist, pessimist;
oracle, auricle;
oral, verbal, aural;
ordinance, ordnance;
orient, Orient, orientate;
osculate, oscillate, vacillate;
our, hour;
overdo, overdue;
O, oh, owe,;
oversight, omission;

P

paced, paste;
packed, pact;
packs, pax;
paid, payed;
pail, pale;
pain, pane;
pair, pairs, pare, pear;
pairing, paring;
palate, palette, pallet;
pall, pawl;
par, parr;
pariah, piranha;
parlay, parley;
partition, petition;
passe, posse;
passed, past;
pastor, pasture;
pathos, bathos;
patients, patience;
pause, paws;
pawing, pawning;
peace, piece;
peaceful, peaceable;
peak, peek, pique, piqué;
peaked, peaked;
peal, peel;
pealing, peeling;
pean or paean, peon;
pearl, purl;
pedal, peddle, petal;
peer, pier;
pelisse, police;
pen, pin;
penance, pennants;
pencil, pensile;
pendant, pedent, pennant;
penitence, penitents;
per, purr;
percent, percentage;
perfect, prefect;
perimeter, parameter;
perpetrate, perpetuate;
perpetual, perpetuity;
perquisite, requisite, prerequisite;
persecute, prosecute;
personal, personnel;
perspective, prospective, prospectus;
perspicuous, perspicacious;
perspiration, aspiration, inspiration;
peruse, pursue;
petrify, putrify, purify;
petty, paltry, trivial;
pew, pu;
phenomenon, phenomena,
          phenomenal;
physic, physique, psychic;
pi, pie;
pidgin, pigeon;
pier, peer;
pistil, pistol;
pitiful, piteous, pitiable;
pizza, piazza;
place, plaice;
plain, plane;
plaintiff, defendant;
plait, plate, pleat,;
plausible, feasible;
pleas, please;
plight, flight, flite or flyte;
plum, plumb;
pejorative, meliorative;
pejoration, melioration;
pole, poll;
polish, Polish;
polite, courteous;
pomace, pumice;
pommel, pummel;
populace, populous, population;
popular, poplar;
pore, pour, poor;
poring, pouring;
portion, potion;
practical, practicable, pragmatic;
practice, practise;
praise, prays, preys;
pray, prey;
precede, proceed;
precedence, precedents;
precedent, president;
precipitate, precipitous, precipice;
predicate, predicate, predict;
prelude, preclude;
premier, première or premiere;
prescribe, proscribe;
presence, presents;
presumption, presumptive,
          presumptuous;
pretend, portend, portent;
prevent, hinder;
preventive, preventative;
pride, pried;
pries, prize;
principal, principle;
prier, prior;
prints, prince;
profit, prophet; prophecy, prophesy;
proletarian, plebian;
proportion, apportion;
propose, purpose;
prosperity, posterity;
protege, prodigy;
prodigal, progeny;
pros, prose;
pendant, pedent;
prosthesis, prostration;
prosthetic, prostration;
prostrate, prostate;
protein, protean;
prude, prudent;
pundit, pundent, pedant, prodigy;
purl, pearl;
puttee, putty;
puzzle, perplex, bewilder;

Q

quail, quail;
quarts, quartz;
query, question, quest, inqiry;
quiet, quite, quit;

R

rabbet, rabbit;
rabble, rubble, rubbish;
race, race;
rack, wrack;
racket, racquet;
rail, rail, rail;
ravage, ravish;
raise, rear, rise, raze, rays;
raise, rear;
raised, razed;
rake, rake;
rap, wrap;
rapt, rapped, wrapped;
rappel, repel;
rapper, wrapper;
rare, scarce;
rational, rationale;
readable, legible;
recent, resent, resent;
read, reed;
read, red;
real, reel;
realize, know;
ream, reem;
rebound, redound;
recede, reseed;
recitation, resuscitation;
recurring, frequent;
redundant, abundant;
reek, wreak;
refuge, refugee;
refuse, refuse;
regal, regale;
regime, regimen, regiment;
register, registrar;
reign, rein, rain;
reigns, reins, rains;
reputed, reported;
required, prescribed;
requirement, requisition;
reseat, receipt, recipe;
reserve, reserve;
residence, residents;
resign, re-sign;
resort, resort;
respectable, respectful, respective;
respectfully, respectively, respectably;
rest, wrest;
restful, restive;
restive, restless, restful;
resume, continue;
résumé, synopsis, summary;
retch, wretch;
reticent, taciturn;
reverence, reference;
review, revue;
revile, revel;
revelry, reveille;
rheum, room;
Rhodes, roads;
rhumb, rum;
rhyme, rime;
rich, wealthy, affluent;
rigger, rigor;
right, rite, write, wright;
ring, wring;
ringer, wringer;
risky, risque or risqué;
road, rode, rowed;
roam, Rome;
roar, rower;
robber, thief, burglar;
roc, rock;
roe, row, row;
roil [rile], royal;
roll, role;
rood, rude, rued;
roomer, rumor;
root, route, en route, rout;
rose, rosé, rows, roes, rouse;
roster, rostrum;
rot, wrought;
rote, wrote;
ruble, rubble;
ruff, rough;
rung, wrung;
rye, wry;

S

sac, sack, sacque;
sacks, sax;
sacred, sacrosanct;
sacrilege, sacrilegious;
sail, sale;
salary, celery;
salon, saloon;
salubrious, lugubrious;
sanatorium, sanitarium;
sane, seine, Seine;
sanguine, sanguinary, sanguineous;
satin, sateen;
savant, idiot savant, idiot;
saver, savor;
scald, scold;
scalp, scalpel;
scan, scandal;
scream, screech, shriek, squeal;
scrip, script;
scuff, scruff;
scull, skull;
sculptor, sculpture;
seam, seem;
seamen, semen;
seamed, seemed;
sear, seer, seer, sere;
seas, sees, seize, siege, cease;
seasonable, seasonal;
secret, secrete;
sects, sex;
seen, scene;
see, sea;
sense, scents, cents;
sell, cell;
senses, census;
sensitive, sensuous, sensual;
septic, skeptic, styptic;
serf, surf;
seraph, serif;
session, cession;
setaceous, cetaceous;
sever, severe;
sewage, sewerage;
sewer, sewer, sower, suer;
sexton, sextant;
shall, will;
shear, sheer;
sheath, sheathe;
shelf, shelve;
shoe, shoo;
shone, shown;
shoot, chute;
shudder, shutter;
sic, sick;
sight, spectacle;
sighs, size;
signature, autograph;
sign, sine;
signet, cygnet;
side, sighed;
sigher, sire;
simple, simplistic;
simulate, stimulate;
sing, singe;
sink, cinque;
sit, sat, set;
slay, sleigh;
sleave, sleeve;
sleight, slight;
sloe, slow;
slogan, motto;
slough, slew;
slugger, sluggard;
smear, smirch, smirk;
smug, smudge;
so, sew, sow, sow;
soar, sore, sower;
soared, sword;
sold, soled;
solder, sodder;
sole, soul;
solid, stolid;
solitary, solitaire;
some, sum;
sometime, some time, sometimes;
son, sun;
soot, suit;
sore, sower, soar;
spacious, specious;
speak, speech;
special, especial, spacial;
specie, species;
specter, scepter;
steno, stereo;
splatter, splutter;
squib, squid;
stable, staple;
staid, stayed;
stair, stare;
stake, steak;
stalactite, stalagmite,
          stalacto-stalagmite, stalemate;
stamp, stomp;
stanch, staunch;
stationary, stationery;
statue, stature, statute;
steal, steel;
steely, stele;
stentorian, stertorous;
step, steppe;
sticks, Styx;
stink, stint;
straight, strait;
straightened, straitened;
strip, stripe;
strut, strut;
style, stile;
subsequent, consequent;
succinct, concise;
suet, soot;
suburb, superb;
succor, sucker;
suit, suite, sweet;
summary, summery;
Sunday, sundae;
superintendence, superintendents;
supernatural, unnatural;
supposedly, presumably;
surf, serf;
surge, serge;
surmise, premise;
suspicion, suspect;
swath, swathe;
swayed, suede;
symbol, cymbal;

T

tack, tact;
tail, tale;
take, bring;
talents, talons;
taper, tapir;
tare, tear;
tart, tart;
tartar, Tartar;
taught, taut, taunt;
tax, tacks;
tea, tee;
teach, learn;
team, teem;
tear, tear, tier, tire;
tease, teas, tees;
temerity, timidity, timorous;
tenant, tenet;
tenor, tenure;
tense, tents, tens;
tepid, torpid;
tern, turn;
than, then;
therefor, therefore;
their, there, they’re;
this, that;
thong, throng;
thorough, throughout;
thrash, thresh;
treachery, treason;
threw, through, thru;
triumphal, triumphant;
throw, throe;
thrown, throne;
throws, throes;
thyme, time;
tick, tic;
tide, tied;
timber, timbre;
tinge, twinge;
tire, Tyre, tier, tier;
toad, toed, towed;
to, too, two;
toe, tow;
told, tolled;
ton, tun;
tonic, tunic;
tool, tulle;
tort, torte;
tortoise, turtle;
torturous, tortuous;
touchy, touche;
tout, toot;
tracked, tract;
trader, traitor;
transience, transients;
translate, transliterate;
translucent, transparent;
transsexual, transvestite;
travel, travail;
tray, trey;
trident, strident;
troop, troupe;
trooper, trouper;
trustee, trusty;
turgid, tubid;
tutor, Tudor;
typography, topography;

U

umbrella, parasol, sombrero;
unexceptionable, unexceptional;
uninhibited, uninhabited;
unique;
unit, unite;
university, college;
urban, urbane;
use, yews, ewes;
usable, useful;
utter, udder;
unwanted, unwonted;

V

vain, vane, vein;
vale, vail, veil;
valet, valley;
varied, various;
vary, very;
vassal, vessel;
venal, venial, vernal;
venue, veneer;
Venus, venous, venomous;
veracious, voracious;
veracity, voracity;
verses, versus;
vertex, vortex;
vial, vile;
vice, vise;
villain, villein;
visa, vista;
victual, virtual;
vindictive, vindication;
vocation, avocation;
volt, vault;

W

wade, weighed;
wafer, waver;
waist, waste;
wait, weight;
want, wont, won’t;
war, wore;
ware, wear, were, where;
wares, wears;
wary, weary;
warn, worn;
wave, waive;
waver, waiver;
way, weigh, whey;
wax, wane;
wax, whacts;
we, wee;
weal, we’ll;
weak, week;
weather, whether;
weave, we’ve;
weed, we’d;
weld, welled;
wench, winch, wince;
wet, whet;
whale, whale, wail;
wheal, wheel;
which, witch;
while, wile;
whine, wine;
whirl, whorl;
whither, wither;
who, whom;
who’s, whose;
whoa, woe;
whole, hole;
whose, who’s;
widow, widower;
wiggle, wriggle;
wilt, welt;
wind, wind, wined;
worst, wurst;
would, wood;
wreak, wreck, ;

Y

yoke, joke, yolk;
you, ewe, yew;
you’re, your, yore;
yule, you’ll