HANDOUT 15

CONFUSED WORDS #1

Name: ______________________________ Date __________________

Class: _______________________________

VOCABULARY
LOOKS SIMILAR BUT THEY ARE NOT

# Word Word Class Example Sentence

1 complain verb My neighbours made a complaint about our dog.
complaint noun Our neighbours always complain about our dog.
2 principal noun The Principal of our school will retire soon.
principle noun One of my principles is to do my best in everything I do.
3 prevent verb To prevent crime, we need to form a security committee.
avoid verb The boy ducked in time to avoid the oncoming ball.
4 confusing adjective Some of the questions are so confusing.
confusion noun The confusion about the registration date displeased parents.
5 practise verb Because I didn’t practise, I failed the piano examination.
practice noun I’m going to school for a football practice.
6 advise verb Our teacher advised us to study hard but we didn’t take heed.
advice noun We didn’t take our teacher’s advice seriously.
7 effect noun One of the effects of climate change is global warming.
affect verb Global warming has affected humans, plants and animals.
8 accept verb I’m sorry I cannot accept your gift, as it’s considered a bribe.
except preposition Everyone is in class today except Sulaiman.
9 altar noun Mr Li placed the candles on the altar before praying.
alter verb You need to alter your pants, or else you can’t wear it.
10 bear verb I can’t bear the heat, so here I am sitting under the fan.
bare verb The tiger bared its fangs as it approached its prey.
adjective When the police opened the closet, it was bare.
11 chord noun We had to practise playing the chords five times today.
cord noun The technician used a 10-foot extension cord to reach the socket.
12 compliment verb The Fire Chief complimented the young man for his courage.
complement noun The dress that you’re wearing complements your body shape.
13 forward adverb The soldiers moved forward to face the enemy.
foreword noun The foreword of the book was written by Ernest Hemingway.
14 loose adjective Your shirt is too loose for you, so get a smaller size.
lose verb If you lose your identity card, you must lodge a police report.
15 stationery noun “Smiggles” is a renowned stationery brand that teens love.
stationary adjective The bus has been stationary the past half an hour.
16 ensure verb We are taking steps to ensure that it never happens again.
assure verb We have been assured that such an incident will not recur.
17 disinterested adjective A good referee would be disinterested in both teams.
uninterested adjective He appears to be uninterested in listening to my explanation.
18 empathy noun To show empathy, Peter offered to assist him financially.
sympathy noun Sofia showed sympathy when my cat died.
19 Historic adjective Our Prime Minister’s visit to the school was a historic moment.
historical adjective Many historical places were destroyed by the government.
20 lay verb Mom told me to lay the cloth on the table before dinner.
lie verb We are not supposed to lie down in bed after a meal.