SORTING OUT CONFUSING

WORDS
 HOMONYM
• from the Greek homo which means “same”
and onym which means “name”
• two or more words that share the same spelling,
or the same pronunciation, or both, but have
different meanings
 HOMOPHONES
• two or more words that share the same
pronunciation but have different
meanings
• may or may not be spelled on the same
way
 HOMOGRAPHS
• homonyms that share the same
spelling
• may or may not have the same
pronunciation
 HETERONYMS
• homonyms that share the same spelling
but have different pronunciations
• homographs which are not homophones
Wikipedia article on homonyms
 AFFECT EFFECT
(Verb) have an effect on; (Noun) a change which is a
make a difference to result or consequence of an
action or other cause
ANTICIPATE EXPECT
(Verb) regard as probable; (Verb) believe that (someone
expect or predict or something) will arrive
soon; regard (someone) as
likely to do or be something
 ENSURE
(Verb) make certain that
(something) shall occur or be coverage with respect to;
the case
CAN
(Verb) be able to; be
permitted to; used to ask
someone to do something
INSURE
(Verb) provide insurance
secure or protect someone
against (a possible
contingency)
MAY
(Verb) expressing
possibility; expressing
permission; expressing a
wish or hope
 COMPLIMENT COMPLEMENT
(Noun) a polite expression of (Noun) a thing that
praise or admiration completes or brings to
perfection
DEPENDENT DEPENDANT
(Adjective) requiring (Noun) someone who
someone or something for depends on you for financial
financial, emotional, or other support 
support
 EMPATHY
(Noun) the ability to
understand and share the
feelings of another
FAIR
(Adjective) just or appropriate
in the circumstances; light
complexion; considerable
though not outstanding in size
or amount
SYMPATHY
(Noun) feelings of pity and
sorrow for someone else's
misfortune
FARE
(Noun) the money a
passenger on public
transportation has to pay
 HANGED
(Verb) past tense of hang;
suspend or be suspended from
above with the lower part
dangling free; used as a form of
capital punishment
LAY
(Verb) put down, especially
gently or carefully
HUNG
(Adjective) (of a jury) unable to
agree on a verdict
LIE
(Verb) be, remain, or be kept in
a specified state
(Noun) an intentionally false
statement
 SHOULD
(Verb) used to indicate
obligation, duty, or
correctness, typically when
criticizing someone's actions
STATIONARY
(Adjective) not moving or
not intended to be moved
WOULD
(Verb) past of will;
expressing a polite request
STATIONERY
(Noun) writing and other
office materials
 THAT
(Pronoun) used to identify a
specific person or thing
observed by the speaker
WHO
(Pronoun) what or which
person or people
WHICH
(pronoun · determiner)
asking for information
specifying one or more
people or things from a
definite set
WHOM
(Pronoun) used instead of
“who” as the object of a verb
or preposition