K. LALITHA BAI
Associate Professor,
English, Hyderabad.
It is quite common in English that we get confused while using certain words. Hence, it is essential to know their meaning. These confusions occur in the use of homonyms, homographs and homophones.
A homonym is one of a group of words that share the same spelling and pronunciation but have different meanings.
Example: left (past tense of leave) and left (opposite of right)
Homographs are usually defined as words that share the same spelling and different meaning, regardless of how they are pronounced.
Example: close = nearby
close = to shut
Homophones are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation and different meaning, regardless of how they are spelled.
Example: pick a flower
bake with flour
It is a known fact that a good dictionary is a great source to verify the usages of words. Apart from this, listening to native speakers and possessing a general reading habit enhances your skills. Let us learn some of the words that are confused or misused.
Accident - an unfortunate happening
Incident- an event
Adapt- to make suitable to
Adopt- to take as someone's own
Adept- expert
Alternately- regular interchange
Alternatively- a choice
Anonymous- unknown
Unanimous- in complete agreement
Battle- a short conflict
War- a long conflict
Berth- a sleeping place
Birth- act of being born
Canvas- a strong rough material for painting
Canvass- to support a person
Corporal- a lower rank army officer
Corporeal- physical
Corpse- dead body
Corps- a unit of army
Deceased- dead
Diseased- suffering from a disease
Discover- to find something that was already existing
Invent- to make something new
Draught- flow of air in a room
Drought- a long period with no rains
Emigrant- a person who leaves his country to live in another country
Immigrant- a person who has come to another country to live permanently
Famous- known by many people
Notorious- well known for being bad
Few- not many (used with countable nouns)
Less- not much (used with uncountable nouns)
Further- to a greater degree
Farther- a greater distance
Historic- something important
Historical- connected with history
Industrial- related to industry
Industrious- hard working
Judicial- related with matters of judiciary
Judicious- wise
Later- at a time in future
Latter- second of two things
Luxuriant- dense growth
Luxurious- related with luxury
Lose- to miss something
Loose- not firmly fixed
Official- connected with a position of authority
Officious- too ready to use power
Principal- head or chief
Principle- a rule
Quite- to a great degree
Quiet- calm
Refuse- not to grant something
Refuge- shelter
Stationary- not moving
Stationery- materials for writing
Temporal- connected with time
Temporary- not permanent
Jealous- angry or unhappy
Zealous- full of enthusiasm
PRACTICE TESTS
Directions (Q. 1-15): Each question below has a blank/ two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Choose the word/ set of words from the five options for each blank that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
1. It is the clerks job to order the ____.
1) Stationery 2) stationary
3) station 4) statutory
5) situation
2. The Mississippi is the ____ river of the United States.
1) Principle 2) principles
3) principled 4) principal's
5) principal
3. The teacher spoke so ____ I could ____ hear her.
1) Quiet… hardly 2) quietly… hardly
3) quite… hardly 4) quietly… hard
5) quiet… hard
4. Unfortunately, some ____ tend to be rather ____ .
1) Official… office
2) officials… office
3) officials…official
4) official… officers
5) officials… officious
5. They accepted they would have to ____ their jobs.
1) Lose 2) loose 3) lost
4) losing 5) loosing
6. He was charged with the offense but ____ released on bail.
1) Latter 2) late 3) later
4) latest 5) lately
7. Going to court to settle a dispute is a ____ procedure.
1) Judge 2) judicious 3) judicial
4) judging 5) Judaic
8. In ____ cities you'll find many factories.
1) Industry 2) industrious
3) industries 4) industrial
5) industrialize
9. The fact that the U.S., Russia and China now stand ____ against terrorism is a ____ development.
1) Unit… historical
2) unity… historic
3) uniform… history
4) united… historian
5) united… historical
10. I could not go any ____.
1) Farther 2) further 3) far
4) extra 5) fur
11. His prime-time TV appearance helped him ____ his cause.
1) Farther 2) further 3) far
4) more 5) former
12. The book of ____ quotations inspired us all.
1) Famous 2) notorious 3) famed
4) eminent 5) celebrated
13. America is home to ____ from all over the world.
1) Immigrants 2) immigrant
3) immigration 4) emigrant
5) migrant
14. He paints pictures on ____ and camps out in a ____ tent.
1) Canvas… canvass
2) canvass… canvas
3) canvas… canvas
4) canvassed… canvas
5) canvassing… canvas
15. You can sleep well on ____ because of the comfortable ____.
1) Board… berths 2) board… birth
3) berths… berths 4) berth… birth
5) births… berths
Directions: (Questions 16 to 30) Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below each sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is given and no correction is required, mark (5) as the answer.
16. The car rammed into a stationary lorry.
1) Stationery 2) Station
3) Statutory 4) Situation
5) No correction required
17. Korean workers are among the most industry in the world.
1) Industrious 2) Industrial
3) Induct 4) Induce
5) No correction required
18. Some people like reading calmness novels.
1) historic 2) Historical
3) History 4) Historians
5) No correction required
19. Many poorer work from Europe never reached America.
1) Emigration 2) Immigrant
3) Emigrants 4) Emigrant
5) No correction required
20. The crew says they can deal with anything, even the begin of a baby!
1) Births 2) Birth
3) Berth 4) Berths
5) No correction required
21. The country works on the role that all citizens are equal.
1) Principles 2) Principled
3) Principal 4) Principle
5) No correction required
22. The party's candidate wasn't able to canvasing enough support to win the election.
1) Canvas 2) Canvassing
3) Canvass 4) Canvassed
5) No correction required
23. You are much right in saying so.
1) Quiet 2) Quite 3) Quit
4) Quiets 5) No correction required
24. A temperature gap in the scenes is artistic.
1) Temporal 2) Template
3) Temporary 4) Tempting
5) No correction required
25. Saving money for a rainy day is a judicious decision by the poor man.
1) Judicial 2) Judging
3) Judge 4) Juggling
5) No correction required
26. Of the two scenes in the film, I liked the later.
1) A later 2) An later
3) A letter 4) The latter
5) No correction required
27. They are zealous of his newly acquired riches.
1) Are jealous 2) Were zealous
3) Is jealous 4) Are jealousy
5) No correction required
28. The players ran towards the pitch zealous.
1) Jealous 2) Jealousy
3) Zealously 4) Zeal
5) No correction required
29. Uganda refuge him a visa.
1) Refused 2) Refuse 3) Refusing
4) Reuse 5) No correction required
30. Madhubala has luxury hair.
1) Luxurious 2) Luxuriously
3) Luxuriant 4) Lush
5) No correction required
ANSWERS:
1) 1 2) 5 3) 2 4) 5 5) 1
6) 3 7) 3 8) 4 9) 5 10) 2
11) 2 12) 1 13) 1 14) 3 15) 1
16) 5 17) 1 18) 2 19) 3 20) 2
21) 4 22) 3 23) 2 24) 1 25) 5
26) 4 27) 1 28) 3 29) 1 30) 3
