Thursday, 6 February 2014

Commonly confused words2

Aural     relating to the ears or hearing                         oral        relating to the mouth; spoken
Balmy    pleasantly warm                                            barmy   foolish, crazy
Bare       naked; to uncover                                          bear       to carry; to put up with
Bated    in phrase 'with bated breath' in great suspense baited   with bait attached or inserted
Bazaar   a Middle Eastern market                                 bizarre  strange
Berth     a bunk in a ship, train, etc.                               birth      the emergence of a baby from the womb
Born      having started life            borne    carried
Bough   a branch of a tree            bow       to bend the head; the front of a ship
Brake        a device for stopping a vehicle; to stop a vehicle            break    to separate into pieces; a pause
Breach                  to break through, or break a rule; a gap                 breech                  the back part of a gun barrel
Broach                  to raise a subject for discussion                                 brooch  a piece of jewelry
Canvas                  a type of strong cloth       canvass              to seek people’s votes
Censure               to criticize strongly            censor  to ban parts of a book or film; a person who does this
Cereal                  a grass producing an edible grain; a breakfast food made from grains
serial                    happening in a series
Chord    a group of musical notes                    cord       a length of string; a cord-like body part
Climactic              forming a climax                  climatic relating to climate
Coarse                  rough                                 course              a direction; a school subject; part of a meal
Complacent        smug and self-satisfied           complaisant        willing to please
Complement     to add to so as to improve; an addition that improves something             
compliment        to praise or express approval; an admiring remark
Council             a group of people who manage or advise            
counsel              advice; to advice
Cue        a signal for action; a wooden rod              queue   a line of people or vehicles
Curb      to keep something in check; a control or limit     kerb       the stone edge of a pavement
Currant                 a dried grape                              current  happening now; a flow of water, air, or electricity
Defuse                 to make a situation less tense                    diffuse                  to spread over a wide area
Desert              a waterless, empty area; to abandon someone    dessert      the sweet course of a meal

Discreet               careful not to attract attention  discrete                separate and distinct

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