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Spelling: Common Words That Sound Alike: Summary
Spelling: Common Words That Sound Alike: Summary
Summary:
This resource covers common spelling errors including accept/except, ei/ie, noun plurals, and
ible/able.
Contributors:Purdue OWL
Last Edited: 2013-10-07 02:04:55
Many words sound alike but mean different things when put into writing. This list will help
you distinguish between some of the more common words that sound alike. Click on any of
the blue underlined links to open a longer and more complete definition of the word in a new
window.
Forms to remember
Accept, Except
We are currently updating these resources, but for more information on these words, plus
exercises, see our document on accept and except.
Affect, Effect
A memory-aid for affect and effect is RAVEN: Remember, Affect is a Verb and Effect is a
Noun.
We are currently updating these resources, but for more information on these words, plus
exercises, see our document on affect and effect.
Advise, Advice
advice = noun that means an opinion or recommendation about what could or should
be done:
I'd like to ask for your advice on this matter.
Conscious, Conscience
Idea, Ideal
idea = noun meaning a thought, belief, or conception held in the mind, or a general
notion or conception formed by generalization:
Jennifer had a brilliant ideashe'd go to the Writing Lab for help with her papers!
Its, It's
led = past-tense and past-participle form of the verb to lead, meaning to guide or
direct:
The evidence led the jury to reach a unanimous decision.
Than, Then
used in comparison statements: He is richer than I.
used in statements of preference: I would rather dance than eat.
Than
used to suggest quantities beyond a specified amount: Read more than the first
paragraph.
a time other than now: He was younger then. She will start her new job then.
next in time, space, or order: First we must study; then we can play.
Then
suggesting a logical conclusion: If you've studied hard, then the exam should be no
problem.
Their, There, They're
into
Two, twelve, and between are all words related to the number 2, and all contain the letters tw.
Too can mean also or can be an intensifier, and you might say that it contains an extra o ("one
too many")
We're, Where, Were
Where = location:
Where are you going?
(This is a place word, and so it contains the word here.)
Your, You're
I/E Rule
Write I before E
Except after C
Or when it sounds like an A
As in "neighbor" and "weigh"
i before e: relief, believe, niece, chief, sieve, frieze, field, yield
e before i: receive, deceive, ceiling, conceit, vein, sleigh, freight, eight
Exceptions
seize, either, weird, height, foreign, leisure, conscience, counterfeit, forfeit, neither, science,
species, sufficient
Please see our exercises to practice these rules.
-ible, -able Rule
-ible
-able
visible
horrible
terrible
fashionable
laughable
suitable
dependable
comfortable
possible
edible
eligible
incredible
permissible
Examples:
advisable
desirable
valuable
debatable
Some exceptions:
contemptible
digestible
flexible
responsible
irritable
inevitable