(Words often confused)

1.
(a) HISTORIC(adj) famous, important
(b) HISTORICAL(adj) related to history/ past events
(c) HISTRIONIC(adj) a melodramatic behaviour to get attention from others
Ex:
(i) The Taj mahal is of historical importance.
(ii) She put on a histrionic display of grief at her step son’s funeral.
(iii) The launch of Chandrayaan 2 was a historic moment for the country.
2.
(a) MOMENTUM(noun) pace, speed
(b) MOMENTARY(adj) temporary, short-lived
(c) MOMENTOUS(adj) important
Ex:
(i) The team has lost momentum in recent weeks.
(ii) After a momentary hesitation, he informed the police about the incident.
(iii) It was a momentous event and cannot be forgotten.
3.
(a) EMINENT(adj) famous, important, well-known
(b) IMMINENT(adj) Something certain to happen very soon/unavoidable
Ex:
(i) Death is imminent.
(ii) The eminent scholar was welcomed by all.

4.
(a) CENSURE(verb) to criticise, condemn
(b) CENSOR(verb) to prohibit, to put a ban on something
Ex:
(i) He was censured for his negligence.
(ii) Scenes from the film had to be censored.
5.
(a) ALTERNATE(adj) one after another
(b) ALTERNATIVE(adj/noun) choice, option
Ex:
(i) He visits his uncle on alternate days.
(ii) Between the two alternatives the first one is better.
noun

(iii) The highway was closed, so we had to take an alternative route.

adj
6.
(a) INTERESTED(adj) willing, eager
(b) UNINTERESTED(adj) unwilling, unconcerned
(c) DISINTERESTED(adj) impartial, unbiased
Ex:
(i) A lawyer should provide disinterested advice.
(ii) It is important that all the members of a jury are disinterested parties.
(iii) Uninterested in politics, he refused to vote.
7.
(a) PRODIGAL(adj) one who spends money wastefully, extravagant
(b) PRODIGIOUS(adj) huge, vast, tremendous
(c) PRODIGY(noun) someone who is very talented at a very early age (child prodigy)
Ex:
(i) She was a child prodigy, giving concerts before she was a teenager.
(ii) Despite his disability, John has made many prodigious talents.
(iii) The prodigal activities of the boy led him to difficulties.
8.
(a) COMPLIMENT(verb/noun) praise, appreciate
(b) COMPLEMENT(verb/noun) to make someone or something more complete or effective
Ex:
(i) He complimented her on her beauty.
(ii) Man is a complement to women.
(iii) The cool blue colour complements the warm yellow colour very well.
9.
(a) INGENIOUS(adj) expert, experienced, proficient
(b) INGENUOUS(adj) innocent, inexperienced, credulous, gullible
Ex:
(i) She was ingenious at finding ways to work more quickly.
(ii) It was rather ingenuous of him to ask a stranger to look after his luggage.
10.
(a) CHILDLIKE(adj) like a child, innocent, simple
(b) CHILDISH(adj) silly, immature
Ex:
(i) We are tired of his childish behaviour.
(ii) He believes everything with childlike simplicity.
11.
(a) INDIGENT(adj) poor, insolvent, destitute
(b) INDIGENOUS(adj) native, domestic, local
Ex:
(i) The indigent man could not afford food and clothing.
(ii) The indigenous method costs less money.
(iii) The kangaroo is indigenous to Australia.
12.
(a) JUDICIARY(noun) related to justice
(b) JUDICIOUS(adj) wise, prudent, sagacious
Ex:
(i) Since I have a small budget, I have to be judicious about my purchases.
(ii) A country should have an upright judiciary system.
13.
(a) ELICIT(verb) to get/obtain something with great difficulty
(b) ILLICIT(adj) illegal
Ex:
(i) The police couldn’t elicit any information from the prisoner.
(ii) They were prosecuted for illicit liquor selling.
14.
(a) CONTINUOUS(adj) something that happens without stopping
(b) CONTINUAL(adj) something that happens frequently, with breaks between the occurrences
Ex:
(a) We have to prevent these continual breakdowns.
(b) He had endured house arrest and continual harassment by the police.
(c) The battery provided enough power for up to five hours of continuous use.
15.
(a) PERSONAL(adj) Individual, private
(b) PERSONNEL(Noun) employee, workforce, staff
Ex:
(i) She is always concerned about her personal appearance.
(ii) Army personnel were deployed at the site.
16.
(a) STATIONARY(adj) not moving, static, motionless
(b) STATIONERY(Noun) writing equipment, for example pens, pencils, paper etc.
Ex:
(i) He crashed into the back of a stationary vehicle.
(ii) John pulled out a stationery and wrote the letter.
17.
(a) ALTERATION(noun) change, modification
(b) ALTERNATION(noun) one after another, to occur in a successive manner
(c) ALTERCATION(noun) fight, dispute, disagreement
Ex:
(i) He made an alteration in his will before his death.
(ii) Both the workers work in strict alternation.
(iii) He was engaged in an altercation with the driver.
18.
(a) PRINCIPLE(noun) rule, doctrine, values
(b) PRINCIPAL(noun) main, major, Head of an institution.
Ex:
(i) The principal cause of his failure was his carelessness.
(ii) The principal of the college was invited to the meeting.
(iii) He followed the principles of Gandhiji.
19.
(a) ASSENT(noun/verb) agree to something or approve
(b) ASCENT(noun) the act of climbing or going up
(c) ACCENT(noun) a particular way of pronouncing words
Ex:
(i) The manager assented to his proposal.
(ii) There was a general assent about his achievement.
(iii) The ascent of the mountain was very steep.
(iv) It was the soft accent that held her attention.
20.
(a) DISSENT(noun/verb) disagree, disapprove
(b) DESCENT(noun) the act of coming or going down
(c) DECENT(adj) ethical, moral, honourable
Ex:
(i) He did everything to suppress political dissent.
(ii) Passengers must fasten their seat belts prior to descent.
(iii) His decent behaviour made him the favourite of all.
21.
(a) FOREWORD(noun) a short introduction to a book, preface
(b) FORWARD(adverb) towards the front, ahead
Ex:
(a) The boy was asked to write a foreword to the book.
(b) Technology has taken us a big step forward.
22.
(a) CONSCIOUS(adj) aware, attentive, vigilant
(b) CONSCIENCE(noun) one’s internal sense of right and wrong.
(c) CONSCIENTIOUS(adj) ethical, principled, honest
Ex:
(i) She is very conscious of her rights.
(ii) Her conscience did not allow her to do the immoral act.
(iii) He was thorough and conscientious rather than brilliant.
23.
(a) HUMANITY(noun) compassion, generosity, benevolent
(b) HUMANITIES(noun) a study of literature, language, philosophy, history.
Ex:
(a) We should treat animals with humanity.
(b) He is pursuing his graduation in humanities.
24.
(a) HUMILITY(noun) humbleness, modesty, politeness
(b) HUMILIATION(noun) insult, embarrassment.
Ex:
(i) He accepted the honour with great humility.
(ii) The employee had to suffer humiliation for his rude behaviour.
25.
(a) DUAL(adj) double, twin, paired
(b) DUEL(noun) fight, disagreement, dispute
Ex:
(i) The committee has dual function, both advisory and regulatory.
(ii) The officer challenged him to a duel.
26.
(a) TORTUOUS(adj) twisted, complicated
(b) TORTUROUS(adj) causing pain or suffering, torture
Ex:
(i) They walked through the tortuous streets of the old city.
(ii) After three years of torturous imprisonment, he was finally set free.
27.
(a) CLIMATIC(adj) related to climate
(b) CLIMACTIC(adj) related to climax, highest or most exciting point of something
Ex:
(i) Different parts of the earth have different climatic conditions.
(ii) The climactic scene between the father and the daughter was very touching.
28.
(a) DISCREET(adj) careful, cautious
(b) DISCRETE(adj) separate and distinct
Ex:
(i) A watch is made up of many discrete gears.
(ii) He performed the task in a discreet way.
29.
(a) EFFICIENT(adj) capable, skillful
(b) EFFECTIVE(adj) producing a desired result/effect
Ex:
(i) The new machine is more efficient than the old one.
(ii) The lecture delivered by the principal was very effective.
30.
(a) VOCATION(noun) profession
(b) VACATION(noun) holiday
Ex:
(i) He is a carpenter by vocation.
(ii) The university will be closed for Christmas vacation.
31.
(a) APPOSITE(adj) appropriate, suitable, relevant
(b) OPPOSITE(adj) completely different, of a contrary kind
Ex:
(i) Her remarks are extremely apposite to the present discussion.
(ii) Both the brothers are opposite in temperament.
32.
(a) MISER(noun) One who spends less, frugal, stingy
(b) MISERY(noun) in a very bad condition, plight, suffering
Ex:
(i) A miser worships money.
(ii) The war brought misery to thousands of refugees.
33.
(a) LUXURIOUS(adj) lavish, comfortable and expensive
(b) LUXURIANT(adj) abundant, plenty
Ex:
(i) The forests are luxuriant in green vegetation.
(ii) He lives in a luxurious apartment.
34.
(a) VENERABLE (adj) honourable, respectful
(b) VULNERABLE(adj) weak, easily affected or attacked, susceptible, prone, unguarded
Ex:
(i) People with open heart are vulnerable to the deepest wound.
(ii) The cathedral is a venerable building.
35.
(a) KNAVE(noun) a dishonest person
(b) NAIVE(adj) innocent, inexperienced, gullible
Ex:
(i) The knave and his conspirators are plotting to rob the bank.
(ii) They were naive and easily misled.
35.
(a) GENTLE (adj) calm, kind, moderate
(b) GENTEEL (adj) aristocratic, elite, refined, stylish
Ex:
(a) The weather is gentle.
(b) He is very gentle to his kids.
(c) He appears to have genteel manners.
36.
(a) URBAN (adj) relating to or having the characteristics of a town or city
(b) URBANE (adj) one who is very refined or courteous in manner.
Ex:
(a) The urban population in developing countries is increasing.
(b) His urbane personality can win over even the grouchiest female.
37.
(a) FEMINIST (noun/adj) one who supports equal rights for women
(b) FEMININE (adj) qualities related to woman/girl, tender, delicate, soft
(c) EFFEMINATE (adj) a man who behaves like a woman.
Ex:
1. All her life she has been ardent feminist.
(Noun)
2. She used the newspaper column as a platform for her feminist views.
(adj)
38.
(a) SENSIBLE (adj) wise, logical, prudent, rational
(b) SENSITIVE (adj) emotional, susceptible, easily affected
Ex:
1. She was sensible enough to stop driving when she was tired.
2. Curfew was imposed in sensitive areas.
39.
(a) ACCENTUATE (verb) to emphasize or to make something more noticeable.
(b) ATTENUATE (verb) reduce, decrease
Ex:
1. She accentuated her beautiful eyes with makeup.
2. The government hopes that the air strikes will attenuate the number of terrorists hiding in the
mountains.
40.
(a) ADVERSITY (noun) a difficult or unpleasant situation
(b) ADVERSARY (noun) enemy, rival, opposer, competitor
Ex:
(i) She turned adversity into opportunity.
(ii) He defeated his old adversary with great ease and comfort.
41.
(a) FLARE (noun/verb) fire, burn, explode, outburst, out of control
(b) FLAIR (noun) natural ability to do something, aptitude, talent
Ex:
1. There was a sudden flare as a fuel tank exploded.
2. He was a born mechanic with a flair for design.
42.
(a) COMPREHENSIVE (adj) vast, detailed, elaborate
(b) COMPREHENSIBLE (adj) understandable, clear, explicit
Ex:
1. She has a comprehensive knowledge of the subject.
2. Her words were barely comprehensible.
43.
(a) EGOIST (noun) one who is arrogant, selfish and self centered
(b) EGOTIST (noun) one who believes in self praise, braggart, show-off
Ex:
1. An egoist is a person who is his own best friend.
2. You need to be an egotist to succeed in politics.
44.
(a) INDUSTRIAL (adj) related to industries
(b) INDUSTRIOUS (adj) hard working, laborious
Ex:
(a) Industrial output has reached record levels.
(b) The student is neither intelligent nor industrious.
45.
(a) DEFER (verb) postpone, procrastinate, put off
(b) DEFERENCE (noun) respect, honour, reverence
Ex:
1. We wish to defer our decision until next week.
2. The officials were treated with extreme deference.
46.
(a) ACCESS (noun/verb) to get, obtain, approach, enter
(b) EXCESS (adj) plentiful, abundant
Ex:
1. The only access to the building is through the side door.
(noun)

2. The file can be accessed by the users.

(verb)

3. His eyes were blinded by excess of light.

47.
(a) ALLUSION (noun) an indirect reference, hint, implication
(b) ILLUSION (noun) a false idea or belief, misconception
Ex:
1. His poetry is full of obscure literary allusion.
2. She is in the illusion that her father will pay the debts.
48.
(a) AFFECTION (noun) liking, admiration, loveliness,
(b) AFFECTATION (noun) show off, flaunt, pomp
Ex:
1. He has great affection for his family.
2. She is sincere and without affectation.
49.
(a) ALLEVIATE (verb) reduce, mitigate, pacify, appease
(b) ELEVATE (verb) increase, escalate,
Ex:
1. We should alleviate the sufferings of others.
2. Good books elevate the mind.
50.
(a) SIGHT (noun) the ability to see, view
(b) SITE (noun) place/location
(c) CITE (verb) mention/quote
Ex:
1. It was a wonderful sight.
2. The construction site was far from the city.
3. He cited many examples to express the idea contained in the poem.
51.
(a) ACCESSORY (noun) addition, adjunct, attachment, extra, supplementary
(b) ACCESSARY (noun) a person who helps another in crime, accomplice
Ex:
(1) The shop sells expensive accessories for women.
(2) The car has accessories such as music system, alarm bell etc.
(3) He was charged with being an accessary to the murder.
52.
(a) APPRAISE (verb) evaluate, assess, judge
(b) APPRISE (verb) inform or tell
Ex:
(1) The employer should appraise the ability of his employees.
(2) I thought it was right to apprise Priya of what had happened.
53.
(a) ANNUAL (adj) a period of one year
(b) ANNUL (verb) to declare invalid / nullify
Ex:
1. The company published its earnings in the annual report.
2. The manager has the power to annul inappropriate decisions.
54.
(a) SURFEIT (noun) excess, overabundance, redundant
(b) COUNTERFEIT (adj) false, fake
(c) FORFEIT (verb) to lose something as a penalty / fine
Ex:
1. Indigestion can be brought on by a surfeit of rich food.
2. The police seized counterfeit notes from the house.
3. Because of his violent behaviour, he forfeited the right to visit his children.
55.
(a) EMIGRATE (verb) to move away from a city or country to live somewhere else
(b) IMMIGRATE (verb) to move into a city or country from somewhere else
Ex:
1. The war caused the families to emigrate from their homeland to a new country.
2. He immigrated to America for better job opportunities.
56.
(a) ADORE (verb) admire, appreciate
(b) ADORN (verb) decorate
Ex:
1. We adore him for his generosity.
2. He loves to adorn herself with jewels.
57.
(a) VERACIOUS (adj) genuine, authentic, credible, true
(b) VORACIOUS (adj) greedy, hungry, eager
Ex:
1. He was a strictly veracious reporter.
2. John would not be overweight if he were not such a voracious eater.
3. He is a voracious reader.
58.
(a) DESERT (noun/verb) sandy area, abandon, leave
(b) DESSERT (noun) sweet dish
Ex:
1. He was deserted by his friends
2. The heat in the desert was extreme.
3. We had ice-cream and apple pie for dessert.
59.
(a) EMACIATION (noun) decay, degeneration, weakness
(b) EMANCIPATION (noun) freedom, liberty
Ex:
1. She was very thin, almost to the point of emaciation.
2. The church encouraged the emancipation of the slaves.
60.
(a) MORAL (adj)  honest, ethical, principled
(b) IMMORAL (adj) corrupt, dishonest
(c) AMORAL (adj) lacking a moral sense, unconcerned with the rightness or wrongness of
something
Ex:
1. The story gives us an important moral lesson.
2. It was immoral of her to tell lies.
3. Science as such is completely amoral.