Confusing Words
Choose the correct word for each sentence.
1. The bank manager has agreed to borrow/lend me another $5,000.
2. My brother is very tall/high.
3. The cost of life/living increased by 80% last year.
4. Can you tell/say the difference between these two products?
5. Last week there was an outburst/outbreak of the bird flue.
6. Some employees have a long travel/journey to work every day.
7. Which measurement/measure should I take first – the width or the
length of the room?
8. He is a real ache/pain in the neck.
9. We expected/waited our guests to come at 6 p.m.
10. First study/learn the manual and then use the computer.
11. I’ve got her business card, but I don’t memorize/recall meeting
her at all.
12. I wonder if you could do/make me a favour (AmE favor).
13. I wanted to ask Bob a question, but he was wide/fast asleep.
14. Your choice of friends is most regretful/regrettable.
15. I have been sitting by myself/on my own.
16. Mary is a very strong/intense person who cares deeply about
everything.
17. She is very credible/credulous and believes everyone.
18. The speaker or writer infers/implies something, and the listener or
reader infers/implies it.
19. We have had to postpone/cancel our vacation until September.
20. The plane was put off/delayed by an hour due to a blizzard.
21. His efforts to improve the school have been very effective/efficient.
22. A sensible/sensitive person has great sensibility/sensitivity
and is quick to enjoy or suffer.
23. She is practical/practicable and buys only what she can afford.
24. He applied for a job/work as a personnel officer.
25. The food at my school is so bad it’s hardly eatable/edible.
26. Yesterday I received an officious/official letter concerning my
income tax.
27. We expect prices to raise/rise by at least ten per cent next month.
28. We will only exchange your answering machine if you bring the receipt/recipe.
29. He is working on a science degree/title in chemistry.
30. By your masterful/masterly speech I can tell you are an expert on
teaching students.
31. The next episode/serial of “Dallas” will be shown on BBC1 next
Friday.
32. The temperature yesterday was about average/middle for the time of
year.
33. Although someone had seen him take the watch, he still denied/refused
it.
34. I asked two persons how to get to the post office, but none/neither
of them knew.
35. When my teacher gave me my test paper back, she said I was on the right track/way.
36. Will the department’s policy be affected/effected by the
appointment of a new chairwoman?
37. You would rather/had better be on time, or they will leave without
you.
38. These machines are controlled/inspected at least once a day.
39. Amsterdam is a city of channels/canals.
40. Bach and Beethoven wrote classical/classic music.
41. Before coming here, I studied economics/economy at university.
42. A small car is more economical/economic than a large one because it
uses less petrol (AmE gasoline).
43. Is it a historic/historical fact that Washington slept in this house?
44. He will become illegible/eligible to vote next year.
45. Recent events have made this movie very topical/actual.
46. The President’s arrival is eminent/imminent.
47. This dress has to be altered/changed. It’s too large.
48. Where were you trained/educated to be a lawyer?
49. He has lived and worked in convent/monastery for the past ten years.
50. The college has excellent library facilities/amenities.
51. His speech was full of contemptible/contemptuous remarks about his
wife. It was contemptible/contemptuous of him to speak like that about her.
52. You will have to send your tax return/declaration in April.
53. That was his last will and testimony/testament.
54. I had an accident/incident in the kitchen and broke all the glasses.
55. This train is very convenient/comfortable. It has soft seats and
air-conditioning.
56. There is no room/place for any more suitcases in the boot (AmE trunk).
57. Keep some place/space between your car and the car ahead at the parking place/space.
58. How do you expect me to get the work finished when I am continually/continuously
being interrupted?
59. The teacher told me that it would be a magic/miracle if I passed the
examination.
60. Unfortunately, the ring I had thought was valuable turned out to be invaluable/worthless/priceless.
Answers and Explanations:
1. lend to lend means to give someone the possession or use of something
for a limited time (давать взаймы), but to borrow means to take
something for a certain time (брать взаймы): Can I borrow $1,000 from the
bank?
2. tall people and things are those that are narrow as well as high (a tall
tree), but: a high building/ceiling/mountain.
3. living (here) is a standard one reaches in food, drink, etc., but
life is nearly always an active force that enables a plant, an animal, a person, etc.
to continue existing.
4. tell to tell (here) means to show or to recognize: tell the time, but
to say means to pronounce sounds or words.
5. outbreak means a sudden appearance or beginning of something bad: an
outbreak of decease/war, but outburst means a sudden powerful expression of
feeling or activity («взрыв»): outburst of weeping/laughter.
6. journey is a trip of some distance, usually by land, but travel
usually suggests traveling for long distances and long periods of time: He came home
after years of foreign travel.
7. measurement means the act of measuring a length, height, etc., but measure
is an amount in a system for calculating size, weight, etc.: An hour is a measure of
time.
8. pain the expression means that he is the person who causes annoyance or
displeasure («головная боль»), but ache usually means a continuous
dull pain: headache.
9. expected to expect means to think that someone will come or that
something will happen, but to wait means to stay until someone comes or something
happens: Our guests were late and we had to wait.
10. study to study means to spend time in learning something, but to
learn means to gain knowledge of something or memorize: She is learning how to play
the piano.
11. recall to recall means to remember, but to memorize
means to learn and remember on purpose: He memorized the list of names.
12. do you usually do an action and make something that was not
there before: to make a noise/a fire; to do the shopping/one’s exercises; “What are
you doing?” “Cooking.” “What are you making?” “A cake.” However, there
are many fixed expressions like do a favour, do one’s best, do without something,
make a war, make friends, make up one’s mind, and there is no rule about these.
13. fast asleep means sleeping deeply, but wide may mean completely/fully:
I was wide awake until two o’clock at night.
14. regrettable means that one should feel sorry about it (досадно), but regretful
means that someone should be unhappy at the loss of something, at a sad event, etc.
(полный сожаления): He said he was not regretful about leaving the
university.
15. by myself means completely alone, but on my own also means without
help: I can’t carry it on my own; it’s too heavy.
16. intense means strong in quality or feeling (hatred, heat, pain), but
strong would mean having power, esp. of the body: She was not very strong after her
illness.
17. credulous means too willing to believe, esp. without real proof
(легковерный), but credible means deserving or worthy of belief;
trustworthy (заслуживающий доверия): a credible news report.
18. implies ... infers to imply means to express indirectly, to
suggest (намекать): His remarks implied that he had not enjoyed the trip. To
infer means to reach an opinion after thinking about something (делать
вывод): I infer from your letter that you do not wish to see us.
19. postpone to postpone means to move to some later time
(откладывать), but to cancel means to give up or call off a planned
activity (отменять): She cancelled (AmE canceled) her trip.
20. delayed to delay means to do something later than planned, but to
put off means to move to some later time.
21. effective means producing the desired result (an effective medicine),
but efficient means working well, quickly, and without waste: She is an
efficient worker.
22. sensitive ... sensibility sensitive suggests showing delicate
feelings or judgment (sensitive to cold/pain), but sensible means reasonable
and practical; having or showing good sense (a sensible child/plan; sensible shoes);
sensibility concerns one’s ability to experience delicate feelings
(способность чувствовать и понимать).
23. practical (here) means sensible, clever at doing things; practicable can
sometimes mean the same thing (a practical/practicable plan or suggestion), but practicable
is never used of people.
24. job is nearly always a regular paid employment, but work is nearly
always an activity which uses effort with a special purpose, not for amusement.
25. eatable if food is in a fit condition to be eaten, fresh, and nicely
prepared, but something is edible if it can be used as food: Are these
berries/mushrooms edible, or are they poisonous?
26. official means that the letter was from a position of power and
responsibility (an official position/occasion), but officious means too
eager to give orders or to offer advice (назойливый, навязчивый):an
officious letter complaining about the noise from my neighbour’s radio.
27. rise to rise means to increase or go up to a higher position, but
to raise means to move someone or something to a higher position: They raised the
curtain and the play began.
28. receipt is a written statement that one has received money, but recipe is
a set of instructions for cooking a dish: a recipe for making bread, (fig) a
recipe for a happy marriage.
29. degree is a title given by a university, but title is a name given to
a book, etc., or a word before a person’s name: Mr., Doctor, Colonel.
30. masterly means showing great skill (мбстерская), but masterful
means having an ability to control others (властный).
31. episode is an account in a play of one separate event, but serial is
a written or broadcast story appearing in parts at fixed times.
32. average is a level or standard regarded as usual or ordinary: He is
above/below average in his lessons. On the average we receive 3 letters each day. Middle
is the central part, point or position: in the middle of the month; middle
is also used in expressions: middle age/class/Ages/East.
33. denied to deny means to refuse accept as a fact (отрицать),
but to refuse means not to accept (отказываться): The prisoner
refused to give his name.
34. neither is used when they are only two, but: None of my friends come to
see me.
35. track (here) to be on the right/wrong track means thinking
correctly/incorrectly, but way usually means the (right) road, path, etc. in order
to reach a place: I met him on the way home.
36. affected to affect means to change or influence, but to effect
means to produce (совершать, осуществлять): The new President
hopes to effect changes in the government’s policy.
37. had better expresses advisability and often implies warning of bad
consequences, but would rather expresses preference: I would rather go to a
movie tonight than study grammar.
38. inspected to inspect means to examine details or quality of
something, but to control means to direct: The council controls the city.
39. canals are waterways dug in the ground, esp. to allow ships or boats to
travel along it (the Panama Canal), but channels mean the deepest parts of a
river, harbour or sea passages: The English Channel separates England and France.
40. classical (here) means that the music was written with serious artistic
intentions; classical can also mean that something is in accordance with ancient
Greek or Roman models in literature or art (classical literature), but classic
means having the highest quality or belonging to an established set of standards: a
classic style of dress/example/case.
41. economics is the science, but economy is an example of the careful
use of money, time, goods, etc.
42. economical (here) means using petrol (AmE gasoline) without
waste (экономный), but economic means connected with trade, industry; or
concerning economics.
43. historical characters or events are those that have really existed or
happened (the local historical society), but a place is historic if it has a
long history, and an event is historic if it will be remembered in history: a historic
meeting between two great leaders.
44. eligible means having the right to do something by law (имеющий
право), but illegible (not legible) which cannot be read
(неразборчивый): illegible handwriting.
45. topical means being a subject of present interest (актуальный),
but actual means existing as a real fact (действительный,
фактический): The actual cost of repairs was a lot less than we had
expected.
46. imminent means going to happen very soon, but eminent means famous
and admired of people (an eminent doctor).
47. altered to alter means to (cause to) become different
(изменить, переделать): Can you alter your travel plans? To
change means to make or become different: In autumn (AmE fall) the leaves change
from green to yellow. She changed her dress.
48. trained to train means to give teaching and practice in a profession
or skill (обучать): She is training to be a doctor. To educate means
to teach, train the character or mind (давать/получить
образование): He was educated at a very good school.
49. monastery is a religious establishment where monks (men) live, but convent
is the place where nuns live (женский монастырь).
50. facilities are means to do things (средства, услуги), but amenities
are things which make life pleasant (удобства): The house is close to local
amenities (a park and a swimming pool).
51. contemptuous ... contemptible contemptuous means feeling or
expressing contempt, a lack of respect (презрительный): She gave a
contemptuous laugh. Contemptible means deserving to be treated with contempt
(не уважительный, презренный): That was a contemptible trick to
play on a friend!
52. return a tax return is an official statement given in answer to a
demand (декларация о налогах), but declaration means a statement,
giving information in an official manner: Please make a written declaration of all the
goods you bought abroad.
53. testament means the written wishes of a person in regard to sharing his
property after his death (завещание), but testimony is a formal statement,
as made by a witness in a court of law (показание).
54. accident means something unpleasant, undesirable, or damaging that happens
unexpectedly or by chance (несчастный случай, авария), but incident
is an event, esp. one in a story: In a recent incident two bombs exploded.
55. comfortable in this sentence means having and providing comfort (a
comfortable chair), but a convenient train means one which runs at suitable
times. A convenient seat is not hard to reach in a bus or theatre (AmE theater).
56. room (here) means a space that could be filled, or that is enough for any
purpose: Is there any room for me to sit down in here? A place is a single
particular piece of space: There is a place for you in the corner.
57. space ... place/space space means something measurable
in length, width, or depth: Is there enough space at the table for 10 people? If
you park your car in a parking lot, a space for one car is a parking place/space.
58. continually means happening again and again
(беспрестанно), but continuously means without interruption: six
hours of continuous driving.
59. miracle means an act or happening, usually having a good result, that cannot
be explained by the laws of nature (чудо), but magic usually means the system
of trying to control events by calling on spirits, secret forces, etc.
(волшебство), or the art of a magician (фокусник) who produces
unexpected results by tricks.
60. worthless things are of little or no value (also valueless), but invaluable
is used of qualities rather than things: Your help has been invaluable; we couldn’t
have done this work without you. Very valuable things are priceless: a priceless
16th century Chinese plate.
By Vladimir Pavlov,
Moscow State Academy of Business Administration
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