Kill the confusion!

Where there is no knowledge, there is no confusion! Confusion definitely means you are familiar with the topic.

Confusing and error prone situation might occur while writing due to various reasons e.g. two or more words having similar spelling or pronunciation, two or more words or phrase having similar meanings etc. It’s less fatal as a reader because before confusion encounters you would become familiar with the context and figure out the whole idea of the paragraph.

However, as a writer you cannot afford to write 'weak' when you intended 'week'. Remember to use spell check carefully.

• Amicable and Amiable

‘Amicable’ is used for circumstances that are agreed peacefully. ‘Amiable’ is used for friendly people.

• Convince and Persuade

‘Convince’ is used for changing once beliefs and values logically. ‘Persuade’ is used for motivating someone to act logically.

• Differ from and Differ with

‘Differ from’ is used for referring ideas. ‘Differ with’ is used for referring people.

• Disinterested and Uninterested

‘Disinterested’ means impartial. ‘Uninterested’ means not interested.

• Loose, Lose and Loss

‘Loose’ means not attached with. ‘Lose’ means Fail to win. ‘Loss’ refers to which is vanished or destroyed, this is used as noun.

• Maybe and May be

‘Maybe’ means perhaps. ‘May be’ means might, this is a helping verb.

• Quiet and Quite

‘Quiet’ means silent or still or tranquil. ‘Quite’ means entire.

• Amount and Number

‘Amount’ is used when you cannot count that is being referred. ‘Number’ is used when you can count that is being referred.

• Continuous and Continual

‘Continuous’ means repetitive without interruptions for given time period. ‘Continual’ means repetitive but permits the interruptions.

•  Feel bad and Feel badly

‘Feel bad’ refers to emotions. ‘Feel badly’ refers to physical senses.

• Between and Among

‘Between’ is used when you are referring two people or things. ‘Among’ is used when you are referring more than two people or things.

• Fewer and Less

‘Fewer’ is used when items referred can be counted. ‘Less’ is used when items referred cannot be counted.

• Good and Well

‘Good’ is used to describe a noun. ‘Well’ is used to describe a verb.

• That and Which

In all cases of adding non-essential clause ‘which’ is used and in all other cases ‘that’ is used. A comma is essential before ‘which’.

• It's and Its

‘It’s’ means It is. ‘Its’ is used for possessive however apostrophe is not required.

• Eminent and Imminent

‘Eminent’ means well known and famous. Imminent means about to happen.

• Affect and Effect

‘Affect’ is a verb and ‘Effect’ is a noun. ‘Affect’ means to have an impact on and ‘Effect’ means results.

• Acronym (<Full Form>) and Full Form (<Acronym>)

The rule is to keep the less popular inside the parenthesis.

• Licence and License

Licence is noun and License is verb.

• Power of attorney or attorney under power

Power of attorney is a document. Attorney under power is the person.

• All right or alright

Alright is not a correct word. All right should be used.

• All ready or already

All ready means prepared. Already means prior.

• Anyone or any one

Anyone is a right word. Any one are two words.

• Back door or backdoor

Back door is noun. Backdoor is adjective.

• Blond or blonde

Blond is male, Blonde is female.

• Cannot or Can not

Cannot is right word. Can not are two different words.

• Common sense or Commonsense

Common sense is noun. Commonsense is adjective.

• Dissociate or disassociate

Dissociate is correct usage. Disassociate is wrong.

• Downside or Down side

Downside is correct usage.

• Upside or Up side

Upside is correct usage.

• Extraordinary or Extra ordinary

Extraordinary is correct usage. Extra ordinary are two words.

• Goodwill or good will

Goodwill is correct usage. Good will are two words.

• Holistic or wholistic

Holistic is correct usage. Wholistic is wrong.

• Dependant or Dependent

Dependant is noun. Dependent is adjective. Independent is both noun and adjective.

• Meter or Metre

Meter is an instrument for measuring things. Metre is the unit of length.

• Ongoing or On going

Ongoing is correct usage. On going are two words.

• Overdo or Over do

Overdo is correct usage.

• Playwright or playwrite

Playwright is correct usage. Playwrite is wrong.

• Flammable or inflammable

Both are correct and both means things which are under risk of catching fire easily.

• Born or Borne

Both are past participle of to bear. Born is mainly used in context with Birth e.g. India-Born. Borne is mainly used where to bear means to carry e.g. water-borne disease.

• Like or Such as

Like means similar. Like should not be used to synonymously to such as or for example.

• Sex or Gender

Sex should be used to refer male or female persons. Gender is used to refer masculine, feminine, common and neutral genders.

• BC, AD or BCE, CE

BC means Before Christ and AD means Anno Domini i.e. In the year of the lord. This naming convention was seemingly imposing Christian beliefs in non-Christian countries so CE and BCE are termed to represent the same. CE means Common Era and BCE means before the common era.

- Amit Roop