| A | B |
|---|
| a | used before a consonant sound (has to do with sound and pronunciation) |
| an | used before a vowel sound (has to do with sound and pronunciation) |
| accept | to receive or to believe |
| except | other than |
| adapt | to modify to make suitable |
| adept | proficient, well trained (adjective) |
| adopt | to take and treat as one?s own |
| advice | recommendation or information (noun) |
| advise | to counsel or recommend (verb) |
| affect | to influence (verb - substitute the word influence as a test) |
| effect | as a noun - the result (He put it into effect.) (the effect ? look for the two es) |
| effect | as a verb - to bring about (He effected his escape with a ladder.) |
| allot | to assign a portion or piece |
| alot (not a word) | not a word ? incorrect form of a lot |
| a lot | quantity ? when writing, use sparingly |
| already | before or by the specified time (adverb) |
| all ready | completely prepared (adjective all ready = if ready makes sense in the sentence) |
| alright (not a word) | not a word - incorrect form of all right |
| all right | everything is okay |
| alternate | s a noun - something or someone that can be used or put in place of another |
| alternate | s a verb ? to change back and forth between two things |
| alternative | choice derived from two or more possibilities |
| altogether | wholly, completely |
| all together | in a group or all at once |
| among | groups of more than two persons or things |
| between | refers to only two |
| amount | refers to things in bulk or mass |
| number | refers to separate units that can be counted |
| anxious (about) | indicates that one is worrying |
| eager (to) | indicates that one is gladly anticipating |
| any one (of) | a singular thing or person from a group |
| anyone | any person |
| any way | any route, method, or course of action |
| anyway | in any case (adverb) |
| anyways (not a word) | incorrect form of anyway |
| appraise | to estimate the worth of something |
| apprise | to inform |
| like | use to introduce a phrase (preposition) |
| as | in formal writing, use to introduce clauses (conjunction) |
| as if | in formal writing, use to introduce clauses (conjunction) |
| insure | to secure from loss (refers only to insurance ? health, life, etc.) |
| ensure | to make certain |
| assure | to put someone?s mind at rest |
| bad | can be used after linking verbs (adjective) |
| badly | is used as an adverb (He performed badly) |
| base | lowest part of the foundation |
| bass | low-pitched sound when pronounced like case |
| bass | fish when pronounced like pass |
| beside | next to (preposition) |
| besides | in addition to (adverb) |
| bring | refers to movement toward the writer or speaker |
| take | refers to movement away from the writer or speaker |
| by | next to (preposition or adverb) |
| bye | good-bye (interjection) |
| buy | to purchase (verb) |
| can | implies ability |
| may | indicates permission |
| cent | the value of a penny |
| sent | past tense of the verb send |
| scent | a fragrance or a smell |
| chair, chairperson | refer to the presiding officer of a meeting or board |
| choose | to select |
| chose | past tense of choose |
| cite, sight, site | see sight |
| clothes | a covering or garments meant to be worn |
| cloths | fabrics |
| close | as an adjective ? very near as a verb ? to shut or bring to an end |
| coarse | common, rough, or crude (adjective) |
| course | as a noun ? a direction or route taken: or a class on a certain subject |
| course | as a verb ? to move swiftly |
| compare with | things of the same class are |
| compare to | things of different classes are |
| comprehensible | capable of being understood |
| comprehensive | covering a broad range, or inclusive |
| concave | refers to an object curved inward like the inner surface of a ball |
| convex | refers to an object curved outward like the outer surface of a ball |
| conscience | gives one the capacity to know right from wrong |
| conscious | awake or alert, not sleeping or comatose |
| consequently | as a result of |
| subsequently | following in time or order |
| consul | see counsel |
| continual | refers to something that happens at intervals over a long period |
| continuous | refers to something that happens without stopping |
| controller | refers to someone who either controls air traffic or is the chief accountant in a business |
| comptroller | refers only to the chief accountant in a business or an institution |
| counsel | as a noun ? advice or a legal or professional adviser |
| counsel | as a verb ? to advise |
| council | refers to a group that governs, administers, or advises |
| consul | a government official appointed to a position in a foreign country |
| credible | refers to someone or something you can believe |
| creditable | deserving of commercial credit or limited praise |
| defective | faulty or imperfect |
| deficient | lacking something necessary and indicates a shortage |
| device | an invention for a particular purpose or a means to do something |
| devise | to form, plan, or arrange |
