GRE Confusables List 1
CONFUSABLES Words with slight variation in spelling but sounding similar and having different meanings.
· advice is the noun; advise the verb,
· affect and effect can both be verbs. To affect is to have an influence on: affected his health. To
· effect is to bring about: effect changes. There is a noun effect meaning result or (in the plural)
· property, but no noun affect except in the technical language of psychology.
· alternate means every other, happening in turns: on alternate days; in American use it sometimes
· replaces alternative, which chiefly means available instead of another or others: an alternative
· route.
· To amend something is to improve it, to emend (a text) is to remove errors from it
· annex is the verb, annexe the noun
· To appraise is to estimate the value of: appraised her skills. To apprise is to inform: apprised him of
· the facts.
· An auger is a sort of large corkscrew; to augur is to portend a particular outcome.
· autarchy is despotism; autarky is economic self-sufficiency.
· One bails out a prisoner, and bails water out of a boat. One bales hay, and bales out of an-aircraft
· bait is for fish, or is rat poison; but bated breath
· balmy means fragrant, barmy means crazy.
· bass and base both mean low, but bass is for music and base is inferior or ignoble
· A beret is a hat; a berry is a fruit
· A berth is for sleeping in; birth is being born.
· beside is by the side of, or compared with; besides is as well as, or other than.
· A bloc is a combination of parties, governments, or groups. Use block for all other meanings-
· A boar is a male pig; a bore is a dull person or thing, or a tidal wave. The verb is bore.
· bogey is a golf score, bogey or bogy is a goblin, a bogie is a wheeled truck.
· A child is born; borne means carried, or given birth to: she has borne two sons.
· A breach is a gap or a breaking, but breech for a gun or for breech birth.
· A bridle is for horses; bridal concerns brides and weddings.
· by is the adverb or preposition; bye is a term in cricket or golf, or is short for goodbye.
· A caddie caries golf clubs; a caddy is a container of tea.
· A calendar is for dates, but a calender is a mangle.
· A cannon is a gun or a stroke in billiards; a canon is a clergyman, a law, or a term in music.
· canvas is cloth, but to canvass votes.
· carousal is noisy celebration; a carousel is at an airport of luggage, or else it is a merry-go-round
· A censer contains incense; a censor examines books, films, etc. beofe public release; to censure is
· to disapprove.
· chord is for music, mathematics, and engineering; cord is any kind of string, including such
· anatomical ‘strings’ as the spinal cord and vocal cords.
· complaisant means politely acquiescent; complacent is self-satisfied
· A complement makes something complete; to compliment is to praise
· A confidante is someone in whom you confide; confident means bold and trusting.
· A corps is a body of people, especially troops; a corpse is a dead body.
· A council is an assembly, whose members are councilors; counsel is advice, and a counselor is either an adviser or a senior diplomat.
· crape is a black fabric; crepe is either a thin fabric, a kind of rubber, or a pancake.
· A crevasse is a hole in ice; a crevice is any small fissure.
· crochet is rather like knitting; a crotchet is a musical note
· A curb is a restraint, and to curb is to restrain; the edge of a pavement is a curb or a kerb.
· A cygnet is a young swan, but a signet is a seal, often set in a ring.
· Cyprus is an island, but a cypress is a tree.
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17 Responses to “GRE Confusables List 1”
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Is it really benzene and benzene
or
benzene and benzine up there?
Hi Diana, it is Benzene..
Regards,
Anu both Benzene are same ??? ai’nt it?
Yes Amit, both are same..thanks for pointing it out.
Regards,
Anu
Can u pls come again on dat curb n kerb issue? It is not quite clear.
Dear Farouk, Curb is used both as a noun and a verb, to curb something is to prevent something from happening, we can also say he put a curb on the proceedings ( it’s taken as a noun in this case) …Kerb is essentially a noun…it means ‘an edge of a pavement’…
Regards,
Dear Farouk, as I always say u can derive the meaning of words using your own intelligent mnemonic technique…:)
Regards,
Would like to point out 2 typos in the GRE confusable word list 1 :
1. The word confidant should have been spelled as Confidante
2. A Cygnet is a young Swan and NOT Swam as mentioned in the list.
BTW, is there a word such as confusableS??
cheers
pallavi
Dear Pallavi, thanks for pointing out the typos.we haverectified the errors….the word ‘confusable’ pretty much exists and is taken as the adjective form of the word ‘confuse’ …some schools might contradict the definition though…here it is just for a better and quicker understanding of the ‘possible’ content..
Regards,
hey man its osum u r giving such a help to us..
i just want to know do u have any site for the CAT preparation?
if yes pls let me knw
Dear Jaggi, our word lists and blogs will certainly help CAT aspirants too…pls go through the blog!
Regards,
errand is a trip for specific purpose; whereas errant is wandering without any purpose or aim. Again arrant is something completely or thorough; like, an arrant lecher.
Hii,arko thanks for your comment !!
I am currently helping a student prepare for the GRE. Why are some British English words included? Is this really necessary?
Casia ,we are unable to understand your concern .Please be little more specific, how we can help you.
Chaff vs. Chafe can be added
Chaff (Noun) – Outer layer from grains after removal, waste
Chafe (Verb) – To warm a part of body by rubbing
Thanks for suggestion Ravi, keep visiting us..