COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS

Many writers are confused about words that sound and look alike. You must be sure the word is the one with the meaning you intended, so you won’t confuse your reader. Anytime you’re not sure what a word means, look it up in a dictionary for both meaning and to see how it is used.

desert vs dessert:

Desert is dry land.

The desert is a hot and dry place. Dessert is a sweet eaten after a meal. I’d love a piece of chocolate for dessert!

Feel vs fill:

Feel means to perceive, give, or produce through touch.

The pillows feel soft.

Fill means to make or become full.

The library quickly filled up with students preparing for finals.

quiet vs quite:

Quiet means an absence of noise. Nighttime isn’t completely quiet; you can still hear the breeze and occasional animals. Quite means entirely or completely.

That is not quite the right thing to do.

its vs it’s:

Its means belonging to it.

The cat chased its tail.

It’s is a contraction, it means ‘it is.’ It’s very hot in Florida in August!