confusing verbs in English along with examples:
Lay vs. Lie:
Lay (to place something down): She lays the book on the table.
Lie (to recline or rest): He lies on the sofa to relax.
Raise vs. Rise:
Raise (to lift something): She raises her hand to ask a question.
Rise (to go up or ascend): The sun rises in the east.
Set vs. Sit:
Set (to put something in a particular place): He sets the table for dinner.
Sit (to be seated): She sits on the chair to read a book.
Bring vs. Take:
Bring (to carry something towards a place): Please bring the documents to the meeting.
Take (to carry something away from a place): I'll take the trash out.
Accept vs. Except:
Accept (to receive willingly): She accepts the gift with gratitude.
Except (excluding): Everyone attended the party except John.
Affect vs. Effect:
Affect (to influence or produce a change): The new policy will affect all employees.
Effect (result or outcome): The medication had a positive effect on his health.
Who vs. Whom:
Who (subject pronoun): Who is responsible for the project?
Whom (object pronoun): To whom did you give the keys?
Lie vs. Lay:
Lie (to recline or rest): The dog likes to lie in the sun.
Lay (to put or place something down): Lay the books on the shelf.
Bring vs. Fetch:
Bring (to come with something or someone to a place): Can you bring the drinks to the party?
Fetch (to go and get something or someone and bring them back): Could you fetch my keys from the living room?
Set vs. Put:
Set (to put something in a particular place or position): She set the table for dinner.
Put (to move something to a specific location): Please put the groceries in the refrigerator.
Leave vs. Let:
Leave (to go away from a place): She leaves for work at 8 am.
Let (to allow or permit): Let me help you with that.
Do vs. Make:
Do (to perform an action): I need to do my homework.
Make (to create or produce something): She makes delicious cakes.
Can vs. May:
Can (ability or capability): Can you swim?
May (permission or possibility): May I use your phone?
Shall vs. Will:
Shall (used to express future action with the first person): I shall go to the store.
Will (used to express future action with second and third persons): He will arrive tomorrow.
Then vs. Than:
Then (refers to a point in time): We will go to the park and then to the cinema.
Than (used for comparison): She is taller than her sister.
Further vs. Farther:
Further (additional or to a greater extent): We need to discuss this matter further.
Farther (refers to physical distance): The store is farther than I thought.
Good vs. Well:
Good (adjective): She is a good singer.
Well (adverb): She sings well.
Lie vs. Lye:
Lie (to recline): The cat likes to lie in the sun.
Lye (a strong alkaline solution): Lye is used in soap-making.
Borrow vs. Lend:
Borrow (to take something from someone with the intention of returning it): Can I borrow your pen?
Lend (to give something to someone for temporary use): Can you lend me your pen?
Speak vs. Talk:
Speak (to utter words): He speaks three languages fluently.
Talk (to communicate or converse): They talk on the phone every day.
Advice vs. Advise:
Advice (noun): She gave me some good advice about my career.
Advise (verb): Can you advise me on which laptop to buy?
Breathe vs. Breath:
Breathe (verb): Remember to breathe deeply during the yoga class.
Breath (noun): She felt a cold breath on her neck.
Brake vs. Break:
Brake (noun or verb): Press the brake pedal to slow down the car.
Break (verb): He accidentally broke the vase.
Compliment vs. Complement:
Compliment (noun or verb): She received a nice compliment on her new haircut.
Complement (noun or verb): The wine complements the flavors of the dish perfectly.
Council vs. Counsel:
Council (noun): The city council meets every Tuesday.
Counsel (noun or verb): She sought legal counsel before signing the contract.
Cite vs. Site vs. Sight:
Cite (verb): You need to cite your sources in the research paper.
Site (noun): The construction site is located downtown.
Sight (noun): The view from the top of the mountain was a breathtaking sight.
Complement vs. Compliment:
Complement (verb or noun): The red wine complements the meal perfectly.
Compliment (verb or noun): She received a compliment on her new dress.
Capital vs. Capitol:
Capital (noun): London is the capital of England.
Capitol (noun): The Capitol building is located in Washington, D.C.
Climactic vs. Climatic:
Climactic (adjective): The climactic scene of the movie was intense.
Climatic (adjective): The climatic conditions in the region are harsh.
Dual vs. Duel:
Dual (adjective): The smartphone has a dual camera setup.
Duel (noun or verb): They settled their dispute with a duel.
Flair vs. Flare:
Flair (noun): She has a flair for interior design.
Flare (noun or verb): The flare of the match illuminated the room.
Faze vs. Phase:
Faze (verb): The criticism didn't faze him at all.
Phase (noun or verb): She's going through a rebellious phase.
Grisly vs. Grizzly:
Grisly (adjective): The crime scene was grisly and disturbing.
Grizzly (adjective or noun): We saw a grizzly bear in the national park.
Hoard vs. Horde:
Hoard (verb or noun): He tends to hoard old newspapers.
Horde (noun): A horde of tourists descended upon the city during the festival.
Hoarse vs. Horse:
Hoarse (adjective): His voice was hoarse from shouting all day.
Horse (noun): She loves riding her horse in the countryside.
Lead vs. Led:
Lead (noun or verb): He took the lead in organizing the event.
Led (verb): She led the team to victory.
Lightning vs. Lightening:
Lightning (noun): Lightning lit up the sky during the storm.
Lightening (verb): She is lightening her hair for the summer.
Lose vs. Loose:
Lose (verb): Don't lose hope; you'll find a solution.
Loose (adjective): His pants are too loose after losing weight.
Passed vs. Past:
Passed (verb): He passed the exam with flying colors.
Past (adjective or noun): The past cannot be changed.
Peace vs. Piece:
Peace (noun): They signed a treaty to achieve peace in the region.
Piece (noun): She cut the cake into small pieces.
Pique vs. Peak:
Pique (verb): His curiosity was piqued by the mysterious letter.
Peak (noun): They reached the peak of the mountain just before sunset.
Poor vs. Pour:
Poor (adjective): They lived in a poor neighborhood.
Pour (verb): She poured herself a glass of water.
Precede vs. Proceed:
Precede (verb): The introduction precedes the main body of the report.
Proceed (verb): They decided to proceed with the project despite the challenges.
Principal vs. Principle:
Principal (noun or adjective): The school principal greeted the students in the morning.
Principle (noun): He believed in the principles of honesty and integrity.
Stationary vs. Stationery:
Stationary (adjective): The car was stationary at the traffic light.
Stationery (noun): She bought some new stationery for her office.
Passed vs. Past:
Passed (verb): She passed the exam with flying colors.
Past (adjective or noun): The past cannot be changed.
Peace vs. Piece:
Peace (noun): They signed a treaty to achieve peace in the region.
Piece (noun): She cut the cake into small pieces.
Pique vs. Peak:
Pique (verb): His curiosity was piqued by the mysterious letter.
Peak (noun): They reached the peak of the mountain just before sunset.
Poor vs. Pour:
Poor (adjective): They lived in a poor neighborhood.
Pour (verb): She poured herself a glass of water.
Precede vs. Proceed:
Precede (verb): The introduction precedes the main body of the report.
Proceed (verb): They decided to proceed with the project despite the challenges.