Hello friends. Today we will analyze 20 pairs of words that are similar in spelling and sound in English. You will learn not to confuse a diary with dairy products, or a fair with a fare.

Accept or except

note: accept is a verb, while except is most often a preposition or conjunction.

2. Affect or effect

Characteristic	Word
	affect /əˈfekt/	effect /ɪˈfekt/
Translation	influence, act, lead to change, negatively affect	result, consequence, effect, influence, impact
Synonyms	to influence, to have an effect on	result, consequence, impact
Usage example	Weather always affects my mood. - The weather is always affects on my mood.	Good music can have a positive effect on our health. - Good music can have a positive effect influence on our health.

note: The word affect most often appears as a verb, and effect as a noun. As a verb, effect is sometimes used in formal speech to mean “lead to accomplishment”, “cause an action”. Here's an example:

This politician has effected many reforms. - This politician put into action many reforms.

3. Desert or dessert

note: the word desert can also be used as a verb meaning “to leave”, “to leave”. Here's an example:

Birds deserted this area because of cold weather. - Birds left this area due to the cold weather.

4. Envelop or envelope

note: envelop is a verb and envelope is a noun. You can remember this: you need a nounE, so we write envelopE.

5. Loose or lose

Characteristic	Word
	loose /luːs/	lose /luːz/
Translation	adjective - loose, loose, unfixed verb - loosen, untie, less often - shoot	lose, lose, lose
Synonyms	not fixed, unfastened, movable	to be deprived of, to stop having, to be defeated, to be beaten
Usage example	She was dressed in a loose blouse and tight trousers. - She was dressed in free blouse and tight-fitting trousers.	He always loses small things. - He always loses small things.You'll lose the game if you don’t train. - You you'll lose in the game if you don't practice.

note: loose is most often used as an adjective, and lose is used as a verb. Some people advise memorizing the spelling like this: if you need the verb “to lose,” then “lose” one letter “o” in the word loose.

6. Principal or principle

note: the word principle means some kind of rule, standard, principle. And we use principal when we talk about someone in charge: a boss, the main character of a play, the rector of a university, etc.

7. Stationery or stationary

note: stationery is always a noun, that is, it names some objects. At the same time, stationary is an adjective, that is, with the help of this word we characterize some object as motionless.

8. Beside and besides

Characteristic	Word
	beside /bɪˈsaɪd/	besides /bɪˈsaɪdz/
Translation	nearby, near	Besides that; in addition to the fact that; along with; at the same time; in addition (as an introductory word)
Synonyms	next to, by, by the side of	aside from, apart from, except
Usage example	There was a green vase beside the chair. - Near There was a green vase on the chair.	He is a fair-weather friend. Besides, he is a dishonest person. - He is a friend when it suits him. Besides, he is a dishonest person.

note: besides often acts as an introductory word, in such cases it is separated by a comma.

9. Cook or cook

note: The word cooker is more commonly used in the UK; in the US, a stove is usually called stove.

10. Current and current

note: current is most often used as an adjective and is translated as “current”, “current”. The word current is also used to describe the flow of water or air, but it is less common in texts or videos of general topics. Currant is a noun only and means berry.

11. Effective and efficient

note: The difference between these words is quite difficult to grasp. Let's try to understand them. The word effective can be translated as “having the desired effect”; it shows whether the result has been achieved. The word efficient demonstrates how productively available resources are used: money, time, etc.

12. Personal and personnel

note: personal is an adjective, that is, with this word we characterize something. Personnel is a noun that refers to a group of people.

13. Quiet or quiet

Characteristic	Word
	quite /kwaɪt/	quiet /ˈkwaɪət/
Translation	quite, quite, to some extent, quite, very, quite	quiet, silent, calm
Synonyms	fairly, rather, slightly, almost	silent, still, soundless, calm, serene, peaceful
Usage example	He's quite an interesting person. - He enough interesting person. I'm quite make sure that you'll be back. - I quite I'm sure you'll be back.	Her child is always quiet in front of strangers. - Her child is always calm in front of strangers. This washing machine has a quiet engine. - This washing machine quiet engine.

note: The word quite is an adverb; it characterizes the verb. In our example, it shows how interesting the person is and how confident you are. Quiet is an adjective; it characterizes a noun: the child is (what?) calm, the engine is (what?) quiet.

14. Sensible or sensitive

Characteristic	Word
	sensible /ˈsensəb(ə)l/	sensitive /ˈsensətɪv/
Translation	sane, sensible	sensitive, impressionable, gentle, touchy
Synonyms	practical, rational, reasonable	responsive, delicate, fragile, tender
Usage example	The most sensible the way of solving this problem is to learn English and pass an exam. - Most reasonable The way to solve this problem is to learn English and pass the exam.	My teeth are quite sensitive to cold drinks and food. - My teeth are pretty sensitive to cold drinks and food.

note: the word sensitivity (sensitivity), sensitive (sensitive) has already entered the Russian language, so it will be easier to remember.

15. Shade or shadow

note: To learn to distinguish between these two words, imagine the following situation. If on a hot summer day you stand in the shade of a tree (shadow), you will find yourself in a cool shade (shade).

16. Conscience or consciousness

17. Dairy or diary

You just have to remember the spelling and pronunciation of these words, otherwise abroad you risk buying a diary instead of your favorite dairy product.

18.Device or devise

note: It's pretty easy to remember how to use each of these words. We need a noun - we take deviCe, we need a verb - devise.

19. Fair or fare

note: You can use associations to remember these words. Fare is somewhat similar to the Russian “fara”, but we pay fare in vehicles with headlights.

20. Career or carrier

Characteristic	Word
	career /kəˈrɪə(r)/	carrier /ˈkæriə(r)/
Translation	career, profession, occupation	carrier company, transport, carrier (of things, diseases)
Synonyms	profession, occupation, job	bearer, transporter, courier
Usage example	He made a successful career in the oil industry. - He built a successful career in the oil industry.	If you are busy, we can send this equipment by carrier. - If you are busy, we can send this equipment via carrier company.

note: We all know the word carry (carry, transport), by analogy with it we can remember the word carrier - carrier, carrier.

English words that are easy to confuse

We have analyzed 20 pairs of English words that are most often confused. We hope you will now find it easier to use them in your speech. Try to use our tips and thoroughly understand what the difference between them is. And don’t forget to bookmark this article so you can return to the material and repeat it if necessary.

Look carefully at these two sentences:

Chocolate ice cream is my favoritedesert .

The Sahara is the world's largest hotdesert .

Do you know exactly which one is written correctly? 🙂 Students learning English are constantly confused des ert(desert) and dess ert(dessert).

English, like many other languages, is full of such words, and even text editing programs cannot always notice and correct these annoying errors.

The confusion in these words was even played out in the TV series “Friends”. In one of the many episodes where Ross and Rachel broke up, Rachel said " We are never gonna happen, okay?Accept that." Ross interrupted her and asked hopefully, “ Except that what?. However, the girl cooled his ardor with the words: “ No. No. A accept that».

Ross heard except(that is " We will never be together,If only ..."), although Rachel said accept (« We will never be together, come to terms with it … »).

Principal vs Principle

Principal|ˈprɪnsəpl| - the most important, the main one. Also used to refer to the principal, head of a school, university, college (mostly in American English).

The salary is good, but that is not the principal reason I accepted the job / The salary is good, but this is not the main reason why I accepted this offer .

Principle|ˈprɪnsəpl| - principle, moral standard.

I have to stay true to my principles / I must stay true to my principles .

Lose vs Loose

Lo se|luː z| - lose.

Try not to lose control / Try not to lose control .

Loo se|luː s| - free (about clothes, for example), loose (about hair), free, not constrained / not tied (about a person, a dog). And other meanings.

She was wearing a loose dress / She was wearing a loose dress .

Beside vs Besides

Beside|bɪˈsaɪd| - near, near, not far.

Stay beside me / Be near me .

Besides |bɪˈsaɪd z| - except, besides, besides. Often used at the beginning of a sentence as an introductory word.

She wants to learn other languages ​​besides English and German / She wants to learn other languages ​​besides English and German.

Ensure vs Insure

The words again differ only in spelling.

E nsure|ɪnˈʃɔːr| - provide, guarantee, guarantee.

We want to ensure equal conditions for everyone / We want to ensure equal conditions for everyone .

I nsure|ɪnˈʃɔːr| - insure.

The house is insured for two million dollars / The house is insured for two million dollars.

Diary vs Dairy

The words differ in both spelling (two letters are swapped) and pronunciation.

Dia ry|ˈd aɪə ri| - diary, notebook.

Mum, someone has torn out some pages from my diary / Mum, someone tore out a few pages from my diary.

Dai ry|ˈd eə.ri| - dairy, made from milk.

I’m trying to cut down on dairy products, which is difficult because I adore cheese. / I'm trying to eat less dairy products, but it's difficult because I love cheese .

Sensitive vs Sensible

Sensitive|ˈsen.sɪ.tɪv| - sensitive, vulnerable. This is what you could say about the man who cries at the end of Titanic.

She was a very sensitive child / She was a very sensitive child.

Sensible|ˈsensəbəl| - reasonable, practical (answer, approach, choice or person). Can also be used in relation to clothing worn according to the weather or purpose (for example, for a trip to the forest).

It could be cold and wet so pack some sensible clothes. / It may be cold and wet, so pack some suitable clothing.

Bare vs Bear

The words differ only in spelling:

Bare |beər | - naked, naked, uncovered.

The walls look a bit bare – can’t we put some pictures up? / The walls look a little bare – can't we hang some pictures?

Bear |beər | - It can be 2 words: 1. verb to carry something (he was bearing a tray of brimming glasses) to support/support the weight of something (walls which cannot bear a stone vault), endure, endure something (I cannot bear to see you hurt) etc. 2. noun bear.

If I see a bear, I will run / If I see a bear, I will run.

Affect vs Effect

Affect |ə ˈfekt| - influence, influence something (often negatively).

Global warming will affect all of us / Global warming will negatively affect all of us.

Effect |ɪ ˈfekt| - effect, influence. That is, the result of that very influence.

The effect was immediate / The effect was instant .

Quite vs Quiet

Quite |kwaɪt| - quite, quite, really.

The movie was quite boring / The movie was quite boring .

Qui e t|ˈkwaɪ ə t| - quiet, calm (person, place).

Can you be quiet while I'm working? / Can you be quiet while I work?

Alone vs Along

Alone|əˈloʊn| - alone, alone, alone.

I prefer working alone / I prefer to work alone .

Along|əˈlɒŋ| - along, together, forward.

I am walking along the street / I am walking along the road .

Cereal vs Serial

The words differ only in spelling, but are pronounced the same.

Cereal|ˈsɪəriəl| - porridge, muesli, cereal.

My father has always had cereal for breakfast / My father always ate porridge for breakfast .

Serial|ˈsɪəriəl| - serial, sequential, ordinal.

This looks like a serial killer’s work / This looks like the work of a serial killer .

An entire episode in episode 2 of the last season of Sherlock was built on a play on these words. You can read more details.

Stationery vs Stationery

Words have different spellings.

Stationa ry|ˈsteɪʃənəri| - motionless.

Make sure this car remains stationary / Make sure the car doesn't move anywhere .

Statione ry|ˈsteɪʃənəri| - stationery.

I have to get some stationery for the office / I need to buy some stationery for the office .

Conscience vs Conscious

Conscience|ˈkɒnʃə n s| - conscience.

My conscience troubles me / My conscience torments me .

Conscious|ˈkɒnʃəs| - conscious, conscious, aware.

I understand what I’m doing, this is a conscious decision / I understand well what I’m doing, this is a conscious decision .

Storey vs Story

They differ in spelling:

Storey|ˈstɔːri| - floor, tier. In the USA, the second word in this pair is used in this meaning - story.

My friend lives in a five-storey building / My friend lives in a five-story building .

Story|ˈstɔːri| - history, plot, story, floor (USA only).

This was such a wonderful story! / It was such a wonderful story!

If you prefer American English, then you can simply not worry about this pair of words and use story in both cases.

Now you know what you need to eat dessert And cereal, but not desert And serial; that sometimes you can give in and be sensitive, but not sensible; that sometimes it costs something accept without any except.

An interesting resource is a website for English learners, which contains hundreds of colorful visual thematic collections of flash cards that will be understandable even for beginners. The section for learning new words can be found as follows.

In addition, a variety of tests are provided for English language learners. Beginners will be interested in vocabulary tests, which are also presented in the form of colorful flash cards. For higher levels, the site has exercises for finding synonyms and antonyms for words, testing knowledge of all forms of irregular verbs, as well as testing vocabulary for those who are preparing to take exams.

With this simple and beautiful resource, you can work not only with vocabulary, but also improve your grammar, listening, speaking and reading at the same time. All skills need to be developed at the same time, and you can do it on one site.

Pay attention to - a site for learning English words, extremely easy to use, but no less interesting. In the subsection, words for levels are divided by topic. Most of the exercises are presented in the form of a visual dictionary. The advantage is that you are not given a translation into Russian, so an association will arise in your memory: a certain picture is associated with a word in English. Many linguists believe that this way of learning vocabulary is the most productive, since in this case you give up the habit of mentally translating a word into Russian from English: a certain image will be clearly associated with a specific word.

In addition to visual exercises, you will find equally interesting developmental tasks to find synonyms and antonyms for a word, as well as question tasks that test your knowledge of vocabulary on a particular topic. There are also exercises for using prepositions, breaking words into different categories, filling in missing words in dialogues, eliminating an extra word from a group of concepts, etc. All the tasks are exciting, varied, and presented simply and clearly.

The subsection is intended for level and above. The tasks here are no less varied and interesting. There is a visual dictionary and selection of the desired word in sentences. In addition, here you will find an unusual task for finding errors when replacing one word with another that sounds similar to it (a phenomenon called malapropism).

Both subsections have special exercises aimed at developing vocabulary. In them you are given 15-20 words to study and 15 different tasks aimed at practicing these words. We advise you not to complete all 15 exercises in one sitting: “stretch” them over three days, 5 tasks each. Thus, during this time you will thoroughly consolidate the new vocabulary in your memory.

In addition to these sections, on the site you will find exercises for learning phrasal verbs, idioms and proverbs, various grammar tests and educational articles for English language learners.

Do you think that learning words using flashcards is a thing of the past? On the site you can find flash cards in electronic form and learn English words online: progressive and convenient. You are offered three stages of learning new words:

• At first you just look at the words and try to remember them by association with the picture.
• Then they show you a picture for a while, and you try to remember the word.
• At the third stage, you test your knowledge: write a word in English next to the picture.

The exercise is quite simple, but for beginners this is exactly what you need.

On the same site in the section you can work on exercises with words that are often confused in English, for example, any and some, borrow and lend, etc. On the page you will find a variety of games to expand and practice vocabulary: crosswords, memory games (memory training games), unusual sea battle, etc.

In general, the resource is simple even for beginners, the graphics are somewhat outdated, but you won’t be distracted by beautiful pictures with cats while working with the dictionary. :-)

Not as colorful a resource as the previous ones, but very useful for learning English. It has several sections for learning the most commonly used words, as well as sections with colloquial phrases where you can learn new words in context. The site is suitable even for beginners: you need to mark Russian in the list of languages, then you will see instructions in your native language and translations of words and phrases. For “continuing” students, you can try using the English version of the site. In this case, you can find out the meaning of unfamiliar words in the English-English dictionary; just click on the word you need to get help.

On the site you will find a section. It will help you expand your vocabulary. All words are voiced by native speakers, learn them and repeat after the speaker.

After that, go to the section. Here you can learn new words in context. All phrases are voiced by native speakers, and the recordings are presented in two versions: at normal speed and in slow motion. You can sort them by topic, for example, if you are preparing for a trip, select phrases on the desired topic and study them.

Then go to the “100 free lessons” section. It is presented in the form of short dialogues on various topics. You can take phrases from there and memorize them: they will definitely be useful to you in the future. Dialogues are also recorded in normal and slow motion: listen and repeat. You can listen to each phrase separately and try to pronounce it the same way as the announcer.

The most unusual of all resources. Let’s say right away that it is not suitable for beginners, but from the Pre-Intermediate level you can try training with it. Here you are given only one exercise: you need to indicate what a particular word means, and they offer four possible answers. That is, in fact, you need to choose a synonym for the word.

What is the “trick” of this game? The whole point lies in the so-called “reward”. For each correct answer you “earn” 10 grains of rice. At the end of the game, the site’s sponsors recalculate the amount of grains earned into a monetary equivalent and transfer this amount of funds to the account of the World Food Program, the largest organization providing humanitarian assistance to starving people (usually African countries). The site's motto is: “Play and feed hungry people.”

Let's reveal all the cards at once: according to the calculations of foreign experts, the approximate amount of money that you can earn for the hungry in 10 minutes of the game is only... 3 cents. Yes, a little, but what if millions of people play this way?

To summarize, we can say that this is not the best resource for charity, but you can combine business with pleasure: practice your vocabulary and help those in need a little.

These are not all sites for memorizing English words. In future articles we will continue to share useful links with you. However, words can be learned not only online, but also offline. In the article “” we talked in detail about how to learn new English words. Study and hone your knowledge. And in the article “” you can learn about good tools for increasing your vocabulary.

Elena Britova

Academic manager of the TransLink-Education company, certified trainer in speed reading and memory development.

The English alphabet has 26 letters and 44 sounds. If in some languages ​​each letter represents only one sound, then in English one letter can convey up to four sounds, and in some cases even up to seven. Hence the favorite English saying: “We write ‘Liverpool’, but we read ‘Manchester’.”

In addition, articulation (movement of the tongue, lips, mouth) differs significantly from Russian. There are sounds similar to Russian ones, but when pronouncing them, the organs of articulation work differently.

If you want to get rid of your accent or at least get closer to speaking English, all the differences need to be taken into account. Here are some tips on how to improve your English pronunciation.

1. Learn the alphabet

Many adults consider this a childish exercise. But one day you will definitely be asked: “Please, spell your name.” This is where knowing the letters of the English alphabet comes in handy. In addition, abbreviations, street names, house and flight numbers may contain letters, and, for example, at the airport they will definitely be pronounced as in the alphabet.

2. Practice articulation when pronouncing consonants

Once you have mastered the letters of the alphabet, feel free to move on to studying the sounds they convey. Train yourself to use correct articulation right away. First learn to pronounce sounds individually, bring them to automaticity, and then move on to words, phrases and sentences.

In the English language there are consonant sounds that, at first glance (or rather, hearing) are pronounced as in Russian.

1. Check where the tip of the tongue is when pronouncing the sounds [d] - [t], [n], [r], [s], [z]. Does it hit your teeth? Congratulations, you can pronounce the Russian alphabet. Among the native English, the tip of the tongue at this time is on the alveoli (the largest tubercle on the upper palate). Give it a try. Now you have purely English sounds. Practice: bed - ten, not, rat, sun, zoo.

2. Draw a hare when pronouncing the sounds [f] - [v]. The upper teeth must be placed on the lower lip. Practice: fat - vet.

3. Remember that the [l] sound is always hard: London [ˈlʌndən].

4. When practicing the [w] sound, take a candle: this is the best way to learn how to pronounce it correctly. Curl your lips and stretch them forward (like little children stretch out for a kiss), and then smile sharply. Then this sound will come out. When training, hold the candle at a distance of 20–25 cm from your lips. If the flame goes out when you make a sound, then you are doing everything right. Practice: say the word well.

5. Warm your hands when practicing the [h] sound. It has nothing in common with Russian [x]. Imagine that you are very cold and are trying to warm your hands with your breath. You bring them to your lips and exhale. During exhalation, a light, barely audible English sound [h] is formed. As in the word home.

6. Practice the sound [ŋ] when you have a bad runny nose or imagine that you have one. There is no such sound in the Russian language; it is conveyed by the combination ng in English. Press your tongue like a spatula against your upper palate and release the sound through your nose. It’s a bit like [n] if you pronounce it when you have a bad runny nose. Don't forget that your tongue is still touching the alveoli, not the teeth. Practice: interesting [ˈɪnt(ə)rɪstɪŋ].

7. Be the snake and the bee to practice [ð] - [θ]. These sounds are absent in Russian and are formed by combining the letters th in English.

[ð] - voiced sound. Lightly bite the tip of your tongue with your teeth and pronounce the sound [z]. If during training your lower lip and tongue are ticklish, then you are doing everything right. If not, you may have bitten the tip of your tongue too hard, loosen your teeth a little. Say the word this [ðɪs], does it work?

[θ] - dull sound. The articulation is the same, we just pronounce the sound [s]. To practice the dull sound [θ], say the word thank [θæŋk].

3. Learn four types of syllables for correct vowel pronunciation

The reading of vowels depends on the type of syllable in which they are found:

• open (syllable ends with a vowel);
• closed (syllable ends with a consonant);
• vowel + r;
• vowel + re.

In the first type of syllable - open - the vowels are read as in the alphabet (this is where knowledge of the alphabet came in handy for us!). For example: plane, nose, tube, Pete.

In the second type, you need to memorize the pronunciation of each vowel:

• [æ] is an open sound, not long. The letter conveys it A in a closed syllable. Test yourself: sit at the table, straighten up, place one elbow on the surface, bend your hand under your chin. You will have some space between your chin and your wrist, if, of course, you straighten your back. Now we lower the lower jaw down so that it reaches the hand, and pronounce [e]. Practice with the word bag.
• [e] is often confused with the previous sound. When pronouncing [e], you just need to slightly raise the corners of your lips up, as if smiling slightly. These are two different sounds, and they are not similar to each other, and especially not to Russian [e]. Practice: pet .
• Short sounds [i], [ɔ], [ʌ], [u] are pronounced intensively, not into a chant: big, box, bus, book [bʊk].

In the third and fourth types of syllables the letter R is not readable, it only forms a syllable and lengthens the vowel sound: car, sort, turn.

, [ɔ:] - special sounds. Imagine that you are at an appointment with a doctor who is examining your throat. The root of your tongue is pressed with a stick and asked to say “Ah-ah.” This is exactly the position the tongue should be in when pronouncing the sounds [a] and [o]. If this makes you want to yawn, then you are on the right track! Try it now: car , sort .

4. Remember the correct accents

Most often in English the stressed syllable is the first. If you need to pronounce a word, but there is no one to ask or there is no dictionary at hand, put the emphasis on the first syllable. Of course, it’s better to immediately memorize words with the correct stress or check yourself in the dictionary.

5. Don't forget four important rules

• The English language completely lacks soft consonants.
• Voiced consonants are not devoiced at the end of a word.
• Vowels can be long (in transcription they are designated [:]) and short.
• No unnecessary - especially sharp - movements of the lips.

Learn a few phrases to practice correct pronunciation:

• Very well [‘veri ‘wel].
• World Wide Web or WWW [‘w əuld ‘waid ‘web www].
• Eleven benevolent elephants [ɪˈlevn bəˈnevələnt ˈelɪfənts].
• Stupid superstition [ˈstjuːpɪd ˌsuːpəˈstɪʃ(ə)n].
• Pirates Private Property [ˈpaɪrəts praɪvət ˈprɒpəti].

And remember: different sounds have a meaning-distinguishing function. For example, man (“person”, “man”) and men (“men”); ship [ʃip] (“ship”) and sheep [ʃi:p] (“sheep”) and so on. Many people read the word three (“three”) as (and this means “tree”) or (“freedom”), not taking into account that th [θ] is read differently, it simply is not in the Russian language (remember the exercise "bee"). Knowing the correct pronunciation of words, you will definitely not get into trouble!

Do you confuse similar English words? Don't be alarmed - many people face this problem, but it can be solved. Using modern examples from films and TV series, we will show how to distinguish such words.

We have already told you about. But there are so many of them that they couldn’t all fit into one article. Today we will introduce you to 20 new pairs of so-called commonly confused words. Learn how not to confuse the boss with the cook, the staff with the material, the price with the prize, the kitchen with the cousin, and politics with strategy.

1. Chief or chef?

Characteristic	Word
	chief /tʃiːf/	chef /ʃef/
Translation	noun - leader, leader adjective - main, most important; managerial	noun - cook, chef
Synonyms	noun - a boss, an employer, a head adjective - main, supreme	noun - a cook
Usage example	I'd like to appoint Jeff chief loan officer - I want to nominate Jeff leading credit specialist. The chief of the staff is responsible for taking serious decisions. - Supervisor personnel is responsible for making serious decisions.	Remi has always dreamed of becoming a chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant. - Remy always dreamed of becoming cook Michelin starred restaurant.

2. Suite or suite?

Characteristic	Word
	suit BrE - /sjuːt/, AmE - /suːt/	suite /swiːt/
Translation	noun - suit, set of clothes verb - to suit, arrange, satisfy requirements	noun - luxury room; set, set
Synonyms	noun - a tuxedo verb - to satisfy, to match up, to measure up	noun - a deluxe room; a set
Usage example	Try on this suit, I guess it should fit you perfectly. - Try this one on costume, I think it will fit you perfectly. The variety of beverages and appetizers at the party suited all tastes. - Variety of drinks and snacks at the party satisfied to all tastes.	I need a suite in your hotel. - I need suite in your hotel. We ordered a new four-piece suite for the kitchen. - We ordered a new one set four-piece kitchen furniture.

3. Cousin or cuisine?

Characteristic	Word
	cousin /ˈkʌzn/	cuisine /kwɪˈziːn/
Translation	cousin, cousin; distant relative; like-minded person	kitchen, culinary arts
Synonyms	a distant relative; like-minded person	cookery, national food
Usage example	Honey, my cousin is going to stay with us for a couple of weeks. - Darling, my cousin will stay with us for a couple of weeks. I've got plenty of cousins who support me. - I have a lot like-minded people who support me.	Take me to some cafe where locals eat. I want to try their nationality cuisine. - Take me to a cafe where the locals eat. I want to try their national kitchen.

First cousin means “cousin”, and second cousin means “second cousin”.

4. Deny or refuse?

Characteristic	Word
	deny /dɪˈnaɪ/	refuse /rɪˈfjuːz/
Translation	deny; interfere, impede	reject, reject, refuse
Synonyms	to disclaim; to prevent	to decline, to reject
Usage example	after the verb to deny we use a noun, the pronoun that or a verb ending in -ing: The thief denied theft of the car. - Thief denied that he stole the car.	The judge refused to sustain a claim. - Judge refused satisfy the claim.

5. Ashamed or embarrassed?

Characteristic	Word
	ashamed /əˈʃeɪmd/	embarrassed /ɪmˈbærəst/
Translation	ashamed	confused, bewildered
Synonyms	sheepish, contrite, shameful	confused, abashed
Usage example	after the adjective ashamed we use either the preposition of or the pronoun that: The accountant was ashamed of his awkward dancing at the corporate party. - Accountant felt ashamed after his awkward dancing at the office party.	After the adjective embarrassed we use the preposition by or about: I was embarrassed by her behavior. - Me confused her behavior. I was too embarrassed about her words that I couldn’t do anything. - I was so confused in her words that she couldn’t do anything.

6. Accept or agree?

Characteristic	Word
	accept /əkˈsept/	agree /əˈɡriː/
Translation	accept (gift, offer, truth, idea), allow	agree, see eye to eye; agree; correspond
Synonyms	to receive, to answer affirmatively, to admit	to consent
Usage example	Have you already accepted the invitation to their wedding? - You already accepted an invitation to their wedding? Her husband has passed away, but she still can’t accept the fact that he's gone. - Her husband died, but she just can’t accept the fact that he no longer exists.	after the verb to agree we use the prepositions with, on/about, the particle to with the verb or the pronoun that: We agreed to put off the meeting till Monday. - We agreed adjourn the meeting until Monday. We agree on many social and political issues. - We we see eye to eye on many social and political issues.

7. Tall or high?

Characteristic	Word
	tall /tɔːl/	high /haɪ/
Translation	of a certain height (about people), high-rise (about multi-story buildings)	high (about objects); high-ranking; excellent, excellent
Synonyms	elevated, huge, vast	large, big
Usage example	How tall is your boy? - How much of your boy high? Tall skyscrapers almost reach the clouds. - High-rise skyscrapers almost reach the clouds.	It's dangerous to swim today. The waves are extremely high. - It's dangerous to swim today. The waves are very high. Their goods are known for the high quality. - Their products are known for their excellent quality.

8. Opportunity or possibility?

Characteristic	Word
	opportunity BrE - /ˌɒpəˈtjuːnəti/, AmE - /ˌɑːpərˈtuːnəti/	possibility BrE - /ˌpɒsəˈbɪləti/, AmE - /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪləti/
Translation	chance, opportunity, opportunity	probability, possibility
Synonyms	a chance	probability, likelihood
Usage example	after the noun an opportunity we use the preposition for or the construction to do smth: This private school is a great opportunity for your kids. - This private school is excellent chance for your children. I appreciate the opportunity to make a toast and thank you all. - I appreciate opportunity make a toast and thank you all.	after the noun a possibility we use the preposition of or the pronoun that: There is a possibility that the weather will be bad at the weekend. - Eat probability, What The weather will get worse this weekend. Is there a possibility of any injuries during the rock-climbing classes? - What is it like? probability get injured while climbing?

9. Thankful or grateful?

Characteristic	Word
	thankful /ˈθæŋkfl/	Grateful /ˈɡreɪtfl/
Translation	happy because you have escaped danger, happy because something unpleasant is behind you	grateful for something good
Synonyms	pleased	appreciative
Usage example	after the adjective thankful we use the preposition for, the pronoun that or the construction to do smth: Alice was thankful that she didn't get in jail. - Alice was I'm glad about that, What she didn't go to jail. I'm thankful to stay in one piece after the car crash. - I glad, What survived after a car accident.	after the adjective grateful we use the construction to smb for smth (to someone for something) or the pronoun that: I'm grateful to my parents for my happy childhood. - I thankful your parents behind happy childhood. Nick was grateful that he had a shelter. - Nick was grateful for that, What he had a shelter.

10. Foreigner or stranger?

Characteristic	Word
	foreigner BrE - /ˈfɒrənə(r)/, AmE - /ˈfɔːrənər/, /ˈfɑːrənər/	stranger BrE - /ˈstreɪndʒə(r)/, AmE - /ˈstreɪndʒər/
Translation	foreigner	stranger, outsider; a stranger in some setting
Synonyms	someone is from abroad/overseas	an unknown person
Usage example	It's not that easy for a foreigner to get a proper job. - To a foreigner It's not easy to get a proper job.	I feel like a complete stranger in New York. - I feel strangers in NYC.

11. Alternatively or alternatively?

Characteristic	Word
	alternate(ly) BrE - /ɔːlˈtɜːnət/, AmE - /ˈɔːltərnət/	alternative(ly) BrE - /ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪv/, AmE - /ɔːlˈtɜːrnətɪv/
Translation	alternate, alternating	alternative, another option
Synonyms	in turns, consecutively	another option, instead, on the other hand
Usage example	Seasons change alternately in this region. - Seasons change in this region alternately.	We were walking home on foot. Alternatively, we could take a taxi, but we didn’t have money. - We walked home. As an option, we could take a taxi, but we didn't have money.

12. Staff or stuff?

Characteristic	Word
	staff BrE - /stɑːf/, AmE - /stæf/	stuff /stʌf/
Translation	noun - office staff verb - to recruit staff adjective - regular	noun - thing, contraption; material, substance; something vague (idea, business) verb - stuff, stuff
Synonyms	noun - employees, personnel verb - to hire adjective - in-house	noun - a thing, an object, an item; a substance, material verb - to fill
Usage example	the word staff can be used both with a plural and singular verb - read more about this in the article “Using nouns only in the plural and only in the singular”: The staff are supposed to be hardworking. - Employees must be hardworking. The staff has shown its readiness to work hard. - Staff showed a willingness to work hard.	I can't meet you at the airport. I've got some stuff to do. - I can't meet you at the airport. I need to do some things affairs. Jim quickly stuffed his clothes into the suitcase and hurried to catch the train. - Jim quickly stuffed things into the suitcase and hurried to the train.

13. Ache or pain?

Characteristic	Word
	ache /eɪk/	pain /peɪn/
Translation	noun - pain (long-lasting, aching, causing discomfort) verb - to experience pain	noun - acute pain due to injury or illness; grief, suffering verb - to cause pain, to be sick; to torment, upset
Usage example	Runner's caves ached after the marathon. - Runner's calves were sick after the marathon. The kid felt a dull ache in the stomach after eating some cookies. - The child felt a dull pain in the stomach after eating some cookies.	Let's help this poor guy. He seems to be in pain. - Let's help this poor guy. It looks like he hurt. Mike felt sharp pain in his chest and we called an ambulance. - Mike felt a sharp pain in the chest, and we called an ambulance.

14. Loudly or aloud?

Characteristic	Word
	loudly /ˈlaʊdli/	aloud /əˈlaʊd/
Translation	loud (of any loud sound)	out loud, out loud
Synonyms	in a loud voice	out loud
Usage example	The books fell loudly on the table. - Books loud fell on the table.	Mary, please read your universe aloud for the whole class. - Mary, please read your poem aloud for the whole class.

15. Price or prize?

Characteristic	Word
	price /praɪs/	prize /praɪz/
Translation	noun - price; victim verb - to set a price	noun - prize, award; prize, winning verb - to highly value, to appreciate
Synonyms	noun - cost, charge, a fee; a sacrifice	noun - an award, a trophy verb - to appreciate, to value
Usage example	Our wedding dresses range in price from 150 $ to 500 $. - Our wedding dresses are worth from 150 to 500 dollars. If you want to become rich, you have to pay a certain price. - If you want to be rich, you have to do something donate.	The main prize in the competition is a month for two in Italy. - Main prize in competitions this is a trip for two to Italy for a month.

16. Arise or rise?

Characteristic	Word
	arise /əˈraɪz/	rise /raɪz/
Translation	verb - appear, arise; happen, occur	verb - to ascend, rise; increase in size, grow noun - sunrise, growth, rise; salary increase
Synonyms	verb - to start, to begin, to arrive	verb - to go upwards, to lift, to increase
Usage example	If a crisis arises, we should come up with plan B. - If will arise crisis, we have to come up with a plan B. People think that all their problems arise from the decisions of the government. - People think that all their problems result from government decisions.	Accommodation prices will continue to rise during this year. - Housing prices will continue grow this year. Am I going to get a rise for the overtime work? - I will get increase for processing?

17. City or town?

Characteristic	Word
	city /ˈsɪti/	town /taʊn/
Translation	BrE is a large significant city, a city with local government; residents of the city (with a singular verb) AmE - a city of any size that has defined boundaries and is vested with official powers from the state government	BrE - small town; administrative center of the district, business center; residents of the town (with a singular verb) AmE - village
Usage example	Major Russian cities are Saint Petersburg and Moscow. - Main Russians cities- St. Petersburg and Moscow. The city is waiting for a new election race. - City residents waiting for a new election race.	My native town is very small. Its population is only 2,000 people. - My native town very small. Its population is only 2,000 people. Today I'm going to town for a brief business meeting. - Today I'm going to center for a short business meeting.

18. Close or shut?

Characteristic	Word
	close BrE - /kləʊz/, AmE - /kloʊz/	shut /ʃʌt/
Translation	close	slam, lock
Synonyms	to end, to stop, to finish	to lock
Usage example	Close the door please when leaving. - When you leave, close, please, the door. Calm down. Close your eyes and count to ten. - Relax. Close eyes and count to ten.	Shut the door from the outside right now! - Now shut it the door is on the other side! Switch off the light and shut the warehouse. - Turn off the light and lock it up stock.

19. Politics or politics?

Characteristic	Word
	politics BrE - /ˈpɒlətɪks/, AmE - /ˈpɑːlətɪks/	policy BrE - /ˈpɒləsi/, AmE - /ˈpɑːləsi/
Translation	politics, political activity; political beliefs and views	line of behavior, strategy; principles, standards, norms
Usage example	Many people say that they are not interested in politics, they want to discuss something entertaining. - Many people say they are not interested policy, and they want to discuss something entertaining.	I develop foreign policy of our company. - I am developing an international strategy our company.

20. Hear or listen?

Characteristic	Word
	hear BrE - /hɪə(r)/, AmE - /hɪr/	listen /ˈlɪsn/
Translation	hear, have hearing	listen, carefully and consciously perceive information; Listen!
Synonyms	to notice sound	to receive sonic information attentively, to pay attention to sounds
Usage example	I can hear them talking behind the door. - I I hear as they say outside the door. I heard the rumors about closing our company for good. - I heard rumors that they want to close our company forever.	Listen to him carefully and answer every question sincerely. - Listen answer each question carefully and sincerely. While commuting, I listen to the music or audiobooks. - Getting to work by transport, I I'm listening music or audiobooks. Listen! I want to talk to you. - Listen! I want to talk to you.

Do you know any other similar English words? Write in the comments.