Lost in translation: What I really meant was…

Ever been “effected”  when someone wants to “illicit” some information on your “martial” problems? We can “conform” we have, and we’re still reeling from the shock. 

Some word pairs are almost destined to be confused. Here are 20 of them.

There’s nothing we like better than a whiff of scandal, so this one always gets laughs:

If you’re an eager reader, this word’s (not) for you:

You can’t not have seen this pair coming up (only too common!):

This one’s actually a bit confusing — people using these words interchangeably are a little less culpable, only a little:

No, these definitely don’t mean the same, though they look very much alike:

This one’s tricky: both have to do with doing the wrong thing. But how wrong? That’s the question!

This one’s a bit scholarly, but interesting all the same:

But this one’s really common:

 

And here are two words that are kind of related, and therefore easy to mix up:

This pair’s been known to cause some amusement:

Again, here’s a common pair of lookalike words that are often forced into standing in for each other:

For obvious reasons, this one’s a regular in all manner of official reports:

If something is “historical”, is it also “historic”? Or should that be vice versa?

Think carefully, now: Are you making an admiring comment, or does it sound like something else entirely?

And people, seriously, just because two words sound almost the same….

It’s the rare undergrad paper that doesn’t feature this boo-boo:

This one is quite frequently heard, too:

Don’t force yourself to “conform” when all you actually have to do is “confirm”!

And this one’s a particular favourite, not least because the two ideas are closely related!

Finally, the sweet ending, a popular pun with owners of confectioneries: