Even experienced writers can be caught out using the wrong word. Homophones (words that are pronounced like another word but spelled differently and with a different meaning e.g. cue/queue; bare/bear) are often a source of confusion but there are other familiar, everyday words that are used incorrectly. The following is a list of troublesome words that frequently trip up writers.

Advice or advise

Advice (noun) is a suggestion or guidance to someone else:

  My advice is that you walk away now before it’s too late.

Advise (verb) to offer an opinion:

  I advise you to think about what would happen if you didn’t pay your tax.

Affect or effect

Affect (verb) means to act on or influence:

  She thought her parents’ breakup would not affect her.

Effect (verb) means to make happen or accomplish:

  The plan was effected within hours of the minister’s announcement.

Effect (noun) means as a result or consequence:

  In truth, the effect was devastating.

Compliment or complement

Compliment is to praise or admire:

  Thanks for the compliment!

Complement is to complete or enhance something:

  Those shoes really complement your outfit.

  Now that we have the full complement on board, we will depart in five minutes.

Fewer or less

Use fewer for plural nouns and for objects that can be counted:

  Fewer students enrolled in the life drawing class this year.

Use less for singular nouns and when you are referring to something that can’t be counted:

  We had less time to complete the questionnaire.

I or me

I is the subject pronoun:

  I am studying Greek.

  Peter and I are studying Greek.

Me is the object pronoun:

  My Greek teacher asked me to do extra homework. 

  Peter took our Greek teacher, his assistant Pam and me to the lecture.

When there are two subjects or objects in the sentence it can be confusing – take out the other person(s) in the sentence and it becomes clearer:

  Peter took … me to the lecture

Imply or infer

Imply is to hint or to express an idea or feeling without saying it directly. The speaker will imply:

  She implied that she would consider the role if they increased the salary.

Infer is to deduce. The listener will infer:

  He inferred that she was only interested in the role if he increased the salary.

Ingenious or ingenuous

Ingenious means clever or inventive:

  Sam’s ingenious repair to the bicycle meant he could cycle home.

Ingenuous means innocent:

  The ingenuous nature of young children is what attracted her to train as a kindergarten teacher.

It’s or its

It’s is a contraction of ‘it is’ and ‘it has’:

  It’s your turn; hurry up!

  It’s stopped raining so go outside and play.

Its is the possessive form of the pronoun ‘it’:

  My moulting hen has lost most of its feathers.

Note, unlike the possessive words that have an ‘apostrophe s’ (Julie’s house, the dog’s bone), the possessive form of its never carries an apostrophe:

  It’s almost 10 pm and the committee still hasn’t declared its position.

Past or passed

Past relates to time (usually to time before the present) or movement from one side of a reference point to the other:

  The past week has been traumatic for me.

  In the past, I was a home owner.

  Jake walked past the teacher in the hallway.

Passed is the past tense of the verb pass:

  Jake passed the teacher in the hallway.

  Briony passed her exam.

Practice or practise

Practice (in Australian/UK usage) is a noun:

  Patient care is vital to the success of our practice.

Practise (in Australian/UK usage) is a verb:

  We practise what we preach when we practise our piano scales every day.

  Lucy’s piano teacher told her to practise her scales every day.

The US convention is to use practice as both a verb and a noun.

Principle or principal

Principle is a fundamental law, doctrine or tenet:

  On principle, I refuse to agree to your demands.

  Understanding the principles of grammar is fundamental to your career in writing.

Principal is the highest in rank or value:

  Mr Masters, the school principal, will chair the staff meeting.

  The principal ingredients are flour and eggs.

Than or then

Than is used to compare:

  My mark was higher than hers.

Then is used in relation to time:

  I went to the supermarket, then to the bakery and finally to the post office.

That or which

That defines:

  Carly always wears high-heeled shoes that make her look taller because she thinks she is too short.

Which informs:

  Carly always wears high-heeled shoes, which make her look taller, because she thinks she is too short. (removing the clause ‘which make her look taller’ doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence; note the commas before and after the clause – see also non-defining clauses)

Stationery or stationary

Stationery is office materials:

  Can you please order red pens and whiteout from the stationery supplier.

Stationary is to remain still or unchanged:

  Sarah’s car collided with a stationary truck.

  The cold front has remained stationary over the far south.

Your or you’re

Your is a possessive adjective:

  Your dog’s breath is revolting.

You’re is a contraction of ‘you are’:

  You’re all invited to my birthday party.

Who or whom

Who is used to refer to the subject of a sentence:

  Who is interested in joining me for a swim?

Whom is used to refer to the object of a verb or preposition:

  You can ask Lisa and Pheobe, both of whom will be at the party tonight.