Words Confused Owing To Faulty Pronunciation

Certain words cause confusion due to faulty pronunciation. A few of them are given below. Note that the correct pronunciation is indicated by adding a well-known word in brackets which rhymes with the word whose pronunciation is often confused.

Floor (noun) [door] – part of the building on which one walks

Flour (noun) [shower] – finely ground cereal grains

Flower (noun) [shower] – coloured part of plants

  • She sat on the floor.
  • Biscuit is made of wheat flour.

Weak (adjective) [leak] – not strong or fit
Week (noun) [leak] – a period of seven days
Wick (noun) [sick] – a string or piece of fabric that draws fuel to the flame in a candle or oil lamp

  • A candle needs a wick.
  • He was too weak to stand up.
  • There are fifty-two weeks in a year.

Heir (noun) [air] – legal inheritor of something
Hair (noun) [care] – fine flexible strands growing on the head or body
Hare (noun) [care] – a fast running animal that resembles a rabbit

  • He is the heir to the throne.
  • Hair grows on our heads
  • A hare looks like a big rabbit.

Wonder (noun) [plunder] – amazed admiration, something marvelous
Wander (verb) [yonder] – travel without destination, leave a fixed path

  • Gypsies wander over the country.
  • I wonder why I failed to pass.

Advice (noun) [nice] – recommendation about action
Advise (verb) [eyes] – offer advice

  • I am tired of listening to advice.
  • The doctor advised him to quit smoking.

Leave (verb) [deceive] – depart
Live (verb) [give] – reside in a particular place

  • I leave home for work at 9 o’clock.
  • My parents live abroad.

Quite (adverb) [white] – entirely
Quiet (adjective or noun) [diet] – peaceful, making little noise, free from trouble

  • You are quite right.
  • I would like to lead a quiet life.
  • A sick man needs a quiet room.

Price (noun) [nice] – cost of something bought or sold
Prize (noun) [eyes] – award for winner

  • What is the price of that bag?
  • She got this bag as a prize.

Lose (verb) [choose] – fail to win, have something taken away
Loose (verb) [goose] – free, not fastened
Loose (adjective) [goose] – not tight or fitting

  • You will lose your dog, if you don’t tie it up.
  • When he loosed his dog it ran away.
  • This knot is loose and it will soon come undone.

Taste (verb) [waste]
Test (verb) [nest]

  • The fish tasted awful.
  • He tested the food in the science laboratory.

Pore (noun) [door] – tiny openings in the skin through which sweat passes.

Pour (verb) [door]
Poor (adjective) [tour] – not rich

  • Many people in Africa are very poor.
  • He poured oil into the fire.
  • Holes in your skin are called pores.

Latter (adjective) [matter] – the second of two already named
Later (adverb) [waiter] – after a particular period of time
Letter (noun) [better]

  • A is tall, and B is short but the latter is stronger.
  • I will see you later.
  • The Post Office handles letters.

Bath (noun) [path]
Bathe (verb) [lathe]

  • We have a bath to clean our bodies.
  • We bathe to enjoy ourselves with no thought of cleanliness.

Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I am Manjusha. This is my blog where I give English grammar lessons and worksheets.

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