In English, there are a number of confusing words. They might have either the same pronunciation, the same spelling or both (same pronunciation and same spelling) yet they mean different. Therefore, it is puzzling to understand what does a certain word mean. To help you, the following article contains the alphabetical list of Commonly Confused English Words for ESL Learners.

Commonly Confused English Words for ESL Learners

accept except	to agree not including
a lot allot	much to distribute
a while awhile	a period of time for a short time
adapt adept	to adjust skilled
advise advice	to recommend/suggest suggestion
affect effect	to make a difference a change that is the result of an action or consequence
aid aide	charity assistant
ail ale	trouble in mind or body beer
airs heirs	to express publically descendant
aisle isle	unhurt/ safe satisfactory/ acceptable
alright all right	unhurt satisfactory
all ways always	the total number of methods at all times
allude elude	to refer indirectly to avoid
allusion illusion	to hint to misapprehension
aloud allowed	loudly permitted
all ready already	completely prepared by now or then
altar alter	the table in a Christian church at which the bread and wine are consecrated in communion services to change
amoral immoral	not concerned with neither right nor wrong morally wrong
appraise apprise	to assess to inform
assent ascent	agreement a climb
aural oral	relating to the ear or the sense of hearing spoken
bare bear	naked to carry
berth birth	mooring or dock the emergence of a baby from a womb
born borne	to get birth carried
bough bow	the main branch of a tree to bend the head
brake break	to stop a vehicle to fracture or crack
breach breech	to break through or division the back part of a gun barrel
canvas canvass	a type of string cloth to seek votes
cereal serial	a type of grain happening in series
coarse course	rough a school subject or a direction
complacent complaisant	smug and self-satisfied willing to please
complement compliment	to add to as approval add an admiring mark
council counsel	someone who advises people an advice or to advise
cue queue	hint a line of people or vehicles
currant current	a dried grape the flow of air, water or electricity or happening now
defuse diffuse	to make a situation less tense to spread over a wide area
desert dessert	to abandon or a dry, barren area of land the sweet course eaten at the end of a meal
discreet discrete	careful not to attract attention separate or distinct
elicit illicit	to draw out a reply or reaction not allowed by laws or rules
ensure insure	to make sure or certain to warrant
envelop envelope	to cover a paper container for letters
exercise exorcise	physical activity to drive out an evil spirit
fawn faun	a young deer a mythical being
flounder founder	to move clumsily to fail
foreword forward	an introduction to a book ahead
lose loose	to become unable to find, to mislay not tight
principal principle	a governing or presiding officer, specifically of a school a fundamental truth, law, or motivating force
site sight	a piece of land considered for specific purpose view or field of vision
stationary stationery	fixed or still writing material
than then	Used to introduce the second element in a comparison at that time
there their	that place or point belonging to
to too	In the direction of, as far as in addition
your you’re	Belonging to you you are
who whom	what or which person or persons (subjective) what or which person or persons (objective)

Conclusion

So, the above list contains Commonly Confused English Words for ESL Learners. In case you have any questions or doubts about the above list or any other words, let us know.