A little word test.
The list below contains pairs of words (and one threesome) that people often confuse/misuse – how many can you define without having to reach for the dictionary?
| Affect | Effect |
| Adverse | Averse |
| Principle | Principal |
| Stationery | Stationary |
| Illicit | Elicit |
| Inquire | Enquire |
| Flaunt | Flout |
| Allusion | Illusion |
| Complement | Compliment |
| Council | Counsel |
| Dependent | Dependant |
| Mitigate | Militate |
| Practice | Practise |
| Advice | Advise |
| Loose | Lose |
| Ensure | Insure |
When this test was first carried out by the Times, the average score for native speakers was 75%.
Just to show how confusing English can be, in the early 1980s the UK Civil Service, in response to fears about the potential threat to women’s fertility caused by radiation emissions from VDU screens, sent out a memo with an introduction that read:
“This memo will be of interest to all women who are pregnant, or who wish to become pregnant whilst at work.” Oooops!
