Affect is usually a verb: Chester’s humming affected Posey’s ability to concentrate. Effect is usually a noun: Chester was sorry for the effect his humming had.
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breath vs breathe
Breath is a noun; it’s the air that goes in and out of your lungs: Chester held his breath while Posey skateboarded down the stairs. Breathe is a verb.
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complement vs compliment
A complement is something that completes something else. Compliment is a nice thing to say.
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defence vs defense
Defense is standard in American English. Defence is found mainly in British English.
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e.g. vs i.e.
These two Latin abbreviations are often mixed up, but e.g. means “for example,” while i.e. means “that is.”
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further vs farther
Farther refers to physical distance: Posey can run farther than Chester. Further refers to metaphorical distance: Chester is further away finishing his task.
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principal vs principle
Principal can be a noun or adjective. A principle (always a noun) is a firmly held belief or ideal.
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Inquiry vs enquiry
Inquiry and enquiry both mean “a request for information.” Inquiry is the standard American English spelling. Enquiry is the British spelling.
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than vs then
Than is used for comparisons: Posey runs faster than Chester. Then is used to indicate time or sequence: Posey took off running, and then Chester came along.
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toward vs towards
Toward is standard in American English. Towards is standard in British English.
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who's vs whose
Who’s is a contraction of “who is”: Who’s calling Chester at this hour? Whose is a possessive pronoun that means “belonging to [someone]”.
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loose vs lose
oose is usually an adjective: Posey discovered that the cows were loose. Lose is always a verb. It means to misplace something.
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gray vs grey
Gray is the standard American English spelling. Grey is the standard British English spelling.
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empathy vs sympathy
Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s perspective or feelings. Sympathy is a feeling of sorrow for someone else’s suffering.
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emmigrate vs immigrate
emigrate means to move away from a country to live somewhere else. Immigrate means to into a country from somewhere else.
