Accept means to receive. Except means to exclude.
Correct: I will accept the gift from Ruth.
Correct: Everyone went to the meeting except Henry.
affect/effect
Affect as a verb means to influence. Effect as a verb means to cause. Effect as a noun means a result.
Correct: Eating habits affect people’s health.
Correct: He plans to effect many changes in his company.
Correct: Her decisions may have a negative effect on her future.
allusion/illusion
An allusion is an indirect reference to something else. An illusion is a hallucination or something that is seen but does not really exist.
Correct: The allusion was to the political candidate’s record.
Correct: David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear through an illusion.
among/between
Between compares two items or several items seen as distinct from one another. Among compares three or more items.
Correct: Alex chose between history and social science for his major.
Correct: Emma chose between Harvard, Brown, and Yale.
Correct: Among Anne’s most-loved books, Middlemarch was by far her favorite.
Correct: This was the best choice among all the options.
assure/ensure/insure
Use assure for things that are alive.
Correct: John assured Megan that he’d come to the party early.
Use ensure to guarantee events and conditions.
Correct: Being organized ensures you will get to class on time.
Use insure for all of the above in financial contexts.
Correct: Michael wondered if the caterers were insured against loss.
entitled/titled
Entitled refers to deserving something. Titled refers to a name.
Correct: After all the work he did, he is entitled to another piece of pie.
Correct: The book was titled Walden.
e.g./etc./i.e.
E.g. means “for example.” I.e. means “that is.” Etc. means “and so on.”
Correct: Connie does not eat at fast food restaurants (e.g., McDonald’s and Burger King).
Correct: Mark loves watching Donald Duck’s nephews (i.e., Huey, Dewey, and Louie).
Correct: For the trip, Rachel packed clothes, towels, shoes, etc.
farther/further
Farther applies to an actual distance. Further refers to a degree or extent.
Correct: She can run farther than her sister.
Correct: His father will go no further in his concessions.
fewer/less
Fewer refers to a number. Less refers to a quantity or extent.
Correct: The old theatre held fewer viewers than the new one does.
Correct: Glen earns less money than Rick does.
first/firstly
If you use “first” (or second, third, etc.) to begin a list or enumeration, follow it with “second” (third, fourth, etc.).
If you choose to use “firstly” (or secondly, thirdly, etc.) to begin a list or enumeration, follow it with “secondly” (thirdly, fourthly, etc.).
The key is consistency. Do not use “first” followed by “secondly.”
imply/infer
Speakers imply something through what they say. Others infer something from the speaker’s words.
Correct: In her speech, Julianne implied that she was happy with her job.
Correct: Jessica inferred from the speech that the speaker was happy with her job.
it’s/its
It’s is a contraction for “it is.” Its is the possessive form.
Correct: It’s snowing outside.
Correct: The dog lost its bone.
over/more than
Over refers to a spatial relationship. More than is the preferred choice when referring to numbers.
Correct: The cardinal flew over the tree.
Correct: More than 250 students visited campus last week.
perspective/prospective
Perspective refers to someone’s outlook on a topic. Prospective makes reference to the future.
Correct: Because he is from another country, he has a different perspective on politics than I do.
Correct: Cedarville is offering a campus tour for prospective students.
principle/principal
A principle is a fundamental truth or logic. Principal refers to a position of authority, such as a school principal, the principal player of an orchestra, or a capital sum.
Correct: Kara operates under the principle that justice will triumph.
Correct: Cindy is principal of the school.
toward/towards
The American version of this word never includes an “s” on the end. The same rule applies for words such as backward, afterward, forward, and among.
