Commonly Confused English Words

Level: B1. Some English words are easy to confuse because they sound the same or look almost the same, yet they mean different things. This page collects the pairs learners get wrong most often and gives you one clear rule and a correct example for each, so you can fix the mistake in your own writing.

By the end of this page you can…

…tell apart the English words most often confused in writing — affect/effect, its/it’s, their/there/they’re, your/you’re, then/than and a few more — and choose the right one with a quick mental test.

Apostrophe pairs: a missing letter vs belonging

The apostrophe form is two words squeezed together. The plain form shows belonging and never takes an apostrophe.

Confused pair	Rule of thumb	Right example
it’s / its	it’s = it is / it has; its = belonging to it	It’s cold. The dog hurt its paw.
they’re / their / there	they’re = they are; their = belonging; there = that place	They’re at their house over there.
you’re / your	you’re = you are; your = belonging to you	You’re late. Is this your bag?
who’s / whose	who’s = who is / who has; whose = belonging	Who’s there? Whose coat is this?
we’re / were / where	we’re = we are; were = past of are; where = which place	We’re sure they were there. Where?

Sound-alike pairs

These are not about apostrophes; each word is simply a different word with a different job.

Confused pair	Rule of thumb	Right example
affect / effect	affect = verb (to change); effect = noun (a result)	The rain affects traffic. It has an effect.
then / than	then = time or next; than = comparison	We ate, then left. She is taller than me.
lose / loose	lose = verb (to misplace); loose = adjective (not tight)	Don’t lose the key. My belt is loose.
to / too / two	to = direction/verb; too = also/excessive; two = 2	I want to go too, with two friends.
accept / except	accept = to receive; except = apart from	I accept the gift. Everyone came except Ann.
advice / advise	advice = noun; advise = verb	She gave good advice. I advise you to wait.
your / you’re	see apostrophe pairs above	Your idea is good; you’re right.
quiet / quite	quiet = little noise; quite = fairly/completely	Be quiet. It was quite good.

Example sentences

Play each line and read it aloud. Notice how the matching rule decides which spelling is correct.

It's a long way, and its engine is old.

it's = it is; its = belonging to the car.
They're bringing their dog over there.

All three forms in one sentence.
You're sure your answer is right?

you're = you are; your = belonging to you.
The weather affects my mood every winter.

affect is the verb here.
Cold weather has a strong effect on me.

effect is the noun (an effect).
First we eat, then we go home.

then shows the next step in time.
This bag is heavier than that one.

than is used for a comparison.
Be careful not to lose your passport.

lose is the verb (to misplace).
The handle feels loose; please tighten it.

loose is the adjective (not tight).
Everyone passed the test except me.

except means apart from.
I can't accept money from you.

accept means to receive.
Can you give me some advice, please?

advice is the noun.
The doctor will advise you about the diet.

advise is the verb.
Who's going to tell me whose book this is?

who's = who is; whose = belonging.
Please be quiet; the baby is quite tired.

quiet = silent; quite = fairly.
We're not sure where they were last night.

we're / were / where contrasted.

Common mistakes

Real errors learners make, with the fix and the reason.

✗ Your welcome. → ✓ You’re welcome. — You are welcome: use the short form of two words.
✗ The company lost it’s biggest client. → ✓ The company lost its biggest client. — Belonging to the company, so no apostrophe.
✗ This soup is more hot then yesterday. → ✓ This soup is hotter than yesterday. — Comparison needs than, not then.
✗ I will loose the game. → ✓ I will lose the game. — The verb is lose (one o); loose means not tight.
✗ The medicine had a good affect. → ✓ The medicine had a good effect. — A result is a noun: effect.
✗ Their going to be late. → ✓ They’re going to be late. — They are: use they’re.

Recap cheat-sheet

The quick tests to run before you hit send.

Cheat sheet: fixes for commonly confused English words

Quick recap before the quiz.

Pair	Quick test
it’s / its	split to “it is”? use it’s
they’re / their / there	“they are”? use they’re
affect / effect	“the ___”? use effect
then / than	comparing? use than

Practice

Confusing words practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Match each form to its meaning.

it's Match for it's
its Match for its
they're Match for they're
their Match for their

Show answer

it's → it is
its → belonging to it
they're → they are
their → belonging to them

The apostrophe form is always two words joined; the plain form shows belonging.

2 Fill the gap: ____ raining, so take an umbrella. (it is)

Hint: it is = short form with an apostrophe

Show answer

it's — it's = it is. The plain 'its' shows belonging and would be wrong here.

3 Fill the gap: She is older ____ her brother.

Hint: this is a comparison

Show answer

than — Comparisons use 'than'; 'then' is for time or sequence.

4 Choose the correct sentence. Their going to there house. They're going to their house. There going to they're house. Their going to they're house.

Show answer

They're going to their house. — they're = they are; their = belonging; the place word 'there' is not needed here.

5 Pick the right word: The noise did not ___ her sleep. effect affect effects affects

Show answer

affect — A verb is needed (to change), so 'affect'. The noun 'effect' would need 'an' or 'the'.

6 Put the words in order.

Show answer

you're welcome — You are welcome: the polite reply uses the short form you're.

Quiz

Next set: British vs American English
Grammar that helps: Possessive adjectives, Subject pronouns, Comparative adjectives
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Commonly Confused English Words

By the end of this page you can…

Apostrophe pairs: a missing letter vs belonging

Sound-alike pairs

Example sentences

Common mistakes

Recap cheat-sheet

Practice

Confusing words practice

Quiz

Confusing words quiz

Next

All English vocabulary topics

Vocabulary