Words are the basic building blocks of grammar. Words are combinations of letters and sounds, individual words are separated by spaces. Some words contain more than one part, such as hyphenated words and other compound words. Some words are pronounced in the same way but carry different meanings. As time passes, the definition of a word or is pronunciation may change radically from its inception to its current usage.
Words may be combined into phrases. Some phrases become popular over the years and are applied to situations other than originally intended. These phrases take on a figurative meaning rather than a literal meaning, and become idioms. If a certain phrase or idiom becomes popular only in a certain region or among a certain group of people, it becomes a colloquialism. And finally, a phrase that is misheard and misquoted may become a mondegreen or an eggcorn, sometimes supplanting the original phrase in popularity.
English incorporates words and phrases from many other languages and other sources. The internet has given rise to a growing list of new words and phrases, and new ways to use existing words and phrases. Grammarist is here to help you understand English words and phrases, whether their roots can be traced back one year or a thousand.
-
- -emia or -aemia
- -gate
- -wise
É
- Épée, foil or sabre
A
- A cappella
- A la (à la)
- A priori
- A whole nother
- a.k.a. or aka
- Abandon vs. abandonment
- Abdicate, abnegate, abrogate
- Aberrant
- Abetter vs. abettor
- Abided vs. abode
- Abject vs object
- Abjure vs. adjure
- Abolishment vs. abolition
- Aborted vs. abortive
- About-face
- Abracadabra
- Absorption vs. adsorption
- Abstruse vs. obtuse
- Accent vs accentuate
- Accept vs except
- Acceptance vs. acceptation
- Access
- Accessory vs accessary
- Acclimate, acclimatise, acclimatize
- Accord vs. accordance
- Accost
- Accoutrement
- Acknowledgement vs. acknowledgment
- Ad hoc
- Ad hominem (usage)
- Ad infinitum
- Ad nauseam
- Ad vs. add
- Ad-lib and ad lib
- Adam's apple
- Adamance
- Adaptable or adaptive
- Adapter vs. adaptor
- Adaption vs. adaptation
- Addenda vs addendums
- Addicting vs. addictive
- Addiction vs. dependence
- Addition vs. edition
- Addlepated, addlebrained and addleheaded
- Adduce vs educe
- Admission vs. admittance
- Adopted vs. adoptive
- Ads, adds or adze
- Adulting
- Advance vs. advanced
- Advent
- Adventurous vs adventuresome
- Adverse vs. averse
- Advert vs. avert
- Advice vs. advise
- Adviser vs. advisor
- Aegis
- Aeon vs. eon
- Aeroplane vs. airplane
- Aesthetic vs. ascetic
- Aetiology or etiology
- Affect vs. effect
- Affective vs. effective
- Afflict vs. inflict
- Affluent vs. effluent
- Affluenza
- Afterward vs. afterwards
- Afterward vs. afterword
- Ageing vs. aging
- Aggrandize
- Aggravate
- Aggression vs. aggressiveness
- Agitprop
- Agnostic vs. atheist
- Agog or agape
- Agree
- Agreement vs agreeance
- Ahold
- Aid vs. aide
- Ail vs ale
- Ain't
- Air vs heir
- Aisle vs. isle
- Ajar
- Akimbo
- Alas
- Albeit
- Alight
- Alimentary vs elementary
- All but
- All but vs anything but vs everything but
- All get-out
- All of a sudden or all of the sudden
- All that
- All-around, all-round
- Alligator vs. crocodile
- Alliteration vs assonance
- Allude vs. elude
- Allusion vs. elusion vs. illusion
- Alma mater
- Aloud vs allowed
- Alphabetic vs. alphabetical
- Also-ran
- Altar vs. alter
- Alternate vs. alternative
- Although vs. though
- Aluminium vs. aluminum
- Amalgam vs. amalgamation
- Amative or amatory
- Amazeballs
- Ambiance vs. ambience
- Amend vs. emend
- Amends vs amends
- America
- American Indian vs Native American
- Amiable vs. amicable
- Amok vs. amuck
- Among vs. amongst
- Amoral vs. immoral
- Amount vs. number
- Ample
- Amuse vs. bemuse
- Anachronism
- Analog vs. analogue
- Analogue vs. analogy
- Analyse vs. analyze
- Analyses vs analyzes
- Anamorphic
- Anathema
- Angel vs angle
- Annal vs annual
- Annex vs. annexe
- Anodyne vs analgesic
- Another string in your bow
- Ant vs aunt
- Ante- vs anti-
- Antediluvian
- Antichrist
- Antifa
- Antimacassar
- Anyday vs any day
- Anymore or any more
- Anyone or any one
- Anyplace
- Anytime vs. any time
- Anyway vs. anyways
- Ape vs. monkey
- Apocryphal vs canonical
- Apologetics
- Apologise vs. apologize
- Apostle
- Apotheosis
- Appal vs. appall
- Appellation vs appellative
- Apple-polish
- Appraise vs. apprise
- Approbation vs approval
- Appropriate vs. expropriate
- April Fool's or April Fools'
- Apropos
- Arcane and obsolete
- Archaeology vs. archeology
- Argumentative vs. argumentive
- Arise or rise
- Armor vs. armour
- Arnold Palmer
- Around the clock, round the clock
- Around vs. round
- Arouse vs. rouse
- Arrant vs. errant
- Arse vs. ass
- Artefact vs. artifact
- Artesian vs artisan
- As crook as Rookwood
- Ascared
- Ascent vs. assent
- Ascent, ascendance, ascendancy, etc.
- Ascribe vs subscribe
- Asphalt, cement, concrete, pavement
- Assail vs. assault
- Assent vs. consent
- Assignation or assignment
- Assume vs. presume
- Assure, ensure, insure
- Astride
- Astrology vs astronomy
- Asylum
- At a loose end
- At wits' end
- Ate vs eight
- Atlas
- Attache
- Attain vs. obtain
- Attribute vs attribute
- Au contraire
- Au fait
- Au pair
- Auger vs. augur
- Aught
- August
- August vs august
- Aural vs. oral
- Aureole vs oriole
- Authorise vs. authorize
- Authoritative vs. authoritive
- Autobiography vs biography
- Autumn vs. fall
- Avail
- Avant-garde
- Avocation vs. vocation
- Aw or awe
- Awed vs odd
- Ax vs. axe
- Axel vs. axle
- Axis vs axes
- Aye vs eye
B
- Backwater or backwaters
- Bacteria vs virus
- Bad rap vs. bad wrap
- Bad vs badly
- Bae vs bay
- Bail vs. bale
- Bailiwick
- Bain-marie vs double boiler
- Bait vs. bate
- Bald, balled or bawled
- Bald-faced vs. boldface
- Balderdash
- Ball vs bawl
- Balmy vs. barmy
- Baloney vs. bologna
- Bamboozle
- Ban vs. bar
- Band (together) vs. bandy (about)
- Band vs banned
- Bane
- Bankster
- Baptise vs. baptize
- Bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah
- Barbed wire
- Bard vs barred
- Bare vs. bear
- Bark vs barque
- Barnstorm
- Baron vs barren
- Base vs bass
- Based vs baste
- Bastion
- Bath or bathe
- Battle royal
- Bawl out
- Bazaar vs. bizarre
- Be patient or have patience
- Beach vs beech
- Beat or beaten
- Beat vs beet
- Beau vs bow
- Beeline
- Beer vs bier
- Beg the question (usage)
- Beggar belief
- Begrudge
- Behalf
- Behavior vs. behaviour
- Behold and beholden
- Behoove
- Belated
- Belie
- Bell vs belle
- Belle vs beau
- Bellwether
- Bellyache
- Benchmark
- Benefactor vs patron
- Bent or bended
- Bereaved vs. bereft
- Berry vs bury
- Berserk
- Beside or besides
- Besotted
- Bespeak vs bespoke
- Bespeckled or bespectacled
- Better vs bettor
- Betwixt
- Beyond the pale
- Biannual vs. biennial
- Big kahuna
- Big-ups
- Bight vs. bite
- Bigwig
- Bill of goods
- Billed vs build
- Bingeing or binging
- Bingo
- Bite, byte or bight
- Bite-size or bite-sized
- Bivouac
- Black market
- Black out vs blackout
- Blaspheme
- Blatant vs. flagrant
- Blather vs blabber
- Blather vs. blither
- Blessed vs. blest
- Blew, blown, or blowed
- Bling
- Blitzkrieg
- Bloc vs. block
- Blockbuster
- Blond vs. blonde
- Blooper
- Bloviate
- Blowhard and windbag
- Blue blood
- Bluetooth
- Bobble vs bauble
- Bodega
- Body politic
- Bogeyman
- Boggle the mind and mind-boggling
- Bohemian
- Bokeh
- Bolder vs boulder
- Bollocks vs bollocking
- Bombogenesis
- Bona fide, bona fides
- Boondocks vs boonies
- Boot camp
- Booze vs boos
- Border vs boarder
- Bore, boor, boar
- Borne vs. born
- Borough, burro, burrow
- Botanic vs. botanical
- Bough or bow
- Boughten
- Bourgeois, bourgeoisie
- Bowdlerize
- Bowled vs bold
- Boy vs buoy
- Braggadocio
- Braggart vs bragger
- Braid vs brayed
- Brainchild
- Brainwash
- Brand spanking new
- Breach, breech, broach
- Bread vs bred
- Break up vs. breakup
- Breastfeeding, breastfed, breastfeed, etc.
- Breath vs. breadth (vs. width)
- Breath vs. breathe
- Breeches vs britches
- Brewed vs brood
- Brexit and Grexit
- Bric-a-brac and knick-knack
- Brickbat
- Bridezilla
- Bridle vs. bridal
- Brief vs debrief
- Bring vs take
- Briton
- Broach vs. brooch
- Bromance
- Bromide
- Brouhaha
- Browse vs brows
- Buck naked, butt naked
- Buffer vs. buffet
- Bugbear or bugaboo
- Bulk, balk, baulk
- Bullseye or bull's eye
- Bumpkin
- Bunk vs debunk
- Bunt vs Bundt
- Bupkis
- Burgle vs. burglarize
- Burned vs. burnt
- Burthen
- Busybody
- But vs butt
- But vs. yet
- Butterfingers
- Buy, by or bye
- Buzzword
- By and by vs. by the by
- By, bye and buy
- Bête noire
C
- C'est la vie
- Cacao vs. cocoa
- Cache vs cash
- Cache vs. cachet
- Caddie vs. caddy
- Cahoots
- Cakewalk
- Caliber vs. calibre
- Call vs caul
- Callous vs. callus
- Calumny
- Calvary vs. cavalry
- Camaraderie vs comradery
- Canard
- Canceled vs. cancelled
- Candor or candour
- Candy corn
- Canon vs. cannon
- Cantankerous
- Cantor vs canter
- Canvas vs. canvass
- Capiche, capeesh, capische, etc
- Capital vs. capitol
- Capitulate vs recapitulate
- Car hood and car bonnet
- Carbon copy
- Carbon footprint
- Careen vs. career
- Caretaker vs caregiver
- Carpetbagger
- Carrel vs carol
- Carrot, carat, karat, caret
- Carte blanche
- Cartography
- Cashmere vs Kashmir
- Cassandra
- Casted
- Catalog vs. catalogue
- Catcall
- Catty-corner, kitty-corner
- Caucus
- Cause celebre
- Cavalcade
- Caveat
- Cay, quay and key
- Cede and seed
- Cede vs. concede
- Ceiling vs sealing
- Cel, cell or sell
- Celebrant or celebrator
- Celiac vs celeraic
- Cellar vs seller
- Censer vs censor vs censure vs sensor
- Cent, scent and sent
- Center vs. centre
- Centrifugal vs. centripetal
- Centrifuge vs. subterfuge
- Centuries
- Cereal vs serial
- Certainty vs. certitude
- Certifiable
- Cession vs. session
- Chafe vs. chaff
- Chain letter
- Chalk up vs. chock
- Charade and charades
- Charlatan
- Charnel house
- Chaste vs chased
- Chasten vs. chastise
- Chatbot
- Chav
- Cheap vs cheep
- Cheapskate
- Check kiting
- Check vs. cheque
- Checkout vs. check out
- Cherry-pick
- Chews vs choose
- Chic vs. sheik
- Chicanery
- Chick flick and chick lit
- Childish vs. childlike
- Chili vs. chilly
- Chills down the spine
- Chimera
- Chink vs. kink
- Chips vs. fries
- Choate or inchoate
- Chock-a-block vs chockablock
- Chopper vs. copter
- Chorale, choral or corral
- Chortle
- Chow vs ciao
- Christmas Adam
- Chunder or chunter
- Chute vs. shoot
- Cisgender vs transgender
- Citizen journalism
- Civic vs. civil
- Civil rights and human rights
- Civilise vs. civilize
- Claptrap
- Classic vs. classical
- Clause vs claws
- Clean vs. cleanse
- Cleave
- Clench vs. clinch
- Clew vs clue
- Click vs clique
- Clickbait
- Cliffhanger
- Cliffs Notes
- Climactic vs. climatic
- Clime vs climb
- Clone
- Cloth vs clothes
- Cloture vs closure
- Cloying and mawkish
- Co-op vs. co-opt
- Co-ordinate vs coordinate
- Coal, cole or kohl
- Coarse vs. course
- Cockamamie
- Coddle and mollycoddle
- Coffice
- Cold-call
- Coliseum vs. colosseum
- Collectible vs collectable
- College vs. university
- Collegial vs. collegiate
- Collocate
- Collocate vs colocate
- Color vs. colour
- Comeuppance
- Comic vs. comical
- Comme ci, comme ça
- Commencement
- Commentator vs. commenter
- Compared to or compared with
- Compel vs. impel
- Complacent vs. complaisant
- Complement vs. compliment
- Compose vs. comprise
- Concave vs. convex
- Conceded or conceited
- Conceive vs. perceive
- Concerted
- Condemn vs. condone
- Confidant vs. confidante
- Confirmation bias
- Conflict of interest
- Confusables
- Congruent vs. congruous
- Connexion
- Connote vs. denote
- Conservatory, solarium or sunroom
- Constant vs consistent
- Contemporaneous vs. contemporary
- Contemptible vs. contemptuous
- Content or contented
- Continual vs. continuous
- Contumely
- Conundrum
- Convivial vs congenial
- Coop, coup or coupe
- Cooperate vs. co-operate
- Cooties
- Copse vs cops
- Copyright vs. copywrite
- Coral vs. corral
- Cord vs. chord
- Cornball and corny
- Cornet vs. coronet
- Corollary vs. correlation
- Correspondence vs correspondents
- Cosmetology vs. cosmology
- Cosplay
- Costed
- Cosy vs. cozy
- Cottage industry
- Cotton candy or cotton floss or fairy floss
- Couch-surf
- Could care less
- Council vs. counsel
- Counselor vs. counsellor
- Coup de grace
- Coups vs coos
- Covert vs overt
- Coward vs cowered
- Crack down vs. crackdown
- Crackerjack
- Crap
- Crapshoot
- Crayfish, crawfish, crawdad, etc.
- Creature comfort
- Creek vs creak
- Creeped vs. crept
- Crevasse vs. crevice
- Crewel vs cruel
- Crews vs cruise
- Crick (variant of creek)
- Cronyism
- Crowdsourcing vs crowdfunding
- Croze vs crows
- Cruciferous
- Crumby vs. crummy
- Cryptid
- Crèche and manger
- Cue vs. queue
- Cul-de-sac
- Cultural appropriation
- Cum
- Curb vs. kerb
- Curmudgeon
- Currant vs current
- Cursor vs curser
- Customise vs. customize
- Cut off your nose to spite your face
- Cutesy
- Cyber-
- Cyberspace
- Cybersquatting
- Cynical
D
- D'oh
- Dad bod
- Dahlesque
- Dam vs. damn
- Damp squib
- Daresay
- Data
- Days vs daze
- De facto
- De rigueur
- Dead set, dead-set, deadset
- Dealt vs. dealed
- Dearth
- Debark or disembark
- Decent vs. descent
- Deconstruction
- Decry vs. descry
- Deduce vs. induce
- Deep-seeded vs. deep-seated
- Deepnet, darknet and deep web
- Defence vs. defense
- Defenestration
- Defuse vs. diffuse
- Deign
- Deign vs Dane
- Delegate vs delegate
- Deleterious vs detrimental
- Demagogue vs demigod
- Demeanor or demeanour
- Demon vs daemon
- Demur vs. demure
- Denounce vs. renounce
- Dents vs dense
- Dependant vs. dependent
- Deplane or disembark
- Depository vs. repository
- Deprecate vs. depreciate
- Descendant vs. descendent
- Desert vs dessert
- Destroy vs. destruct
- Deteriorate vs decline
- Detract vs. distract
- Device vs. devise
- Devil is in the details vs. God is in the detail
- Deviled vs devilled
- Deviser vs divisor
- Dew, do and due
- Dewclaw
- Diagram
- Dialectal vs. dialectical
- Dibs and calling dibs
- Dichotomy vs paradox
- Dickensian
- Dietician or dietitian
- Different from, different than, different to
- Dike vs. dyke
- Diktat
- Dilapidated
- Dilemma
- Dirigible or blimp
- Disabuse, misuse and abuse
- Disassemble vs. dissemble
- Disburse vs. disperse
- Disc vs. disk
- Discombobulate
- Discomfit vs. discomfort
- Discrete vs. discreet
- Disdain or distain
- Disenfranchise vs. disfranchise
- Disillusion vs. dissolution
- Disinterested vs. uninterested
- Dispatch vs. despatch
- Dispense with vs. dispose of
- Disposed vs. predisposed
- Dissent vs descent
- Dissociate vs. disassociate
- Distaff
- Distinct vs. distinctive
- Distrust vs. mistrust
- Ditto and ditto mark
- Divers vs. diverse
- Divorcée, divorcé, divorcee
- Dock vs doc
- Dog-ear
- Dogged vs dogged
- Doggerel
- Doh, doe or dough
- Dole out vs. doll out
- Don vs dawn
- Don't's or don'ts
- Done vs dun
- Donner or Donder
- Donnybrook
- Doodle
- Doomsday vs Domesday
- Doppelgänger
- Dos or do's
- Dotage vs senility
- Dotard
- Double entendre
- Double vs. redouble
- Double whammy vs whammy
- Doublethink, doublespeak or double-talk
- Doughnut vs. donut
- Douse vs. dowse
- Dove vs. dived
- Downfall vs. downside
- Downplay or play down
- Downright vs outright
- Doxing and doxxing
- Draconian
- Draft vs. draught
- Dreamed vs. dreamt
- Dreidel or dreidl
- Dribble vs. drivel
- Drier vs. dryer
- Drink drank drunk
- Drive-by
- Droll
- Drop off vs. drop-off (vs. dropoff)
- Druthers
- Dry goods
- Du jour
- Dual vs. duel
- Duck tape or duct tape
- Due to vs because of
- Duly noted
- Dumpster fire
- Dumpster vs dumpster
- Duplicate vs duplicity
- Dwelled vs. dwelt
- Dyeing vs. dying
E
- E-book, ebook, eBook
- E-mail vs. email
- E. coli
- E.g. vs. i.e.
- Each other vs. one another
- Ear candy and eye candy
- Earmark
- Earn vs urn
- Earthy vs. earthly
- Earworm
- Easter egg
- Eaves vs eves
- Economic vs. economical
- Economics vs. finance
- Ecumenical
- Eek vs. eke
- Effete
- Eggnog
- Elbow grease
- Elder, eldest
- Electric, electrical, electronic
- Elegy vs. eulogy
- Elicit vs. illicit
- Embed vs imbed
- Embolization and embolisation
- Emeritus
- Emigrate vs. immigrate
- Eminent vs. immanent vs. imminent
- Emoji vs emoticon
- Empathetic vs. empathic
- Empathy vs. sympathy
- En masse
- En route
- En vogue, in vogue
- Enamor vs. enamour
- Enclose vs. inclose
- Endear
- Endeavor vs. endeavour
- Endemic vs. epidemic
- Enervate
- Enervate vs. innervate
- Engrain vs. ingrain
- Enmity vs animosity
- Enormity vs. enormousness
- Enquire vs. inquire
- Enrol vs. enroll
- Ensconce vs sconce
- Enthuse
- Entitled vs. titled
- Entomology vs. etymology
- Entree vs entrée
- Envelop vs. envelope
- Envision vs. envisage
- Envision vs. invision
- Envoi vs. envoy
- Epicenter
- Epidemic vs pandemic
- Epigram vs. epigraph
- Eponymous
- Equable, equatable, equitable
- Equivalence vs. equivalency
- Ere vs. err
- Ergo
- Ergonomics
- Ersatz
- Erupt vs irrupt
- Eschew
- Esoteric vs archaic
- Especial
- Esprit de corps
- Estimate vs. estimation
- Estimation or approximation
- Et al.
- Et cetera (etc.)
- Ethics vs. morals
- Euphemism
- Evacuate
- Even keel
- Evidence vs evince
- Evoke vs. invoke
- Ewe, yew or you
- Ex post facto
- Exalt vs. exult
- Excelsior and wood wool
- Exercise vs. exorcise
- Exhibit vs. exhibition
- Existent vs. extant
- Existential
- Expectant vs. expecting
- Exploitative vs. exploitive
- Expose vs exposé
- Eyelet vs islet
F
- Fabulist
- Facepalm
- Factious vs facetious
- Factoid
- Factotum
- Fain vs. feign
- Fair vs. fare
- Fairy vs ferry
- Fairy-tale ending
- Fait accompli
- Falsehood, falsity, falseness
- Fantods
- Far East, Middle East, Near East
- Faro, farrow or pharaoh
- Farther vs. further
- Fate vs fete
- Fatuous vs facetious
- Faun vs. fawn
- Faux
- Faux pas
- Faux-naïf
- Favor vs. favour
- Favorite vs. favourite
- Fay, fey
- Faze vs. phase
- Fearful vs. fearsome
- Feckless
- Feet vs feat
- Feminity vs. femininity
- Ferment or foment
- Fervent vs. fervid
- Festivus
- Fete
- Few vs phew
- Fiancé vs. fiancée
- Fiber vs. fibre
- Fictional vs. fictitious
- Fiefdom
- Fifth column
- Figurehead
- File, phial or faille
- Filet vs. fillet
- Filibuster
- Financer vs. financier
- Find vs fined
- Finite verb
- Firebrand
- Firefight
- Firefly and lightning bug
- Fireplace vs hearth
- Firing line vs. line of fire
- First aid
- First floor
- Firstly, secondly, thirdly, etc.
- Fissure vs fisher
- Flack vs. flak
- Flagship
- Flair vs. flare
- Flammable vs. inflammable
- Flash mob
- Flatten the curve
- Flaunt vs. flout
- Flautist vs. flutist
- Flavor vs. flavour
- Flecks vs flex
- Flesh out vs. flush out
- Flied
- Flier vs. flyer
- Flip one's lid vs. flip one's wig
- Flocks vs phlox
- Floe vs flow
- Flora and fauna
- Flounder vs. founder
- Flu vs. flue
- Flue vs flew
- Flummox
- Fluorescent vs incandescent
- Foaled vs fold
- Foe vs faux
- Foist
- Folderol
- Foley
- Font vs fount
- Fool's errand
- Foolproof vs. full-proof
- Foot long
- For the birds
- For, four and fore
- Fora vs. forums
- Forbear vs. forebear
- Forbidding vs. foreboding
- Force majeure
- Forego vs. forgo
- Foreword vs. forward
- Formulas vs formulae
- Forte
- Forth vs fourth
- Fortuitous vs. fortunate
- Foul vs. fowl
- Fracking
- Frankenstein's monster
- Fraud or defraud
- Fraught
- Free rein vs. free reign
- Freegan and freeganism
- Freeze vs frieze
- Frenemy
- Freudian slip
- Friable vs fryable
- Friar vs fryer
- Friendsgiving
- Fritter away
- Frivolity vs. frivolousness
- Frogmarch or frog-march
- Fuddle
- Fueled/fueling vs. fuelled/fuelling
- Fulfil vs. fulfill
- Full stop vs. period
- Full-fledged, fully fledged
- Fulsome
- Funereal
- Funner, funnest
- Furor vs. furore
- Fusion vs confusion
- Futile vs feudal
- Futz vs putz
G
- Gadfly
- Gaff vs. gaffe
- Gage, gauge, and gouge
- Gaiety or mirth
- Gainsay
- Gait vs gate
- Gaiter vs gator
- Gall vs Gaul
- Gallimaufry
- Gallop vs Gallup
- Gallop vs galop
- Galore
- Galumph
- Gambit
- Gambol vs. gamble
- Game changer
- Gantlet vs. gauntlet
- Gaol vs. jail
- Gargle vs. gurgle
- Garrote, garrotte, or garotte
- Garter snake
- Gastropub
- Gaudy vs. gawdy
- Gavel-to-gavel
- Gaveled vs. gavelled
- Gel vs jell
- Gender vs. sex
- Genericide
- Genes vs jeans
- Gentrification
- Geocaching
- Geographic vs geographical
- Geronimo!
- Gerrymander
- Gestalt
- Gesundheit
- Ghosting
- Gibberish
- Gibe, jibe, jive
- GIF
- Gild vs. guild
- Gimme
- Ginormous
- Gist vs. jist
- Git-go
- Glad-hand
- Glamour vs. glamor
- Glamping
- Glare vs glair
- Glass ceiling
- Glitch
- Glom onto
- Gobbledygook
- Gobsmacked
- Gobsmacked
- Gofer vs. gopher
- Going viral
- Goldbrick
- Golden ticket
- Gonna
- Goober
- Good vs well
- Goodly
- Google vs google
- Goose-step
- Goosebumps, goose pimples and gooseflesh
- Gorilla vs. guerrilla
- Gorp
- Got vs. gotten
- Gourmet vs gourmand
- Governance vs. government
- Graffiti
- Grammar vs. usage
- Grammarist
- Grandfather (as a verb)
- Grate vs great
- Grateful vs. gratified
- Graze vs grays or greys
- Greenhorn vs tinhorn
- Grieve vs greave
- Grill vs. grille
- Grinch
- Grinded
- Grip vs grippe
- Grisly vs. grizzly
- Groan vs grown
- Grok
- Gross vs net
- Ground zero
- Groupthink
- Grub
- Grudge
- Gruel vs grueling
- Guessed vs guest
- Guesstimate
- Guise vs guys
- Gumption
- Gun-shy
- Gung-ho
- Guyline vs guideline
H
- Habeas corpus
- Hail vs. hale
- Hair vs hare
- Hair's breadth (hare's breath)
- Hairy vs. harry
- Halcyon
- Half-baked
- Half-mast vs. half-staff
- Halfhearted and half-hearted
- Halitosis
- Hall vs haul
- Hallow vs. hollow
- Halloween or Hallowe'en
- Halve
- Halve vs have
- Ham-fisted and ham-handed
- Hand-wash
- Hangar vs. hanger
- Hangdog
- Hanged vs. hung
- Hangry
- Hanky-panky
- Hanukkah or Chanukah
- Happenstance
- Happy camper
- Happy median or happy medium
- Hara-kiri
- Harbinger
- Harbor vs. harbour
- Hardy vs. hearty
- Hark, harken, and hearken
- Harridan and harpy
- Hart vs heart
- Hash out, thrash out
- Hashtag
- Hate-watch
- Hatemonger and hate-mongering
- Hawk vs. hock
- Hay vs hey
- Haymaker
- He'd vs heed
- Heads up
- Heal vs. heel (and bring to heel)
- Healthful vs. healthy
- Hear, hear vs. here, here
- Heard vs herd
- Hector
- Heel, heal and he'll
- Heighth
- Helicopter parent and lawnmower parent
- Helpless vs hapless
- Helter skelter or helter-skelter
- Hence
- Henpeck
- Heretofore or hitherto
- Heroin vs. heroine
- Heterogeneous vs. heterogenous
- Hew vs. hue
- Heyday
- Hi vs high
- Hie
- Hieroglyph vs hierograph
- Higher vs hire
- Highfalutin
- Hightail
- Hijinks or high jinks
- Himself vs hisself
- Hinky
- Historic vs. historical
- Histrionic, histrionics
- Hive mind
- Hoar vs whore
- Hoard vs. horde
- Hoarse vs horse
- Hoax
- Hobo, tramp, bum, or gutter punk
- Hobson's choice
- Hocus-pocus
- Hoi polloi
- Hokey-pokey, hokey-cokey and hokey-tokey
- Holey vs. holy
- Holier-than-thou
- Holy vs wholly
- Home in vs. hone in
- Homely vs. homey
- Homo sapiens
- Homogenous vs. homogeneous
- Homophones, homographs, and homonyms
- Honcho
- Honeymoon
- Hoodwink
- Hoosegow
- Hootenanny
- Hoover vs. vacuum
- Hope or hopes
- Horn of plenty and cornucopia
- Horsey, horsy, horsie
- Hosanna
- Hot button
- Houndstooth
- Hour vs our
- How's it going
- Hubris
- Hullabaloo
- Humdinger
- Humongous
- Humor vs. humour
- Humus vs. hummus
- Hunt-and-peck
- Hurdle vs. hurtle
- Hurricane, typhoon and cyclone
- Hush puppy, hushpuppy or hush-puppy
- Hustle and side hustle
- Hygge
- Hymn vs him
- Hyperbole
I
- Ibid vs idem
- Ice tea vs. iced tea
- Idea vs. ideal
- Ideologue
- Idiom vs colloquialism
- Idiot savant or savant syndrome
- Idle, idol, idyll
- If need be or if needs be
- Ignoramus
- Ilk
- Illegible vs. unreadable
- Imaginary or imaginative
- Imbroglio
- Immaculate Conception vs. virgin birth
- Immunity vs. impunity
- Impactful
- Impassable vs. impassible
- Impassive vs. passive
- Impending vs. pending
- Imperial vs empyreal
- Imperious vs. impervious
- Impinge vs. infringe
- Imply vs. infer
- Imposter vs. impostor
- Impractical vs impracticable
- Impromptu or improvised
- Improvise vs. improvize
- Impugn vs. impute
- In kind
- In the throes of
- Inalienable vs. unalienable
- Incase or encase
- Incentivize, incent
- Incidence vs. incidents
- Incipient vs. insipient (vs. insipid)
- Incite vs insight
- Incommunicado
- Incomparable vs. uncomparable
- Incomprehensive or incomprehensible
- Incredible vs. incredulous
- Inculcate
- Indemnity and contribution
- Indian corn
- Indian summer
- Inequality vs. inequity
- Inequity vs. iniquity
- Inexplicable vs. unexplainable
- Infect vs. infest
- Infomercial
- Ingenious vs. ingenuous
- Inn vs in
- Innate vs enate
- Inroad vs inroads
- Insofar (in so far)
- Installation vs. installment
- Installment vs. instalment
- Instantly vs. instantaneously
- Instinctive vs. instinctual
- Intellectual property
- Intercourse
- Interment vs. internment
- Internet of things
- Interpretative vs. interpretive
- Interrobang and interabang
- Inure vs enure
- Invaluable vs. valuable
- Invite (as a noun)
- Ipso facto
- Irk
- Ironic
- Irregardless
- Itchy feet
- Iteration
J
- Jack-in-the-box
- Jack-o’-lantern and Halloween lantern
- Jackpot
- Jaded
- Jam vs. jamb
- Janus-faced
- Jaywalking
- Je ne sais quoi
- Jejune
- Jejune
- Jeremiad
- Jet lag
- Jet set
- Jewel vs joule
- Jewelry vs. jewellery
- Jig vs gig
- Jiggery-pokery
- Jingoism
- Jinx
- Jitney
- John Doe, Joe Bloggs and Fred Nerk
- Jolly Roger
- Jones
- Joshing
- Judgment vs. judgement
- Judicial vs. judicious
- Juggalo
- Jump-start
- Junction vs. juncture
- Junkie vs. junky
- Jury-rig, jerry-rig, jerry-built
- Just deserts vs. just desserts
- Juxtapose
K
- K-pop
- Kafkaesque
- Kakistocracy
- Kaleidoscope
- Kaput
- Kerfuffle vs brouhaha
- Kernel vs colonel
- Ketchup, catsup, catchup
- Kibosh
- Kick off vs. kickoff (vs. kick-off)
- Kick-start
- King's X
- Kith and kin
- Kleenex vs tissue
- Kludge
- Klutz
- Knap vs nap
- Knave vs nave
- Knew vs new
- Knickers vs nickers
- Knight vs night
- Knit vs nit
- Knob vs nob
- Knock up
- Knot, nought, naught or not
- Know vs no
- Koan vs cone
- Kowtow
- Kryptonite
- Kudos
L
- Labeled vs. labelled
- Labor vs. labour
- Lackadaisical
- Ladybug and ladybird
- Lagniappe
- Laid vs lade
- Lain vs lane
- Lair vs layer
- Laissez-faire
- Lamb vs lam
- Lambast vs. lambaste
- Landlubber
- Laps vs lapse
- Lasagna vs. lasagne
- Last-ditch
- Latchkey kid and latchkey child
- Later vs latter
- Latte art
- Laudable vs. laudatory
- Laughing stock
- Lay out vs. layout
- Lay vs. lie
- Laze vs lase
- Leach vs leech
- Lead vs. lede
- Leak vs leek
- Lean vs lien
- Leaned or leant
- Leaped vs. leapt
- Learned vs. learnt
- Learnings
- Leased vs least
- Led vs. lead
- Leery vs leary
- Leet, leetspeak and 1337
- Leeway
- Legal tender
- Legal vs legit
- Legislator vs legislature
- Legitimate vs legitimitize
- Lei
- Lend vs. loan
- Lentil vs lintel
- Leotard vs tights
- Lesser or lessor
- Lest
- Let's vs lets
- Letter names
- Levee vs. levy
- Leviathan
- Liar vs lyre
- Libel vs. slander
- Licence vs. license
- Licker vs liquor
- Lickety-split
- Licorice vs. liquorice
- Lie or lye
- Lieu vs loo
- Lieutenant
- Lifetime or life time
- Light vs. lite
- Lighted vs. lit
- Lightening vs. lightning
- Likable vs. likeable
- Lilliputian
- Limb vs limn
- Limbo
- Limelight vs spotlight
- Linchpin vs. lynchpin
- Lip-sync and lip-synch
- Liquor vs liqueur
- Listserv
- Liter vs. litre
- Literally vs. figuratively
- Little to no or little to none
- Llama vs lama
- Lo, lo and behold
- Load vs lode
- Loan vs lone
- Loath vs. loathe (vs. loth)
- Loch vs lock
- Locks vs lox
- Lodestar
- Logo
- Lonely vs. lonesome
- Long in the tooth
- Long johns vs union suit and combination suit
- Long pig
- Look out vs. lookout (vs. look-out)
- Loonie or loony
- Loop de loop or loop the loop
- Loop vs loupe
- Loophole
- Loot vs lute
- Loquacious
- Lorry
- Lothario
- Lots of vs a lot of
- Low, lo or lowe
- Low-key and lowkey
- Luddite
- Lukewarm
- Lustful vs. lusty
- Luxuriant vs. luxurious
- Lyme disease vs lime disease
M
- Macabre
- MacGyver
- Mach vs mock
- Machiavellian
- Machine gun vs. machine-gun
- Macintosh, mackintosh, McIntosh
- Maddening vs. madding
- Made vs maid
- Magnate vs. magnet
- Magnum opus
- Mail vs male
- Main, mane and Maine
- Maize vs maze
- Make do vs. make due
- Malarkey
- Maleficent vs. malevolent
- Mall vs maul
- Malware vs ransomware
- Mancession
- Maneuver vs. manoeuvre
- Manner vs. manor
- Mansplain
- Manspreading
- Mantel vs. mantle
- Many vs. much
- Mare vs mayor
- Marinade vs. marinate
- Mark vs marque
- Marry vs. merry
- Marsala vs masala
- Marshal vs. martial
- Martin vs marten
- Mary Sue
- Mask vs masque
- Masterful vs. masterly
- Materiel vs. material
- Math vs. maths
- Matrix
- Maul vs. mull
- Maverick
- Mayhap or mishap or snafu
- Mayonnaise vs. mayonaise
- McGuffin
- Mcjob
- Me vs mi
- Mea culpa
- Meager vs. meagre
- Means
- Meat, meet or mete
- Medal, meddle, metal, mettle
- Mediator vs. moderator
- Meeple
- Melted vs. molten
- Meme
- Memento mori
- Mensch
- Meretricious vs meritorious
- Merry Christmas vs Happy Christmas
- Meta
- Metaphoric vs. metaphorical
- Meteoroid, meteor, meteorite (and meteoric)
- Meter vs. metre
- Methinks
- Mic drop
- Mic vs. mike
- Microfinance, microcredit and microloan
- Might vs mite
- Milieu
- Militant or terrorist
- Militate or mitigate
- Milquetoast vs milktoast
- Mince vs mints
- Mind vs mined
- Miner vs minor
- Minks vs. minx
- Minuscule vs. miniscule
- Mirandize
- Misinformed vs. uninformed
- Misnomer
- Misogyny and misandry
- Missed vs mist
- Mixtape
- Mob or demob
- Mode vs mowed
- Modeling vs. modelling
- Modern
- Modus operandi (m.o, MO)
- Mogul
- Mojo
- Mold vs. mould
- Mollusc vs. mollusk
- Mollycoddle
- Molotov cocktail
- Molt vs. moult
- Mom vs mom
- Momager
- Momentarily
- Money-grabbing vs. money-grubbing
- Montage
- Moonlight
- Moonshine
- Moose vs mousse
- Moose vs. mooses
- Moot vs. mute
- Moratorium
- Morays vs. mores
- More vs moor
- Moreso
- Moribund
- Morning vs mourning
- Mortar board
- Mothball
- Movable vs. moveable
- Mowed vs. mown
- Much vaunted
- Muchly
- Muckamuck, mucky-muck and muckety-muck
- Muckraking
- Mucous vs. mucus
- Mudslinging
- Muggle
- Multitask
- Mumbo jumbo
- Muscle vs mussel
- Muumuu
N
- Namby-pamby
- Nano-
- Nary a
- Nascent
- Nativity
- Naught vs. nought
- Nauseating vs. nauseous
- Naval vs. navel
- Nay vs neigh
- Ne'er-do-well
- Neandertal vs. neanderthal
- Nebbish
- Need vs knead
- Need vs kneed
- Nefarious
- Neighbor vs. neighbour
- Nepotism
- Nerd, dork or geek
- Nest egg
- Net neutrality
- Never mind vs nevermind
- New vs gnu
- Newbie vs noob or n00b
- Newfangled
- Nib vs nub
- Nice vs gneiss
- Nickle-and-dime
- Nickname
- Nicks vs nix
- Niggle
- Nimby, nimbyism
- Nimrod
- Nitpick
- Nitty-gritty
- No-brainer
- Noble vs ignoble
- Nock vs knock
- Noel or nowel
- Nomenclature
- Non sequitur
- Nonplussed
- Nonprofit vs. not-for-profit (vs. non-profit)
- Normalcy vs. normality
- Nose vs knows
- Not hardly
- Notwithstanding
- Nowadays, anymore, or any more
- Nullify
- Nun vs none
- Nunchucks
- Nutriment or nutrition
O
- O vs. oh
- Oases
- Object lesson
- Obliged vs. obligated
- Oblique
- Obsequious
- Observance vs. observation
- Obsolescent vs. obsolete
- Ocher vs. ochre
- Ode vs owed
- Odor vs. odour
- Off-kilter and out of kilter
- Offal vs awful
- Offence vs. offense
- Oftentimes
- Oh vs owe
- Oh well
- Old chestnut
- Old Glory
- Oligarchy vs monarchy
- Ombré ombre or hombre
- Omelet vs. omelette
- On fleek
- On the lam
- One-horse town
- One-time vs. onetime
- One-upmanship
- Onomatopoeia
- Onus
- Oompa Loompa
- Operationalise or operationalize
- Opossum vs. possum
- Oppress, repress, suppress
- Oracle vs auricle
- Oral vs. verbal
- Ordinance vs. ordnance
- Organise vs. organize
- Orientate
- Origin or origins
- Ornery
- Orthopedic vs. orthopaedic
- Ought vs aught
- Ouster
- Outsource
- Overbilled vs overbuild
- Overdo vs. overdue
- Oversees vs overseas
- Overtake, take over and takeover
- Overtones vs. undertones
- Oxymoron
P
- Packed vs pact
- Packs vs pax
- Paean, paeon, peon
- Pail vs pale
- Pain vs pane
- Pair vs. pare vs. pear
- Pajamas vs. pyjamas
- Palate, palette, pallet
- Pale in comparison
- Pall vs. pallor
- Panhandle
- Par excellence
- Parade float
- Paralympics
- Paralyse vs. paralyze
- Paramount vs. tantamount
- Paraphernalia
- Parish vs perish
- Parkour
- Parlay vs. parley
- Parlor or parlour
- Parol vs parole
- Parricide vs. patricide
- Parsimony
- Passable or passible
- Passed vs. past
- Passerbys or passersby
- Passing strange
- Paste vs paced
- Paten vs patten
- Patience vs patients
- Patient zero
- Patois
- Patriot
- Patsy
- Patsy
- Paucity
- Pause vs paws
- Pay the piper
- Pea vs pee
- Peace of mind, piece of (one's) mind
- Peak vs. peek vs. pique
- Peal vs. peel
- Pearl vs purl
- Peccadillo
- Peckish
- Pedal vs. peddle vs. petal
- Pejorative
- Pell-mell
- Penal vs. penile
- Pendant vs. pendent
- Penny-pinching
- Pentagon
- Penultimate
- Per diem
- Per se
- Per vs purr
- Percent vs. per cent
- Perchance
- Periodic vs. periodical
- Peripatetic
- Perjury
- Permaculture
- Pernickety vs. persnickety
- Perquisite vs. prerequisite (vs. requisite)
- Persecute vs. prosecute
- Persona non grata
- Perspective vs. prospective
- Peruse
- Pet peeve
- Petrifaction vs. petrification
- Pettifogger
- Petulant vs impetuous
- Phial vs. vial (vs. vile)
- Philippic
- Phishing
- Phony vs. phoney
- Phosphene
- Photobomb
- Phubbing
- Pica vs pika
- Picaresque vs. picturesque
- Picayune
- Picks, pix or pyx
- Pickup vs. pick up (vs. pick-up)
- Pidgin vs pigeon
- Pie vs pi
- Piece vs peace
- Piecemeal
- Piggy bank
- Piggyback
- Pin money
- Pincer vs. pincher
- Piping hot
- Pissant
- Pistol vs pistil
- Pitchblende
- Pithy
- Pixelated vs. pixilated
- Plain vs. plane
- Plainclothes
- Plaintiff vs defendant
- Plait vs plate
- Plantar vs planter
- Platypi vs platypuses
- Playwright vs. playwrite
- Pleather and Naugahyde
- Plenitude vs. plentitude
- Plethora
- Pleural vs plural
- Plough vs. plow
- Plum vs. plumb
- Podcast
- Point of view, standpoint, viewpoint
- Point-blank
- Poker face
- Pole vs poll
- Polemic vs. polemical
- Politics
- Polka dot
- Pollyanna
- Polygamy vs. polygyny vs. polyandry
- Pompom vs. pompon (vs. pom-pom etc.)
- Ponderous
- Ponzi scheme and Ponzi game
- Poo vs. pooh
- Poof, pouf or pouffe
- Pooh-bah or poobah
- Pooped
- Popinjay
- Poppycock
- Populace vs. populous
- Pore over vs. pour over
- Port vs. starboard
- Portend vs. portent
- Post-truth
- Potentiality
- Potluck
- Potter's field
- Powwow
- Pox
- Practicable vs. practical
- Practice vs. practise
- Pragmatism
- Praise vs preys
- Pram, baby carriage and baby buggy
- Prank call or crank call
- Pray vs. prey
- Prebiotic vs probiotic
- Precede vs. proceed
- Premier vs. premiere
- Preposition vs. proposition
- Prescribe vs. proscribe
- Presumptive vs. presumptuous
- Pretence vs. pretense
- Preventative vs. preventive
- Pride vs pried
- Primal scream
- Principal vs. principle
- Private eye and gumshoe
- Privy
- Prize, prise or pries
- Problematic vs. problematical
- Procrastinate
- Prodigal and prodigy
- Prodigal son
- Prodigious vs prolific
- Profit vs prophet
- Progeny vs prodigy
- Program vs. programme
- Promulgate vs propagate
- Prone, prostrate, supine
- Prophecy vs. prophesy
- Propitiate vs expiate
- Proportional vs. proportionate
- Props
- Pros vs prose
- Prostate vs. prostrate
- Protagonist, antagonist
- Protean vs protein
- Protégé
- Proverb vs adage
- Proverbial vs figurative
- Proviso
- Proximal vs proximate
- Psalter vs salter
- Psych vs. psyche
- Psychiatry vs. psychology
- Psychopath vs. sociopath
- Pugnacious
- Punch list
- Pundit
- Pupal vs pupil
- Puppy love or poppy love
- Purposely vs. purposefully
- Pusillanimous
Q
- Qua
- Quackery
- Quaff vs coif
- Qualitative vs. qualitive
- Qualitative, quantitative
- Quality time
- Quantitative vs. quantitive
- Quantum
- Quarts vs quartz
- Quash vs. squash
- Quasi
- Quay
- Quicksilver
- Quid pro quo
- Quince vs quints
- Quire vs choir
- Quisling
- Quiver vs quaver
- Quixotic
R
- Rack vs. wrack
- Racket vs. racquet
- Raconteur
- Radical
- Rail vs rale
- Rain, reign and rein
- Raise vs rays
- Raise vs raze
- Raison d'etre
- Rambunctious
- Ramshackle
- Rancor vs ranker
- Rancor vs. rancour
- Rappel vs. repel
- Rapt vs. wrapt
- Raring to
- Rat race
- Ravaging vs. ravishing
- Raven vs ravenous
- Razzle-dazzle and razzmatazz
- Razzmatazz or razzamatazz
- Re-create vs. recreate
- Reactionary vs. reactive
- Realise vs. realize
- Reappropriate
- Recede vs reseed
- Recent vs. resent
- Reconnoiter
- Recur vs. reoccur
- Red vs read
- Red-letter day
- Redneck vs hick vs hillbilly
- Redoubt
- Reed vs read
- Reek vs wreak
- Referendum
- Reforested wood
- Regard vs. regards
- Regift
- Regime vs. regimen
- Regrettable vs. regretful
- Reindeer or caribou
- Rejig vs. rejigger
- Relevance vs. relevancy
- Remunerate vs. renumerate
- Rend or rent
- Renege vs rescind
- Repair vs reparation
- Repeal vs repeel
- Repel vs. repulse
- Repertoire or repertory
- Repetition vs repetitiveness
- Requiem
- Resilience vs. resiliency
- Resister vs resistor
- Rest vs wrest
- Restaurateur vs. restauranteur
- Restive
- Retch vs. wretch
- Retcon
- Retrograde vs anterograde or antegrade
- Retronym
- Review vs. revue
- Rhyme vs rime
- Rife vs. ripe
- Riff vs. rift
- Riffraff
- Right-side up
- Rigmarole
- Ring vs. wring
- Rip-off or rip off
- Riposte vs repost
- Risky vs risqué
- Road kill or roadkill
- Road vs rode
- Roam vs Rome
- Robot, android or droid
- Rogue vs. rouge
- Roil vs royal
- Role vs. roll
- Roman-à-clef
- Rood vs rude
- Rookie
- Root vs. route vs. rout
- Rot vs wrought
- Round robin
- Rouse vs rows
- Rows vs rose
- Royal "we"
- Rubberneck
- Rubenesque
- Rude vs rued
- Ruff vs rough
- Rummy
- Rumor vs roomer
- Rumor vs. rumour
- Runaway vs. run away
- Rung vs wrung
- Rye vs wry
- Résumé
S
- Sac vs sack
- Saccharin vs. saccharine
- Sachet vs sashay
- Sacred cow
- Sacrilege, sacrilegious
- Said the actress to the bishop
- Sail vs sale
- Salient vs salience
- Salubrious vs lugubrious
- Samovar vs scimitar
- Sanction
- Sang froid
- Sangfroid
- Sanitise vs sanitize
- Sans
- Sarcasm
- Sarcophagus vs mausoleum
- Satisficing vs satisfying
- Savanna vs. savannah
- Savior vs. saviour
- Savoir faire
- Savor vs saver
- Savvy
- Sawed vs sod
- Scam or sham
- Scarfs vs. scarves
- Scatological
- Scavenger hunt
- Sceptic vs. skeptic
- Schadenfreude
- Schadenfreude
- Schema or schematic
- Schizophrenia as an adjective
- Schmooze and shmooze
- Schmuck versus putz
- Scintilla
- Scion
- Scot-free
- Screed
- Screwball
- Scrumdiddlyumptious
- Scrummy
- Scuba
- Scuffle
- Scull vs skull
- Sculpture vs sculptor
- Scuttlebutt
- Seam vs seem
- Sear vs. seer vs. sere
- Seas, sees or seize
- Secede vs. succeed
- Second-guess
- Secret vs. secretive
- Security blanket
- See vs sea
- Seen vs scene
- Segue vs Segway
- Self vs self
- Selfie
- Sensational vs sensationalistic
- Sensual vs. sensuous
- Sentient
- Sequacious
- Seraphic
- Serf vs surf
- Serigraph vs lithograph
- Service (as a verb)
- Serviette or napkin
- Set up vs. setup
- Sew vs. sow
- Shaggy-dog story
- Shake vs sheikh
- Shall vs. will
- Shanghai (as a verb)
- Shaved vs. shaven
- Shear vs. sheer
- Sheath vs. sheathe
- Shelf vs. shelve
- Shell out
- Shellac, shellack
- Shenanigans
- Sherbert vs. sherbet
- Shiplap
- Shiv
- Shoe vs shoo
- Shone vs shown
- Shoo-in
- Shop till you drop
- Shopping cart or buggy
- Shotgun vs rifle
- Showboat
- Showrunner
- Shrinking violet
- Shtick
- Shutter vs. shudder
- Sic
- Sic vs. sick
- Side vs sighed
- Sight vs. site
- Sign vs sine
- Signet vs cygnet
- Silicon vs. silicone
- Silver lining
- Silviculture
- Simpatico
- Since vs because
- Since, sense and cense
- Sine die
- Sine qua non
- Sink vs sync
- Sisyphean, Promethean or Herculean
- Site vs cite
- Sizable or sizeable
- Skein vs scan
- Skilful vs. skillful
- Skort
- Skulduggery
- Skunkworks
- Slay vs sleigh
- Slayed or slew
- Sled, sledge, sleigh and toboggan
- Slipshod
- Slough vs slew
- Slow vs sloe
- Slumgullion and goulash
- Smack of
- Smarmy
- Smartphone vs smart phone
- Smarty-pants and smarty-boots
- Smelled vs. smelt
- Smite, smote, smitten
- Smithereens
- Smokey vs. smoky
- Smorgasbord
- Snark
- Sneaked vs. snuck
- Snitch
- Snobbery or snobbishness
- Soar vs sore
- Soared vs sword
- Sob sister and sob story
- Soccer mom and hockey mom
- Social vs sociable
- Sole vs soul
- Somber vs. sombre
- Some vs sum
- Someplace vs. some place
- Somersault
- Sorbet
- Sorted vs sordid
- SOS and Mayday
- Sound bite
- Soup up
- Spanish fly
- Spartan
- Spat or spitted
- Spatter vs. splatter
- Spearhead
- Speciality vs. specialty
- Specious vs spurious
- Speck vs spec
- Specter vs. spectre
- Spelled vs. spelt
- Spendthrift
- Spiel
- Spiffy
- Spilled vs. spilt
- Spitballing
- Spitz vs spits
- Spoiled vs. spoilt
- Spoof
- Spoonerism vs malapropism
- Spoopy and creppy
- Spork
- Spur vs. spurn
- Squinch
- Staff vs staph
- Staid vs stayed
- Stained glass
- Stair vs stare
- Stake vs steak
- Stalactite, stalagmite
- Stanch vs. staunch
- Stank, stunk
- Star-crossed
- Stat vs now
- Stationary vs. stationery
- Status quo
- Statute of limitations
- Staycation
- Steal vs steel
- Stem-winder or stemwinder
- Stent vs stint
- Step vs steppe
- Stick to, stick by, or stick with
- Sticktoitiveness
- Stigma, stigmas or stigmata
- Stir-crazy
- Stock, shares
- Stock-still
- Stolen vs stollen
- Stool pigeon
- Storey vs. story
- Straight vs. strait
- Strait-laced
- Straitjacket
- Stratagem vs. strategy
- Stroller or pushchair
- Stupefaction
- Sty vs stye
- Style vs stile
- Sub rosa vs sub-rosa
- Sub vs infra
- Subconscious vs. unconscious
- Substantial vs. substantive
- Subtext
- Subtle vs. subtil
- Succor or succour vs sucker
- Suede vs swayed
- Suffice it to say
- Sugar daddy
- Sui generis
- Suite vs sweet
- Sulfur vs. sulphur
- Summa cum laude or magna cum laude
- Summary vs. summery
- Sun vs son
- Sunday driver
- Sunday vs sundae
- Super vs supra
- Supercilious
- Supersede or supercede
- Supposed to
- Surge vs serge
- Surgeon vs sturgeon
- Surrogacy
- Surveil
- Suspect, person of interest or perpetrator
- Svengali
- Swanning around and swanning about
- Swashbuckle
- Swath vs. swathe
- Swatting
- Sweat vs. sweated
- Sweeped or swept
- Sweet tooth
- Sycophant
- Symbol vs cymbal
- Synchronise or synchronize
- Systematic vs systematical
- Systematic vs. systemic
T
- T-shirt, t-shirt, tee-shirt, tee shirt
- Tabula rasa
- Tack vs. tact
- Tacks vs tax
- Tad bit vs tidbit
- Tail vs. tale
- Take over vs. takeover
- Take the mickey out of someone
- Takeaway and takeout
- Tar baby
- Taro vs tarot
- Taser
- Tattletale vs telltale
- Taught vs taut
- Taught vs tot
- Taupe vs tope
- Tea vs tee
- Team vs teem
- Tear vs tare
- Tear vs tier
- Teas vs tease
- Teetotaler, teetotaller
- Telegram vs. telegraph
- Tenant vs. tenet
- Tent vs tint
- Tern vs turn
- Terra firma
- Terrific vs terrifying
- Terroir and terror
- Testament vs. testimony
- Tete-a-tete
- Than vs. then
- Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day
- The Bronx
- The late
- Theater vs. theatre
- Their, there, they're
- Thesauri or thesaurusus
- Thong or flip-flop
- Thrall
- Threshold or threshhold
- Threw vs. through
- Throes vs throws
- Through and through or thru and thru
- Throw shade
- Throw the baby out with the bathwater
- Thumbs up and thumbs down
- Thyme vs time
- Tic vs. tick
- Tidbit vs. titbit
- Tiddlywinks and tiddleywinks
- Tide over
- Tide vs tied
- Till, until, 'til
- Timber or timbre
- Tinder vs tender
- Tinsel vs tensile
- Tinseltown
- Tiny house and tiny home
- Tire vs. tyre
- Titan vs tighten
- Titular
- Tmesis
- To vs. too
- To wit
- Toe vs tow
- Toilette
- Told vs tolled
- Tole vs toll
- Tolerance vs. toleration
- Ton vs. tonne
- Tongue-lashing
- Tontine
- Tool vs tulle
- Top banana and second banana
- Topography vs. typography
- Tor vs tore
- Torturous vs. tortuous
- Toss-up
- Totaled/totaling vs. totalled/totalling
- Touch base
- Touche or touché
- Tough vs tuff
- Tour de force
- Toward vs. towards
- Toweled or towelled
- Towhead
- Toxicology vs. toxology
- Track and field and athletics
- Tragedy vs travesty
- Trainer or trainor
- Translucent vs. transparent
- Transpire
- Transport vs. transportation
- Traveled/traveling vs. travelled/travelling
- Trawl vs. troll
- Treacle
- Treasurys
- Treble vs. triple
- Triage
- Trick or treat vs trick-or-treat
- Troglodyte
- Troika
- Troop vs. troupe
- Trooper or trouper
- Trope
- Trussed vs trust
- Trustee vs. trusty
- Tsunami vs tidal wave
- Tunneled, tunneling vs. tunnelled, tunnelling
- Turban vs turbine
- Turbid, turgid, torpid
- Turducken
- Turncoat
- Turnkey vs turn key
- Turpitude vs turpentine
- Turtle, tortoise, terrapin
- Tutor vs Tudor
- Tween
U
- Uber
- Ubiquitous
- Udder vs. utter
- Umbrage
- Unawares
- Underdog
- Underlie or underline
- Underwater vs. under water
- Undo vs undue
- Unexceptionable vs unexceptional
- Unfamous or infamous
- Union Jack
- Unique
- Unkempt, unkept
- Unpack
- Unputdownable
- Unsung hero
- Untoward
- Up to date
- Upmost vs. utmost
- Upper crust
- Upshot
- Urban, suburban and rural
V
- Vacuous vs. vapid
- Vagabond and vagrant
- Vagina vs. vulva
- Vain, vein, and vane
- Vale, vail, or veil
- Vamoose
- Variance vs variants
- Variety vs varietal
- Vary vs very
- Vaudeville
- Verbiage
- Verklempt
- Verses vs. versus
- Vertex vs. vortex
- Vertigo vs vertiginous
- Vested
- Vice versa
- Vice vs. vise
- Vicious vs. viscous
- Vicissitude
- Vis-a-vis
- Viz.
- Voicemail
- Voilà
- Voluptuous vs voluminous
- Vouchsafe
- Vox populi
W
- W00t
- Wack vs. whack
- Waddle vs. wattle
- Wade vs weighed
- Wagon vs. waggon
- Wainscot or chair rail
- Waist vs. waste
- Waive vs. wave
- Waiver vs. waver
- Walk vs wok
- Wallflower
- Wallop and pack a wallop
- Wander vs. wonder
- Wane, wax
- Wanton vs. wonton
- Ware, wear and where
- Warn vs worn
- Warrantee vs. warranty
- Wart vs wort
- Wary vs. weary
- Wassail
- We'd vs weed
- We'll vs wheel
- Weak vs week
- Wean vs ween
- Web site vs. website
- Weekend
- Weir vs we're
- Well-heeled
- Wend vs wind
- Wet vs. whet
- Whac-A-Mole
- Whacks vs wax
- Whale, wail or wale
- Wheelhouse
- Whence vs. from whence
- Whereas
- Wherewithal
- Which vs witch
- Whig vs wig
- While away vs. wile away
- While vs wile
- Whilst
- Whine vs wine
- Whiny, whiney, whinny, Whinney
- Whippersnapper
- Whipsaw
- Whir or whirr vs were
- Whirl vs whorl
- Whirling dervish
- Whiskey vs. whisky
- Whiz, whizz, wiz
- Who vs. whom
- Who's vs. whose
- Whoa vs woe
- Whoever vs. whomever
- Wholistic and holistic
- Whoop vs. whup
- Widow, widower
- Wife beater or wifebeater
- Wiki
- Wilful vs. willful
- Willy-nilly
- Winningest
- Wintery vs wintry
- Wiseacre
- Wit vs. whit
- Wither vs. whither
- Womp womp
- Won vs one
- Wonder vs. wonderment
- Wonkish, wonky
- Wont
- Wood vs would
- Woolen vs. woollen
- Woolgathering
- Word and whirred
- Word to the wise
- Workout vs. work out
- World vs whirled
- Worrywart and worryguts
- Worst vs wurst
- Wrath vs rath
- Wreath vs. wreathe
- Wreck vs reck
- Writ large
- Writer's block
- Wrong vs. wrongly
- Wrote vs rote
- Wunderkind
X
- Xmas
Y
- Y'all
- Y'all vs yawl
- Yarn-bomb
- Yea, yeah, yay
- Yester
- Yiddish
- Yoghurt vs. yogurt
- Yoke vs. yolk
- YOLO
- Yore vs your or you’re
- Your vs. you're
- Yuletide
Z
- Zee vs. zed
- Zeitgeist
- Zigzag